Pl. 112.
J. Fleischmann del.
Weihea africana Benth.
A Flowering branch. B Flower cut lengthwise (some anthers cut off). C Cross-section of ovary.
Ovary 2-4-celled. Style long; stigma 1, entire or 2-4-lobed. Seeds
1-4. Flowers in racemes. Leaves clustered. [Subfamily PLANCHONIOIDEAE.] 3
3. Ovary long, winged. Ovules inserted along the inner angle of the cells or in the middle of the partitions. Fruit a nut. Embryo with distinct cotyledons. Bracteoles in the middle of the long pedicels.—Species 2.
West Africa. Petersia Welw.
Ovary short, ovate. Ovules suspended from the apex of the inner angle of the cells. Fruit a one-seeded drupe. Embryo undivided. Bracteoles at the base of the pedicels.—Species 5. Madagascar and neighbouring islands. East and South-east Africa. They yield timber, tanning bark, vegetables, oil, fish-poison, and medicaments, and serve also as ornamental plants. (Plate 111.) Barringtonia Forst.
[FAMILY 177.] RHIZOPHORACEAE
Trees or shrubs. Leaves undivided. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite or polygamous. Sepals valvate in bud. Petals free, induplicate-valvate in bud, usually lobed or fringed. Stamens perigynous or epigynous, twice as many as the petals or more, rarely (Anisophyllea) some of them barren. Anthers opening inwards by longitudinal slits. Ovary completely or incompletely 2-6-celled. Ovules 1-2 in the inner angle of each cell, pendulous, inverted. Seeds usually germinating in the still attached fruit.—Genera 10, species 45. Tropical and South Africa. (Plate 112.)
1. Styles 3-4. Ovary inferior, with 1 ovule in each cell. Stamens 6-8, several of them sometimes barren. Flowers 3-4-merous, polygamous.
Fruit a drupe. Seeds exalbuminous. Leaves alternate, exstipulate.
[Subfamily ANISOPHYLLOIDEAE.] 2
Style 1. Ovary with 2 ovules in each cell. Fruit a berry or a capsule.
Seeds albuminous. Leaves opposite or whorled, stipulate. [Subfamily
RHIZOPHOROIDEAE.] 3
2. Flowers in few-flowered spikes or racemes. Fruit 1-seeded.—Species 7.
Tropics. They yield timber and edible fruits. Anisophyllea R. Br.
Flowers in spikes arranged in racemes. Style ovate. Fruit 2-4-seeded.—Species
1. Equatorial West Africa (Gaboon). Yields edible, oily seeds. Poga Pierre
3. Ovary inferior or half-inferior. Placentas usually passing into the style.
Ovules without appendages. Petals yellow, brown, red, or greenish.
Stamens twice as many as the petals. [Tribe GYNOTROCHEAE.] 4
Ovary superior or nearly so. Placentas not reaching to the base of the style. Ovules with appendages. Petals 4-6, toothed or split, usually white. [Tribe MACARISIEAE.] 7
4. Ovary inferior. Receptacle (flower-tube) deeply concave, bell- or funnel-shaped, distinctly prolonged above the ovary. Petals 5-14. Calyx
crowning the fruit. 5
Ovary half-inferior. Receptacle slightly concave, saucer-shaped, scarcely prolonged above the ovary. Petals 4-6. Calyx at the base of the fruit.
Seeds germinating in the still attached fruit. Plants with aerial roots.
Flowers with an involucre of two bracteoles, arranged in cymes. 6
5. Receptacle funnel-shaped, prolonged above the ovary into a long tube.
Flowers 8-14-merous. Petals red or brown, 2-lobed, with thread-like appendages. Antesepalous stamens curved sideways at the base, becoming opposite to the antepetalous. Disc obscurely lobed. Ovary
2-4-celled. Seeds germinating in the still attached fruit. Flowers solitary.—Species 1. Tropical and South-east Africa. Yields timber and bark used for tanning and dyeing. Bruguiera Lam.
Receptacle bell-shaped, prolonged above the ovary into a short tube.
Flowers 5-8-merous. Petals yellowish, irregularly lobed. Antesepalous stamens not opposite to the antepetalous. Disc usually double. Fruit 1- or 3-6-celled. Seeds germinating after the fruit has fallen. Flowers with an involucre of two bracteoles, arranged in cymes.—Species 2. Madagascar. Carallia Roxb.
6. Flowers 4-merous. Petals entire, yellowish or green. Anthers with numerous cells (pollen-sacks). Disc obscurely lobed. Ovary 2-celled.
Stigma 2-lobed.—Species 2. Tropical and South-east Africa. They yield timber, tanning and dyeing materials, and medicaments. “Mangrove.” Rhizophora L.
Flowers 5-6-merous. Petals 2-lobed, brownish. Anthers with 4 cells.
Disc deeply lobed. Ovary 3-celled above, 1-celled below. Stigma entire.—Species 1. Tropics. Yields timber and tanning bark. Ceriops Arn.
7. Ovary 2-4-celled, adnate to the receptacle by the broad base. Leaves opposite. 8
Ovary 5-celled, sessile or short-stalked. Stamens 10. Flowers 5-merous, in few-flowered inflorescences. Seeds winged. 9
8. Disc distinctly 8-15-lobed. Stamens 10-15. Stigma entire. Placentas reaching the middle of the ovary only. Flowers in many-flowered inflorescences, frequently in glomerules.—Species 10. Tropical and
South-east Africa. (Under Cassipourea Aubl.) Dactylopetalum Benth.
Disc not distinctly lobed. Stamens 10-30. Stigma 2-4-lobed. Placentas reaching the base of the style. Fruit fleshy. Seeds with an aril.
Flowers with an involucre of two bracteoles, solitary or in few-flowered inflorescences.—Species 18. Tropical and South-east Africa. (Plate
112.) Weihea Spreng.
9. Ovary sessile. Tall trees. Leaves whorled.—Species 2. West Africa. Anopyxis Pierre
Ovary short-stalked. Low trees. Leaves opposite.—Species 3. Madagascar. Macarisia Thouars
[FAMILY 178.] ALANGIACEAE