14 Mr. J. Miers on the Menispermacese. 



{LeptogonecB), in which all the genera are alike distinguished for 

 one uniform character of embryo. I think, therefore, it will 

 be conceded that my distribution is based on more consistent 

 principles; and I perceive no disadvantage whatever in having 

 as many as seven well-defined tribes, seeing that this is not an 

 uncommon number accorded to other families by the authors of 

 the ' Genera Plantarum/ It will be noticed that the same emi- 

 nent botanists have changed the names of my tribes, calling them 

 after some particular genus which, as before shown in Coccu- 

 lea, may be very inappropriate : by this no advantage is gained ; 

 on the contrary, it is far better to name a tribe, wherever it can 

 be done, by its principal distinguishing feature, which at once 

 recalls to mind the group to which any plant belongs : thus the 

 names Heterocliniea, Leptogonece, Platygonece, and Pachygonieaf 

 speak for themselves more readily than Tinosporece and Cocculece. 

 This method has been extensively followed in that great work, the 

 ' Prodromus,^ of DeCandolle, from which no inconvenience what- 

 ever has yet arisen. 



In their distribution of the Menispermacece, the eminent bota- 

 nists before mentioned annul several genera which appear to me 

 to stand on valid ground : among these they are decidedly in 

 error in excluding my genus Odontocarya, not only from the 

 Heterocliniea, but from the order altogether, referrhig it to 

 EuphorbiacecB : its carpological features all conform unquestion- 

 ably with those of the Heterocliniea, and place it in immediate 

 affinity with the genus Aspidocarya of the ' Flora Indica.^ Ane- 

 lasma, though a very good genus, has been discarded by the 

 same authorities, who have likewise condemned Batschia. For 

 these, and some other genera in like manner suppressed by them, 

 the evidence will be given on which they have been maintained. 



After mature reconsideration of all the facts relating to the 

 differences in structure in the several genera, I feel bound to 

 adhere to my previous distribution of the Menispermacea, formed 

 by many years of attentive study and careful analyses. It must 

 be rmnembered that when this investigation was undertaken little 

 was known of the extremely varied structures in this family — 

 structures resolvable into several well-marked groups ; for it is 

 evident that the meagre information previously recorded was 

 based upon a large amount of error, as will be seen by reference 

 to the ' Prodromus ' of DeCandolle and Endlicher^s ' Genera 

 Plantarum.' It was not till my " Remarks ^^ were published in 

 1851, that some light began to gleam on the subject; even 

 then a mere outline only was given of the new facts obtained, 

 the details of which remain yet unpublished. These will now 

 be given in succession, and will be afterwards illustrated by some 

 of the numerous drawings made at the time of the examination. 



