features. It is not necessary to remind the readers of the 

 Botanical Reoister that the old doctrine of deriving- the 

 placenta, or seed-receptacle, of a plant, exclusively from the 

 carpellary leaves is no longer tenable. The curious paper by 

 Schykoffsky published in our last volume, and the occasional 

 allusions to Schleiden's views of this important question have 

 shewn very clearly that the placenta has, sometimes at least, 

 if not very often, or even always, an independent origin. In 

 this case each placenta rises up from the bottom of the cell 

 in which it stands, and is supported upon a short stalk, not 

 touching the sides of the ovary at any point ; when this is 

 compared with what is found in Verticordia, and its allies, we 

 must admit that even in Myrtaceous plants, many of which 

 appear to conform best to the old theory, the placenta has 

 really an independent formation. 



But a far more curious fact presents itself upon a closer 

 examination of the ovary. The style itself is a direct pro- 

 longation of the place?ita, and does not even touch the carpelsy 

 hut is protruded through a hole in the vertex of the ovary. 

 Fig. 1. shews this, and there is no doubt about the fact. So 

 that here there is overset another branch of theory, which 

 declares that the style is an extension and attenuation, and 

 convolution of the apex of the carpellary leaf ; that it is often 

 of that nature is certain ; that it is not always so is proved 

 by the case before us. At this important fact we feel no 

 surprise ; on the contrary, we have long searched for such 

 an instance in the confident expectation of finding it. If our 

 readers will refer to tab. 9. of the volume of the Botanical 

 Register for 1840, they will see this subject distinctly ad- 

 verted to. At that place is described, and at tab. 8. fig. 3. 

 represented, the case of the genus Impatiens, in which it is 

 suggested that the style of that genus is made up of two 

 entirely different parts, viz. an extension of the carpellary 

 leaves, and a prolongation of the placenta, which forms the 

 stigma and upper part of the style. Allusion was also made 

 to the imperfect cup that surrounds the stigma of Rhodo- 

 dendron, first mentioned we believe by Mr. Bennett, but long 

 familiar to us, and to the indusium of Goodeniacese, as other 

 cases, in which the distinction between the carpellary and 

 placentary parts of the style could be distinctly seen. To 

 this we might have added Geraniacese, in which the carpel- 



