136 BOTANY or rONCiO. 



new species of Vitex ; Stacliytar})lieta iiiclica of Yalil ; and 

 a new species of Lippia, wliicli, from its habit and strnc- 

 ture, confirms the union of Zapania with that genus, sug- 

 gested by M. Richard.^ This species from the Congo has 

 its leaves in threes, and lias nearly the same fragrance as 

 452] Verbena triphylla, whose affinity to Lippia, notwith- 

 standing the difference in calyx and inflorescence, is fin-- 

 ther confirmed by a peculiarity in the aestivation of its 

 corolla, which extends only to Lippia and Lantana. 



OLACIN^. The herbarium contains a species of Olax 

 differing from all the plants at present referred to that 

 genus, in its calyx not being enlarged after fecundation, 

 but in its oris-inal annular form surroundino* the base onlv 

 of the ripe fruit. The existence of this species, Avhich 

 agrees with those of New Holland and with Fissilia of 

 Commerson in having only five petals, and in its barren 

 stamina being undivided, while in habit it approaches 

 rather more nearly to the original species 0. Ze^lanica and 

 to 0. scandens of Roxburgh, both of which I have examined, 

 seems to confirm the union I have formerly proposed,^ of 

 all these plants into one genus. When I first referred 

 Fissilia to this gelius, I only presumed from the many 

 other points of agreement that it had also the same struc- 

 ture of ovarium, on which, not only the generic character 

 of Olax, but its affinities, seemed to me in a great measure 

 to depend. M. ]\Iirbel, however, has described the ovarium 

 of Fissilia as triloeular.'' I can only reconcile this state- 

 ment with my OAvn observations, by supposing him to liave 

 formed his opinion from a view of its transverse section ; 

 for on examining one of Commerson's specimens of Fissilia 

 disparilis, communicated by M. de Jussieu, I have found 

 its ovarium, like that of all the species of Olax, to be really 

 unilocular; the central columnar placenta, at the top of 

 which the three pendulous ovula are inserted, havhig no 

 connection whatever with the sides of the cavity. 



It was chiefly the agreement of Olax and Santalaceas in 



^ lu Mich. Flo I'. Bor. Amer. 2, p. 1o. 



- Prodr. Flor. Nov. Holl. I, p. 357. ^ Xonv. Bullel. 3, /;. 37S. 



