Page:A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume 2.djvu/615

Descriptions of Plants.] erecta, subovata, operculata, uncialia: Extus ornata costis tribus ab ore cristato ortis, valde elevatis et sæpius apice longitudinaliter depresso latiusculo marginibus acutis pilosis; lateralibus obliquis dorsum versus tendentibus sensim declinantibus et prope medium lateris desinentibus in lineas cursura oblique anticum servantes pauloque supra basin ventris coalescentes; ventrali elevatiore recta, longitudine ascidii, apice semper latiusque depresso: Intus nitentia et e majore parte nigro-purpurea, paulo infra annulum costatum oris aucta margine prominulo integerrimo. Ore plusquam semiorbiculari, paulo infra marginem extus cincto annulo tenui, ortum præbente processubus numerosis (19-23), parallelis costæformibus, adnatis, extremitate interiore soluta brevi incurva acuta. Operculo e petiolo derivato et postico lateri oris ascidii lata basi inserto, foliaceo orbiculato-obovato emarginato planiusculo viridi, venis nigro-purpureis latis ramosis apice anastomozantibus picto, extus pilosiusculo intus glabro.

Scapus simplicissimus erectus pedalis sesquipedalis villosus pilis simplicibus acutis, instructus bracteis nonnullis alternis remotis deciduis; dimidio inferiore quandoque angulato, superiore semper tereti. Spica terminalis erecta biuncialis, composita spiculis numerosis, superioribus confertis, inferioribus sensim remotioribus, omnibus pedunculatis 4-5-floris, floribus subcorymbosis ebracteatis. Bracteæ pedunculos spicularum subtendentes subulato-lineares deciduæ. Flores parvi. Calyx albus, altè 6-fidus simplici serie, regularis æqualis, extus pube adpressa simplici, laciniis ovato-lanceolatis patulis apice denticulo interiore auctis: basi intus incrassata pilisque capitatis brevissimis hispidula. Stamina margini tubi calycis inserts, ejusdem laciniis breviora; sex laciniis alternantia longiora et præcociora: Filamenta subulata erecto-conniventia glabra purpurascentis: Antheræ conniventes subrotundæ didymæ, lobis appositis purpurascentibus longitudinaliter dehiscentibus, connectivo subgloboso fungoso celluloso albo adnatis: Pollen flavum. Pistilla 6 approximata, staminibus minoribus breriora: Ovaria cum laciniis perianthii alternantia subovata parum compressa glabra, margine ventrali truncato dorsali rotundato, monosperma; Ovulo erecto, magnitudine fere loculi et intra testam membranaceam continente sacculum magnitudine cavitatis testæ, pendulum: Styli terminates teretiusculi: Stigmata simplicia. Fasciculus laxus albus villorum centrum receptaculi intra ovaria occupat.

Obs. Cephalotus has been referred by its discoverer Labillardiere to Rosaceæ, to which, notwithstanding its coloured calyx and the absence of petals, it seems to have the nearest affinity; a knowledge of the fruit, however, is wanting to determine absolutely its place in the natural method. From the structure of its ovulum, even in the unimpregnated state, I entertain no doubt that the radicule of the Embryo points to the umbilicus of the seed and therefore downwards; a circumstance in which it would