222 Dr. Francis Hamilton's Commentary 



Arbor magna ramis glabris, fuscis, teretibus, oppositis, divaricatis ; ramulis 

 tetragonis. Folia opposita, elliptica, apice obtusa, basi acutiuscula, inte- 

 gerrima, venis reticulata, supra nitida, subtus nuda. Petiolus brevis, 

 supra carinatus, apicem versus depressus, nudus, amplexicaulis, non sti- 

 pulaceus. 



Pankula terininalis, supra decomposito-trifida, ramis quadrangularibus, com- 

 pressis, nudis. Flares terminales tres seu quatuor congesti, nudi, parvi, 

 erecti, flavescentes. 



Calyx octophyllus, foliolis duplice serie positis, ovatis, obtusis, concavis, imbri- 

 catis, interioribus longioribus. CorollcB monopetalee tubus longitudine 

 calycis crassus : limbits quadripavtitus, laciniis obtusis, suprema breviore, 

 latiore. Filamenta e coroUae incisuris quatuor, subulata, patentia, corolla 

 breviora, duobus inferioribus brevioribus. Antherce bisulcee, oblongse. 

 Germen superum, ovatum. Stylus subulatus, staminibus brevior, adscen- 

 dens. Stigma simplex, acutum. 



Semen calyce minuto basi suflFultum, nudum, compressum, ovatum, apice 

 obliquo acutum. Integumentum coriaceum, pubescens, uno latere de- 

 hiscens. Albumen nullum. Cotyledones crassse, magnitudine et forma 

 seminis conduplicatse, hinc radiculam versus auriculatse. Radicula crassa, 

 descendens, pilis albis barbata. Plumula bifida, glabra. Plumula et radi- 

 cula e cotyledonum commissura hinc inter auriculas enascentes, et in sinu 

 exterioris cotyledonum, interioris dorso tectse, nidulantes. 



Mr. R. Brown places this genus in the natural order which he calls Myo- 

 poince, confessing at the same time that it does not possess the true characters 

 of these plants, and admitting that it is related to the Verbenacece, with which 

 it is classed by Jussieu. I must confess that, notwithstanding what my very 

 intelligent and acute friend advances (Prodr. Nov. Holl. i. 533.), I think Rum- 

 phius was right in placing the Avicennia next to the j^giceras, the plant, 

 in my opinion, to which it has the greatest affinity ; and I think, therefore, 

 that it should have been rather placed among the Myrsinece than among the 

 Myoporinece, should such natural orders be retained. 



