2 DR. B. SEEMANN ON THE CRESCENTIACE^E. 
Gesneracece. Gardner (Hook. Journ. ii. p. 424) erected it into a separate natural order, 
in which he was supported by Iindley (Veg. Kingdom, p. 673) and myself (Proc. linn. Soc. 
ii. p. 268, and Bot. Herald, p. 181). Crescentiacece seem to me to stand between Cyrtandrece 
and Bignoniacea, where they are placed by Lindley : they differ from Cyrtandrece in the 
transverse position of their seed ; from Bignoniacece in their indehiscent fruit and wingless 
seed. Respecting their claim to the rank of a separate natural order, it must be conceded 
that it depends entirely upon the subjective importance attached to certain characters upon 
which the various orders composing the great class Bersonatce (Bignoniales, Lindl.) are 
founded. For instance, if Orobanchece, in virtue of their spherical pollen, capsular fruit, 
parietal placentae, anatropal ovule, and albuminous wingless seed, are held to be a separate 
order of plants, as is done in most systematic works, there is no option but to acknow- 
ledge the independence of the Crescentiacece, unless indeed the whole of the Personatce 
are looked upon as one great natural order, and Crescentiacece, Acanthacece, Bignoniacece, 
ScrophularwiecB, etc. as merely so many suborders or tribes. In the former case there 
would be 10 separate natural orders ranged under Personatce, the differences of which 
often rest upon only a single constant character. This will be seen from the following 
sketch, which will also show that, if any of the distinctive characters pointed out be 
disregarded, several large groups fall together. 
era? 
Personate {Bignoniales et Orobanchea, Lindl.). 
§ I. Placenta pariet ales. 
Pedaliacea. Pollen . . . . Ovula anatropa. Drupa vel capsula. Semina erecta v. pendula, ap 
exalbuminosa. 
Besleriacea. Pollen ellipticum. Ovula anatropa. Bacca. Semina pendula, aptera, albuminosa. 
Gesneracea. Pollen ellipticum. Ovula anatropa. Capsula. Semina pendula, aptera, albuminosa. 
Orobanchea. Pollen sphaericum. Ovula anatropa. Capsula. Semina aptera, albuminosa. 
Didymocarpea. Pollen .... Ovula anatropa. Capsula. Semina pendula, plerumque aptera, 
albuminosa. 
Cyrtandrem, Pollen .... Ovula anatropa. Bacca. Semina pendula, aptera, exalbuminosa. 
Crescentiacea. Pollen sphaericum. Ovula anatropa. Bacca. Semina transversa,- aptera, ex- 
albuminosa. 
§11. Placenta axillares. 
Bignoniacece. Pollen ellipticum. Capsula. Ovula anatropa. Semina transversa, alata, exalbuminosa. 
Acanthacea. Pollen sphaericum. Ovula amphitropa v. campylotropa. Capsula. Semina erecta, 
aptera, exalbuminosa. 
Scrophularinea. Pollen ellipticum. Ovula anatropa v. amphitropa. Capsula *. Semina erecta, 
aptera, albuminosa. 
§ III. Placenta centrales. 
Lentibularia. Pollen ellipticum. Ovula anatropa. Capsula. Semina aptera, exalbuminosa. 
*- 
64) 
placed in Scrophularinea, in his order Atropacea, standing between Scrophularinea and Sohmaee*. 
