280 Mr D. Don on the Characters and AJpnities, S^-c. 



apicibus terminales, solitarii, suhinde scepius quasi axillares. Pedunculi 

 uniftori, obscure angulati, apice dUaiato-discoideo cum flore articulali, bracteis 

 ovatis, actiminatis, scepe scariosis, nimc aliis foliis magis consimilibus, fnscis, 

 subinvolulo - vaginantibus muniti. Perianthium bipollicare, roseum, i7ilus 

 albo-tnaculatum. Bacca oblonga, pallida, pendula. 



1. L. rosea, Ruiz et Pavon Fl. Peruv. et Chil. 3. p. G5. t. 297. 



Ilab. in Conceptionis Chilensium Eere et Itatse provinciarum sylvis 

 per arbores et frutices scandens. Jluiz et Pavon, Caldcleugh, P. 

 P. King. Tl ^--' Floret a Februario ad Malum. Vemacule Copl- 

 hue. (V. s. sp. in Herb. Lamb.) 



Obs. Fructus pulpa dulcls est et incolls gratlssima. Radix adstrin- 

 gens atque loco Sarsaparillce usus est. In Philesia proxima peri- 

 anthii decidui foliola 3 exteriora elliptico-oblonga mucronulata mem- 

 branacea calycina, interiora 3 5-pl6 majora cuneata mucronulata peta- 

 loidea, stamina G subrequalia, antherae lineares incumbentes, stylus 

 I'ere staminum longitudine, stigma dilatatum leviter trilobiuii, lobis 

 reflexis, ovarium trigonum triloculare, ovulis numerosis. Differt a 

 Lapageria prsecipue foliolis perianthii exterioribus 3 brevibus caly- 

 cinis. 



The limits which separate the groups of the Liliaceous class 

 are extremely ill-defined, the modifications of structure being 

 so various in all of them, that nothing certain beyond mere ge- 

 neric distinctions can be obtained. The four genera now under 

 consideration appertain to the group SmilacCfP, many of which 

 come so near to the Asphodelece, that I have formerly proposed 

 to unite all those whose fruit is a berry under the name of 

 Asparage<E*, as it is clear no certain characters can be derived 

 from the consistence of the testa, which is found to differ much 

 in genera otherwise intimately allied. In Asphodclus, Allium, 

 Ornithogaluvi, Ruscus, Smilax, and Convallaria, the testa is 

 simple and membranaceous, and the albumen fleshy ; while in 

 Asparagus, Dractena, Cyanella, Anihericum, and Tidbagliia, 

 the seeds are furnished with a crustaceous covering and carti- 

 laginous albumen. Much has been said respecting the disposi- 

 tion of the nerves, in the leaves of monocotyledonous plants, 

 as affording a good characteristic mark of the class; but the 

 whole of AroidetE, and several genera belonging to other families, 

 afford striking exceptions, and in that respect do not differ es- 

 sentially from the Dicotyledonea:. 



(To be continued.) 

 • Prod. Fl. Nep. p. 46. 



