75-2 



S CHIZOPETALON Walkeri. 



4 



Mr, M^alker^s Schizopetalon. 



. TETR ADYNAMIA SILIQUOSA. 



Nat. ord. Crucifer^. Juss. gen, 237. Decand, regn. teg. 139. 

 SCIIIZOPETALON. Calyx clausus. Petata pinnatifida! Silimta 



torosa, seminlbus uiiiseriatis. Cotyledones quatuor! soparatim contortu- 



Ilerha anvua alternifoUa, pube tenui ramosa. Folia shmctto-pinnatijida, Ra- 

 c emus fuUaceo-'lr act i^atus, 



m 



Calyx jnibcscens foliolis albo-marginatis^ lateralibus allins desccndcnii- 

 bus. Petala alba, unguibiis calycem panlo super ant ibiis, laminis clrcum- 

 scriptione ovatisy pinnatijidisy laciniis linearibus siccitaie fetforsan ccstiva- 

 tione) involutis. Stamina G, Jilamentis siibccgualibus, edcntulis, antheris 

 uniformibuSy sagittato-linearilms, introrsis. . Glandulx hypogyua^ quatuor^ 

 lineareSy electee^ petalis suboppositcBy geminatim basibus dilaiatis conjluent Ibus 

 Jilamcnia lateralia stipantes. Stylus brevissimus. Stigmata papulosa^ con- 

 7iatO'approximata, in styliim decurrentiay basibus solutiSy nnlcum quasi sub- 

 cxtinctoriiforme efformantibus. Siliqua sessilis, bilocularisy angusto-linea- 

 risy pube ramosa brevi conspcrsa, valvis venosis. Semina splicer ico- lent icu- 

 laria. Embryo viridis. liadicula albicans, arctiata, semine paido longior, 

 Cotyledones vcrticillatcey cequaleSy elougatce, angiistalcey semltereieSy separatim 

 siibspiraliter involutce. 



Ohs. In ordine Cruciferarum genus nulli cognito affine, et equidcm oh nume- 

 rum, figuram, et vernationem cotyledonum, pelala pinnatifida, stigmatis struc- 

 tnram, et stamina suba^qualia tribus distinctai initium eflormare videtur. Brown 

 MSS. 



t 



Schizopetalon Walkeri. Sims in Curt. man. 2:}79, 



For the elaborate character which we have given above^ 

 we are entirely indebted to Mr. Brown, who alone, in this 

 country, was capable of defining the limits and of fully a])- 

 prcciating the peculiarities of this truly singular plant. It 

 adds another instance to the curious anomalies already 

 known in the cotyiedonar structure of dicotyledonous plants: 

 and must unquestionably be considered as the type of a 

 new tribe of cruciferous plants ; others of which may pos- 

 sibly exist in the almost unexplored regions of which this is 

 a native. 



It is unnecessary for us to expatiate upon the value to 

 science of such a communication as the above ; especially 

 when it is remembered that the first, and indeed the only 

 original attempt at forming philosophical characters for 



VOL, IX. T 



