BILLENIACE2E. 119 



wards and inwards, while it looks outwards in all EanunculacecB witli 

 ascending ovules as yet known. Nevertheless, by making use of these 

 characters we can only distinguish Jianunculacece and Dilleniacece 

 approximatively. But one fundamental difference, difficult however 

 to m-ake out in the adult flower, has been established by the study of 

 their organogeny. The evolution of the androceum is centripetal in 

 RammcidacecB, but centrifugal in all Dilleniacece as yet observed.' 

 The BilleniacecB have, moreover, incontestible affinities with numerous 

 orders of plants with unilocular or plurilocular ovaries. The 

 Australian types analogous to Hihhertia and CaiidoUea are evidently 

 allied to Cistinece^ and the neighbouring orders, especially to Bivacece.^ 

 On this matter we have expressed our opinion'' that " the floral 

 organization of certain BLvacea, as Mayna, Carjjotroche, &c., leads us 

 to think that the order Billeniacea might well have representatives 

 scattered through several groups with one-celled ovaries and parietal 

 placentation, and that in these will perhaps some day be found types 

 bearing the same relation to Ilihhertia or Tefracera that Monodora 

 bears to Anonacece, Berberidopsis and Erj/throsperiimm to Memsper- 

 macecB and Berheridece, or Pajjaveracea to Ranuucidacece." As the 

 right of Monodora to a place among Anonacece is no longer contested, 

 it is probable that the opinion of Miers,' who ranks Canellacece among 

 WinteracecB, will, sustained as it is by such good arguments, be also 

 unreservedly accepted before long. Then it will not be forgotten 

 that, on the one hand, Bentham & Hooker" have recently put 

 forth clearly the close affinities of Canella and Samyda. And as these 

 last are actually placed by the same authors in the same order with 

 the Banarea, formerly considered as inseparable from Bhvacece, it 

 will be seen that to take into account all the affinities of a large 

 order consisting of BixacecB and Sautydacece both,^ we should place 

 it at the same time near to the CaneUacece (a part of MaynoUacece), 

 and to those types with parietal placentation that recall the 

 BiUeniacece in most of their characters. This would explain how it 

 is that Carpotroche, confounded with the true Maynas, has in many 



' VKYY,Vi, Trailed' Organocjeniecomfareede la * Contrihidio'nK,\. 122. 



Fleiir, 233, t. li. ; Adansonia, iii. 12'J ; vi. 2GG. " Oen., 795, 797. 



" Adanson., loc. cj«.— Agabdk, Theor. Sijts- '• This would be an order in wliicli are unitod 



tern. Plant., 200. hypogyuous :iiid perigynous gciicni, as the foun 



3 I'LANCiiON, Vol), de Linden, 3. of the recoi.tiulo may be iiidiUbrontly convex or 



•■ Adansonia, vi. 274. concave in very many natural ordei's. 



