MB HIERN, ON EBENACE^E. 63 



The following natural orders also bear some affinity to EBENACEJE, but in a less degree 

 than the previously mentioned ones: 



Ericaceae. Euphorbiacese. 



Humiriacese. Laurineae. 



Tiliacese. Myrsineae. 



Bixineaa. Convolvulaceae (Erycibeae). 



Magnoliaceae. Celastrineas. 



Chailletiacese. Oleaceaa. 



The accompanying plan is intended to set 'forth the affinities of Ebenacese (see Plate I.). 



Mr Miers in " Contributions to Botany," Vol. I. p. 24, makes some pertinent remarks on 

 the affinities of EBENACESE. He questions their close alliance with STYRACE^E, compares 

 them with ANONACE^:, and considers that they ought rather to be arranged among the 

 polypetalous groups. There is no doubt that many South American species point plainly 

 to such a position (though I have always found the corolla to be sympetalous, even if its 

 partitions are only slightly connate at the base); but if it be necessary to choose between 

 a polypetalous and a gamopetalous position, I certainly prefer the latter. Indeed, several 

 species have the corolla lobed only near the apex, and the affinity to Sapotaceae (a gamo- 

 petalous family) is as close as to any other. Mr Miers seems to me to be quite right in 

 maintaining the affinity of the family to OLACINE^E. 



Choisy, in his " Me'moires des Ternstroemiacese," p. 9 (1855) compares EBENACESE with 

 TERNSTROEMIACE^E and points out their proximity. 



ON THE GENERA OF EBENACE^:. 



The diagnostic characters of the genera of this family are not well defined ; indeed 

 it has been proposed to unite all into one genus. Two genera are endemic in Africa, 

 namely ROYENA and EUCLEA and are chiefly found at the Cape of Good Hope ; however 

 both genera enter Tropical Africa south of the Equator, and one species of EUCLEA occurs 

 in Abyssinia. One species each of DIOSPYROS and MABA occur in South-east Africa south 

 of the Tropic. 



TETRACLIS has at present been detected only in the Island of Madagascar. 



ROYENA is mainly characterized by its hermaphrodite solitary peduncled and drooping 

 flowers with the stamens in one row and comparatively small leaves ; but the flowers 

 are not always hermaphrodite, and hermaphrodite flowers occasionally occur in other genera 

 especially in EUCLEA and DIOSPYROS ; and the remaining characters occur in several 

 cases among the species of the other genera of the family, nor are they constant in the 

 genus Royena. The genus approaches the section Gunisanthus of DIOSPYROS, and D. Lou- 

 reiriana Don is closely allied to E. parviflora. 



EUCLEA approaches ROYENA on one hand and DIOSPYROS on the other. The racemose 

 or cymose inflorescence and the dioecious flowers generally distinguish it from ROYENA ; 

 and its African habitat with small fruit and non-accrescent calyx help to separate it from 

 DIOSPYROS. 



MABA in the majority of its species is remarkable for the trimerous symmetry of the 

 flower, and 3- or 6-celled ovary with 6 ovules. The flowers however are not always trime- 



