4§2 DIOECIA. 



discernible between the barren and fertile 

 flowers of any genus in this Order ; witness 

 Tamils^ t.9^^ though something to the 

 contrary is mentioned in the Genera Ptan- 

 iariini of Linn?eus. 



7. Volyandria. Under this Order I would 

 certainly comprehend all dioecious plants 

 that have from 8 to any greater number of 

 stamens, according to the example set by 

 Linnaeus himself in the last Class. The 

 genera are exceedingly variable in this re- 

 spect ; and if all those the accessory parts 

 of whose flowers are uniform were taken 

 away, the remainder would be so few, that 

 it is hard to say whether any would re- 

 main at all. Instances of the Order as it 

 now stands are Fopuhis, t, I6I 8, I619 ; 

 Iljidrocharis, t. 808 ; Mercurialis, t. 559- 

 The fertile flowers of the latter have, in some 

 cases, a nectary or corolla of two slender 

 leaves, not found in the barren ones, which 



- may entitle it to a- permanent place here. 

 Carica will also probably remain. Rho- 

 diola can scarcely be kept distinct from 

 ■Sediim. Qo-vmria and Ailanthiis, having 



