Linncean Society. 215 



minis longior, radicula apiccm fnictus spectaute brevissim^, cotylodo- 

 nibus semiteretibus, plumula inconspicxui. Arbores v. fiuticcs erccti 

 V. iiiteiduni scandentes, inernies v. rainis axiilaribus spinescentibus ar- 

 mati, glabriv. pai'ce pubescentes. /'o/irt altenui, simplicia, integenima, 

 exstipulata, glandiilosa. Flores herinaphroditi, v. abortu polyganii, 

 nunc axillares distincte v. irregularitev raceinosi, spicati v, cymosi, nunc 

 terminales cymoso-paniculati, rarii\s solitarii laterales v. axillares. Brac- 

 <<>«? squamtEformes, s^pius minute, rariiis jiiniores imbricatse. Brac- 

 tcolce parvtB in cupulam connate v. nullaj. 



Mr. Bentham distinguishes three tribes characterized as follows : 

 Trib. I. OLACEiE. Ovarhun basi dissci)imentis spuriis (rariiis evanidis) 

 3 — 4-loculare, apice 1-loculare, placenta centrali dissepimentis spuriis 

 basi adhcerente superne libera. Ovula tot quot loculi spurii ex apice 

 placentre pendula. Semen erectum. Injlorescentia axillaris, racemosa, 

 racemis rariiis ad floreni unicum reductis. 



Trib. II. Opilie^. Ovarium a basi 1-loculare. Ovidum (saltem per an- 

 thesin) unicum, minimum, ab apice placentae liberae centralis pendu- 

 lum. Stylus centricus. Semen erectum. Injlorescentia axillaris, ra- 

 cemosa. 



Trib. III. IcAciNE.E. Ovariuni a basi 1-loculare, v. excentrice et complete 

 3-lociilare. Ovula in quoque loculo duo, ab apice placentte hinc ovario 

 adnatte collateraliter affixa, pendula, in loculo superposita, placenta al- 

 tera elongata. Stylus excentricus. Semen pendulum. Injlorescentia 

 cymosa, axillaris v. terminalis. 



To the first tribe Mr. Bentham refers Heisteria, L., Ximenia, L., 

 Olax, L. (including Spermaxyrum, Labill., and Fissilia, Comm.), and 

 Schcepjia, L. ; to the second, Opilia, Roxb. (including Groutia, Guill.), 

 and Cansjera, Lam. ; and to the third, Gomphandra, Wall,, Icacina, 

 A. Juss., Apodytes, Leretia and Pogopetalum. 



He considers Schcepjia to be far removed from Loranthacece by the 

 structure of its ovary, while it differs from Symplocos in the aestiva- 

 tion of its corolla and the incomplete division of its ovary, — two 

 points in which it agrees remarkably with Olax and Ximenia. He 

 describes the greater part of its ovary as well as the margin of its 

 calyx as free, and states that an adherence almost as complete exists 

 in some species of Olax. The gamopetalous corolla he regards as a 

 character of little consequence in orders where the aestivation is val- 

 vate, and as existing to a considerable degree in Olax itself. In 

 Schwpjia the stamens are more closely adherent to the corolla, but 

 the filaments are filiform and prominent from the base of the latter, 

 and are not confounded with its substance. 



He states Cansjera to differ from Thymelece, to which it is usually 

 referred, in the nature of the floral envelopes, in the position of the 

 stamens, and in the structure of the ovary and of the fruit ; and adds, 

 that in all these points it agrees with Opilia, from which it differs 

 only in the adherence of its petals. 



The genera Apodytes, Leretia and Pogopetalum are characterized 

 as follows : 



APODYTES. 



Flores hermaphroditi. Calyx parvus, immutatus. Petala 4, 5. Stamina 

 totidem, lis alterna, sterilia nulla. Ovarium 1-loculare. Fructus ovato- 



