172 Mr.D. Don’s Descriptions of new Genera and Species 
PrisTiLLUM: ovarium inferum, indehiscens: disco epigyno: ovulo 
erecto, solitario, funiculis 2 pistillaribus manifestis suspenso: 
stylus e duobus conflatus, indivisus: stigmata 2, sæpiùs so- 
luta, patentia. 
Fructus (Achenium): pericarpium indehiscens, monosper- 
mum. 
SEMEN : festa duplex; exterior coriacea v. crustacea ; interior 
membranacea, vascularis, vasis propriis et spiralibus in- 
structa: albumen nullum. | 
Embryo dicotyledoneus, erectus, seminis cavitati conformis : 
cotyledones oblong:e : radicula his persæpè brevior, obtusa, 
centripeta. 
Plante polymorphe in orbis temperatis vulgatissime. 
The Composite constitute the most extensive and the most 
interesting portion of the vegetable kingdom ; and their distri- 
bution is so universal, that they form a large proportion of the 
Flora of almost every country: but countries traversed by ex- 
tensive mountain-chains, and situate within or near the tropics, 
are found to be most favourable to the development of the 
plants of this class: for in the Floras of Peru, Chile, and 
Mexico, eus appear to constitute a sixth a of the whole 
pheenogam 
ected ae of these cov ee est 
The Composite are related on the o one Jen Cema, Dip- 
sacee, and Valerianee ; and on the other to Campanulacee and 
Goodenovie ; but the disposition of the primary vessels in the 
corolla essentially distinguish them from every other family. 
he p! pedis. of styles, the inferior monospermous ovarium, 
the presence of an epigynous disk, show at least a con- 
sidetabls degree of anal gy, if not of affinity, to the Umbellifere, 
to 
