of certain Genera in the Flora Peruviana, 115 



Parnassia asarifolia, Vent. Malm. t. 30. Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept^ 1. 

 p. 208. 



Ilab. in Americd boreali. 1/ (V. v. c. et s. sp.) 

 Omnium maxima. Folia radicalia reniformia, bipollicem lata ; caiilinum 



subrotundo-cordatum. Petala uncialia ; nervis cxtimis pulcherrim^ ni- 



mulosis ; ccetcris simplicibus, basi connatis. 

 Obs. p. grandifblia, Decand. huic videtur maxim^ affinis, an satis dif- 



fert? 



6. P. fimbriata, petalis obovato-oblongis tripli-nerviis basi fimbriatis, sta- 

 minibus sterilibus 25 ovario duplo brevioribus, foliis reniformibus. 



Parnassia fimbriata, Kon. in Ann. Bot. 1. p. 391. Smith, in Rees* Cj/- 



clop, in loco. Decand. Prod. 1. p. 320. Hook. Bot. Misc. 1. t. 23. 

 Hab. in orti occidentali Americas borealis. Menzies. If. (V. s. sp. 

 in Herb. Smith.) 

 Petala obovata, unguiculata, trinervia : nervis basi connatis ; lateralibus 

 trichotomis. 



Botanists have long been divided in opinion respecting the 

 affinities of this highly interesting and curious genus of plants. 

 Jussieu included it along with Drosera among his Capparides^ 

 and his opinion has been adopted by De CandoUe, who has 

 placed it in his family DroseracecB ; and by the late Sir James 

 Edward Smith and Mr Lindley it has been referred to Saool. 

 frageo!. I am satisfied, however, that neither of these views is 

 correct ; and after a most careful examination, it appears to me 

 that its true place in the natural system is among the HyperU 

 etna, with which it agrees in every essential point of structure, 

 even to the nervation of its leaves and petals. The capsule is 

 formed on precisely the same plan ; the ovula are attached to 

 the marginal placenta of the valves, whose inflected edges in 

 both are united ; but they are considerably more extended in- 

 teriorly in the true HypericincE., and constitute the dissepiments 

 of the capsule. The seeds of Parnassia^ like those of Hyperi- 

 cina^ are destitute of albumen, and otherwise their structure is 

 precisely similar. The embryo is erect and cylindrical, having 

 a long radicle pointing towards the hilum, and very short coty- 

 ledons. The anthers are bilocular, and incumbent with paral- 

 lel cells ; and the stigmata are like those of Hypericince, simple 

 and papillose. In Sarothra, the stamina seldom exceed five ; 

 and in some others of the normal group of Hypericina, their 

 number is also definite : but I do not mention these examples 

 of reduction of stamina, to show that there necessarily is any 



