130 BE VIEWS. 



Amur. It is, however, still unknown in Japan ; and, like several other 

 species of the same geographical group, it appears to be entirely want- 

 ing in "Western America. 



Among the weeds of the southern Amur we are surprised to see a 

 few southern forms, such as Myriogyne, Phyllanthns, Acalypha, Pilea, 

 &c, which find time to run through their annual course in the short but 

 hot summers. 



The new species described by Maximo wicz amount to above 120, 

 including a few that had been shortly mentioned in the Bulletin of the 

 Academy of St. Petersburgh by Ruprecht or Maack. Some, indeed, 

 have since proved to be identical with previously described Japanese or 

 more southern species, and others may have been established on grounds 

 which we might scarcely consider sufficient; but the majority of those 

 we have seen are such as we should be inclined to adopt, and we highly 

 appreciate the pains taken by the author in the descriptions, synonyms, 

 and other systematic details of his work. "We cannot, however, as readily 

 concur in the twelve new genera proposed by himself or Dr. Ruprecht, 

 all except one monotypic. If, indeed, as is a very prevalent opinion 

 among modern botanists, any two species which show appreciable dif- 

 ferences in their floral or reproductive organs, not in essential structure 

 only, but even in number, form, or relative proportion, must belong to 

 distinct genera, we might acquiesce in the adoption of every one ; but 

 if, as we believe, a genus should be a group of species having certain 

 characters or resemblances in common, collected under one name for the 

 convenience of study and comparison ; and if monotypic genera should 

 be avoided as useless, except where the character of a species are such 

 that it cannot be connected with others without disturbing the arrange- 

 ment and principles of distribution of the other genera of an order, tribe, 

 or group, we fear that the Amurland will have supplied few, if any, that 

 have really a right to stand as genera per se. Taking this view, we will 

 proceed to examine such of them as we have materials for judging of, 

 either from specimens or from the well-executed outline plates of the 

 work. 



1. Maximoiviczia, Rupr. — This plant, which, as above noticed, has 

 been published as a Splicerostemma by A. Gray, is intermediate, as it 

 were, between some species of the latter genus and Schizandra. It be- 

 longs to a small distinct group of Magnoliaceaa established under the 

 name of SchizandracesD, and consisting now of thirteen species, which 

 are readily separable into two groups upon characters derived from the 

 gynoecium and fruit. Kadsura, with the carpels crowded in a globular 

 head, has seven species; the other six species have them loosely arranged 

 in an elongated spike. These six differ considerably from each other in 

 the androecium, and, if that character be relied on, must be split up into 

 four, at least, if not five genera, of which Maximowiczia would be one ; 

 or they may be all grouped into one genus, under the original name of 

 Schizandra. We should prefer the latter course, as being more simple, 

 and more in conformity with our principles of systematic distribution ; 



