aap. 17. 
CHLORANTHUS MONOSTACHYS. 
Nar. Orv. Chloranthex, Br. Linn. Syst.’ Uneertain. 
CHLORANTHUS, Sw. Anthera lateri ovaril insidens (indivisa, 2-locularis : v. 3-loba, 4-locularis). Ovarium mono- 
spermum; ovulo pendulo. Stigma capitatum. Drupa. Brown in Bot. Mag. 2190. 
EET 
CHLORANTHUS monostachys ; antheris incurvis 3-lobis indivisisve, spicis solitariis, floribus alternis. Br. J. C. 
Descr. Herba succosa, pedalis, glaberrima. Caules simplices, demim ramosi, plures ex una radice, rotundato-tetragoni, 
sepiis deformes. Folia opposita, stipulata, petiolata, nitidissima, ovato-oblonga, acuta, serrata, serraturis apiculatis, primim 
concava, rugosa, demum plana, convexa, supra leté viridia, infra pallidiora, reticulatim venosa. Petioli sulcati. Stipule con- 
nective, obsolete. Spica terminalis, pauciflora, solitaria, pedunculata. Fores in dentibus decussatis racheos, oppositi, bracted 
margine sphacelata ipsis multé breviore extis suffulti. Perianthiam 0. Stamina extrorsa, unilateralia. : ilamenia in und massa 
crassa, carnosd, infra antheras marginata, extis longitudinaliter 2-sulcd, ovarii lateri partim adnata connata. Anthere 3, albe, 
ovate, innate, versus rachim super stigmate incurve, basi connate : connectivo maximo, carnoso, rugoso ; loculis introrsis, sim- 
plicibus, 2-valvibus, linearibus longitudinaliter dehiscentibus, iis antherarum lateralium integrarum solitariis, intermedia apice 
bifide geminis ; an ideo anthera media ex duabus conflata ? sed tres tantum duobus sulcis filamenti indicantur. Ovarium rachi 
proximum, uniloculare: ovo unico a pariete rachi proxima appenso ; stigma sessile integrum concavum. Pericarpium clau- 
_ Sum, carnosum, turbinatum, deciduum, extis cicatrice filamenti notatum. Semen subrotundum pendulum ; éestd osseé. Nucleus 
semini conformis, membrana propria vestitus, et chalaza hilo proxima insignitus. Albumen maximum carnosum. Embryo mi- 
nimus, inversus, ab umbilico remotus, radiculd brevissima centrifuga, cotyledonibus divaricatis, albumini arctissimé adherens, et 
difficillimé extricandus. 3 . 
SER ac 
We have given a figure of this singular plant, with a view of illustrating the truly excellent remarks of Mr. Brown 
on the genus in the Botanical Magazine ; where the true nature of the parts of fructification was first explained by 
him, and a correct character of the genus established. Every other botanist who has happened to examine the plant, 
has fallen into the most extraordinary errors respecting its structure. L’Heritier called the filament a calyx, and the 
anthers a 3-lobed petal. Willdenow follows him in considering the anthers a petal, but rejects the idea of the exist- 
ence of a calyx. Loureiro took the petal of L’Heritier for a calyx, and describes the plant as destitute of corolla. 
Thunberg attributes to his Nigrina, which is supposed to be this genus, a corolla of four petals and four very short 
filaments ; which we confess is to us unintelligible. All, however, with the exception of the latter author, have agreed 
in considering the cells of the anther to be the anther itself. 7 
M. de Jussieu, who in his Genera Plantarum appears to have taken his ideas of Chloranthus entirely from L’Heri- 
tier, could scarcely guess at its affinity, unless to Rubiaceae or Viscum. The latter was afterwards united with Chio- 
ranthus and some other genera into an order, called Viscoidee, by M. Richard ; which plan has been subsequently 
pursued by Jussieu in a paper published in the Annales du Muséum, where Chloranthus is placed in his Loranthee. 
But as these opinions originated entirely in a misconception of the nature of the parts of the flower, they necessaril 
were abandoned as soon as its true structure was ascertained. Mr. Brown, with that intuitive sagacity for which he 
is so deservedly celebrated, has shown the necessity of establishing for this genus anew natural order, whichhe calls 
Chloranthee, and places near Piperacee and Urticee ; indicating at the same time the propriety of increasing it b 
the addition of Ascarina of Forster, and Tafalla of Ruiz and Pavon, which is Swartz’s Hedyosmum. He adds, that 
_itagrees with both the orders just mentioned “ in having the radicle of the embryo in a direction opposite to the um- 
bilicus, and a one-seeded ovarium ; but differs especially in its pendulous ovulum and habit.”’ : 
There seems to be much more uncertainty about its place in the Linnean system. Dr. Sims, at the suggestion 
of Mr. Brown, has referred it to Monandria. But of the four known species, one only can by any means be considered 
monandrous, and it may be doubted whether even that is really so. In the plant before us, the middle anther seems 
to us to be made up of two confluent anthers, the original separation of which is indicated by the fissure of their apex ; 
and consequently we do not think the lateral ones imperfect, but only incompletely united with the middle anther. This 
species may therefore be considered tetrandrous, as may znconspicuus also ; and according to this hypothesis, Mr. 
Brown’s C. monander, which we suppose to be the same as a plant we saw in flower at Kew some months since, has 
its single stamen made up of two confluent ones ; which is in some measure confirmed by the presence of a furrow 
running all down the axis of the filament in the inside. It appears therefore, that whatever opinion be held, the sta- 
tion of the genus in the system of Linnzus is equally doubtful ; for the. union of filaments would make it necessary 
to place it in Monadelphia, the cohesion of anthers would refer it to Syngenesia, or its absolutely monandrous struc- 
es eee and introduced by the Horticultural Society, from whose garden we procured our specimen soon 
after the plant arrived. At that time the stems were simple ; they afterwards became branched, in which state it is 
figured in the Botanical Magazine. 
EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. 
: 9 j i faterall . J. The same from within. 4. The middle anther. 5. "The two 
1. Flower arte ‘d Hone the ane © eee 6 Dalen: ‘7. A side view of the flower without the anthers. 8. A vertical section 
haa T Bi Ache ovarium and stigma. 10. Fruit. 11. A vertical section of the same. 12. Nucleus. 
4) e ‘ ° e : 
