h 



as distinguished from the Symplocacese. 401 



2-3 obsoletis ant angustissimis. — In Carolina, Georgia, et 

 Florida. — v. v. in hort. Kew. 



The tree from which the above diagnosis has been drawn has 

 always been considered by every one attached to Kew Gardens 

 as the Styrax grandifolium of Aiton. Mr. Smith, who has been 

 in that establishment for a period of thirty years, says that 

 when he first went there this tree was understood to be Alton's 

 plant above mentioned ; bat although differing essentially in 

 character, no one daring this interval has suspected it to be 

 otherwise than the species mentioned. Last year I watched its 

 growth, with the hope of finding for examination the fruit of an 

 American species of Styrax ; but, to my surprise, I found it to 

 belong to Halesia, when I was assured that it had never been 

 known to produce fruit before. On comparing it with au- 

 thentic native specimens of Halesia diptera, I am unable to 

 distinguish any specific difference between them ; but as many 

 essential discrepancies exist in the published accounts of the 

 plant, T have given the above diagnosis from my own observa- 

 tions. I find one peculiarity in the leaves which does not ap- 

 pear to have been noticed : they are serrato- denticulated, and 

 each tooth is terminated by a distinct stipitate gland, as I have 

 noticed in some species of Cyrta. The tree scarcely exceeds 

 8 or 10 feet in height — little more than half the size of H. te- 

 traptera, and is more frondose. Its leaves are from 3|-4 inches 

 long and 2J-2| inches broad, upon a petiole of 6 or 7 lines in 

 length. Its peduncles are not articulated with the calyx ; they 

 are 6 lines long; the calyx is 1 line; the petals are 10 or 12 lines 

 long and 3-4 lines broad, tapering towards the base. The 

 stamens are 8 or 9 lines long ; the filaments broad and mem- 

 branaceous, quite glabrous; the anthers 2 lines in length : 

 in the bud the filaments adhere by their margins for their whole 

 length ; but when the flower is expanded they are free nearly to 

 the base, afterwards quite unconnected, and also unattached to 

 the petals. The upper free moiety of the ovary is conical, to- 

 mentose, and continuous with the style, which is slender, pu- 

 bescent, and 9 or 10 lines in length. It frequently occurs that 

 the style becomes deeply trifid, being divided for a third of its 

 length into three fine threads, — a circumstance that does not 

 occur in H. tetraptera, nor is it anywhere recorded of this species. 

 The placenta rises to near the middle of the cell of the ovary; 

 and it bears a greater number of ovules than the former species. 

 The fruit has only two opposite wings, the others being almost 

 obsolete; it measures 1^ inch in length and | inch in breadth: 

 the nut is fusiform, as in the other species. The parts of the 

 flower, though generally 4-merous, are very frequently 5-merous, 



Ann. ^ Mag, N. Hist, Ser. 3. Vol iii. 26 



