natural Family of Plants called Compositce. 1,37 



points to this extremity cannot in strict propriety be described as 

 directed towards the umbilicus. M. Cassini has not noticed the 

 direction of the radicle ; either from supposing it constantly con- 

 nected with that of the ovulum, or, which is more probable, from 

 not having ascertained it. 



These distinctive characters maybe considered as fully sufficient 

 to authorize the separation o( Boopidece from Compositae ; yet the 

 same differences exist between certain genera referred and renlly 

 belonging to Rubiacece and the principal part of that order. 



There are, however, three other characters unnoticed by M. Cas- 

 sini, which distinguish the flowers of Boopide<£ from the herma- 

 phrodite flowers of the whole of Com positae; namel}', the accretion 

 of the base of the style with the tube of the corolla; the absence of 

 the epigynous disk or nectarium ; and the longitudinal subdivision 

 of each cell of the anthera by a"receptaculum pollinis,"asin most 

 other families, and of which, indeed, there seems to be the rudiment 

 in the syngenesious genus Petrobium, described in the preceding 

 paper. 



In the partial cohesion of the antherae, in which they resemble 

 Jasioue, they certainly differ from all known Compositae : but as 

 in certain Compositae the antherae are very slightly connected or 

 entirely distinct ; — this, though a remarkable circumstance, can 

 hardly be employed as a distinguishing character. 



The principal characters in which Boopidea differ from the 

 greater part, though not from the whole of CompositiE, are the 

 corolla being continuous, or not jointed, with the ovarium; the 

 antherae having no membranaceous appendix at top ; and the un- 

 divided stigma. 



Boo/j/dec£ differ from Dipsacea in the vascular structure and val- 

 vular aestivation of corolla; in the aestivation, insertion, and con- 



voL. XII. T nexion 



