Menispermales.] MENISPERMALES. 297 



Alliance XXIII. MENISPEBMALES.—Tre Menispermal Alliance. 



Diagnosis. — BicUnotis Exogens, with monodichlwnydeoics flowers, superior disunited 

 carpels, and an embryo surrounded by abundant albumen. 



This Alliance stands in the same relation to others in the Diclinous series as Ranals 

 to the HypogjTious, or Rosals to the Perigynous Sub-classes. Its combining character 

 resides in the disunited carpels, abimdant albumen, and dicUnous flowers. In the 

 AlUances just mentioned, the carpels are sometimes reduced to unity, and the same 

 cu'cmnstance occm's in the present instance, where most of the Nutmegs are absolutely 

 simple in their carpellary structm-e ; but as such instances are regarded as exceptional 

 in Ranals and Rosals, bemg imaccompanied by other points of difference, so among 

 Nutmegs the same conclusion must be adopted, the more especially since Hyalostemma, 

 which I regard as a genume genus ©f the Order, possesses more carpels than one, as its 

 habitual character. 



The relation of the Orders now collected in the same Alliance will hardly be disputed. 

 Their combining characters are apparently sohd, and their passage from one to the 

 other sufficiently well marked. Plume Nutmegs and Monimiads are by some Botanists 

 \ regarded as the same Order ; Monimiads pass into true Nutmegs by means of Tetra- 

 \ tome, and the remarkable peculiarity observable in the thin divergent cotyledons of the 

 ] embryo is common to both Orders. Nutmegs are brought into contact with Menisperm- 

 / ads by their trimerous flowers, and by the ruminated albumen of Anomospermum ; 

 ( finally, the strict relation of Menispermads, Kadsurads, and Lardizabalads is miques- 

 I tionable. 



\ In its external relations this AUiance is very remarkable. Its twinmg or scrambling 



\ habit and imisexual flowers so nearly approach those of Cucm-bits in some instances, 



V that even so acute a Botanist as Dr. Blume has refeiTed the genus Gynostemma, a true 



\ Cucurbit, to the Order of Menispermads. To the Ranal Alliance it passes du'ectly by 



means of the genus Hyalostemma, which will be regarded as a Nutmeg or an Anonad, 



according to the diff"erent points of view in which the question of affinities is regarded. 



And even to Dictyogens it cannot but be regarded as a near approach, if we compare 



the trimerous Menispermads with SmUax. 



Natural Orders of Menispermals. 



Albumen copious, solid. Seeds pendulous; embryo small, \ on M«v,«i.r.r.!D. 



external. Stamens perigynous J 



Albumen copious, solid. Seeds erect. Anthers opening %1 iaq Athfrospfrm 



recurved valves J 



Albumen copious, ruminated. Sepals united into a valvate cicp. 101. Myristicace^. 



Albumen copious, solid. Seeds parietal ; embryo minute . . . 102. Lardizabalace^. 



Albumen copious, solid. Seeds pendidous ; embryo minute, \ .f.r. c:^„,.,.^,^„.^^^ 



inteimal. Stamens hypogynous J 



Albumen sparing, solid. Seeds amp] dtr opal ; embryo large. . 104. Menispermace.e. 



