228 Mr. BENTHAM's Observations on some Genera of Plants 
authors, however, appear to have much studied the generic character, which 
they have taken more or less from some of the above-mentioned botanists, 
Don observing only “ Genus fort’ iterum dividendum." 
Since the above I am not aware of any modification in the character or spe- 
cies of Symplocos, until the publication of the last volume of G. Don's General 
System of Gardening and Botany, where all the hitherto published species are 
collected, those merely named in Wallich's Catalogue are described, the genus 
is retained as established by L'Héritier and Bonpland, but raised to the rank 
of a natural order, and divided into three sections: Alstonia, containing all 
the American species said to be distinguished by an 8—10-parted corolla, the 
segments in a double row, stamens in 3 or 4 series, and a half inferior drupe; 
Lodhra, consisting of 17 Asiatic species, to which are attributed a 5-parted 
corolla, stamens inserted without order, and an inferior drupe; and Palura, 
described as having the same corolla, with stamens in a triple series, and an 
inferior ovary. Under this section are enumerated two remaining Asiatic 
species. 
These characters, however, by no means correspond with the specific cha- 
racters given in the same work to several of the species, and will be found on 
examination still more at variance in many instances with the plants them- 
selves. Thus in the section Alstonia, three species at least have a 5-parted 
corolla, the segments in many of them are not in a double row; the stamens 
of S. ¢inctoria are arranged as in the Asiatic species, and the calyx is as ad- 
herent to the drupe in Astonia as in Lodhra and Palura. In the latter respect 
cannot see any difference between the S. sinica and the several plants referred 
to Lodhra; and if there is any greater regularity in the arrangement of the 
stamina in S. cratagoides than in Lodhra, it is that they are more decidedly 
pentadel phous and not biseriate. : 
Amidst all these conflicting opinions, after a careful examination of a con- 
siderable number of both American and Asiatic species, it appears to me that 
there do exist three distinct groups, which it might be adviseable to consider 
as so many genera. In the true Symplocos of Linnæus the stamina are erect, 
the filaments are flat, monadelphous at the base, free in the upper part, where 
they are distinctly imbricated in three or four rows, and suddenly attenunied 
below the anther; the corolla is erect and adherent to the staminal tube, 
