484 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



base of the thin septum soon disappears. The author has passed over 

 the character of Plantago existing in the structure of the anthers. De 

 Candolle's Bougueria, from Bolivia, is figured by Hooker (Lond. Jo urn. of 

 Bot. 1845, t. 19). 



ARISTOLOCHIACE./E. Griffith establishes a new genus, Asiphonia, from Malacca 

 (Linn. Trans, xix, p. 333), and has fully described Thottea Rottb. (ib. p. 325.) 



RAFFLESIACE^E. An important memoir upon this group from Griffith was 

 read before the Linnaean Society (Linn. Trans, xix, pp. 30347, t. 34-9), 

 shortly after that by R. Brown (see Link's Physiological Rep.) Griffith 

 considers the Rhizaiithese as an artificially-formed class, and regards it as a 

 retrograde step in systematic botany. The embryo which he calls homogeneous, 

 does not differ from that of other parasites, e. g. Orchidaceae, Orobancheae, &c. 

 as R. Brown has already pointed out ; but the ovules of Balanophora and 

 Sarcophyte consist of simple sacs, without any integument or definable 

 punctum, probably analogous to the naked nucleus of the Loranthaceae ; 

 they cannot therefore remain united with the Raffiesiaceae, the organization 

 of the ovule of which is perfect. A new genus of Rafflesiacese, Sapria, from 

 the Himalaya, is fully described by Griffith. Investigations of the Cytineae 

 follow. Griffith considers the stamens of Hydnora, with Meyer, as indefinite, 

 and united into a tripartite column. He also considers the anthers of 

 Cytinus (C. dioicus Juss.) as probably unilocular. He does not regard the 

 terminal teeth of the column as rudimentary stigmata, but as productions of 

 the connective. He compares the structure of the pistil of Hydnora to 

 that of Papaver and Nyntphaa ; the organic connexion of the stigma with the 

 placentae is such, that it might give rise to a new objection to Schleiden's 

 axile placentation (stigma discoideum, trilobum, e lamellis plurimis in placentas 

 totidem pendulas undique ovuliferas productis). Griffith's views agree in the 

 most important points with those of R. Brown. The latter retains his for- 

 mer notion, that Rafflesia forms a link to the Cytineee, which, as Griffith 

 appears to admit, are intimately allied to the Asarineae, but that the latter 

 have no affinity with the Balanophoreae. Brown's memoir (Linn. Trans, xix, 

 pp. 221-39, pi. 22-30) consisting of the paper which was read as early as 1834, 

 and then published in the form of an extract, is now given complete, and a 

 supplement (ib. pp. 240-9) with a systematic summary of the Rafflesiaceae 

 added. They are subdivided into the following tribes : Rafflesieae (Rafflesia, 

 Sapria, and Bmgmansia) ; Hydnorese (Hydnora) ; Cytineae (Cytinus) ; 

 Apodantheae (Apodanthes and Pilostylei). The character of the family 

 runs thus : Perianthium, monophyllum, regulare ; corolla (in Apodantheis 

 4 petala) ; stamina : antherae mumerosce, simplici serie ; ovarium : placentis 

 pluribus polyspermis, ovulis orthotropis v. in quibitsdam recurvatione apicis, 

 penitus v, partim, liberi funiculi quasi anatropis (thus lycotropis m.) ; peri- 

 carpium indehiscens, polyspermum ; embryo indivisus, cum v. absque albumine ; 

 parasiticte radicibus (v. Apodanthes ramis) Dicotyledonearum. The ovary 

 of Rafflesia, when in flower, is almost wholly free from the perigone, and 



