476 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



connexis> and places it near Abatia K P. From the figure given in the 

 ' Flora Peruviana,' he also regards Alzatea R. P. (Celastrinea dulia) as be- 

 longing to the Lythrarieae, and places Crypteronia Bl. (Rhamnea dub. Endl.) 

 and Quilanum Blanc, (dub. sedis Endl.) as doubtful synouymes of Henslovia ; 

 he is, however, only guided by the descriptions of the plants. 



DIOSME^E. To this order Planclion refers a dioecious genus of woody 

 plants from the Malay Archipelago, which he describes as Rabelaisia n. gen., 

 without, however, being acquainted with the structure of the ovary (1. c. 

 p. 519). At the same time the author proposes some changes in the limita- 

 tion of the Diosmeae, with which be considers the Zanthoxylaceae ought to 

 be united, after having separated Brucea and Ailanthus from the latter group, 

 as proposed by Bennet, and in conjunction with Soulamea (Cardiophom 

 Benth. according to the author's dissections), which has hitherto been placed 

 among the anomalous Polygaleae, combined them with the Simarubaceae. 

 Torrey and Fremont have described a new genus Thamnosma, from Upper 

 California, nearly related to Zanthoxylon (Frem. Exploring Expedit. Americ. 

 edit, from the Bot. Zeit. 1847, p. 141). 



OCHNACEJE. Sir W. Hooker refers Hostmannia n. gen. (Hook. ic. t. 709) 

 from Surinam, to this family, notwithstanding its bilocular ovary. 



EUPHOKBIACEJE. Planclion has described 2 Australian genera (1. c. p. 471, 

 t. 35, 16): Stachystemon'Pl., which is nearly related to Pseudanthus, and 

 Bertya PI. to Calyptostigma. 



SAPINDACEJE. Snake-seed, which has lately been introduced into com- 

 merce, consists of the spiral embryos, divested of the testa, of Ophiocaryon 

 Schomb., one of the Sapindaceae, the snake-nut tree of Essequibo, formerly 

 referred by its discoverer, Rob. Schomburgk, to the Anacardiaceae, but which 

 he has now described more completely, and placed in its proper family (1. c. 

 p. 375-8). 



MALVACEJS. Duchartre has published an important account of his re- 

 searches upon the development of the flowers of the Malvaceae (Ann. Sc. Nat. 

 iii, p. 123-50), upon the merit of which Ad. Jussieu has expressed himself at 

 length (Compt. rendus, 1845, Aug. p. 417-26). The outer calyx, at the 

 period of its earliest formation, appears to represent a bracteal system. 

 Duchartre considers that the synsepalous calyx is formed in the same manner 

 as all monophyllous floral envelopes, not by the growing together of originally 

 distinct organs, as Schleiden believes, but the tube of the calyx is first 

 formed, from the upper margin of which five sepals spring up. According to 

 my more recent investigations, which were principally made upon the calyx 

 of the Onagrariae, this view is essentially in accordance with nature ; but the 

 sequence of the phenomena is incorrectly described. The free apices of the 

 organ are first formed, the basilar formative points then unite, in conse- 

 quence of the lateral growth of each individually, and thus, after the formation 

 of the lobes, a connected tube of the calyx springs up from the torus. The 



