14G JIf?'. Brown on $ome remarkable Deviations 



ihe withered remains of which were in most cases visible at the 

 base of the ripe seed. The first error of Michaux naturally led 

 to a series of mistakes ; and the naked seed being considered by 

 him as a drupa, the albumen, which is of a horny texture, is de- 

 scribed as a " nux cornea crassissima," and the embryo itself as 

 the seed. 



But although this account of the fruit of Leontice thalictroides be 

 in no respect similar to that given by Michaux, it may perhaps 

 be considered by some as still differing sufficiently from Leontice 

 to authorize the establishment of a distinct genus ; and that, there- 

 fore, the name Cauloplii/Uum may be retained, and its character 

 derived from the remarkable circumstance described, namely, the 

 early rupture of its pericarpium. I believe, however, it will be 

 found more expedient to reduce it again to Leontice. 



For, in the first place, its habit is entirely that of the original spe- 

 cies of the genus. And secondly, though the pericarpium of Le- 

 ontice Leontopctalum, which is the type of the genus, remains shut 

 until the ripening of the seeds, and attains a size more than suffi- 

 cient for the mere purpose of containing them ; yet in Leontice al- 

 taica, a species in other respects more nearly approaching to L. Le- 

 ontopetalum than to L. tlialictroides, the pericarpium, though it en- 

 larges considerably after impregnation, is ruptured by the seeds 

 long before they have arrived at maturity. 



The accompanying drawing, for which I am indebted to my 

 friend Mr. Ferdinand Bauer, will materially assist in explain- 

 ing the singular economy now described ; and may also per- 

 haps render more intelligible the account I proceed to give of 

 the second instance in which I have observed an analogous 

 structure, but to illustrate which I have at present no drawing 

 prepared. 



This 



