242 REVIEWS. 



the bractes among the flowers form a striking point of resemblance 

 corresponding with the glumes of Graminacese ; in Cornucopise we have 

 even a grass in which the lowest bracte, almost envelopes the spike of 

 flowers as in palms. Palms have only two fertile carpels, the third 

 being aborted and not a few have but one seed as in grasses where the 

 two styles and stigmas are conspicuous. Altogether we know of no 

 suggested relation of palms which can be compared in probability in 

 every possible view with that to grasses, and we feel sure that botanists 

 will not be persuaded to abandon it. Otherwise, we should accept at 

 once as the classes of Monocotyledonese, Endorhizese, Exorhizese and 

 Dictyogense, for we still hold to Lindley's class which in Mr. Clarke's 

 arrangement may be considered as occupying the highest place though 

 only as an alliance of the Exorhizese. 



In his preliminary remarks in the section on the " value of other 

 floral characters," &c., besides the Epigynous, and Procarpous and 

 Heterocarpous, we meet with the following paragraph relating to 

 Irregularity : — " The occurrence of irregular flowers, where they are 

 irregular in the highest degree, especially if the ovary is reduced to 

 one carpel, and that anterior, and the raphe where the ovule is pen- 

 dulous is next the placenta, is beyond doubt also a character indicat- 

 ing a comparatively higher degree of development, even though it 

 may not extend through the whole of the family, and it may be a 

 question if there is any material exception to this peculiarity of struc- 

 ture as a guide to affinity, as far as regards subdivisions. On these 

 principles the Proteacece and Leguminosee and their allies, in which 

 the Apocarpous ovary occurs in conjunction with the irregular flower 

 * * * * will decidedly take their places as the highest 

 developed forms of plants." 



We confess that we cannot see the force of this reasoning. Irregu- 

 larity, as is generally agreed, and is certainly proved by examples of 

 return to regularity from increased nutriment, especially in terminal 

 flowers, is due to unequal distribution of nuti'iment — that is to say, 

 less development of some organs than of others in the same circle — 

 and how it should mark general increased development we cannot 

 conceive. 



There are perhaps few alliances without one or more irregular 

 orders, but are these deemed superior in any sense to the regular 

 ones ? Lindley assigns to the Daphnal alliance, in which he places Pro- 

 teacese (which, however, is insulated by Mr. Clarke) a solitary carpel. 



