NAMES AND OBSERVATIONS ON INDIAN PLANTS. 5 \~ 



"circumcirca clausum" quod verb in nostra planta. apice 

 divisum est, lobis subciliatis, arete conniventibus. — Brown 

 MSS. 



Apostasia. Blume Bijdray. p. 423. m~ 



Perianthium limbo sexpartito, regulari. Stamina an- 

 therifera 2, quorum Fil amenta foliolis lateral ibus interi- 

 orurn perianthii opposita, infra connata cum basi Styli 

 supra cylindracei, et vel nudi, vel hinc Eilamento tertio 

 castrato, altius adnato, foliolo antico exteriorum opposito, 

 appendiculati. Anthers biloculares, longitudinaliter de- 

 hiscentes. Pollen e granulis simplicibus, solutis. Stigma 

 obtusum, obsolete bi-trilobum. Capsula trilocularis, poly- 

 sperma. Semina ovata, testa nucleo conformi. — Brown 

 MSS. 



This very remarkable genus, founded on Apostasia odo- 

 rata, was first published in 1825 by Dr. Blume in the 

 work referred to; but in 1821 a nearly related species was 

 discovered in the valley of Noakote in Nipal, by the plant 

 collectors of Dr. Wallich, who, in his manuscripts, which I 

 have had the advantage of consulting, named it Mesodac- 

 tylis deflexa, and at the same time had the drawing made 

 which is here given. 



I have followed these two distinguished botanists in 

 regarding Apostasia as belonging to, or at least as most 

 nearly related to, Orchidece. It exhibits, however, very 

 few of those characters generally considered essential to 

 that family of plants. 



In its antherae, pollen, style, and stigrna (all which parts 

 are so remarkably modified in Orchidea), Apostasia does 

 not materially differ, either in form, structure, or economy 

 from the more regular-flowered families of Monocotyle- 

 dones ; and in its trilocular ovarium it is distinguished from 

 all other genera of the order to which it is here appended. 



On the other hand, it agrees with Orchidece in the struc- 

 ture, as far as I am able to ascertain, of its minute seeds, 

 in the reduced number of stamina, and probably, with 

 some genera of the family, in the order of their reduction ; 



