Gnetacece, a naked-seeded order, consisting at present 

 of the genus Gnetum alone, most essentially distinguished 

 from Coniferce by the veining of its leaves, its jointed stems, 

 zoneless wood, and more complete vascular system (for it 

 certainly abounds in true spiral vessels, contrary to the ob- 

 servation of Mr. Adolphe Brongniart), and forming a con- 

 necting link between PiperacecB and Taxinece. Gnetacecs 



may also be compared to Garrya on account of their oppo- 

 site exstipulate leaves, amentaceous unisexual flowers ap- 

 pearing from the axillae of connate bracteae, their minute 

 embryo lying in a great mass of albumen, and imperfect 

 zoneless wood, which in both cases is chiefly constituted of 

 woody fibre (the sides of which are marked with numerous 

 brownish granules), and of annular and reticulated vessels 

 lying scattered sparingly among the tubes of woody fibre. 



Finally, Henslovia, an imperfectly known genus, with 

 regularly zoned wood filled with dotted ducts, like those of 

 Ulmus, is not to be overlooked in comparing Garrya with 

 other genera, on account of its imperfect unisexual flowers 

 and opposite exstipulate leaves ; but the Natural order 

 (ffensloviacece) of which it must be considered the type, is 

 too little known to enable us to carry the comparison 

 further. 



Garrya, then, proves to be essentially different from any 

 known order, and to constitute the commencement of a new 

 natural groupe, to which the following characters may be 

 assigned. 



Garryace^. 



Dicotyledones, incompletae, rectembrise, inarticulatae ; 

 ligno exogeno, ezonato ; foliis oppositis, exstipulatis ; Jioribus 

 unisexualibus, monochlamydeis ; ovario infero, monocarpo, 

 oligospermo ; ovulis pendulis ; embryone minimo, in basi 



albuminis carnosi ; germinatione intraseminali. Cupuli- 



feris affines, easque cum Coniferis connectentes per Chlo- 

 rantheas in Gnetaceis transeuntes. 



Fig. i represents a barren flower ; 2, an anther ; 3, a 

 fertile flower ; 4, a vertical section of the latter. 



