248 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



IV ? Balanopse^e. — Male flowers naked. Gynœcium superior, 

 surrounded by numerous imbricate folioles (calyx ?). Ovary with 

 two incomplete cells. Ovules geminate, ascending. Fruit fleshy. 

 Seed witb albumen of little thickness. — Leaves alternate or sub- 

 verticillate, without stipules. Male flowers in catkins; female 

 flowers sessile on the branches. — 1 genus. 



V? Leitnerieje. — Male flowers naked. Gynsecium superior, 

 surrounded or not by a rudimentary calyx (?). Ovaries solitary or 

 geminate, unilocular. Ovule solitary, inserted in the internal angle, 

 descending. Fruit drupaceous. Seed with albumen of little thick- 

 ness or nil. — Leaves alternate, with or without stipules. Flowers 

 in simple or compound catkins. — 2 genera. 



VI ? Myricej3. — Male flowers naked or furnished with a rudimen- 

 tary calyx ('?). Gynascium superior, generally naked. Ovary uni- 

 locular. Ovule solitary, erect, orthotropous, with superior micropyle. 

 Fruit drupaceous. Seed with little or no albumen. — Leaves alternate 

 with lateral stipules. Flowers in 1- or 2-sexual catkins. — 1 genus. 



Such are the characters the value of which suffices to distinguish 

 the series one from another. Those which, in the same series, dis- 

 tinguish the genera, are more considerable. They are : the degree of 

 development of the perianth, the number of stamens or of anther- 

 cells, and of the ovarian cells ; the form, style, consistence, and 

 mode of dehiscence of the involucre, the number of female flowers it 

 contains, the mode in which it envelops the fruit or remains flat or 

 open below it or at its side ; the configuration of the cotyledons, 

 their situation epigosous or hypogaîous in germination. The cha- 

 racters constant in the entire group are, consequently : diclinous, 

 apetalous flowers, inflorescence in catkins or spikes very analogous ; 

 the woody consistence of the stems ; the definite number of ovules, 

 Bolitary or geminate, the outward direction of the micropyle ; the 

 great development of the cotyledons, which are always thick and 

 fleshy. 



The affinities ' of this group arc easily derived from this col- 



1 As it is still, with scries so different one the Juglandeœ (perhaps) to the Terebinthacece, the 



from another in their organization, this family Garryacete to the Cornac and Hamamelideœ, the 



remains, in our view, a collection of degenerate, Lacistemeœ to the Bixacete, the Mt/osumndrece, 



diminished types which are to the MalvoUhte and the Dati&ccœ to the CtmoniceBj the Silicine& 



and TJrticoideœ, by the Uhnacete, Artoearpea, (perhaps) to the Tumariscineœ, &c. .1. (i. 



and Setulineœ, and to the Combretacete, JSamame- Aoarph [Theor. Syst. 169, 162, 174) considers 



lide<B, Platanetc, by the Quercineœ and Corylete, the Coryléœ as representing perhaps a reduced 



what the Aiitidcsmeœ are to the Euphorbiacece, form of the Dijitcrwurjjot; tho Myrobalaucœ as 



