242 Mr D. Don on the Characters and Affinities 



lished of the genus are very imperfect, and it is hoped the pre- 

 sent will supply many of their defects, although we have still to 

 regret the want of perfect seeds to complete our knowledge of 

 its structure. The name applied to the genus by Molina is here 

 adopted, in preference to that of Ruiz and Pavon, as being con- 

 siderably anterior to the latter, and there being already another 

 Galvezia among the Scrophularince. 



AITONIA, Linn, fit 



Syst. Linn. OCTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



Ord. Nat. RUTACEiE, Nobis. 



Calyx 4-fidus. Petala 4, calycis laciniis alterna. Stamina 8, corolla longiora, 

 declinata : filamenta glabra, basi dilatata, connata : antherce incumbentes, 

 lineares, basi apiceque obtusis, biloculares : loculis parallelis, distiiictis, 

 raphe angustissima connexis, longitudinaliter dehiscentibus : valvulis car- 

 tilagineis, sequalibus. Ovarium globosum, 4-loculare, disco parum elevate 

 marginato insertum : ovulis erectis, paucissimis, axi loculorum insertis. 

 Stylus filiformis, declinatus, glaber. Stigma clavatum, disco parum de- 

 pressum. Capsula 4-alata, 4-locularis : loculis dispermis. Semina orbicu- 

 lata, compressa : testa coriacea, fusc^, extus tuberculata, intus pellicula 

 laevissima vestita : albumen nullum. Embryo erectus : cotyledones folia- 

 ceae : radicula his triplb breviori, subconica. Plumula inconspicua ? 



Frutex (Capensis) ramosissimus, 8-pedalis. Folia alterna, lineari-lanceolata, in- 

 tegerrima, pellucido-punctata, e ramulis nondum evolutis plerumque fasciculata. 

 Stipulae nullce. Flores in ramulis nondum evolutis terminates, solitarii, pedun- 

 culati, penduli. Corolla campanulata, sordide purpurea. Capsula magna, 

 membranacea, inflata, coloratu, reticulato-venosissima. 



Obs. Genus Melianthio calyce et capsule proxime affine. Flores rarb 6- 

 fidi, 10-andri. 



1. A. Capensis, Linn.fil. Suppl. PI. p. 303. 



Hab. Ad Promontorium Bonae Spei in Karro deserto inter ripas flu- 

 minis Gand et Lang-Kloof. D. Niven. J^ • (^* ^' c. et s. sp. in 

 Herb. Lamb.) 



M. de Jussieu has referred this genus to the MeliacecB, and 

 in this opinion he has been followed by most subsequent wri« 

 ters : it appears to me, however, to approach much nearer 

 to the Rutacea than to any other family ; and I am led to be- 

 lieve, after a careful comparison of their several characters, that 

 few will question the propriety of the place that is here assigned 

 to it. The genus has been omitted by M. De Candolle, in the 

 published volumes of his invaluable Prodromus ; so it is pro- 

 bable that distinguished botanist had not made up his mind 

 with respect to its affinities. Notwithstanding the difference in 

 habit and the structure of their leaves, I am inclined to think 

 that Aitonia and Melianthus may be included in the same na- 



