ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 22/ 



Affinities. The above remarks leave little room to doubt that the affinities of this 

 order do not appertain to either CoyivohmlacecB or Borragineoc^ neither does the author of them 

 seem disposed to adopt his own suggestion as regards TheophrastecB. Lindley, without assign- 

 ing any reason, refers the genus without doubt to Ehenacecc^ a location in which, to me, it 

 appears greatly misplaced. There is another family presenting a somewhat similar discrepancy, 

 and to a much greater extent, between the carpels and ovules, which, by analogy, may aid 

 in throwing some light on this one, I allude to PliimhaginecE, which, as indicated by the 

 number of stigmas and valves of the capsule, has five carpels, and only one ovule. lu 

 Semicarpece also a similar discrepancy occurs, 3 carpels and 1 ovule. These examples 

 seem to show that the want of correspondence in this case between the carpels and ovules, 

 however inexplicable, is not without analogy. In Plumbaginece only one of 6 carpels seems 

 to bear an ovule ; in Erycibece^ on the other hand, four are fertile, and only one sterile. In many 

 pentandrous genera we find 1 or more stamens suppressed. In Oleacew and Jnsmine<By there 

 is reason to believe that two and three stamens are respectively suppressed in each, and in 

 CompositcB the two carpels only produce one seed. On these premises I can scarcely admit, 

 with Alph. DC, that the want of one ovule in this family is more opposed to the theories of 

 the origin of the ovule than those cited. When we can satisfactorily account for the constant 

 suppression of from 1 to 3 stamens in Scrophidariacece^ Labiatce^ Bignoniaceoc^ S:c., we may 

 equally be able to account for some carpels failing to bear ovules ; but in the mean time must 

 be content to take things as w^e find them, and view the order under consideration as one 

 having analogies but, owing to this departure from the usual formation of so essential an organ 

 as the ovarj^, no ascertained positive affinities. Under this impression I have thought it better 

 for the present to r.emove it from the series of dicarpellary orders, which it tends to break, and 

 place it beside Plumbagineacece and Salvadoracece^ until a more suitable station is found for it. 



Geographical Distributio.v. The seven species composing this order are all of Asiatic 

 origin. Three are natives of India Proper, the other four from the Tenasserim Provinces and 

 Eastern Islands. 



Properties and Uses. On this head I am not aware that any thing is known. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE 180. 



1. Erycibe paniculala (Roxb.), flowering branch, na- 8. Ovary cut transversely. ^ 



ral si7p 9. Mature fruit about the natural size. 



tural size. 



2. An unopened flower-bud. 10. A seed perhaps a little reduced, but, being taken 



3. Expanded flower ^^^ ^ ^"^"^ specimen, that is uncertain. 



4 Corolla split open,' showing its peculiar 9-cleft lobes, IL Kernel, testa removed to show the corrugated 



which are inflexed ia estivation, and stamens in situ. cotyledons and niferior radicle. 



5. Anthers, back and front views. 12. A seed cut transversely. 



6. Calyx and ovary with its Sdobed stigma. These, with the exceptions mentioned, are all more 



7. Ovary cut vertically. or less magnified. 



CXXIV,— SALVADORACEiE. 



This order, if such it prove to be, consists of a single genus 

 though in structure, apparently the most simple, it is not found 



istino" TnnnnriDfol/^iia rirrlnra A « rPOrnrds tllfi OalvX and COrolla it 1 



istmg monopetalous orders. 



and two or three species. But 

 to associate with any of the ex- 



t, with Erycib 



