176 MORPHOLOGY OF CHARACE.E. 



A mere comparison of the male flowers with those of C. urens and 

 < '. lluniphiana is at once suflicient to show how extremely dift'erent 

 they are. I supposed at first that the Chinese Palm might be 

 identical with ('. mitis of Loureiro ; but this can scarcely" be 

 possible, as that author describes his species''' as having a " bacca 

 nigra, globo sclopeti minoris ^equalis, non urens," whereas in ours 

 the ripe fruit is red, twice as large, and its juice causes considerable 

 irritation and rubefaction when applied to the skin. He adds, too, 

 "Inter palmas hcec omnium pulcherrima est; quando, stante 

 aura leni, motis petiolis, foliola volitare videntur," which evidently 

 indicates much lighter fronds and differently poised segments, 

 and thus a distinct habit from that of the species now described. 



The subjomed- character has been carefully drawn up from the 

 living tree : — 



Cakyota ochlandra, sp. nor. — Non sobolifera, caudice 40-pedali 

 et ultra pedem crasso leviusculo cinereo-vmdi anulis 8 poll, inter 

 se distantibus notato basi fibras numerosas pennae anserinae 

 crassitie emittenti; frondibus apice cernuis, pinnis primariis 

 utrinque 18-20 pendulis mediis paulo longioribus rachi tenuiter 

 furfuracea segmentis sessilibus dimidiato-rhombeis antice grossi- 

 uscule laceris ingequaliter (et crebrius quam in C. arenti) serratis 

 apice acuminatis terminali flabelliformi coriaceis 7-9 poll, longis, 

 spadicis ramis 8-9 ped. longis viridibus, bracteolis latis margine 

 eroso-crenatis calyce duplo brevioribus, florum masculorum oblon- 

 gorum subtriquetrorum calycis foliolis arete imbricatis glaberrimis 

 viridibus rotundatis margine eroso-crenatis 3 lin. longis 4 lin. latis, 

 corolla laciniis luteis crassis rigidis symptyci valvatis coriaceis 

 8 lin. longis 4 lin. latis, staminirus 110-15ot corolla acquilongis 

 filamentis anthera 2-3 x5lo brevioribus connectivo ultra loculos in 

 acumen breve productis, floribus $ (masculis jam apertis viridibus 

 trigonis 3 lin. tantum longis, staminodiis B subulatis laciniis 

 corollinis triente brevioribus, fructibus depresso-globosis sanguineo- 

 rubris pollicem diametro succo urente mono- vel saepius di-spermio 

 corolla 4- calyceque 2- lineali suffultis. 



In montosis regionum occidentalium j^rov. Kwangtung, et per 

 totam provinciam Kwangsi sponte occurrit ; sffi^Dius etiam 

 circa templa et in hortis Cantonensium colitur. (Herb, propr. 

 n. 20332). 



NOTE ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE CHAliACE.E. 



By S. H. Vines, B.A. 



In a recent number of this journal;: Mr. Bennett exjn-esses 

 himself unable to accei)t the view held by me of the nature of the 

 " pro-embryo " of the (Jharaceic It would not be necessary for me 

 to add anything to the account which I have already given § were 



* ' Flora cochinchineusis,' ed. WiUd., ii. 098. 



f 110, 114, 129, 137, 142, 151, 154 inveni in variis qnos exaniinavi floribus 



+ 'Journal of Botany,' March, 1879, p. 07, 



§ lb , December, 1878, p. 355. 



