76 Linnean Society. [April 16, 



malous forms of embryo, which are best explained by a reference to 

 this view of the subject. He also notices some peculiarities in the 

 structure of the seed of Pistia, which he regards as in some points 

 analogous to that of Sciaphila, although widely different from it in 

 others. 



Setting aside then the Acotyledonous embryo as a character of 

 primary importance, and regarding it only as an imperfect condition 

 of development, common to all the great divisions of the vegetable 

 kingdom, it is evidently among the Endogens that Triuriacece should 

 take their place, and the author concludes that upon the whole the 

 greatest amount of approximative characters leans towards Fluviales. 

 He then gives the characters of the order and its subdivisions as 

 follows : — 



Triuriace^, iJ/iers (1841). Triuraceae, Gardn. (1843). TnuviAacesi, Lindl. 

 (1846). 



Char. Ord. HerhcB paivulce, subhyalinae ; rhizomate fibrose, interdum 

 substolonifero ; caule subsimplici, textuia cellulosa, vasis deferentibus 

 in axi centralibus; foliis alternis, bracteiformibus, sessibbus, uervis 

 destitutis. Flores monoici, v. dioici, rarius polygami, spicati ; pedi- 

 cellis alternis, 1-floris, basi bracteatis. Perianthium in utroque sexu 

 3-4-6-8-partitum, hyalinuni, textuia celluloso-bidlata, v. papilloso- 

 rugosa ; laciniis ovatis, acutis, basi in tubum brevissimum coabtis, 

 apice interdum processu elongate donatis, aestivatione valvatis. Sta- 

 mina numero varia, pauca, in fundo periantbiifere sessilia, supra andio- 

 phorum Sispissinie magnum carnosum inserta ; antherce 4-loculares, 

 2-valves, rarius in lobos 2 sejunctse. Ovaria plurima, in gynsecium 

 toro adnatum densissime aggregata, 1-locularia ; ovulo unico, e basi 

 erecto. Stylus excenti-icus, introrsiim laterabs, ssepissime fere basilaris, 

 glaber aut pkimoso-fimbriatus. Stigma obsoletuni, v. truncato-clavatum. 

 Carpidia plurima, baccata, excentrica, obovata. stylo persistente fere 

 basilaid notata, coriacea et indehiscentia, v. interdum utricularia dorso 

 valvatim debiscentia ; caryopside obovata, tela arillaeformi donata ; 

 testa ovatS,, dura, testacea, colorata, transversim scalarifornii-striata. 

 Nucleus (embryo protoblasteus) opalinus, integumento areolis elongatis 

 reticulato inclusus, textura mollis, cellulosus ; cellulis materia oleosa 

 grumosa farctis. — TriuriaceEe in locis humidis umbrosis sylvarum inter- 

 tropicarum Asice et Ajnericee epigecB. 



1. Triuries:. Perianthii laciniae appendice lineari, sestivatione spiraliter 

 torta et inclusa, demum exserta, inunitae. Stylus cum ovario gibboso 

 lateraliter continuus. Antherarura lobi disjuncti, singuli 2-locellati. 



Periantbii laciniae 3. Stamina 3 1. Triuris. 



Periantbii laciniae 6. Stamina ignota 2. Hexuris. 



2. SciAPHiLE^. Periantbii laciniae ecaudatae. Stj'lus fere basilaris. An- 



