,242 NOTE ON BURSINOPETALUM. 
serve that the character of Thymelea, as given by R. Br., with regard to 
the insertion of the stamens, must be altered according to this genus, 
what is neither done in Lindley’s * Vegetable Kingdom’ (last edition), 
nor in Willkomm’s new work. Of Polygonum lapathifolium Y found 
here also the woolly form: it is R. Br.’s P. lanigerum: nor do P. glan- 
dulosum and P. elatius essentially differ from it. Wiirthia, Regel, de- 
scribed in Professor Fürnrohr's Flora, is identical with Orthrosanthus, 
Sweet; nor appears the species to differ from O. multiflorus. Have you 
seen Schuckhardt’s ‘Tremandrex’? It is a nice little pamphlet, with a 
good deal of additional information, although much of uncertain charae- 
ter has been mixed into the diagnosis; someof the general remarks require 
also a little alteration. A good character for distinguishing Tetrathece 
is offered also by the direction of the sepals in a fresh state; I adopted 
it in my own transmitted diagnosis of T. bauergfolia; but neither 
= Steetz nor Schuckhardt could make use of it, as they saw only dried 
= specimens, With much pleasure I perused the article of Mr. Drum- 
* mond's exploration in the northern district of Western Australia. Se- 
veral plants from Lake Torrens I think I can identify from his notes. 
_ Note on BunsiNoPETALUM, R. W. Icon.; by G. H, K. THWAITES, ~ 
EsQ., F.L.S., Superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden, Peradenia, 
Ceylon. 
___ As the opinions of eminent botanists are not in accordance as to the 
_ proper position of this genus, I have taken some trouble to re-examine 
very carefully one of our Ceylon species (C. P. 2441), fresh specimens 
of which have just been brought by my collectors from the jungles. 
_ Bursinopetalum is placed by Dr. Wight, the author of the genus, in 
the Natural Order Olacacee, and Dr. Gardner approved of its being 
80 located; Mr. Miers, on the contrary, is of opinion (Ann. of Nat. 
Hist. 2nd series, vol. viii. p. 169) that it should be arranged with the 
Aquifoliacee. I feel obliged to differ from these excellent botanists, 
and would suggest that this genus would be associated most naturally 
with the Araliacee, with the characters of which its own appear to 
coincide in every important particular. It is true that Bursinopetalum 
has a one-celled ovary, but the structure of its stigma would indicate 
the probable existence of very closely allied plants with plurilocular 
ovaries. The flower bears a considerable resemblance to that of Hedera, 
