156 Mr. BENTHAM on the Structure and Affinities 
minosæ. Linnæus placed it next to Cicer, Jussieu between Ononis and Anthyllis. 
De Candolle in classing the Leguminose strictly according to the embryo and 
the germination, as far as known, places Arachis amongst his Geoffroye, or 
Papilionacee with combined stamina and a straight embryo; at the same 
time, well aware of the little real affinity between Arachis and the arbores- 
cent Geoffroyæ, he suggests the probability of its forming with Voandzeia a 
small distinct tribe. Voandzeia has, however, since been discovered, both by 
Ernest Meyer and by Decaisne, to have a curved embryo, and has been 
removed to Phaseoleæ, and Arachis remains alone amongst genera with 
which it is connected by the single character derived from the embryo. 
The very obvious resemblance of the flowers with those of Stylosanthes 
first led me to suppose that it might be better placed amongst Hedysareæ, 
where the peculiar foliage of Arachis is not uncommon; and a closer ex- 
amination of the structure of the organs of fructification in both genera has 
furnished some remarkable peculiarities which seem still further to connect 
them. | 
The perfect flowers of Arachis, accurately described by De Candolle as to 
the calyx, corolla, stamina, ovarium and style, have appeared to me to be 
constantly sterile; they have, indeed, a perfect ovarium with two or three 
ovules, but I have always observed it to fall off with the calyx, and the 
legumes, as far as I have been able to ascertain from dried specimens of 
several species in various states, arise constantly from female flowers of a 
very different structure. "These have neither calyx, corolla, nor stamina, but 
from between two bracteolæ, similar to those which are found at the base of 
the sterile flowers, proceeds a stiff rigid stipes or torus, which is speedily 
reflexed and elongated, and is terminated by what appears to the naked eye 
a sharp point. Examined under a glass this point discloses at its extremity 
a truncated, somewhat concave and dilated stigma ; and within it will be found 
a cell, within which are lodged two or three ovoid, anatropous ovules placed 
transversely one above the other. After fecundation, when the extremity has 
nearly reached the ground, it begins to swell, but remains continuous with 
the stipes or torus, without any articulation even at the maturity, when the 
legume is usually broken off with more or less of laceration. 
The perfect flowers in Stylosanthes are precisely similar to those of * 
