PHANEROGAMIA . 93 



pellary leaves, horse-shoe shaped, and with their concavities turned 

 towards each other. These become connate, forming round the 

 plane receptacle an elliptical enclosure. With the growth of the 

 axial " scale" the position of the rudimentary flower alters — at first 

 with the aperture directed laterally, it afterwards becomes directed 

 slightly downwards. The carpellary leaves elongate, forming, as it 

 were, an ovarian sac, continuous below, and divided above into two 

 sty line branches (branches stylaires). In the centre, at first free 

 from the surrounding carpellary walls, is developed, in direct prolon- 

 gation of the floral receptacle, a rounded swelling, which eventually 

 forms the basilar ovule. 



In Cupressus, the floral axis, which is similar to that of Thuja 

 and Salisburia bears empty bracts. Above each bract, and at a to- 

 lerable distance from their insertion, a dicarpellary pistil originates 

 opposite to their median line. Soon another flower is produced in 

 front of, and below, the first, then two others upon the sides ; addi- 

 tional flowers develope exterior to these, and lower en the axis, sur- 

 rounding them in several irregular circles. Thus is formed a small, 

 centrifugal, axillary inflorescence, in some measure comparable to the 

 axillary glomerules of the Labiatae, which, as in Cupressus, collec- 

 tively form a kind of spike. 



Dr. B. embodies the results of his investigation in the following 

 propositions : — 



1. The female flowers of the Coniferae differ but slightly from each 

 other in essential particulars. They are formed upon one type, and, 

 regarded apart, afford no basis for the division of the Order into 

 Pinaceae and Taxaceae. 



2. The female flower is either terminal, or borne in the axil of a 

 bract or of a leaf. It is always, however, as Schleiden also remarks, 

 supported upon an axial process, and never upon a bract. As is the 

 case in receptacles, the form of this axis is very variable. 



3. As also Mirbel and Spach have regarded it, the flower is not 

 gymnospermous, but possesses a true dicarpellary ovary, without 

 floral envelopes, containing an orthotropal, erect ovule attached to a 

 basilar placenta. 



4. The cupule of various consistence and form which surrounds 

 the ovaiy, and which in several genera has received the name of aril, 

 is a later production, although anterior to fecundation, as is the case 

 of those floral organs resulting from an ulterior expansion of the 

 axis, which have been termed discs. 



The Memoir is accompanied by figures, exhibiting the consecu- 

 tive stages of development of the "scales" and female flowers in 

 Finns resinosa. 



Baitragez. — Pilanzenkunde d. Russischen Peichs. — Part II., plate. Pe- 

 torsb., 1860, Poyal 8vo. 



Bentham, George. — Synopsis of Dalbergiece, a tribe of Leguminosae. — 

 " Journ. Proc. Linn. Soc," vol. iv. (Botany, Suppl.), 134 pp. Mr. 

 Bentham, while engaged in editing the Leguminosse for the " Flora 



