Mr. J. Miers on the Menispermaceee. 131 
identical ; in short, an almost inextricable perplexity exists. In 
addition to this, the want of good typical specimens and the 
imperfect short diagnoses on record have rendered it difficult 
to recognize any plant with precision ; so that when a predis- 
position has existed to annihilate existing species, the oppor- 
tunity has been very favourable for that purpose. I confess that 
I have often been disheartened by this perplexity; and it has only 
been by renewed exertion and a large amount of patience that 
I have been able to arrive at the conclusions now brought 
together. 
In this issue, I regret to find myself at variance with botanists 
of the highest repute, whose opinions, from the extent of their 
labours and the amount of their knowledge, deservedly command 
universal respect ; but, after many years of study, I cannot re- 
nounce the strong belief that the very extreme views they have 
entertained, not only in regard to Cissampelos, but to other 
genera of the Menispermacee, cannot hold ground against the 
body of evidence I have been able to bring together. 
It is to be deeply regretted that, in a work of such great im- 
portance as the ‘ Flora Brasiliana’ of Prof. von Martius, Dr. 
Eichler, the erudite author of the monograph upon Brazilian 
Menispermacee, should have been so fascinated by the extreme 
views of the learned authors of the ‘ Flora Indica’ and the ‘ Genera 
Plantarum’ as to have followed their example. I cannot believe 
that a botanist of such acknowledged merit would have adopted 
this course if he had carefully worked out his materials. In regard 
to Cissampelos, it will be seen that he has embodied all the erect 
shrubs, together with some climbing plants, amounting to fourteen 
species, into C. ovalifolia, and has amalgamated no less than thirty- 
six of the other published species of the genus, belonging to the 
Old and New World, as synonyms of C. Pareira, acknowledging 
only five old and two new species, all Brazilian ; but why he should 
have selected these five Brazilian cases only, in two of which he 
has mistaken their identity, and why he pzssed over others, which 
are equally remarkable for the differential characters they oppose 
to his type, it is very difficult to conceive. Jam glad to have 
the opportunity of remarking that the plates in the work above 
mentioned, mostly from drawings by Dr. Kichler, are beautifully 
executed ; his review of the family, and his observations on its 
general structure and the economic uses of its plants, are deser- 
ving of high commendation. 
It is worthy of remark that, with very few exceptions, each ge- 
nus of the Menispermacee is confined to a comparatively limited 
range; and it is a singular coincidence that, out of fifty known 
genera, only three original ones, Cissampelos, Cocculus, and Meni- 
spermum, occur in both hemispheres. The area of distribution of 
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