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64 PE, HOOKZB AND J>U. THOMSON'S PB-SICURSOEES 



PrcBcursores ad Floram Indicam. By J. D, Hookee, Esq., M.D., 

 P.E.S. & L.S., and T. Thomson, Esq., M.D., F.E.S. & L.S. 



(Continued from page 29.) 



Seeies II. Saxieeage^ (including Sydrangece^ &c.), Ceasstj- 



LACE-S], DEOSEEAOEiE, PaENASSIE-3:, GeOSSULAEIE^, HaMA- 

 MEEIDEjE, and PHILADEJiPHE-a:. 



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The Orders here grouped together appear to us to stand in 

 more immediate connexion with one another than with any other 

 Indian Orders, and to be intimately connected with Cornece and its 

 allies on the one hand, and Bosace<e on the other. Prom Corner 

 and its allies they differ much in the structure and number of their 

 ovules, which are numerous, except in some Samamelidete^ and in 

 their less constant characters of the carpels being partially free 

 from one another and from the calyx or apex of the peduncle, the 

 rarely valvate floral envelopes, and the more numerous stamens. 

 Prom RosacecB they are less definitely though more naturally 

 separated, and the Himalayan genera Neillia and Astilhe form a 

 very close coimecting link between these Orders. Of these, 

 Neillia may safely be referred to Saxifragece ; and Astilhe must, 

 technically, fall into Saxifragece also, though its relationship to 

 Spiraea is aU but generic. Polyosma^ appended by Brown and 

 Bennett to JSscalloniece, presents the strongest resemblance to 

 Cornece in many respects. 



We have endeavoured to give a conspectus of these Orders, 

 with their diagnostic characters drawn from the Indian genera, 

 from which it will be seen, that though all of them are very natural 

 groups, they are to a great extent undistinguishable by characters. 

 Saxifragece^ by being made to include the fruticose genera Ada^iiiay 

 Hydrangea^ Itea^ and Polyosma^ has a very different value from 

 the succeeding Orders, which are aU of them as naturally parts of 

 Saxifragece as many of the genera included under it are. Fhila- 

 delpliem might without violence be brought next to Hydrangea ; 

 JParnassia, though exalbuminous, is nearly related to Saxifraga 

 itself, as indicated by Brown and others, and displays the same 

 singular economy of the stamens advancing by pairs to the stig- 

 mata, the same texture of its persistent "petals, and a habit so 

 similar, that when in the Himalaya, their close affinity appeared to 

 / us self-evident. Hamamelidece might be brought under Cunonia, 

 ^ the remarkable stipules of BucJclandia finding an exact homologue 

 in Cunonia itself, whilst amongst other genera of both Orders many 

 cross affinities may be traced. Droseracece and Qrossulariem seem 



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