27 



Essestial Character.— Sepals and petals confounded, indefinite, imbricated, combined 

 in a fleshy tube. Stamens indefinite, inserted in a fleshy rim at the mouth of the tube, the 

 inner sterile. Anthers adnate, turned outwards. Ovaries several, simple, 1-celled, with one 

 terminal style, adhering 1 to the inside of the tube of the calyx ; ovula solitary, or sometimes 

 2, of which one is abortive, ascending-. Nltta enclosed in the fleshy tube of the calyx, 1- 

 seeded, indehiscent. Seed ascending ; albumen none ; cotyledons convolute, with their face 

 next the axis ; radicle inferior. — Shrubs, with square stems, having 4 woody imperfect axes 

 surrounding the central ordinary one. Leaves opposite, simple, scabrous, without stipula?. 

 Flawers axillary, solitary. 



Affinities. It is not very clear to what order this is most nearly related. 

 Jussieu originally placed it at the end of Rosacea; (Gen.) ; he subsequently 

 referred it to Monimieae ; and I afterwards formed it into a particular family. 

 With Monimieae it is less nearly related than it appears to be, the principal 

 points of resemblance being the disposition of several nuts within a fleshy 

 calyx in both orders ; for Calycantheae can scarcely be considered apetalous, 

 as Monimieae are, on account of the obvious petals of Chimonanthus. The 

 imbricated sepals, in Calycanthus chocolate-coloured and becoming confounded 

 with the petals, the fragrance of the flowers, and the plurality of ovaria, seem 

 to indicate an affinity with Wintered, especially with Illicium ; but the de- 

 cidedly perigynous stamens and fleshy calyx enclosing the ovaria in its tube, 

 the highly developed embryo, and want of albumen, are great objections to 

 such an approximation. Combretaceae agree in having an exalbuminous em- 

 bryo with convolute cotyledons ; but with this their resemblance ceases. Myr- 

 taceae also agree in this same particular, in the case of Punica ; and their 

 opposite leaves, without stipulae, frequent fragrance, and perigynous stamens, 

 strengthen the affinity indicated by the embryo. Rosaceae, to which Jussieu 

 originally referred Calycanthus, agree in the perigynous insertion of their 

 stamens, in the peculiar structure of their calyx, the tube of which in Rosa is 

 entirely analogous to that of Calycantheas, in the superposition of their ovules 

 when two are present, and in the high developement of their exalbuminous 

 embryo : upon the whole, therefore, no order appears to have so much affinity 

 with Calycantheae as Rosacea? ; and the sagacity of Jussieu, in originally 

 referring Calycanthus to that order, is completely confirmed by the discovery 

 recently made by the Rev. Mr. Lowe, that the cotyledons of Chamaemeles, a 

 genus of Pomaceaa, which Jussieu includes in Rosacea?, are convolute. This, 

 I think, fixes the station of Calycantheae in the neighbourhood of Rosacere, 

 Pomaceae, and Myrtaceaa, to which it is nearly equally allied, and from which 

 it is distinguished by its imbricated sepals, and anthers, partly fertile and partly 

 sterile, being turned outwards. This order is also characterized by the singular 

 structure of the wood, a peculiarity originally remarked by Mirbel in one 

 species, and which I have since ascertained to exist in all. In the stems of 

 these plants there is the usual deposit of concentric circles of wood around the 

 pith, and, in addition, four very imperfect centres of deposition on the outside 

 next the bark ; a most singular structure, which may be called, without much 

 inaccuracy, an instance of exogenous and endogenous growth combined in the 

 same individual. A good figure of this interesting fact has been given by 

 Mirbel in the Annates des Sciences Naturelles, vol. 14. p. 367. 



Geography. Natives of North America and Japan. 



Properties. The aromatic fragrance of the flowers is their only known 

 quality. 



Examples. Calycanthus, Chimonanthus. 



