Linncean Society, 215 



minis longior. radicula apicem fructus spectante brevissima, cotyledo- 

 nibus semiteretibus, plumula inconspicua. Arhores v. frutices erecti 

 V. interdum scandentes, inermes v. ramis axiilaribus spinescentibus ar- 

 mati, glabriv. parce pubescentes. i^o/ia alterna, simplicia, integerrima, 

 exstipulata, glandulosa. Flores hermapbroditi, v. abortu polygami, 

 nunc axillares distincte v. irregulariter racemosi, spicati v. cymosi, nunc 

 tenninales cymoso-paniculati, rarius solitarii laterales v. axillares. Brae- 

 tecB squamaeformes, ssepius minutse, rarius juniores imbricatse. Brac- 

 teolce parvae in cupulam cpnnatae v. nullae. 



Mr. Bentham distinguishes three tribes characterized as follows : 

 Trib. I. OLACEiE. Ovarium basi dissepimentis spuriis (rarius evanidis) 

 3 — 4-loculare, apice 1-loculare, placenta centrali dissepimentis spuriis 

 basi adliserente superne libera. Ovula tot quot loculi spurii ex apice 

 placentae pendula. Semen erectum. Inflorescentia axillaris, racemosa, 

 racemis rariiis ad florem unicum reductis. 



Trib. II. OpiLiEiE. Ovarium a basi 1-loculare. Ovulum (saltern per an- 

 thesin) unicum, minimum, ab apice placentae liberae centralis pendu- 

 lum. Stylus centricus. Semen erectum. Inflorescentia axillaris, ra- 

 cemosa. 



Trib. III. IcAciNE.E. Ovarium a basi 1-loculare, v. excentrice et complete 

 3-loculare. Ovula in quoque loculo duo, ab apice placentae bine ovario 

 adnatae collateraliter affixa, pendula, in loculo superposita, placenta al- 

 tera elongata. Stylus excentricus. Semen pendulum. Inflorescentia 

 cymosa, axillaris v. terminalis. 



To the first tribe Mr. Bentham refers Heisteria, L., Ximenia, L., 

 Olax, L. (including Spermaxyrum, LabilL, and Fissilia, Comm.), and 

 Schoepfia, L. ; to the second, Opilia, Roxb. (including Groutia, Guill.), 

 and Cansjera, Lam. ; and to the third, Gomphandra, Wall., Icacina, 

 A. Juss., Apodytes, Leretia and Pogopetalum. 



He considers Schoepfla to be far removed from Loranthacece by the 

 structure of its ovary, while it differs from Symplocos in the Estiva- 

 tion of its corolla and the incomplete division of its ovary, — two 

 points in which it agrees remarkably with Olax and Ximenia. He 

 describes the greater part of its ovary as well as the margin of its 

 calyx as free, and states that an adherence almost as complete exists 

 in some species of Olax. The gamopetalous corolla he regards as a 

 character of little consequence in orders where the aestivation is val- 

 vate, and as existing to a considerable degree in Olax itself. In 

 Schoepfla the stamens are more closely adherent to the corolla, but 

 the filaments are filiform and prominent from the base of the latter, 

 and are not confounded with its substance. 



He states Cansjera to differ from Thymelecs, to which it is usually 

 referred, in the nature of the floral envelopes, in the position of the 

 stamens, and in the structure of the ovary and of the fruit ; and adds, 

 that in all these points it agrees with Opilia, from which it differs 

 only in the adherence of its petals. 



The genera Apodytes, Leretia and Pogopetalum are characterized 

 as follows : 



APODYTES. 



Flores hermapbroditi. Calyx parvus, immutatus. Petala 4, 5. Stamina 

 totidem, iis alterna, sterilia nulla. Ovarium 1-loculare. Fructus ovato- 



