The figure in Mr, Lindley's work having been done from 

 a dried sample, the slight failures in its general exactness, 

 when compared with the living plant, are such only as are 

 imputable to that circumstance. The peduncles and umbel 

 are represented upright instead of reflexed, and the braetes 

 and calyx as green and foliaceous instead of faintly coloured 

 and membranous. We do not see however, even in the dried 

 plant, why the involucre should have been described as 

 twofold, instead of simple with unequal leaflets, as it really 

 is. We had no opportunity of inspecting a perfect flower; 

 but our draughtsman assured us that, in the umbel be 

 drewTrom, no portion of the stigmas appeared above the 

 anthers as in the native samples ; a circumstance probably 

 ■owing to want of force in the- individual umbel, the last 

 produced on the plant that season ; others had blown 

 nearly two months before. The petals seemed slightly 

 rumpled, somewhat in the way of those of the Poppy* 



A copious flow of ropy limpid mucilage followed the 

 cutting asunder of the flowerstalk, affording a striking 

 exemplification of that part of the economy of the order. 



A miniature figure of the entire plant (said to grow to a 

 large tree) is placed in our plate by the side of the inflo- 

 rescence, and also one of the smallest leaves^ each of its na^ 

 tui-al size. 



" Tlie subject of the article had been referred by Dr, Wallich onpnally 

 " to Pentapetes and subsequently to Dombeya- To us it seems to dif- 

 fer much more from those two genera than they do from each other^ not 

 only in general appearance, but in technical character. Not to Tnention 

 '* the great double involucre of AstrXp^a, which is at least of as much 

 importance as the bractese, or outer calyx as they are usually termed, of 

 many genera of this order^ DoMBEYA and Pentapetes hare an outer 

 calyx of 3 leaves; AstrapjEA has none ; but in its room one lai^ bracte» 

 which subtends the calyx properly so called; DoHBETAandPEKTAPETES 

 have an almost expanded corolla; AstrapSa has its petals rolled toge* 

 '' ther like Achania. There is a difference too in the number of stamens^ 

 but this perhaps is not of so much consequence as the great length of their 

 tube, as compared with the shallow cup of Pentapetes and Dombeta. 

 " Hie same observations are appUcable to Fterosperhum (Pentapetes 

 " of Jussieu)» but that has neither bracte nor outer calyx; its flowers are 

 solitary and its whole habit very different. "Whether the seeds of Astra- 

 P£A are winged or not we have no means of judging, except from the 

 *' ovules, which exhibit no trace of any appendage. The germen appears 

 " to be that of a capsule of a thin rather tlmo a woody nature*'' Lhmejf foe. 



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