28 MK, A. AV, BENNETT ON PAKNASSIA PALUSTKIS. 



riglit across the centre of the flower, could not fail to carry the 

 pollen right on to the expanded stigmata of some other more 

 fully developed flower. Those plants which were in a sufficiently 

 advanced state invariably had the ovary loaded with seeds. It 

 will be understood, from the above description, why I am disposed 

 to lay considerable stress on the extrorse anthers of Parnassia as 

 contrasted with the introrse organs of Saxifraga. 



"While investigating the affinities of Parnassia^ I was struck 

 with the resemblance, in more than one point, between this genus 

 and two others not generally associated with it, principally located 

 in Tropical America, ^auvagesia and Lavradia^ Avhich have also 

 been referred by botanists to a number of different orders, having 

 been variously placed under Cistinese, Violacese, Prankeniacea), 

 Elatinea^j Droseracege, or, to cut the Grordian knot, have been 

 erected into an order by themselves. The most general view of 

 their correct position may probably be taken to be that adopted 

 by Bentham and Hooker in the ' Genera Plantarum,' where they 

 are ranged under Violacea?. Here, again, I may be permitted 

 simply to point out tlie discrepancies which separate them from 

 the typical genera of that order ; and in this, as well as in tracing 

 their relationship to Parnassia^ I am chiefly indebted to the ad- 

 mirable monograph of the two genera contained in St.-Hilaire's 

 * Histoire des Plantes les plus remarquables du Bresil et du 

 Paraguay.' In Fio/a, then, the corolla is irregular, there is but a 

 single row of petals or stamens, the anthers are turned inwards, 

 frequently united into a ring or tube, and with the connective 

 extended considerably beyond the anther-cells, and the de- 

 hiscence of the capsule is locullcidal. In Sauvagesia^ on the other 

 hand, the corolla is regular, there is a single or double row of 

 inner petals or staminodia, the anthers are turned outwards, 

 entirely distinct, and with the connective not prolonged, and the 

 dehiscence of the capsule is septicidal. The so-called "stami- 

 iiodia*' of these genera, which I cannot but look upon as the 

 analogues of the glandular scales of Parnassia^ are very remark- 

 able. In Lavradia they present a single row of petaloid organs, 

 imited together into a tube completely enclosing the pistil and 

 the stamens, which are furnished with verv short filaments, and 

 .dosely resemble those of Parnassia at an early stage, having the 

 same extrorse dehiscence. In Sauvagesia, instead of one, there 

 arc two rows of these additional organs ; and, what is very re- 

 markable, the exterior has a staminoid, and the interior row a 



