8AXIFRAGACE2E. 415 



ronia, to Lytlirariacece ; by Parnassia, to Droseracea ; by Rides, to 

 Cactacece and Ficoidece ; by Donatia, to Sfylidece ; l by many of the 

 Saxifrage® with a superior ovary to Hypericacece; and even to £<?#- 

 tianacea?, which in certain cases are only distinguished by mono- 

 petaly ; by Hamamelidece and Platanece, to most of the groups of 

 Anient acece? to Cornacece, Helwingiece, Alangiece, Haloragece, and Ona- 

 grariece ; 4 by Phyllonoma and Choristylis to Celastracem and Rfiam- 

 nacece ; by Stichoneuron to Santalea f by Brecciea and Pittosp)orece 

 to Brixacece, Homaliea, and Samyde<e ; and by Hydrangea to /SW- 

 bucinece. The relations formerly noticed by us between Escalloniece 

 and Pittosporece lead to other affinities of the Saasifragacete. " Pitto- 

 sporum," as we observed, " has alternate exstipulate leaves ; regular 

 hermaphrodite pentamerous flowers ; a nearly always polypetalous 

 corolla, imbricated in the bud ; five alternipetalous stamens, with 

 introrse anthers; a glandular disk below the ovary; and inside this are 

 either two parietal placentas advancing towards each other and some- 

 times touching, or else two quite separate cells with axile plaeenta- 

 tion ; a capsular fruit ; and albuminous seeds. All these characters also 

 occur in Escallonia, but this genus has an inferior ovary, the former 

 a superior one. Hence we may say that Escallonia is Pittosporum, 

 with its receptacle concave instead of convex ; or that Pittosporum 

 stands to Escallonia in the same relation as the Saxifrages with a 

 superior ovary to those with an inferior one. Now we know that 

 both these forms are left not merely in the same order, but in the 

 very same genus, and that it would be impossible reasonably to do 

 otherwise. Now, apart from Pittosporum, the other genera of its 

 family have more often a one- celled ovary with parietal placentation 

 than a plurilocular ovary, this character yet being here of no great 

 apparent importance, for it is not constant in the several species of 

 a single genus." The orders grouped around Piitosporece by the 

 majority of authors possess most of the characters we have noticed 

 in the series; thus they are linked indirectly with Saosifragacece. We 



1 B. H., Gen., 629. reduced type of certain Kamamelidece, with 



2 Carpenteria, still ill known, seems also to be apetalous diclinous flowers. We may add that 

 very near Hypericacece. the latter are often amentaceous. 



3 Not only in characters of habit and foliage, * See Adansonia, vi. 10. 

 but in the intimate structures of the gynseceum, s See p. 355. 



do the Corylece represent, as we shall see, a 



