a new Genus of Plants. \,yj 



Menispermacece, among Exogens, is the order which most closely approxi- 

 mates to the Dictyogenous group. Dr. Lindley was the first to point out this 

 affinity; and the more recent observations of himself and others have con- 

 firmed the relationship. To the group in which he places Menispermacece, he 

 gives the name of Homogens. Besides this order, it contains Aristolochiacecu, 

 Nepenthacece, Piperacece, and some others, all of which agree in possessing a 

 woody system of a remarkably homogeneous structure, having more the appear- 

 ance of wedges than concentric circles. Formerly it was supposed that the 

 Retose group, or Dictyogens, had no other character to separate thern from the 

 truly Endogenous orders than their reticulated leaves ; but more recent ob- 

 servations have discovered characters to distinguish them, equal to those which 

 separate the Homogens from the true Cyclogens, their rhizomas possessing a cen- 

 tral pith, and their woody matter exhibiting the wedgelike bundles of Homo- 

 gens. Among the truly Endogenous orders, we find that the Dktyogens claim 

 closest kindred with Liliacece and AmaryUidacece. 



If we compare the leaves of Peltophyllum with those of Dioscoreacece and 

 Smilacece, we shall find that, like them, they are of a highly reticulated nature ; 

 and I have no doubt that Triuris will ultimately be found to possess leaves of 

 a similar character : indeed, since Mr. Miers has seen my little plant, he feels 

 satisfied that he had overlooked the leaves of his. The flowers of Smilacece and 

 Dloscoreacece are dioecious like those of Triuris and Peltophyllum ; and if we 

 look at the stamens of Ruscus, they will be found to present considerable ana- 

 logy to those of Triuris, as has already been pointed out by Mr. Miers in his 

 paper. In Ruscus the stamens have their filaments connected into a cylindri- 

 cal tube, while in Triuris they and the connective are so much enlarged and 

 run together, that they form a large central fleshy mass. 



Notwithstanding that the plants at present under consideration bear a 

 greater resemblance to the orders of the Dictyogenous group than to those of 

 any other, yet there are peculiarities of structure which forbid their being 

 associated with either of them. Thus they are distinguished from Smilacece 

 by their ovaries being free and numerous, not three and cohering; from Dl- 

 oscoreacece by the same characters, and by their being inferior, not superior ; 

 from Roxburghiacece by their habit, dioecious flowers, and very numerous 

 ovaries; while from all of them they are still further distinguished by their 



