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XII. — On the Genus Torre ya. 



By G. A. W. Arnott, Esq., LL.D. 



Last winter I was so fortunate as to receive from my friend 

 Dr. Torrey of New York a fragment of the Torreya panicu- 

 lata of Sprengel. According to Sprengel's remarks in the 

 Neue Entd., (1821.) ii. p. 121, the peculiar features of this genus 

 would seem to be that it has a spreading five-lobed calyx, a 

 tubular corolla, five greatly protruded stamens inserted on the 

 tube of the corolla, a superior ovary concrete with the corolla, 

 a long slender style, and a simple stigma ; that in the artificial 

 system it is next to Oestrum and Sessea (among the Solanece), 

 but in the natural arrangement is nearest Salpianthus, among 

 the Nyctaginea. If the description given were correct, the 

 genus would certainly be a very distinct and remarkable one ; 

 the insertion of the stamens would at once prevent its being 

 placed in NyctaginecB, and would seem to remove it to the 

 Corolliflorae, while again the cohesion of the ovary with the 

 corolla would appear to indicate that the latter was the only 

 perianth, that the ovary was inferior, and the supposed calyx a 

 bractea ; and consequently the situation of Torreya ought to 

 be among the Monochlamydeae Peristamineae. 



Such at least were the contradictory opinions I had formed 

 of the genus ; but now that I have had it in my power to ana- 

 lyse it, my observations lead to a different result. Sprengel 

 describes the calyx and corolla with sufficient precision : these 

 two are, however, scarcely glandular, but, as well as the whole 

 panicle, are more or less clothed with a hoary pubescence. 

 The stamens when moistened become spirally twisted, and are 

 inserted on the corolla, as he says ; but what is important, 

 there are only four, not five, and they are didynamous and 

 slightly secured. The place for the genus is then in Didyna- 

 mia, not in Pentandria. The style is deciduous and simple, 

 but the stigma is decidedly bifid, the lobes short, subulate, 

 and unequal. The ovarium does not adhere to either the calyx 

 or corolla, but is perfectly free and somewhat fleshy. In the 

 young state, in which alone I have it to examine, it is one- 

 celled : there are two opposite dissepiments which almost meet 



