MR. R. A. ROLFE ON THE APOSTASIER. 211 
A Morphological and Systematic Review of the Apostasiec. By 
R. ALLEN Ronpf, A.L.S., Assistant in the Herbarium of 
the Royal Gardens, Kew. 
[Read 21st June, 1888.] 
(Prate XLVIII.) 
Tue Apostasiee form a highly interesting little group, placed 
at the very end of the large order Orchidee, and as no general 
revision has ever been published, and the literature relating to the 
subject is extremely scattered, I have attempted to remedy the 
deficiency in the following paper. Ihave also discussed somewhat 
fully the morphology, affinities, and geographical distribution of 
the group. The annexed Plate I have prepared to illustrate the 
more important points of structural detail. 
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 
The genus Apostasia was founded in 1825 by Blume *, for a 
plant discovered by him in Western Java, and which he termed 
Apostasia odorata. It was considered simply a genus of Or- 
chidee, for Blume divided the Order into three tribes, viz. 
Cereacee, Granulose, and Pulveree, the latter tribe being again 
subdivided into Monanthere and Dianthere, the last-named 
division comprising only the genus Apostasia. Cypripedium is 
not mentioned in the text, but is bracketed with Apostasia in a 
separate table of genera. Blume’s description of the genus is 
sufficiently correct, except as to the pollen, which he describes as 
“Masse pollinis pulverulente ;”’ while of the tribe he remarks, 
* Pollinis masse in pulverem facile solvenda." So far as Apostasia 
is concerned, it is incorrect to speak of pollen-masses, for the 
grains are quite free, not aggregated in masses at all. The three- 
celled ovary and axile placentation he appears to have quite over- 
looked, for he makes no mention of them whatever. 
In 1830 two other species, which had been sent from India by 
Wallich, were described by Robert Brown f. All the structural 
details were accurately described by grown, the position of the 
stamens with regard to the perianth-segments clearly set forth, 
the affinities ably discussed, and the genus raised to the rank of a 
distinct, though somewhat anomalous, tribe of Orchidex, bearing 
* Bijdr. Fl. Nederl. Ind. p. 423, t. i. fig. 5. 
+ Wall. Pl. Asiat. Rar. i. pp. 74-76, tt. 84, 85. 
LINN. JOURN.— BOTANY, VOL. XXV. R 
