Mr. Brown, on the Proteacea of Jussieu. 39 



nera liowever, as in Banksia and Isopogoti, it is evidently of very 

 little importance. 



The fleshy or scale-like bodies, which surround the ovarium in 

 the greater number of plants of this family, are in many cases 

 so manifestly secreting organs, that it is surprising Mr. Salisbury 

 should hesitate in considering them as nectaria, and denominate 

 them calli ; a term which excludes the idea of secretion. But 

 whatever their functions may be, great assistance may certainly 

 be derived from their various modifications, in distinguishing ge- 

 nera. Their importance however in this respect, like that of 

 all other parts, not only in this, but, as I apprehend, in every 

 natural family, is very unequal, and in some cases seems to be 

 entirely lost. Thus, in the genus Leucadendron as it is here 

 constituted, they are wanting in several species, and in some I 

 am inclined to think exist only in the males. 



In most of the regular-flowered genera they are four in 

 number, and alternate with the leaves or lacini^ of the calyx. 

 In these genera they are also generally in the form of succulent 

 scales, distinct, or more rarely cohering at their base, and in 

 a very few instances adhering to the calyx ; but in Persoonia 

 they are nearly round and fleshy, and in Belleiidena, Si/mphionema, 

 Simsia, Agastachi/a, Petrojxhila, and Isopogon, they are entirely 

 wanting. 



In the irregular-flowered genera with two or many seeds their 

 number is less than four, in most cases only one exists, in a few 

 others three, and in some none. 



Varieties in the structure or apparent origin of the stamina, 

 afford, as might be expected, important generic characters. 

 Their usual insertion in the order is in the concave tops of the 

 laciniae of the calyx ; all considerable deviations from which may 

 safely be employed in characterizing genera. In this way Rho- 



pala. 



