SCHOMBURGK’S GUIANA PLANTS. 211 
however, where I thought I could trace it satisfactorily, it 
has appeared to me that the fifth division of the calyx, that 
which subtends the larger or more perfect stamina and the 
carpel, is the lowest or anterior one, the fifth petal being 
posterior; thus agreeing in this respect with Leguminose, as 
they do in their irregular flowers and solitary carpel, and 
leaving the basilary style and erect ovules as the only positive 
characters by which they can be distinguished from Legumi- 
nos@, and which at the same time separate them from Rosa- 
cee, 
lu their habit, the Chrysobalanacee approach nearer per- 
haps to Quillajee, among Rosacee, than to any Leguminose ; 
for, besides the simple foliage, whenever the inflorescence is 
developed beyond the simple raceme with uniflorous pedicels, ` 
the ultimate ramifications at least are regularly dichotomous, 
each flower terminating a branch, or placed in the dichotomy. 
I have never seen this disposition in Leguminose, for even in 
those genera of that Order which have a cymose inflorescence 
(Ecastaphyllum, Triptolomea,) the ultimate branches of the 
cyme are racemose, with the flowers lateral. In the case of 
those Chrysobalanacee where the racemes are really simple, 
the habit is not very different from that of Zíaballia, or of 
the simple-leaved Crudy@ among Cesalpiniee. 
There is much confusion among botanists as to the limi- 
tation of the published genera of Chrysobalanacee, which it 
will be difficult to settle absolutely until more be known of 
their fruits. In the meantime I have endeavoured, among 
those genera of which I possess specimens, to draw the fol- 
lowing characters from the flowers only. á irae 
. Ovarium biloculare. . 
l. Parinarium, Juss.—Calyx 5-fidus. Petala 5. Stamina 
fertilia 15 in orbe completo disposita, (Neocarya, DC.), UISS 
unilateralia (Petrocarya, DC.) Ovarii stipes calyci adnatus. 
2. Chrysobalanus, Linn.— Calyx late campanulatus, 5-fidus. 
