Mr. J. Miers on the Bignoniacese. 163 



find a striking evidence in favour of this conclusion in the fruit 

 of Pithecoctenium, of which mention has been previously made. 

 Here the seeds are affixed upon a broad, prominent zonal reflexion 

 formed round each margin of the thick dissepiment, which, as 

 we have seen, is separable into two plates; pj^ 5_ 



and the thick valves at the line of their r^ -vv ^ ^ ^ 3\mmmm'te ^ 



separation are seen to be respectively - ^ "^ ^ 



moulded around these seminiferous in- 

 flexions, leaving the replum on each mar- 

 gin free both from the valves and the dissepiment, though still 

 connected with the latter at its base and apex (fig. 5). 



This conviction is more forcibly confirmed by the examination 

 of the ovary in the Eubignuniece. Upon the fall of the corolla, 

 we find the ovary grown to a length a little exceeding that of 

 the calyx, and compressed as usual, with a deep groove along 

 each edge coinciding with the margins of the dissepiment, which 

 there bears the ovules close to that line, at the furthest possible 

 distance from the axis ; upon each face is a prominent line, which 

 is continued up the style : this structure is shown in fig. 2. The 

 same appearance is observed in the ovary, in a very early stage 

 of the bud, long before the anthers are perfected ; we have then 

 the same deep marginal inflexion, showing the line of confluence 

 of the component carpels, as in the manner shown. The stigma 

 consists of two broad petaloid lamellse, which are smooth witbin, 

 and apparently are not provided with the usual papillose stig- 

 matic surface, which here seems to reside in the infundibuliform 

 mouth of the style : this is hollow for half its length, and on 

 each side dark longitudinal lines are distinctly seen, which ap- 

 pear to correspond with the stigmatic channels in communica- 

 tion with the four placentiferous lines of the ovary : the longi- 

 tudinal line seen upon each face of the ovary is continued along 

 the style, in the form of a nervure, through the middle of the 

 stigmata, and on each side of this nervure the dark lines just 

 mentioned ai'e distinctly seen. These appearances are all con- 

 firmatory of the assumption that the ovary is composed of four 

 carpels combined in the manner previously shown ; and we may 

 also infer that each lamella of the stigma is composed of two 

 confluent stigmata. The occurrence of a bifid stigma, with four 

 united carpels, at first thought might be considered to be an 

 improbability; but we must remember that it is no unusual 

 combination, for it is constant in the extensive families of the 

 Ehretiacea, Boraginacea , and Labiatce, and also frequent in 

 VerbenaceiB. 



In the Catalpea, where the capsule is loculicidal, the dissepi- 

 ment being contrary to the valves, which separate from it, there 

 is evidently a difi"erent structure, the nature of which may pro- 



