TRANSACTIONS 
OF 
THE LINNEAN SOCIETY. 
I. Оп Napoleona, Omphalocarpum, and Asteranthos. By Тонх p БР di, 
Dignit. et Commend. Ord. Imp. Bras. Rose, фе. 
(Plates I.-IV.) 
Read June 4th, 1874. 
‘THE plants arranged in the small group of the Napoleonee consist of two heterogeneous 
genera, the position of which in the system has long been a puzzle to botanists. One of 
them is of African, the other of Brazilian origin. Тһе former, Napoleona, was established 
by Palisot de Beauvais for a beautiful species discovered by him in 1787, at which time 
his drawing and description were made, though not published till 1804'. Asteranthos, 
at first thought to have been brought from Africa, was afterwards found to be of South- 
American growth. Desfontaines, who first described and figured the latter in 18907, 
considered that the two genera should constitute a group belonging to Symplocinee. 
Desvaux changed the name Napoleona into Belvisia, in honour of Palisot de Beauvais °. 
Desfontaines subsequently, as well as Brongniart, placed this group between Memecylacee 
and Rhizophoracee. Brown, in 18224, proposed it as a distinct family (Belvisiee), to 
stand near Symplocacee, with a tendency towards Rafflesiacee. Lindley in 18335, and 
again in 1836°, placed Belvisiacee after Campanulacee and Sphenocleniacee, and before 
Columelliacee ; but in 18457 he changed this view, arranging it between Rhizophoracee 
and Melastomacee. De Candolle, іп 1839*, located the Napoleonee after Sphenoclenec 
and Columelliacee, and before Гассииее. Endlicher, in 1839 °, regarded the Napoleonee 
as doubtful genera of the Hbenacee ; he arranged them provisionally between Symplocee 
and Columelliacee. Meissner, in 1843 ", placed the Belvisiee between Passifloree and 
Loasacee. Jussieu, in 1844", in describing a second species of Napoleona, placed this 
: Fl. Owar. ii. 32, tab. 68. * Mém. Mus. vi. 9, tab. 3. * Journ. de Bot. appl. iv. 130. 
* Linn. Trans. xiii. 222. 5 Nixus and Introd. Bot. р. 230. * Nat. Syst. p. 239. 
7 Veg. King. р. 728. * Prodr. vii. 550. * Gen. Pl. р. 745. ? Gen. PL 
п Ann, Бе. Nat, 3™ sér. ii. 227, tab. 4. 
SECOND SERIES.— BOTANY, VOL. I. B 
