276 Mr. J. Miers on the Styracese, 



from my own observations, prefacing each of them by a few 

 remarks. 



1. Styrax. 



This genus is distinguished principally by the decided imbri- 

 cation of its petals in aestivation, in which feature it differs from 

 Cyrta, Strigilioy Pamphilia, and Foveolaria ; its petals are thin- 

 ner, larger, and more membranaceous in texture than in those 

 genera, and in this respect, and in their aestivation, resemble 

 those of Halesia and Pterostyrax. In the typical species, S. of- 

 ficinalisy the petals often exceed their normal number, five, being 

 sometimes as many as six, seven, or eight. The filaments are 

 longer in proportion to the anthers than in Strigilia and Cyrta ; 

 and in some species the stamens also differ from their normal 

 number, ten, being sometimes as few as six or seven. The endo- 

 carp of the fruit is much thicker than iu Strigilia. 



Styrax, Tournef. Benzoin, Hayn. Lithocarpus, Bl. — Calyx 

 campanulatus, margine fere integro, vix 5-denticulato, per- 

 sistens. Petala 5-6-7-8, oblonga, obtusa, extus tomentella, 

 imo adhaesione filamentorum in tubum brevem conniventia, 

 sestivatione plus minusve imbricata. Stamina 10, interdum 

 abortu pauciora, uuiserialia, petalis invicem altema et oppo- 

 sita, alternis paullo brevioribus ; filament a linearia, compressa, 

 cum petalis orta et iisdem imo laxe agglutinata ; antherce elon- 

 gatae, porrectae, post dehiscentiam arcuatae, 2-loculares, loculis 

 parallelis, discretis, dorso per totam longitudinem ad fila- 

 mentum adnatis, eo dimidio brevioribus, antrorsum rima 

 longitudinali dehiscentibus. Pollen reticulatum, depresso- 

 rotun datum, vel sub-3-gonum, angulis vesiculae hiantibus. 

 Ovarium liberum, subovatum, pariete imo tenui et sulcato, 

 summo crassiusculo, intus ad basin sepimentis 3 rudimen- 

 tariis ad placentam centralem brevem nexis, in carinis totidem 

 parietalibus continuis, et intra stylum cavum percurrentibus, 

 hoc modo superne omnino 1-loculare, et imo brevissime 

 atque incomplete 3-locellatum ; ovula circiter 9 (interdum 

 pauciora) in quoque locello, crebriter 3-serialia, superiora (cum 

 raphe interna) erecta, media (raphe supera) horizontalia, infe- 

 riora resupinatim pendula (cum raphe hinc externa), omnia 

 in tuberculis totidem aut foveolis prominentibus placentae car- 

 nosae sessa. Stylus erectus, valde elongatus, ovario 5-6-plo 

 longior, tenuis, stamina multo superans. Stigma obsolete 

 3-lobum. Drupa exsucca, ovato-globosa, tomentosa, calyce 

 brevi immutato suffulta, et stylo persistente terminata, peri- 

 carpio coriaceo apice 3-valvatim hiante, l-locularis,l- rarissime 

 2-3-sperma. Semen erectum, loculo conforme, impressione 

 carinarum endocarpii 3-sulcatum ; testa crassiuscula, ossea, 



