539 



haps it may be presumed, that the various species, all 

 natives of the Cape of Good Hope, may in this, as well as 

 other genera, have been produced from the hybrid im- 

 pregnation of some original one. H . pinnata has the only 

 compound leaves in this order." We must protest against 

 this extensive speculation, of the production of permanent 

 mule species, having seen many arise from such a cause, 

 but none continue to propagate itself for any length of 

 time. It is not the least curious particular, in the struc- 

 ture of the genus before us, that the flowers, which com- 

 monly grow together in pairs, have the corolla twisted in 

 an opposite direction to each other. 



The second section of this order, composed of Camellia, 

 Thea, Gordonia, Stuartia, Tilia and Kiggelaria, are at 

 least nearly akin to the foregoing genera. 



" This whole order contains no disagreeable or hurtful 

 plants, nor are they esculent. None are foetid, but some 

 agreeably fragrant. Many of the flowers are beautiful. 

 Their quality is generally mucilaginous, particularly Al- 

 thaa, Malva and Alcea. The ancients made considerable 

 use of Mallows in their food, but these plants are now out 

 of use in that respect." 



Order 38. TricoccjE. " Botanists apply this term to 

 plants whose fruit is, in a manner, composed of three 

 nuts, combined together like that of Thea. In the order 

 under consideration, the seed-vessel is generally a round- 

 ish three-cornered capsule, rounded on all sides, with 

 single-seeded cells, which bursting elastically, with con- 

 siderable force, scatter the seeds to a distance. It must 

 be observed, however, that as in this order some genera, 

 like Mercurialis and Cliffortia, are dicoccous" (having 

 only two cells, or lobes), " so there are tricoccous plants" 

 (as Thea, and many more,) " that do not belong to it." 



u The plants of this order bear alternate, mostly sim- 

 ple, leaves, often furnished with glands. Many afford a 

 most acrid milk; they are generally offensive, nauseous, 

 purgative, or poisonous. The style is in several highly 



