152 ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 
was necessary as the Leeaceae are by some very eminent Botanists viewed as a totally distinct 
order from Viniferae, and it must be confessed not without good reason, or at all events as good, 
or better than those for separating .Valvaceae from Bombaceae or Byttneriaceae, and Elaeo- 
carpeae from Tiliaceae, and many others. Between Viniferae and Leeaceae there is difference 
of habit, great difference in the structure of the flowers, especially as regards the stamens, and 
in the number of cells and ovules of the ovary. ‘There are no doubt affinities sufficien tly 
marked to render their union desirable but on the same principles, so should the others be 
separated by sectional divisions only. I have alluded above to the difficulties of ilar ets 
the species of Vitis, with respect to Leea, these are not much diminished, and as in the former 
case, I beg again to refer to the Prodromus for characters, since I have not ba able, after 
much uno to improve those given in that work, though I have examined many speci- 
mens of every fo 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 57. 
1. Vitis tomentosa, natural s 
nes An expanded flower, csi not adherent at the 
a 
3. The exept phe ental removed, showing the cup- 
shaped torus a 
4, Stamens baskae and front vi 
5. Ovary cut transversely, 3-celle ed, with 5 ovules. 
6. The same cut vertically, showing the ovules erect. 
7. Back a front views of the seed—natural size, 
8. The same m ied. 
9-9. Seed wit ruit ent rely showing the 
large conferrumin ate album 
eed cut vertiaally;, ye show the embryo at the 
~~ ee the ——— but not well represented. 
he embryo removed—all with the exceptions 
eae —. or siss magnified. 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 58. 
1, Leea Staphylea, natural s7 
8. A full grown fruit. 
An expanded flower, with ‘the stamen tube in situ. 9. The same cut transversely, in this instance 6-celled, 
en igure oved and — open, toshow with one — in each, 
the — of the an 
4, Fron side “a rage the an lL. The same cut transversely, showing the large 
& Calyx and ovary, with the cals. ay stigma. albumen. 
B. Ovary ent vertically, 12 Another cut vertically, showing the position of 
ly, in th 4-celled, the embryo and its relative size to the albumen. 
with one ovule in each. 13. The embryo remove 
XLIL—GERANIACE. 
This order may be viewed as almost entirely of extra-tropical origin, for though a few spe- 
cies are indigenous within the tropics, these are almost invariably found on the higher hills 
where temperature is reduced by elevation. The Indian Peninsula seems generally unfavour- 
able to the — of plants of this order, since, so far as yet known only one species has 
been found native even or highest hills, and in Ceylon the same species only occurs. It 
suffrnticose plants, with the stems usually jointed, the leaves opposite 
below, and frequently alternate above, palmately nerved and cleft, or pinnatifid, and furnished 
with two foliaceous stipules. The flowers are more or less irregular, bisexual, paired, oF 
umbelled, seldom solitary, on axillary, or occasionally, leaf opposed peduncles 
epals 5, persistent, imbricated in estivation, sometimes produced at the base into a spur, 
connate with the pedicel. Petals 5, otielie mes 4, or wanting, by etc pe agers equal 
and hypogynous, or unequal, and either connected at the ge 
tion twisted. Stamens 
free, twice or thrice as many as the petals. 
: , iam od “Failt, of 5 seaitanne 
L-ce led, i ndehiscent carpels, which are at first close pressed to the gynobase, each ending 12 
its: style, which is closely adnate to the angles of the axis, but afterwards twists variously from 
the t base to ‘apex, and carries the pericarp with its enclosed 3 seed along with it. 
resto, bunen none. Emb 0 pa radicle down 
towards the ‘Cot: yledons foliaceon ry d, radic superior, but with its point bent 
