Leaves simple, entire. Inflorescence racemose, bracteolate. Flowers irregular. Sepals 5, the two inner usually petal-like. Petals 3-5, more or less adnate to the staminal tube, the lowest more or less concave and boat-shaped. Stamens 5-8. Filaments more or less united. Anthers attached by the base, at length one-celled, opening towards the apex. Ovary superior, 1-3-celled. Ovule 1 in each cell, pendulous, inverted. Style simple or 2-cleft, usually curved and flattened.—Genera 6, species 240. (Plate 78.)
1. Petals 5, all well-developed, unappendaged. Stamens 5. Ovary 2-3-celled. 2
Petals 3, 4, or 5, two of which are rudimentary. Stamens 6-8. Ovary
1-2-celled. 3
2. Petals unequal, clawed, the lowest boat-shaped. Stigma capitate. Fruit
a drupe. Seeds ellipsoid.—Species 3. West Africa. They yield timber, edible fruits, and medicaments. Carpolobia Don
Petals subequal, sessile, the lowest not boat-shaped. Stigma punctiform.
Fruit a nut. Seeds globose.—Species 4. West Africa. (Under
Carpolobia Don) Atroxima Stapf
3. Ovary 1-celled; a second rudimentary cell sometimes present. Stigma entire or lobed. Sepals unequal. Concave petal with an appendage.
Stamens 8. Fruit a winged nut. Seeds without an aril, exalbuminous.
Shrubs or trees.—Species 3. Central and South Africa. They yield bast-fibres, soap-bark, oily seeds, and medicinal drugs; the roots are said to be poisonous. (Lophostylis Hochst.) (Plate 78.) Securidaca L.
Ovary 2-celled. Fruit a capsule or a drupe. 4
4. Sepals subequal. Concave petal with an appendage. Stamens 7, rarely
8. Style almost straight. Fruit a capsule. Seeds with an aril, albuminous.—Species
60. South Africa to Nyasaland. Muraltia Neck.
Sepals unequal, the two inner usually wing-like. 5
5. Fruit a drupe. Seeds albuminous. Style almost straight. Stamens 7, rarely 8. Filaments united quite or nearly to the top. Concave
DICHAPETALACEAE.
FLOW. PL. AFR.
Pl. 79.
J. Fleischmann del.
Dichapetalum leucosepalum Ruhl.
A Flowering branch. B Flower. C Flower cut lengthwise. D Cross-section of ovary.
