. The natural history of plants. Botany. LYTHRAEIACEM. 437. a Fig. 410. Flower (f). I'ig. 411. Long. sect, of flower. opposite leaves and inflorescence similar to that of Lagerstroemia. It is believed to be a native of Arabia or of the neighbouring countries, African or Asiatic; it has been introduced into most tropical regions. PempMs (fig. 410, 411), otherwise little different from most of the preceding genera, belongs also to a small group (PempUdece), cha- racterized by a va- riation in the mode Femp/m adduU. ofplacentation. The latter is nearly ba- silar, that is, from the base of the in-
. The natural history of plants. Botany. LYTHRAEIACEM. 437. a Fig. 410. Flower (f). I'ig. 411. Long. sect, of flower. opposite leaves and inflorescence similar to that of Lagerstroemia. It is believed to be a native of Arabia or of the neighbouring countries, African or Asiatic; it has been introduced into most tropical regions. PempMs (fig. 410, 411), otherwise little different from most of the preceding genera, belongs also to a small group (PempUdece), cha- racterized by a va- riation in the mode Femp/m adduU. ofplacentation. The latter is nearly ba- silar, that is, from the base of the in- ternal angle of each ovarian cell rises a small support on which are borne variable number of anatropous, ascending ovules. The flower is moreover hexamerous, with six accessory tongues in the intervals of the sepals, six petals resembling those of Lagerstroemia, and twelve stamens, inserted at two different levels on the receptacular tube. The fruit is capsular and enclosed in the receptacle. P. acidula, the only species known, is a small shrub observed at numerous points of the sea coast of tropical Asia and Oceania. Lafoensia has the same mode of placentation as PempMs ; for the two (incomplete) cells of the stipitate ovary have each a basilar placenta, charged with erect ovules. But the flowers are 8-12- merous, with as many accessory tongues as sepals, and a larger, nearly campanulate receptacle. The fruit is a thick capsule, with seeds bordered by a wing. They are woody plants of tropical America, with opposite leaves and beautiful flowers solitary or united in terminal clusters, composed of' cymes. Physocalymma has very analogous flowers, but with eight parts and twenty-four stamens, without tongues. The fruit is incompletely unilocular, with four multiovulate placentae united in a basilar mass. The name of the genus is derived from the receptacular sac growing and persisting around the fruit after floration. P. florida is a flne Brazilian tree with opposite leaves and
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbotany, bookyear1871
