152 



NatTargem-iS gehoren an den Anfang der Sympetalen die beiden Reihen der Eri- 

 Cales "Hfl Primillales, b^i ■welchtn ncx^h getrennte Blumenblatter vorkommen, tind 

 noch 2 Staxibblattkreise typisch sind, wahrend bei den iibrigen Eeihen mit Ausnahme 

 der Ebennles stets mir noch ein Stanbblattkreis entwickelt wird. 



Tliis is, indeed, true in tliat respact, biit only in that respect ; in other respects, 

 it is not true. This we shall see presently. The relation of the Ericales to the 

 Verticillatse, Fagales, Parietales, and to the Sapindales is incontestable, as has 

 been shown above. Besides, the Ericales ai'e aUied to the Campanulatae, as can 

 be seen in the agreement of the Ericacese^^ and the Campanulacese in the inser- 

 tion of the stamens. Furfcher, its relation to the Primulales'^ is manifest in the 

 similaiifcy of the Schizocoden (Diapens.) and SoldaneUa (Primulaceae). Thus, 

 the Ericales staud in dijfferent relations to the Paiietales, the Sapindales, the 

 Primulales and even to the Campanulatee respectively. Their natural position 

 cannot to be fixed at the beginning of the Metachlamydese ; they may be 

 placed among the Archichlamydese in one respect, but according to another 

 view may be among the Metachlamydese close to the Campanulatse. 



The relations of the next series, the Primulales, to the Sapindales and to 

 the Ericales have been discussed. The connection of the series with the 

 Phimbaginales^^ is manifest in the agreement of the three following famihes, 

 the Primulaceae, the Myrsinacese and the Plumbaginaceaj in the iioral diagram, 

 in the five-carpelled, one-celled ovary with a basal placeuta and in the double- 

 coated ovules. Tliat the Primitlales are related to the Tubiflorse will ]be seen 

 in the agreement of the Primulacese and Lentibulariacese"^ in the central 

 placenta. Fm-fcher, some connection with the Primulales may be found in the 

 Ebenales, as the Myrsinaceae'*^ agree with the Sapotacese in the floral diagram. 

 That the Primulales are, therefore, in one respect or another related to the 

 Sapindales and thence all the way up to the Plumbaginales is evident, even 

 so far as our present limited knowledge is available. Its natural position should, 

 at any rate, be dynamic. 



Next, in his syllabus Ejigler places the Plumbaginales'''^ and then the 

 Ebenales^\ The real natural relations of the latter series are with the Primulales. 



1) Nat. Pfl.-fam. IV.— 1, p. 30. 2) 1. c. IV.— 1, p. 81. 



3) Nat. Pfl.-fam. IV.— 1, pp. 104 and 121. 



4) 1. c. IV.— 3, b, p. 117. 5) 1. c. IV.— 1, p. 87. 



6) Engleb, A. — Syllabios 1. c. p. 296. 7) Engler, A. — ErlSuterungen, 1. c. p. 370. 



