MR. J. MIERS ON THE SYMPLOCACM. 283 



It will be observed that all the genera of Algae enumerated 

 here are well-known European &e. forms. Nearly all the species 

 of Diatomacese are also very widely diffused elsewhere ; the excep - 

 tions are few, Diadesmis for instance, hitherto confined to the 

 West Indies. The only peculiar form is the new Epithemia. 



— y 



On the Symplocacese. By John Miers, F.K.S., F.L.S., &c, 



Dignit. et Commend. Ord. Imp. Bras. 



[Eead November 21, 1878.] 



It is now 40 years ago, after a careful examination of the plants 

 of the two families, that I became convinced that the groups of the 

 Styracece and Symplocacece should be separated into two natural 

 Orders ; but it was not till 1851 that I gave publicity to this 

 opinion 1 , which I then supported under strong evidence. G. Don, 

 it is true, first suggested this separation in 1837 2 ; but the order 

 which he then established consisted only of the genus Symplocos, 

 which he divided into sections : (1) Alstonia, (2) Lhodra, (3) 

 ■Palura — a very incomplete arrangement. 



It is to Mr. Bentham that our best thanks are due for first 

 elaborating the characters of true Symplocos in 1S41 3 , a contribu- 

 tion rendered more valuable by an excellent analytical drawing. 

 Besides this, he did much in that estimable memoir to explain the 

 structures of Alstonia, Hopea, Ciponima, and Zhodra, thus laying 

 the foundation of our real knowledge of the family. Following 

 in the footsteps thus well marked out in this early stage of the 

 inquiry, I have elaborated the present memoir under a long pro- 

 mise to that effect. 



den 



necessary to adduce i 

 nnlnnacetE as a natural 



from the Styracece. In addition to the facts already quoted from 

 my contributions, I may refer to the summary offered in Lindley's 

 1 Veget. Kingdom ' 4 and to another of my own showing 5 . 



1 Contrib. Bot. i. p. 22 ; Ann. Nat. Hist. 2nd ser. viii. p. 162 (Sept. 1851). 



2 Diet. iy. p. 1. 



8 Linn. Trans, vol. xviii. p. 231, tab. 18. 



4 Page 593 a (1853), with comparative analytical figures of the structures of 

 Symplocos and Strigilia, adding the differential characters of the two groups. 



* Contrib. Bot. i. p. 159: Ann. Nat. Hist. 3rd ser. vol. iii. p. 129, Feb. 

 1859 



