176 Mr. J. Miers on the Calyceracex. 
of the filamentous ring, are seen five coloured fleshy glands, 
alternating with the stamens. Mr. Brown remarks * that this 
and other peculiar characters distinguish the Calyceracee from 
the hermaphrodite flowers of the whole order of the Composite : 
viz. “the accretion of the base of the style with the tube of the 
corolla,” ‘the absence of the epigynous disk or nectarium,” and 
the perfectly unilocular space of the anther-lobes ; besides these, 
the corolla is continuous with, and not jointed to, the ovarium ; 
the anthers are deficient of any membranaceous expansion of 
their summits, and the stigma is constantly undivided. Mr. 
Brown further remarks that, in Calyceracee, “the absence of an 
epigynous disk is a necessary consequence of the accretion of 
the base of the style with the tube of the corolla;” and it appeared 
to him that “a modification of the same organ may be traced in 
the five thickened areolz observable within and near the base of 
the tube formed by the filaments in Acicarpha spathulata, and 
much more distinctly in Boopis balsamitefolia, where they have 
the appearance of five adnate fleshy bodies alternating with the 
filaments + :” he adds that the condition above alluded to “ may 
be considered as formed of a series of modified stamina.” 
M. Richard, in his admirable memoir before mentioned, com- 
bated with great ingenuity the opinion of Mr. Brown, and 
maintained { that this “accretion of the base of the style with 
the tube of the corolla,” and “the absence of an epigynous disk 
or nectarium,” are contradictory definitions. He endeavoured to 
show that the apical protuberance in question is a true epigy- 
nous disk ; or, if it be not rigorously demonstrated to be a true 
disk, it bears at least the closest analogy with that organ, for it 
appears to supply its place §. 
Whatever be the nature of the glandular areoles, a careful 
examination of the whole structure leads me to conclude that 
they belong to the region of the staminal tube, and not to that 
of the corolla, as Richard was inclined to believe, referring to 
Echinops, by way of analogy, where similar areolar glands exist 
in the bottom of the border of the corolla. In Calycera and 
Boopis, as examined by Brown and Richard, where these bodies 
appear on the tube of the corolla, below the point of apparent — 
insertion of the filamentous ring, we easily ascertain the truth 
by laying hold of any portion of this ring, and tearing it away 
downwards from the corolla: we find the areolar glands come 
away with the filaments, showing that they form no part of the 
corolla.. This fact is further established beyond doubt in Nast- 
anthus and Anomocarpus, where the same glands are found 
* Linn. Trans. xii. p. 137. + Linn. Trans. xii. p. 140, 
{ Mém. Mus, vi. p. 67. § Mém. Mus. vi. p. 72. 
