OMPHALOCARPUM, AND ASTERANTHOS. 17 
a different species. The flowers are nearly 1 іпеһ long; the sepals are 4 lines long, 
3 lines broad; the funnel-shaped disk 4 lines long, the claws of the petals glued to it are 
of the same length, their free portions above being 7 lines long, 3 lines broad; the 
filaments in both sexes are slender, erect, 5 lines long; the anthers 2 lines long, acute 
above, cordate at the base, being fixed behind at the sinus to the recurved apex of the 
filament, standing extrorsely. The fruit in one case is 4l in., in the other 5} in. in 
diameter, and 3 in. high, the pericarp being 10 lines in thickness, and composed of con- 
glomerate nodules, as is well described by Beauvais; the seeds are 13 in. long, 1 in. broad, 
and 4 lines thick in the middle. 
It is thus seen that the structure of its flower resembles that of Mimusops, differing 
only in its isomerous petals, in the greater number of its fertile stamens, and in their 
greater length; it comes close to Sapota, pu gar in its fruit and seeds; and here it 
will find its proper place. 
If we now carry out our proposed comparison between the structures of Napoleona 
and Omphalocarpwm, we discern many points of singular analogy. They both come 
from the same region. They have an inflorescence in which the fasciculated flowers grow 
out of bracteolated nodules, a calyx of 5 sepals, a corolla perfectly monopetalous in one 
case, pseudo-tubular in the other, both furnished inside with separate phalanges of fertile 
stamens having extrorse anthers; phalanges of sterile stamens alternately placed in one 
ease, concentrically disposed in the other ; a plurilocular ovary, with one or two ovules in 
each cell; an indehiscent plurilocular fruit, orbicular, depressed, and umbilicated in the 
apex; and what is more remarkable, they both possess the very unusual character of a 
hollow axis, causing the placentz to become inclined, with a solitary seed in each cell, 
attached to it by a ventral scar common to all Sapotacee (the * umbilical area” of Gaert- 
ner), a soft place which is probably only an expansion of the raphe. But, on the other 
hand, the differences are so great between the two genera as absolutely to prevent the admis- 
sion of Napoleona into the Sapotacee; it differs in its sepals with valvate sestivation, a 
completely monopetalous corolla, in having its staminodes arranged in concentric whorls 
(although Dipholis has phalanges of 3.staminodes arranged concentrically in a double 
series); it has an epigynous (not a perigynous) disk, an inferior (not a superior) ovary 
and fruit, exalbuminous seeds (though these occur in Гисита and Labatia). If, then, 
Napoleona cannot be admitted into the Sapotacee, and there is no other natural order 
in which it can possibly find a place, it must remain the monotypic representative of a 
distinct family, the Belvidiacee, as originally maintained by Brown and Lindley, ex- 
cluding, however, Asteranthos. This family, though now consisting only of a single 
genus, must be placed in juxtaposition with the Sapotacee ; and it is highly probable 
that other forms closely allied to it may be found in the forests, so full of rich vegetation, 
in the yet unexplored regions of tropical Africa. 
3. ASTERANTHOS. 
Although this genus has been associated hitherto with Napoleona, it will be shown 
that it does not bear the smallest affinity with it. It is entirely of South-American 
SECOND SERIES.—BOTANY, VOL. I. D 
