178 P^'^^f- Don's Descriptions of tun new Genera of the 



Since the preceding observations were in type, I have been favoured by my 

 friend Mr. Smith, of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, with a specimen of 

 Cunning/tamia sinensis, bearing several male catkins, and a full-grown cone. 

 A careful examination of this remarkable plant has satisfied me that its proper 

 place in a systematic arrangement is among the Cupressineœ, next to Atlirotaxis 

 and Cryptonieria, to both of whom it is related in a nearly etfual (.legree. In the 

 form, structure, insertion, direction, and number of its ovula it agrees entii-ely 

 with the former genus, from which it is principally distinguished by its elon- 

 gated aggregate male spikes, and by the addition of a third poUiniferous theca. 

 The placentary region is crowned with a tiiin, narrow, minutely toothed border, 

 clearly of the same nature with the remarkable toothed organ, which I have 

 described as tiie pericarpium in Crifptotneria, and which, singular as it is, can 

 no longer be regarded in any other light than as an excessive development of 

 the placentary region, and what I have described as a bracte is really the apex 

 of the pericarpial leaf. The enlarged placentary region, and the erect ovula, 

 are characters amply sullicient to separate Cri/ptonieria from Cnnning/ianiia, 

 in which the poUiniferous thecse are fewer, and altogether free. The striking 

 resemblance, both in form and structure, of the antheriferous scales to tliose of 

 tiie female spike, and also to the bractes and leaves, clearly show that tjjey are 

 all modifications of one and the same organ. In all the three genera above- 

 mentioned the antheriferous thecœ bear an evident relation to the number of 

 the ovula, the latter apparently originating in all cases from the upper, and 

 the former from the inferior surface of the modified leaf. 'Ilie direction of the 

 ovula, which in all cases are atropous, is evidently a character of no more than 

 generic value in this family. 



Marcli 6, 1839. 



EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. 



Tab. XIII. 



Fig. 1 . Cri/ptomeriajapo)iica. 



a. Antheriferous scale, front view, showing the five thecœ, h. Ditto, 

 back view : both magnified, c. Scale of cone, with its bracte, back 



