318 NATURAL niSTOBY OF PLANTS. 



genus JEgoioxicon of Ruiz k Pavon' to the MommiacoiB, but liis 

 opinion has not yet been adopted by tlie authors who have recently 

 traced out the limits of this order." 



In 18C4 F. Mueller established the genus PaJmeria for an 

 Australian Monimiad, very close indeed to Monimia. The genus 

 Ilortonia was created by Wight, in 1838 ;' but, originally placed near 

 the Schizamlrea and Anonacea*," it was only eventually included in 

 Moninnacea!' It was also quite recently" that we restored to it the 

 genera Calycanlhus of Linnaeus, and Chiiiionanthus of Lindley (1819); 

 whose kinship to Monimiacece and At/iero.yjernicee, recognised for a 

 short period,' was even lately contested, and finally rejected." At 

 the same time we proposed' that the genus Gomortegn of Molina 

 (1782), hitherto referred to Lauracea, should be considered as the 

 type of a new tribe of the order under consideration. 



AVe divide the order Monimiacca thus constituted into five 

 secondary groups or series : 1, Cali/cantheoi ; 2, llorionwcp ; 3, Tam- 

 dourissea ; 4, Jf/ierospermea ; 5, GGuiortefjoce. By recalling the 

 principal features of each of these, and pointing out their differences, 

 we shall show what characters of impoi-tance are variable in this 

 natural group. 



I. In all MonimiacccB of the last four sections, the embryo is small, 

 and surrounded with copious albumen, and the floral receptacle bears 

 few appendages, or none, below its superior orifice. In the Caly- 

 CANTHE/E, on the contrary, these appendages are numerous, and 

 evidently arranged in a spiral. The embryo nearly fills tlie whole 

 cavity of the seed, and its broad cotyledons are rolled on each t)thcr, 

 while the alljumen is absent, or only represented by a little central 

 spit of cellular tissue. 



II. The HoiiTOXiE.£ have drupaceous I'ruits, free alike from each 

 other and from the receptacle above which they spread freely, through 

 the enlargement of its apex, through its tearing irregularly to free 

 them, or through the upper part coming oil' like a lid in one circular 

 piece, below the insertion (jf the perianth and androceum. 



> Ann. He. Nat., sc'r. 4, \x. 279 ; Bull. Sor. " Adanaonia, ix. (1808), 112. 



Bol. de Fr., v. 214, 1 Si-e Jibs., loc. ri(. — LiNUU, i»/>. nV., n. 



* See A. DC, J'rodr., xvi. ». {XMtt., G tl. — A. (Jkav, (Uh. III., i. 60. 

 « AUN., Mar/, of Zool. and Hut., ii. 6lG. « \\. \\., Urn., 16. 



* KnI)I,„ lien., Suppl. ii. 1(17. J Op. c,l., 113, 118, 120. 



* Hook. F. ATiioMf*., /7. Ind., i. (IH.':.), ItJd. 



