1851.] Linnean Society. 149 



2. The pendulous ovule, with the raphe lateral, is a character of 

 frequent occurrence ; it was particularly noticed and accurately 

 figured in Cornus and Marlea, in Sir W. Hooker's ' Journal ' for 

 May 1850. Mr. Clarke has hitherto observed it in only two in- 

 stances in which the carpel may be considered as anterior, viz, in 

 Goniocarpus and Valeriana ; but it is nearly so in Trichocladus, and 

 probably also in Marina. He has not yet observed it among Endo- 

 genous plants. Of its occurrence among Exogenous plants, he enu- 

 merates the following instances: — 1. Malpighia, and other genera 

 of Malpighiacece, in which the funiculus (representing the raphe) is 

 constantly lateral ; 2. Suriana, as figured by Prof. Lindley ; 3. Ilex ; 

 4. Halesia; 5. Viburnum; 6. Jcrotriche ; 7. Myoporum; 8. Loni- 

 cera (sp. loculis uniovulatis) ; 9. probably in the 1 -seeded fruits of 

 Oleinee; 10. Thesium. This section concludes with some observa- 

 tions on the variation from raphe aversa to raphe lateralis, which 

 sometimes occurs in the same family, as in Cornea and Malpighiacece, 

 which Mr. Clarke believes to offer an explanation of the variable re- 

 lation of the ovule to the funiculus, which is common to both Ille- 

 cebrecB and Chenopodiacea. 



3. The raphe next the placenta is well known as the most ordinary 

 position in pendulous anatropal ovules, and Mr. Clarke only suggests 

 the inquiry whether solitary ovules having this character ever occur 

 among Endogenous plants. 



4. 0/ the erect ovule, with the raphe turned away from the placenta, 

 Mr. Clarke has met with only three instances, two of them occur- 

 ring in cases where there are two ovules. These are Penaa fruti- 

 culosa and Calytrix virgata, in the latter case less completely averse 

 than in the former. The principal instance, however, is that of 

 Compositce, where the raphe in four or five genera examined was 

 always found to correspond with the anterior angle of the ovary. 

 That the anterior is the fertile carpel in Compositce Mr. Clarke thinks 

 is shown (in addition to the arguments previously adduced by him) 

 by the fact that in Aster Sibiricum, he has always found the ovule 

 to arise more or less distinctly from the posterior side of the ovary, 

 and that the same circumstance occurs, although less distinctly, in 

 Centaurea nigra. In such Cichoracece as he has examined, he has 

 found the raphe for the most part or always lateral ; but as he re- 

 gards the carpella of this division of Composites as being right and 

 left of the axis, he concludes that the position of the ovule might be 

 expected to be different. The position of the raphe in Berheris vul- 

 garis is occasionally next the placenta, but more frequently tends to 

 be averse from it. 



