ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 



131 



byassigiimg too high a value to this important physiological character and rendering it most 

 artificia in practice, NumeTous genera and even Avhole section., of what are now considered 

 very natural families, are deficient in albumen, while in the remainder it is copious. Oleacecc 

 furnishes an example in point. In the section Oleinece albumen abounds, but is wantlnir in 

 C^^07^a/^^^,eJ; these two nearly allied sections, .as regards external structure, of this natural 

 order would therefore be widely separated in. a capological system, while the others, less 

 closely alhed by external characters, would be kept together. This example shows both the 

 dilhculty and importance of assigning a just value to characters, whether physioWical or 

 structural, and that overvaluing either inevitably leads to disruption of affinities. 



The position of the carpels, in dicarpillary ovaries, in relation to the axis, is another char- 

 acter the true value of which has yet to be ascertained. I have occasionally used it in the 

 above synopsis, but always with hesitation, from finding it vary in different genera referable to 

 the same order, and from often finding it a difficult character to make out, and therefore one 

 requiring to be used with much caution. 



In iU following plate, No. 14^2, IJiave given figures explanatory of the characters of 



my seven groups of CoroUiflor^. The drawings being taken from plants not intended for 



representation m the subsequent portions of the work, I am thus enabled to introduce a 



greater number of subjects in illustration of this division than I should otherwise have been 

 able to do. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE 142. 



I. Lentibularie^. 



(Pinguicula Vulgaris.) 



1. Flower^bud magnified. 



2. Flower and spur seen from behind. 



3. Expanded flower showing the stamens and pistil. 



4. Pistil detached. 



5. Ovary cut vertically. 



6. Stigma, side view. 



7. Mature capsule, natural size. 



8. Same, anterior valve magnified, 

 9- Seed magnified. 



10. Same cut longitudinally. 



11. Diagram (from Nees' gen. plant) 



II. Myrsijveace^, 

 (McBsa indica.) 



1. Detached corolla split open, stamens opposite the 



2. Ovary and calyx, the calyx split open and forci- 

 Wy separated from the base of the ovary. 



3. Ovary cut vertically. 

 "*' ■ transversely. 



5- Placenta and ovules detached. 



6. Full-grown fruit, 



7. A mature seed. 



8- The same cut from above, showing: the trans- 

 verse embryo, 



in S^^ a^i^oss, embryo in situ. 

 10. Embryo detached. 



III. SAPOTACEiE. 



(Sapota Elingoides.) 

 1. Corolla split open, 

 and sterile stamens. 

 ^- Calyx and ovary. 

 3. Ovary cut vertically. 

 ^' ■— — cut transversely. 



^' Mature fruit cut transverselv, all the ovules but 

 one aborted. 

 6. Mature seed. 



"" — ■ cut transverselv, albuminous. 



showing the alternate fertile 



IV. Oleace^. 



(Olea linocierotdes.) 



1. Expanded flower. 



2. Calyx and ovary. 



3. Ovary cut vertically, ovules pendulous from the 

 apex 



4. 

 5. 

 6. 



7. Detached seed. 



8. cut longitudi 



9. Embryo detached. 



V. Asclepiadej:. 



(Gymnema Decaisneanum,) 



1. Detached flower. 



2. Gynostigium removed from the flower. 



3. Ovary and stigma with the pollen masses 

 tached. 



cut transversely. 



Full-grown fruit. 



cut transversely. 



umm 



at. 



4. 

 5. 



7. 



Detached pollen. 



One limb of the ovary cut transversely. 



Cut longitudinally. 



A seed and coma. 



8. Cut longitudinally, showing embryo in situ. 



9. Cut transversely. 

 Detached embryo- 



10. 



VI. CyRTANBRACE^. 



(Didtjmocarpus ovaltfolicu} 



h Corolla laid open to show the insertions of the 



stamens. 



2. Calyx and ovary. 



3. Ovary cut transversely, showing the free revolute 

 placentiferous margins. 



4. Cut longitudinally. 



VII. SCROFULARIACE^. 



(LimnopMIa hypericifolia,) 



1. Calyx, ovary, and bract. 



2. Ovary cut transversely, placent© axile. 



3. Ovary cut vertically. 



R 



