MONIMIAGE^. 325 



present information would allow, after Moniviiacea, we should have 

 to describe Lauracece as types with a less marked, but still incon- 

 testible, perigynous insertion, and a unicarpellary gyna^ceum, cor- 

 responding with the Prmece among Rosacea;. When a Laurad with 

 opposite aromatic leaves, valvicidal stamens, and a receptacular sac 

 surrounding the fruit completely, is observed at the season of the 

 maturity of the seed, the only difference that would appear between 

 it and a Monimiad in which only one carpel should become fertile is 

 in the structure of this seed ; it has no albumen. And even this 

 character is not absolute, if, with several authors, we include the 

 group AdenostemecB in the order Lauracece. The natural series which 

 may some day be drawn up, when further study shall have over- 

 thrown the barriers raised by habit between PolypetalcB and Apetalce, 

 will be one whose highest type is found in Calj/cantJius and the her- 

 maphrodite Atherospermece, and will pass through the other Moiii- 

 miacecB to finish in the most lowly- organized Lauracece with unisexual 

 flowers." 



The MonlmiacecB are distributed over a not very wide zone' from 

 N. to S., extending about 50° on each side of the equator; but the 

 true Monimiacece stop short towards about 25° N.; the zone from 

 30° to 50° being occupied by the Calycanthece only, Calycantlius in 

 America, Cldmonanthus in Asia. Out of thirteen known genera, eight 

 as yet belong exclusively to the northern hemisphere, and three to the 

 southern. The two others, Mollinedia and Sipariuia, are common to 

 both ; but they have not been found at a greater distance than about 

 20° from the equator. In species the Xew World is far richer than 

 the Old, for out of one hundred and forty-two known distinct species 

 of Monimiacece, one hundred belong to America, especially to Chili, 

 Peru, Columbia, Guiana, and Brazil. North America and the West 

 Indies possess but half a score species. The two genera Mo//inedia 

 and Atherosperma, as limited by us, we have already stated to occur 

 in both Worlds. The New World alone produces the four genera 

 Siparuna, Peiimus, Gomortega, and CalycaidUus ; while the seven genera 

 TaMhoiirissa, Monimia, Palmcrla, Jfortonia, Hedijcarya, Dori/phom, 

 and Cldmonanthus are as yet confined to the Old. None is 



' TuL., Mon., 290, vi.— Endl., Gen., 313 ; Enchir., l'J6.— Linul., Veg. Kingd., 299, StK). 



