438 APPENDIX. No. V. 



peialum. While Loranthus and Viscum associated with Rhizephora, by M. 

 de Jussieu, appear to form a very distinct family, and which, as it seems to me, 

 should even occupy a distant place in the system. 



HOMALINiE. In the collection from Congo a plant occurs evidently 

 allied, and perhaps referable, to Homalium, from which it differs only in the 

 oreater number of glands alternating with the stamina, whose fasciculi are in 

 consequence decomposed ; the inner stamen of each fasciculus being sepai-ated 

 from the two outer by one of the additional glands. This plant was first 

 found on the banks of the Gambia, by ]\Tr. Park, from whose specimens I have 

 ascertained that the embryo is inclosed in a fleshy albumen. 



The same structui-e of seed may be supposed, from very obvious affinity, 

 to exist in Astranthus of Loureu'o, to which Blackwellia of Commerson ought 

 ]»rhaps to be referred ; in Napimoga of Aublet, probably not different from 

 Homalium ; and in Nisa,* a genus admitting of subdivision, and which M- 

 du Petit Thouars has referred to Rhamnea^. All these genera appear to me 

 sufficiently different Irom Rosacese, where M. de Jussieu has placed them, and 

 from every other family of plants at present established. 



Their distinguishing characters as a separate order, are, the segments of the 



perianthium disposed in a double series, or an equal number of segments 



nearly in the same series ; the want of petals ; the stamina being definite and 



opposite to the inner series of the perianthium, or to the alternate segments 



where they are disposed apparently in a simple series ; the unilocular ovarium 



(generally in some degree coherent with the calyx) having three parietal 



placenta;, with one, two, or even an indefinite number of ovula ; and the seeds 



having albumen, as inferred from its existence in the genus from Congo. 



The cohesion of the ovarium with the tube of the perianthium, tbough existing 



in various degrees in all the genera above enumerated, is probably a character 



of only secondary importance in Homalinae. For an unpublished genus found 



by Commerson in Madagascar, which in every other respect agrees with this 



family, has ovarium superum. This genus at the same time seems to establish 



a considerably affinity between Homalinae and certain genera, either absolutely 



belonging to Passiflorew, especially Paropsia of M. du Petit Thouars,-f- or 



* Nov. Gen. Madagase. n. 81. 



+ niH. des Viget. des Jiles de I'Jfrique, 59. 



