Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 1.djvu/275

Rh H. Merguienses, carpels surrounded with an orbicular thin transparent scarious reticulated wing.

In the two first the panicles are described as large, compound and clothed with appressed hairs, in the last rtiey are diffuse, glabrous, with few flowers, on long very slender jointed pedicels.

H. cordata, appears quite distinct from all these, but the fruit is as yet unknown.

The fruit of our H. indica is also unknown, and as it differs from Roxburgh's plant in having the under surface of the leaves rather thickly clothed with soft appressed pubescence', not glabrous, it may, when the fruit is found prove either Roxburgh's H. nutans, or a distinct species, but for the present must remain undetermined.


 * 1. Malpighia? heteranthera, (R. W.) natural size.
 * 2. A partially dissected flower showing the glands of the sepals, a petal with its claw, and the unequal stamens and styles.
 * 3. The same forcibly opened to show the union of the filaments, and more clearly the ovary, styles and stigmas.
 * 4. Back and front views of a small anther.
 * 5. The same of a large one.
 * 6. The ovary 1-cell opened, to show the pendulous incurved solitary ovule.
 * 7. The ovary cut transversely near the apex.
 * 8. A mature fruit, natural size.
 * 9. The same, one of the carpels cut transversely.
 * 10. A seed removed and freed from its pulp, to show the rough reticulated testa.
 * 11. The same opened to show the position of the seed.
 * 12. Foliaceous cotyledons and the radicle.
 * 13. A leaf — all, with the exceptions mentioned, more or less magnified.


 * 1. Hiptage Madablota, (Gaert.) natural size.
 * 2. An expanded flower, the petals removed to show the relative position of the other parts.
 * 3. The petals.
 * 4. Anthers back and front views.
 * 5. Ovary, style and stigma.
 * 6. Style and stigma detached, and more highly magnified.
 * 7. Ovary cut vertically.
 * 8. Cut transversely, 3-celled.
 * 9- A full grown fruit, natural size.
 * 10. Cut transversely—with the exceptions mentioned, all more or less magnified.

 

This is a large and complex order presenting among its members slender climbing herbs, small shrubs, and large umbrageous trees. The leaves are alternate, simple, or compound; in the latter case, either ternate, or biternate, more frequently abruptly pinnate. The flowers equally vary, being either uni or bi-sexual, or frequently presenting both forms on the same tree, polygamous. The inflorescence is either racemose or panicled, the flowers usually small, sometimes nearly inconspicuous, generally white, or pale greenish white, more rarely purplish coloured.

Calyx free of 4-5 distinct or slightly cohering sepals, imbricated in aestivation. Petals usually as many as the sepals, alternating with them, sometimes fewer by the abortion of one, or altogether wanting, either naked, hairy, glandular, or furnished with a petaloid scale within, and also imbricated in aestivation. Torus usually a hypogynous disk, occupying the bottom of the calyx, expanded between the petals and stamens. Stamens 8-10 in a single series, inserted on the disk or receptacle between the glands and ovary; filaments free, anthers incumbent, 2-celled, bursting longitudinally, introrse, when polygamous, the pistil of the male flower is either rudimentary, or wanting. In the female the ovary is usually 3, rarely 2, or 4-celled, usually with a single erect or ascending ovule in each, rarely with two superposed ovules, and then one is ascending, the other pendulous; sometimes they are numerous. Style undivided or 3-cleft, more rarely, bifid. Fruit fleshy and indehiscent, or vesicular, or capsular, and 2-3 valved, some of the cells occasionally abortive. Seeds usually arillate, albumen none. Embryo usually curved, or spirally convolute, rarely straight; radicle pointing towards the hilum. Cotyledons sometimes conferruminate.

The relationship of this with the three preceding orders will be evident from a reference to the Conspectus, page 137, where it is introduced as a member of the class Malpighinae, other affinities are indicated by Botanical writers, but as these appear somewhat remote I shall not myself attempt to detail them, but rather extract from Dr. Lindley's Natural System of Botany the paragraph in which they are explained. 