218 Mr. Brown's Account of a new Genus of Plants, 



and considering the foliaceous scales which cover the unex- 

 panded flower, both from their indefinite number and imbri- 

 cate insertion as bracteae, and consequently the floral envelope 

 as simple, its comparison with the families of this primary divi- 

 sion would be limited to such as are apetalous ; either absolutely 

 asJsarmte; those of a nature intermediate between the apetalous 

 and polypetalous, in which the segments of the perianthium are 

 generally, though not always, disposed in a double series, as 

 Passiflorece, CucurbitacecE and Homalinaz ; or those which have 

 a simple coloured floral envelope, but are decidedly related to 

 polypetalous families, as Sterculiacece. 



With Asarince, the only truly apetalous order to which it seems 

 necessary to compare it, Rafflesia has several points of resem- 

 blance, especially in the structure of the central column. In 

 Aristolochia the aniherae, though only six in number, are in like 

 manner sessile, and inserted near the apex of a column formed 

 by the union of stamina and pistillum. The mere difference in 

 the number of stamina seems to be of no importance in the pre- 

 sent question, there being twelve in Asarum ; and in T hot tea, a 

 genus certainly belonging to this family, though referred by 

 Rottboll to Contortce*, the stamina are not only still more nu- 

 merous, but are disposed in a double circular series one above 

 the other ; an arrangement which may perhaps be considered 

 analogous to the concentric series of processes in the apex of the 

 column of Rafflesia. 



In all these genera of Asarince and in Bragantia of Loureiro, 

 which is also referable to the same order, the flowers are herma- 

 phrodite ; but in Cytinus, which, if not absolutely belonging to 

 this order, is at least very nearly related to it, they are diclinous. 



The affinity is also in some degree confirmed by the appear- 

 ance of the inner surface of the tube of the perianthium of some 



* Thottea grandiflara. Rottboll in Nov. Act. Soc. Reg. Hafn. ii. p. 529. tab. <2. 



Asarime, 



