264 Dr. R. Wight on the Fruit of the 



ing it from the examination of any genuine species of the 

 order*. 



What effect this new exposition of the structure of the ova- 

 rium may have on the determination of the affinities of this 

 order, I am, up to the present time, quite unprepared to say; 

 but of this 1 feel certain, that, in so far as structure is con- 

 cerned, they are as far removed from all their now reputed al- 

 lies, as their peculiar habit removes them from all the parietose 

 families, except Passijlorce, among which Bartling, Endlicher 

 and Lindley have placed them. This very unusual structure, 

 in short, marks them as a pecuhar order, the affinities of which 

 have still to be sought for. 



I am equally unprepared to say to what extent this unlooked- 

 for structure may influence our views in regard to other ano- 

 malous orders, especially those with solitary carpels ; since, 

 having established the fact that the usual structure may be 

 inverted, it will naturally lead to new investigations, which 

 may prove that the solitary carpels of LeguminoscB are not, as 

 now supposed, necessarily the result of constant abortion of 

 one of two carpella, but may be explained on some other 

 theory more consonant with the almost invariably observed 

 structure in that large and interesting order ; which, like Cu- 

 curbitacecs, stands an isolated family in the system of plants, 

 through this one remarkable peculiarity, — a peculiarity so 

 constant, in this tribe, that it goes far to prove the existence 

 of that botanical nonentity, a tenuinal leaf. But, being vm- 

 prepared to offer any matured opinions on these points, I for- 

 bear further speculation, and shall at once proceed with the 

 Conspectus ; trusting however, ere long, to be able to re-enter 

 more at large on the consideration of this interesting inquiry. 



The subjoined remarks I copy from the article Cucurhi- 

 tacece in my forthcoming Number of the ' Illustrations of In- 

 dian Botany.^ 



" Tlie following explanatory extracts from the letter which 

 accompanied the Conspectus may not inappropriately be in- 

 troduced. 



" ' I have lately been revising our East Indian Cucurbit acea, 

 in consequence of Schrader's paper in the ^ Linnfea,' vol. xii. 

 At first I was inclined to consider it worse than useless to sub- 

 divide old genera, especially Bryonia, as he has done ; but 



* After this paper was in the printer's hands, it was suggested that some 

 ilhistrations were desirable to render the verbal description more easily un- 

 derstood. Tiie accompanying figures representing the three dilFerent ibrms 

 of ovaiies — one- celled with parietal placentie, several-celled with central 

 placcntns, and a peponida — were therefore prepared. 



