XXIV PREFACE. 
Juncee.—In an Assam species of Juncus agreeing 
remarkably well with the character of J. prismata car- 
pus Br. Pr. Ed. Nees, 115. The flowers are imbracteate 
and the pollen ternarily compound. The ovaria are 
unilocular. This affords the second instance I know 
of, in which the secondine is exserted in the nearly 
ripe seeds. This membrane in the ovulum after fe- 
cundation, adheres to the apex of the nucleus, ano- 
ther unusual circumstance. "The carpellary leaves al- 
ternate with the stamens, and as these are three, they 
are opposite to the inner sepals. 
Aroidee.—Ambrosinia of Roxb. Crytocoryne of 
Fischer is remarkable for the structure of its anthers 
and embryo, the plumula of which is excessively de- 
veloped. The development depending on the total 
separation of the cotyledon, as it were, by amputation, 
towards the maturity of the seed. 
Pistiacee.—The organisation of Pistia is by no 
means simple, nor are the stem and leaves confounded ; 
on the contrary, it has a distinct although depressed 
axis, highly developed leaves, but wanting stomata, and 
the spathes are distinctly pedunculate. In the scale 
of development it is far higher than Lemma: but in- 
ferior to it in having no stomata, superior in all other 
points, especially iù possessing spiral vessels. Its ca- 
vities with cellular puncles are highly developed. Em- 
bryo at the apex of the albumen obovate, solid. 
Equisetacee.—The affinity of this order, so far as 
the organs of fructification go, is with Marchantia. 
The four filaments are nothing but 2 elaters which 
adhere by their middles with the reproductive globule. — 
