4 MR. J. MIERS ON THE GENUS ATAMISQUEA. 



spond with the edges of the segments, which show by their laceration that their adhesion 

 with each other and with the ribs has been complete. Within and opposite to the lower- 

 most of these ribs arises a funiculus or placenta, which on reaching about two-thirds the 

 height of the fruit, branches off right and left, by two short threads, towards the hilum 

 of the two seeds, where they are respectively attached. The seeds are smooth, of a dark 

 red colour, reniform, or of a cochjeate shape, somewhat flattened on their adjacent sides, 

 and roundish without. The testa is coriaceous, having on one side, an incomplete cell, 

 formed by the convolution of the inner margin about the umbilical sinus ; the outer in- 

 tegument is brownish, opake, and striated, and adhering to the testa forms between the 

 flexure of the embryo an extension of the false dissepiment of the spurious cell, which 

 serves to inclose the radicle : the inner integument is membranaceous, and marked about 

 the middle of the cotyledons with a broadish thickened chalaza. The embryo is oblong, 

 and bent sharply inwards at both extremities, the ends of the cotyledons and of the radicle 

 being mutually turned towards each other, so that it may be said to be truly campylo- 

 tropous : the cotyledons are convolutely plicated, and somewhat white and foliaceous. 



From the facts above stated it may be inferred, that the arrangement of the floral enve- 

 lopes in this genus is contrary to the usual structure of the Capparidacece, which offer 

 generally four sepals, four alternate petals, usually eight or more stamens, and a fruit, 

 usually of two cells, with two or more placentae. Sir W. Hooker, in his generic character 

 of Atamisquea (loc. cit. p. 143), regards its floral teguments as consisting of four sepals 

 and four petals, in conformity with the ordinary arrangement in this family : it will be 

 seen, however, that I have ventured to differ with that distinguished botanist in this re- 

 spect, as I regard the two outer valviform envelopes as the true calyx, while the six linear 

 segments appear to me to constitute the corolla, a view which I offer with much deference 

 against the opinion of so high an authority. It appears to me however warranted by the 

 fact, that these external broad leaflets form one entire whorl, as they are continuous at 

 their origin with the margin of the cup of the torus, while the insertion of the six narrower 

 segments (petals) is upon one line, within the margin of the same cup, which is proved 

 by the fact, that when the sepals and petals fall away, the rupture of the former is marked 

 by a clean line on the margin of the cup, while the remains of the claws of the petals are 

 distinctly seen within the line of the same margin as so many projecting indurated teeth, 

 as shown in fig. 9. This view, although opposed to the ordinary structure, is nevertheless 

 supported by' analogy in three other genera of this family, where only two sepals exist, or 

 an entire envelope that bursts into two valves, viz. in Busbeckia, Endl., Steriphoma, Spr., 

 and Morisonia, Plum. The apparent inconsistency of this distribution will disappear, if 

 we consider the floral envelope as formed of three series, each consisting of two normal 

 parts, the inner series appearing double, from the cleaving of the lobes down to their point 

 of insertion ; for in the origin of each upper and lower pairs of petals upon the torus there 

 exists a manifestly distinct interval between them and the two lateral intervening shorter 

 petals, and when the former are pulled away from the cup they cohere together in pairs 

 by their base. Or we may still consider the normal structure as composed of two series, 

 each of four leaflets ; the sepals, from their shape and great width, may be considered to 

 constitute a complete whorl, and may be imagined to have been formed by the cohesion 



