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ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. was necessary as the Leeaceae are by some very eminent Botanists viewed as a totally distinct order from Viniferae, and it must be confessed not without good reason, or at all events as good, or better than those for separating Malvaceae from Bombaceae. or Rytlneriaceae, and Elaeocarpeae from Tiliaceue, and many others. Between Viniferae and Leeaceae there is difference of habit, great difference in the structure of the flowers, especially as regards the stamens, and in the number of cells and ovules of the ovary. There are no doubt affinities sufficiently marked to render their union desirable but on the same principles, so should the others be separated by sectional divisions only. I have alluded above to the difficulties of distinguishing the species of Vitis, with respect to Leea, these are not much diminished, and as in the former case, I beg again to refer to the Prodromus for characters, since I have not been able, after much consideration, to improve those given in that work, though I have examined many speci- mens of every form.

1. Vitis tomentosa, natural size.

2. An expanded flower, petals not adherent at the apex.

3. The same, the petals removed, showing the cup-shaped torus and ovary.

4. Stamens back and front views.

5. Ovary cut transversely, 3-celled, with 5 ovules.

6. The same cut vertically, showing the ovules erect.

7. B ick and front views of the seed — natural size. 8 The same magnified.

9-9. Seed and fruit cut transversely, showing the large confenuminate albumen.

10. A seed cut vertically, to show the embryo at the base of the albumen, but not well represented.

11. The embryo removed — all with the exceptions mentioned more or less magnified.

1. Leea Staphylea, natural size.

2. An expanded flower, with the stamen tube in situ.

3. The stamen tube removed and split open, to show the position of the anthers.

4. Front and side views of the anthers.

5. Calyx and ovary, with the style and stigma.

6. Ovary cut vertically.

7. The same cut transversely, in this instance 4-celled, with one ovule in each.

8. A full grown fruit.

9. The same cut transversely, in this instance G-celled, with one seed in each.

10. A seed.

11. The same cut transversely, showing the large albumen.

12 Another cut vertically, showing the position of the embryo and its relative size to the albumen.

13. The embryo removed.

 

This order maybe viewed as almost entirely of extra- tropical origin, for though a few species are indigenous within the tropics, these are almost invariably found on the higher hills where temperature is reduced by elevation. The Indian Peninsula seems generally unfavourable to the production of plants of this order, since, so far as yet known only one species has been found native even on the highest hills, and in Ceylon the same species only occurs. It consists of herbaceous or suffruticose plants, with the stems usually jointed, the leaves opposite below, and frequently alternate above, palmately nerved and cleft, or pinnatifid, and furnished with two foliaceous stipules. The flowers are more or less irregular, bisexual, paired, or umbelled, seldom solitary, on axillary, or occasionally, leaf opposed peduncles.

Sepals 5, persistent, imbricated in aestivation, sometimes produced at the base into a spur, connate with the pedicel. Petals 5, sometimes 4, or wanting, by abortion, unguiculate, equal and hypogynous, or unequal, and either connected at the base or inserted on the calyx ; aestiva- tion twisted. Stamens usually monadelphous at the base, hypogynous, or pcrigynous, rarely free, twice or thrice as many as the petals. Ovarium 5-celled, with two ovules in each, styles 5, cohering round a central elongated axis or torus (gynobase). Fruit, of 5 membranous 1 -celled, indehiscent carpels, which are at first close pressed to the gynobase, each ending in its style, which is closely adnate to the angles of the axis, but afterwards twists variously from the base to the apex, and carries the pericarp with its enclosed solitary seed along with it. Seed peritropal, albumen none. Embryo curved, radicle superior, but with its point bent down towards the hilum. Cotyledons foliaceous. 