GULLIVER, ON RAPHIDES. 9 
And as I have found these last two orders, like Acorus, defi- 
cient in raphides, an additional reason appears for separating 
this genus from an order in no species of which have raphides 
yet been found wanting. I have, however, discovered a few 
small raphides, like those of Narthecium, in the exotic Gym- 
nostachys. 
Lemnacee.—Raphides occur in all our plants, more abun- 
dantly in Lemna minor and L. trisulca than in L. gibba and 
L. polyrrhiza ; and are very plentiful, with sphzraphides, in 
the tropical Pistia Stratiotes. 
Potamogetonacee, Naiadacee, Cyperacee, Graminacee, and 
Cryptogamee Ductulosee.—In none of these plants, which 
conclude and form so large a share of the ‘ Manual of British 
Botany,’ have I yet found raphides. 
Thus, besides the Cryptogamez Ductulosez, above half of 
the British Monocotyledons would appear to be devoid of 
raphides ; and it is remarkable that most of these plants, still 
more than half of all our species of Monocotyledons, occur 
together at the end of this class in the ‘ Manual.’ Among the 
foregoing orders the results are equally noteworthy. Dictyo- 
genee abounding in raphides, though these crystals are totally 
wanting in the orders immediately preceding and succeeding 
that subdivision. Our plants of Hydrocharidacez are, on 
the other hand, without raphides, which yet abound in the 
orders between which that order is placed; and, indeed, as 
far as my observations have yet gone, the orders of the 
Hydral Alhance of Lindley’s ‘ Vegetable Kingdom’ are de- 
void of the raphidian character. Raphides are plentiful 
again in the next succeeding orders, except Lridacez, as 
far as, and inclusive of, some sections of Liliacee; then 
suddenly disappearing or deficient in the four continuous 
orders Colchicaceze, Eriocaulacee, Juncaceze, and Alisma- 
cez; present again profusely in Typhacez, Aracez, and 
Lemnacez, three orders thus characterised, and yet stand- 
ing together between Alismacez and Potamogetonacez, two 
orders in which, on the contrary, this character is want- 
ing; and finally wanting also in all the succeeding orders. 
Thus, the main or parallel-veined group of Monocotyledons 
begins and ends with exraphidian orders. And not less re- 
markable is the contrast between Lindley’s Aral and Hydral 
Alliances, the former pregnant with, and the latter sterile of, 
raphides. Of Liliacez, the regular presence of raphides in 
the whole or parts of some sections, and the equally regular 
absence of raphides from the whole or parts of other sections, 
are phenomena of which the exact significance can be learned 
only by further research in this direction. And, in truth, 
