32 Mr. Brown, on the Proteacece of Jussieu. 



cautiously used in the generic characters of this family ; even its 

 being sessile or pedicellated is not always of sufficient import- 

 ance, though I think Mr. Salisbury has done well in introducing 

 it into his characters of Serruria and Spatalla, in botii which 

 genera I had overlooked it before the publication of his Essay. 

 Its internal structure, which ought always to be ascertained, 

 Avill be found of the greatest importance in most cases, but fails 

 in Persoonia, the species of which differ in having one or two 

 seeds: it would seem however, in this case, that an irregularity 

 in a point of such importance could not take place unaccom- 

 panied with other anomalies in the same organ, and accordingly 

 such are found to exist in this genus, and will be mentioned 

 when treating of the fruit. 



Besides number, the insertion of the ovula is also to be at- 

 tended to; for though this may generally be presumed from the 

 situation of the radicula in the ripe seed, yet to this criterion 

 there are several exceptions, even in the present order: thus, 

 while the radicula constantly points downward in the whole of 

 the order, the insertion of the ovulum is in many cases at the top 

 or side of the cell of the ovarium. My observations on this sub- 

 ject are as yet incomplete ; but, from those that I have made, I 

 am inclined to think such differences will be connected with 

 genera, or rather perhaps with particular kinds of fruit. Thus 

 I conjecture, in Leucospermum, Mimetes, Nivenia, and Spatalla, 

 the insertion to be uniformly lateral. 



The STYLE, though not subject to much variety in this family, 

 will be found in a few cases to furnish generic characters. 

 Thus in Protea, strictly so called, the persistent subulate style 

 forms an important part of its character : and the persistency j^f 

 the whole of the style in the greater number of species of Gn- 

 villea will probably be used by future botanists in distinguishing 



them 



