46 MESSRS. NEWELL ARBER AND J, PARKIN ON 
Certain members of this alliance also retain a primitive feature in the 
homoxylous character of the wood, e. g., Drimys, Tetracentron, and Trocho- 
dendron*. This family has already been instanced by Hallier f and others 
as showing a comparatively large number of primitive characters. The recent 
study by Strasburger f of the embryo-sae of Drimys has shown, however, 
that it practically does not depart from the stereotyped form common to 
nearly all Angiosperms. 
Папипсшасее. 
Some members of this family present primitive features in the form of the 
receptacle and perianth, as well as in the fact that the numerous stamens and 
carpels are spirally arranged. The perianth of this group is also in many cases 
of a primitive nature, though often petaloid and sometimes clearly differentiated 
into calyx and corolla. In addition, honey-leaves, the homologues of fertile 
microsporophylls, may be present. 
Nym phæeaceæ. 
In the members of this family, especially in the genus Nelumbium, we find 
numerous stamens of a similar form to those of the Magnoliacez, as well as 
certain features in connection with the perianth, which we regard as fairly 
primitive. 
Calycanthacew. 
The numerous, spirally arranged stamens and carpels, and the large number 
of perianth members may be regarded as primitive features. 
MONOCOTYLEDONS. 
Alismaceæ and Butomacee. 
In some members of these closely-allied families the stamens are indefinite 
in number, and the carpels numerous and apocarpous, features which, from 
our point of view, may be regarded as primitive. 
Ратасее. 
In this large family, in many instances, the unbranched habit $ and the 
free carpels are primitive features. 
* Harms (1897). t Hallier (1903). 
t Strasburger (1905). $ See Morris (1893). 
