MR. BENTHAM's synopsis OF LEGNOTIDE^. 65 



Synopsis of Legnotidece, a tribe of Rhizoplioracecd. 

 By GrEOROE Bentham, Esq., P.L.S 



[Read March 4th, 1858.] 



Among the plants of the great East Indian collection distributed 

 by the late Dr. Wallich, is one from Heyne's Peninsular Her- 

 barium, entered in the catalogue under the number 6320 as 

 BlepJiaristemma corynibosum, Bentb. I have no recollection nor 

 any record of having ever given it that name, and I feel certain 

 that I never examined it. The specimen which I received from 

 Dr. Wallich in 18»32 has remained ever since unnamed in my 

 herbarium, but meeting with it accidentally a short time since, 

 and ascertaining that it bore a name supposed to have been given 

 by myself, I have been led to examine it in detail, and to pass in 

 review the allied genera forming the small but interesting group 

 of Legnotidece, a tribe of JRhizophoracece. Although most of these 

 genera have been well described by Arnott, Blume, Korthals, Asa 

 G-ray and others, yet as they have not all been brought together 

 in a comparative form, I am induced to lay before the Linnean 

 Society a short synopsis of the tribe. 



The Legnotidece agree with the true Bhizophorece in their opposite 

 undivided leaves with interpetiolar stipules, their axillary inflo- 

 rescence, valvately lobed calyx, perigynous petals often fringed or 

 divided at the top and folded over the anthers in the bud, their 

 perigynous definite stamens with versatile 2-celled anthers, their 

 several-celled ovary with two or more collateral or clustered pen- 

 dulous ovules in each cell (rarely one-celled by the disappearance 

 of the dissepiments between the placentas), and in their simple 

 style with a capitate or discoid stigma, either entire or radiating 

 into as many lobes as placentas. The chief difference consists in 

 the seed, which in the true BJiizopJwrece is exalbuminous, the 

 embryo germinating and forcing its radicle through the pericarp 

 whilst still adherent to the tree ; whereas in the Legnotidece the 

 embryo is imbedded in a fleshy albumen. In the true Bhizophorece 

 the seed-bearing part of the ovary is inferior or adnate to the 

 base of the calyx ; in the Legnotidece it is either inferior, or superior 

 and free with the exception of the broad base. 



With regard to the affinities of Legnotidece as illustrating those 

 of BhizopJioracece, there is little to add to those suggested by 

 E. Brown in the Appendix to Tuckey's ' Congo,' p. 437, and con- 

 firmed by subsequent observers, — a general affinity with Cunoniacece 

 and with Lythracece. With the former, Legnotidece agree in their 



LINN. PROC. — BOTANY. F 



