Linnaan Society. 859 



libera, concava, coriacea, siccitate multicostata. Stamina 8, toro in- 

 serta ; filamentis in tubum niembranaceuni coalitis ; antheris elongatis, 

 ovarium vix superantibus. Slyli4:, lineares. Ovarium 1-loculare, pluri- 

 ovulatum ; ovulis placentae basilari funiculis elongatis adnexis.^ — Suf- 

 frutex ? perennis, glaberrima, siccitate nigricans ; ramis teretibus, stric- 

 tis, apicem versus foliosis. FoWa, petio lata, patentia, elliptica, utrinque 

 attenuata, longe acuminata, integerrima. Flores in paniculas breves, 

 paucifloras, terminales dispositi, breviter pedicellati, inconspicui. Calyx 

 parvus, carnosus. Petala majuscula, 

 Obs. Genus nuUi ordini arete affine, habitu Phytolacca. 



January 20, 1846.— R. Brown, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. 



Read a memoir " On the Structure of the Ascidia and Stomata of 

 Dischidia Rafflesiana, Wall." By the late WiUiam Griffith, Esq., 

 F.L.S. &c. Communicated by R. H. Solly, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. &c. 



This paper bears date at Mergui, November 7th, 1834. In it the 

 author gives a detailed description of the arrangement, form and 

 structure of the ascidia of the species of Dischidia above-named, and 

 comes to the conclusion that they are modified lamincB of leaves, in 

 proof of which he adduces : 1st, their similarity in texture, internal 

 structure, and structure of stomata with the limbs of the ordinary 

 leaves ; 2ndly, the slight but constant tendency in the limb of the 

 leaves to assume an involute form ; 3rdly, the occurrence of an im- 

 perfectly transformed pitcher, in v*^hich the body of the pitcher is 

 clearly referable to the limb of the leaf ; and 4thly, the general con- 

 struction of the petioles in Asclepiadece, which renders it more na- 

 tural to refer the ascidia to the limb of the leaf in that family. He 

 regards the inner surface of the pitcher as corresponding with the 

 upper surface of the leaves ; and is confirmed in this view by the 

 greater abundance and development of the stomata on those surfaces. 

 On the lower and outer surfaces the stomata are more or less imper- 

 fect ; but on the upper and inner they show a considerable degree of 

 complexity. They are particularly remarkable for the existence of 

 an external cellular bourrelet or thickening, much elevated above 

 the surface and of a whitish colour, giving rise to an appearance of 

 minute white dots, which are especially conspicuous on the purple 

 inner surface of the ascidia. They appear to have a very slight con- 

 nexion with the cuticle, from which they are easily detached, and are 

 not met with on old ascidia. Each bourrelet is composed of from 

 three to five cells, assuming the appearance of a cup-shaped gland. 

 The stomata themselves are also somewhat elevated above the cutis ; 

 the surrounding cells are parallelogrammic and disposed in circles, 

 into the composition of each of which enter three or four cells, and 

 each circle diminishes successively in size from without inwards. 

 The stoma occupies the space .of the innermost circle, and in itself 

 presents nothing unusual. 



Read also a paper by the same author, dated Calcutta Botanic 

 Garden, July 1st, 1835, *' On the Seeds of Careya, Roxb." 



The author gives a detailed description of the seeds of Careya her- 

 bacea (those of C. arhorea he states to be exactly similar), from which 



