156 



NATUEAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



Thus constituted,' the genus Brimys extends over a vast geo- 

 gnipliiciil area. About half a dozen species compose it, of which 

 two are Australian ; while America, Borneo, New Caledonia, and 

 New Zealand as yet possess each a peculiar species.- 



Zi/(/()f///iium^ (figs. 20S-210), which we recently observed in a lier- 

 barium from New Caledonia, is a singular genus, which we should 



Zt/gogyimm Vieillardi. 



Fio. 209. 

 Flower (petals removed). 



Fig. 210. 

 Diagram. 



have placed in a separate section because of the peculiar organization 

 of its gynaeceum, if its flowers did not present all the other characters 

 of Driini/s. The gynseceum consists of a large number of carpels with 

 multiovulate ovaries on a short cylindro-conical axis ; but these are so 

 united (fig. .209) that on the surface of the common gynseceum we only 

 perceive a certain number of vertical grooves of no great depth, indi- 

 cating the dorsal walls. The summit alone of each carpel is free as a 

 small, very short style with a depressed capitate stigma. In fine, Zj/go- 

 liynum is a DrimysW\\h. syncarpous fruit. The androceum is the same 

 in ])oth genera. The corolla consists of a few, usually only four or five, 

 unequal, thick, coriaceous, concave petals, much imbricated. As for 

 the calyx, it is only represented by a small circular rim at the base of 

 the corolla, formed simply by an expansion of the floral peduncle.^ 



' i\. Hudrimifs. 



Drimi/s. 1 2. Sarcodrimt/s. 

 Sections i. j 3. Winterana. 

 ' 4. Taxman Ilia. 

 ■■' MiEBS, loc. cit., 132-1 lU. — J. Hook., 

 Fl. N.-Zel., 12.— H.B., T'oi/aff., Bot. (1813), i. 



205, t. 58.— A. S. H., PL Us. Brasil., t. xxvi- 

 xxviii. — EicHL., in Maht. FI. Bras., Magnoliac., 

 133, t. 30, 31. 



3 H. Bn. Adamonia, vii. 296, 372. 



■* The study of the organogeny of this plant 

 will alone reveal whether the rim is of appendi- 



