COMBRETACE/E. 275 



Let the latter advance farther and we shall have an ovary with two 

 cells, incomplete or complete, sometimes observed in Nyssa, and, in 

 the Alangieœ, with dicarpellar gynœcium, an ovary with two 

 complete cavities, each enclosing one ovule. Under this view the 

 true Combretaceœ would not be the most perfect representatives of 

 this family, to which they alone have hitherto been admitted. Hence 

 the division into three series which, as a new order, we propose : — 



I. Combeete^e. 1 — -Flowers hermaphrodite or polygamous, with or 

 without corolla, with unilocular pauciovulate ovary. Ovules equal 

 or double in number that of the very imperfect parietal placenta?, and 

 inserted near the summit, ordinarily attached by a long funicle, 2 

 with exterior micropyle. Seeds without albumen. — 8 genera. 



II. Nysse^i. — Flowers polygamo-diœcious, with polypetalous 

 corolla, rarely absent. Ovary with one or more cells, generally 

 complete, uniovulate, Ovule descending, attached by a short funicle, 

 with exterior micropyle. Seeds albuminous. — 3 genera. 



III. Alangieœ. — Flowers hermaphrodite or rarely polygamous, 

 with 4-10 petals. Ovary with one or two uniovulate cells. Ovule 

 descending, inserted at top of internal angle by a short funicle, witli 

 micropyle finally lateral. Seeds albuminous. — 1 genus. 



The affinities of these three groups are manifold. We have spoken 

 of those of the Alangieœ with the Comacece, which, besides the 

 characters derived from the ovule, are distinguished by their isoste- 

 monous andrœcium. The Araliaceœ, like the Combretacece, have the 

 ovular micropyle turned outwards. It is admitted, as we shall also 

 see, that they are distinct from the latter, in which, as in them, the 

 ovarian partitions are complete, by their habit, their mode of inflo- 

 rescence, their distinct stylary divisions and their embryo reduced to 

 small dimensions ; all characters of very small value. The Onagrariece, 

 which present many analogies to the Nyssece, have an indefinite 

 number of ovules ; or, if the number is definite, the descending 

 o\ules have an interior micropyle, as in the Cornacece, and the 

 ascending ovules an exterior. In the Rhizophoracece, on the contrary, 

 the descending ovules have the micropyle outward, as in the Com- 

 bretacece; but the former are distinguished by their habit, their 



1 Combretacece B. Br. — Terminaliaccee J. S. H. order, the Gyrocai-peœ and the Illigereœ, described 



Exp. Fam. Nat. i. 178. — MyrobalaneœS. Dict.Sc. by us with the Lauraccce {Mist, of PI. ii. 484, 



Nat. xxxi. (1824) MS.—Termwalieas DC. Prodi: 485. 



iii. 9. Lindley, and later BENTHAMand Hooker " Except always in the g. Lagtuicularta, where 



(<?*». 689) have joined to the family, as a sub- the funicle is very short. 



18—2 



