162 NOTES ON MADEIRA PLANTS. 



Ternstrcemiacea?, but with a mark of doubt. A figure of the tree ap- 

 peared amongst Sir William Hooker's 'Icones' (vol. iii. tab. 253), but, 

 as I write where I cannot refer to that work, I am unable to say whe- 

 ther he made any remarks on its position. 



The suggestion now made is that Visnea should take its place amongst 

 Ericacea, in the immediate neighbourhood of Clethra. The* chief points 

 of resemblance between Visnea Mocanera and Clethra arborea, Ait., are 

 these :— A persistent quinquefid calyx ; a withering corolla of five seg- 

 ments, slightly adherent at the base ; imbricated aestivation ; ten stamens 

 attached by their dilated filaments to the base of the corolla ; anthers, 

 originally four-celled, subsequently four-celled, exappendiculate, but 

 cordate at the base, and acuminate at the apex; an ovate, hirsute, 

 three-locular ovary, with pendulous ovules ; a deeply trifid style ; cap- 

 sular fruit ;• abundant fleshy albumen surrounding the embryo ; and 

 small cotyledons with the radicle next the hilum. The structure of the 

 wood of Visnea very much resembles that of Clethra ; and it may be 

 added that the leaves of both are alternate and exstipulate, and their 

 peduncles bracteate. The chief points of difference between the two are 

 that in Visnea the anthers dehisce longitudinally, not by pores, as in 

 Clethra ; the flowers are axillary and solitary, whilst in Clethra they 

 * are in terminal panicles ; the seeds are few, not minute, and not winged, 

 whilst in Clethra they are numerous, minute, and winged ; lastly, the 



leaves of Visnea have a coriaceous texture, whilst those of Clethra are 

 membranous. 



* 



Visnea, it may be further remarked, is another link of connection 

 between Ericacece and Vacciniacece . The solitary axillary flowers, the 

 attachment of the calyx to the base of the ovary, the fleshiness of the 

 calyx, which, as the fruit ripens, enlarges, and envelopes the capsule, 

 so as to simulate a bacca,— these are evidently points of resemblance 

 to the Vacciniacea, over and above those possessed by Clethra. At 

 the first glance, the flowers (which are white) might be mistaken for 

 those of a Vaccinium. 



The other additions to our Flora (less important, it is true, but still 

 interesting) are Lycopodiurri complanatum (a plant of Middle Europe 

 and the Azores), and Hymenophyllum unilateral, Willd., both of which 

 have been discovered by Mr. Mason on the mountains. The discovery 

 of the latter plant reduces the number of Canarian species of Fern not 

 found in Madeira to three, and the number of Azorean species not 



