284< Bibliographical Notices. 



attached. The validity of the rule is thus most strongly confirmed 

 by the cases of supposed exception. 



In the next article Mr. Bennett establishes a new genus, to 

 which he gives the name of Sfijlodiscus, on the Andrachne trifo- 

 liata of Roxburgh, a Euphorbiaceous tree extremely abundant 

 throughout the east of Asia and the adjacent islands. It had 

 escaped the author that this genus had been previously published 

 in the 'Edinburgh New Philosophical Jom-nal/ by Messrs. Wight 

 and Arnott, under the name of Microelus. 



Of the subject of the thirtieth article, Dialium Indum, L., Mr. 

 Bennett gives a long historical notice, comparing the genus with 

 Arouna, Aubl., and Codariuni, Sol., with both of which it is most 

 intimately connected. He does not hesitate to retain the union 

 of Arouna with Dialium, proposed by Vahl and adopted by sub- 

 sequent botanists ; but he is inclined to regard Codarium as di- 

 stinct on account of its rudimentary petal and the adherent stipes 

 of its ovarium. On the latter subject he states that Codarium 

 differs from all the other known genera of Casalpinea in which 

 the stipes of the ovarium is adherent to the tube of the calyx, by 

 the adhesion taking place anteriorly and corresponding to the 

 odd segment of the calyx and the outer margin of the fruit, while 

 in all the other genera it is posterior, and corresponds with the 

 suture of the leguraen. Coincident with this difference there 

 occurs a corresponding difference in the order of the reduction of 

 the stamina ; the two remaining stamina in Codarium being op- 

 posite to the two posterior segments of the calyx, while in the 

 order generally, and especially among Ccesalpinece with adherent 

 stipites, it is usually the posterior stamina that are first lost or 

 become abortive when an irregular reduction takes place. Atten- 

 tion is then directed to a character, which Mr. Bennett states to 

 have been several times pointed out to him by Mr. Brown as af- 

 fording strong indications of affinity, and consequently useful 

 characters in a systematic point of view, in many of the genera of 

 Ccesalpinece, viz. the sculpture or appearance of sculpture on the 

 surface of the seeds. Of the utility of this character numerous 

 instances are adduced ; and the article is concluded by an exami- 

 nation of the origin of the corneous mass which, in so many of 

 the genera of Casalpinea, performs the office of albumen. 



Another Leguminous genus, to which Mr. Bennett gives the 

 name of Euchresta, is established on the Andira Horsfieldii of 

 Leschenault. The distinction between this plant and the Ame- 

 rican genus to which it was previously referred is too striking to 

 permit of their continued association ; but Andira and Euchresta, 

 together with Geoffroya, are nevertheless intimately connected. 

 Mr. Bennett discusses at some length their proper position among 

 Leguminosa, and comes to the conclusion that DeCandoUe's tribe 



