922 Dr. Francis HauirroN's Commentary 
Arbor magna ramis glabris, fuscis, teretibus, oppositis, divaricatis; ramulis 
tetragonis. Folia opposita, elliptica, apice obtusa, basi acutiuscula, inte- 
gerrima, venis reticulata, supra nitida, subtus nuda. Petiolus brevis, 
supra carinatus, apicem versus depressus, nudus, amplexicaulis, non sti- 
pulaceus. 
Panicula terminalis, supra decomposito-trifida, ramis quadrangularibus, com- 
pressis, nudis. Flores terminales tres seu quatuor congesti, nudi, parvi, 
erecti, flavescentes. 
Calyx octophyllus, foliolis duplice serie positis, ovatis, obtusis, concavis, imbri- 
catis, interioribus longioribus. Corolle monopetale tubus longitudine 
calycis crassus: dimbus quadripartitus, laciniis obtusis, suprema breviore, 
latiore. Filamenta e corollae incisuris quatuor, subulata, patentia, corolla 
breviora, duobus inferioribus brevioribus. Anthere bisulce, oblongæ. 
Germen superum, ovatum. Stylus subulatus, staminibus brevior, adscen- 
dens. Stigma simplex, acutum. 
Semen calyce minuto basi suffultum, nudum, compressum, ovatum, apice 
obliquo acutum. Integumentum coriaceum, pubescens, uno latere de- 
hiscens. Albumen nullum. Cotyledones crasse, magnitudine et forma 
seminis conduplicatz, hinc radiculam versus auriculatee. Radicula crassa, 
descendens, pilis albis barbata. Plumula bifida, glabra. Plumula et radi- 
cula e cotyledonum commissura hinc inter auriculas enascentes, et in sinu 
exterioris cotyledonum, interioris dorso tectz, nidulantes. 
Mr. R. Brown places this genus in the natural order which he calls Myo- 
poinæ, confessing at the same time that it does not possess the true characters 
of these plants, and admitting that it is related to the Verbenaceee, with which 
it is classed by Jussieu. I must confess that, notwithstanding what my very 
intelligent and acute friend advances (Prodr. Nov. Holl. i. 533.), I think Rum- 
phius was right in placing the Avicennia next to the ZEgiceras, the plant, 
in my opinion, to which it has the greatest affinity ; and I think, therefore, 
that it should have been rather placed among the Myrsinee than among the 
Myoporinec, should such natural orders be retained, 
