BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 399 
subject, and sent it to the Caleutta Journal of Natural 
History for publication. The following is a short extract 
—“ The principal reason, it appears, why those Bota- 
nists who have written on this genus have not been led 
to refer it to its proper position in the natural system, 
is, that too much importance was attached to its being 
polypetalous. Notwithstanding this structure, we believe 
its affinities lean less towards the polypetalous than the 
monopetalous division of plants; and in the latter we 
are inclined to place it, as a distinct Order between Oleacee 
and Jasminacee. That it is nearly related to these Orders, 
more nearly, indeed, than to any others in the system, 
our analysis clearly shows; but to neither can it be 
referred, from the almost equal affinity it bears to each. 
Thus it corresponds with Oleacee in the structure of the 
flower, differing principally in having 4, not 2, stamens. If 
we reflect, however, that in its floral envelopes, Oleacee is 
_ tetramerous, it is to be expected that truly Oleaceous genera 
May yet be discovered having four stamens. The dicecious 
character of Azima is met with in more than one species 
of Olea; and free petals exist in Linociera. Azima is essen- 
tially distinguished from Oleacee by its erect, not pendulous, 
= Oyules and exalbuminous seed. On the contrary, it agrees 
= With Jasminacee in the nature of its ovary and fruit, but 
. mot in the details of its floral envelopes. From Oleacee 
it differs in habit, while it coincides with that of the scandent 
_ Species of Jasminum.” 
. During my visit to Coimbatore I made myself better 
acquainted than formerly with the structure of the fruit 
of the Natural Order Cucurbitaceæ, a subject to which, 
as you are aware, Dr. Wight has paid much attention. 
Perhaps the few following observations connected with it 
may not be unacceptable. 
Most writers on the subject describe the fruit as one- 
 telled, with parietal placente. The definition given by 
 Jussieu in his * Genera Plantarum" is more complex:— 
i SE ructus inferus baccatus, cortice sæpius solido, unilocularis, 
