214 Linncean Society. 



bear to the latter. Then follows a table showing the proportions 

 which they hold in several neighbouring islands and continental di- 

 stricts, ranging from 1 to 25 to 1 to 67. A similar comparison is in- 

 stituted with regard to 20 of our most complete Local Floras, showing 

 nearly the same results. A subsequent table exhibits the frequency 

 of occurrence of each of the British species of Ferns throughout the 

 20 Local Floras above mentioned, and 24 local lists communicated 

 by correspondents in various parts of England and Scotland and the 

 adjacent islands. 



Several donations were presented, amongst which may be noticed 

 — 1. An old Herbarium, which, from the handwriting, and the 

 references to Parkinson's Herbal, appears to have been made in 

 England during the latter part of the seventeenth century ; from 

 David Laing, of the Writers to the Signets' Library. 2. A Cata- 

 logue of 235 species of Flowering Plants, found in the Shetland 

 Islands, by Mr. Thomas Edmondston, Jun. 3. A Catalogue of 

 Plants found near Audley End, Essex, by the Rev. J. E. Leefe. 



LINN^AN SOCIETY. 



December 15, 1840.~Mr, Forster, V.P„ in the Chair, 

 Read, an " Account of two new Genera of Plants, allied to Ola- 

 cinecE." By George Bentham, Esq,, F.L.S. 



The two new genera on which this paper is founded are Pogope- 

 talum, Benth., collected by Mr. Schomburgk in British Guiana ; and 

 Apodytes, named but not described by Prof. Ernst Meyer, among 

 the South African plants collected byDrege. A third genus, Lere- 

 tia of Vellozo, figured in the ' Flora Fluminensis,' is also character- 

 ized for the first time. 



After noticing the opinions of various authors as to the affinities 

 of Olaclnece, and enumerating the genera hitherto referred to that 

 familv, Mr. Bentham enters into a detailed examination of its cha- 

 racters and of their modifications in the diflferent genera, the most 

 important of which he condenses into the following character of the 



Order. 



Ord. OLACINE^. 



Calyx parvus, liber v. basi adnatus, truncatus v. denticulatus, fructifer 

 persistans immutatus v. auctiis. CoroUcB petala 4, 5, v. 6 hypogyna v. 

 subperigyiia, subcoriacea, sestivatione valvata, libera v. per paria con- 

 nexa v. basi in tubum coalita. Sta7nina definita, cum petalis inserta, 

 iis coalita v. libera, niimero petalorum dupla v. sequalia fertilia rarius 

 asymmetvica, alterna saspe sterllia diflbrmia. AnthercB intrors£e, bilo- 

 culares, loculis rima longitudinali dehiscentibus. Ovar'mm toro nunc 

 parvo, nunc incrassato et interdum cum calyce concreto insidens, l-lo- 

 culare (nunc spurie et incomplete 3 — 4-loculare) v, rarius excentriceS- 

 loculare. Ovula in loculo 2, 3 v. 4 coUateralia, rarius soHtaria, ab apice 

 placentae liberse v. ovario v. dissepinientis spuriis connate pendula, ana- 

 tropa. Stylus erectus, simplex, stigmate nunc truncato tenui, nunc 

 incrassato 2 — 3 — 4-lobo. Drupa calyce inimutato stipata v, ampliato 

 cincta, velata v. adnata, pericarpio tenui carnoso v, exsucco, putamine 

 crustaceo v. osseo, abortu 1-spermo, rarius 2 — 3-spermo. Semen iu- 

 vcrsum, v. SEepius placenta cum illo a basi concreta spuria erectum, 

 umbilico lato basilar! affixum. Embryo in axialbuminiscopiosi cai-nosi, 

 rectus, apici fructus proximus, nunc brevissinuis, rarius dimidio albu- 



