ANNOTATIONS AND ADDITIONS. 209 



reproductive organs on which the groups of the natural 

 systems of botany are founded, is a remarkable and sur- 

 prising phenomenon. "We should have been inclined before- 

 hand to imagine that the shape of what are exclusively 

 termed the vegetative organs (for example, the leaves) would 

 have been less independent of the structure of the organs of 

 reproduction ; but in reality such a dependence only shows 

 itself in a small number of families, in Ferns, Grasses and 

 Cyperaceae, Palms, Coniferae, Umbelliferse, and Aroideae. In 

 Leguminosae the agreement in physiognomic character is 

 scarcely to be recognised until we divide them into the several 

 groups (Papilionaceae, Caesalpinineae, and Mimoseae) . I may 

 name, of types which, when compared with each other, shew 

 considerable accordance in physiognomy with great difference 

 in the structure of the flowers and fruit, Palms and Cycadeae, 

 the latter being more nearly allied to Coniferae; Cuscuta, 

 one of the Convolvulacae,and the leafless Cassytha,a p 0> :asitical 

 Laurinea; Equisetum (belonging to the great divisio^ of Cryp- 

 togamia), and Ephedra, closely allied to Coniferae. On the 

 other hand, our common gooseberries and currants (Ribes) 

 are so closely allied by their inflorescence to the Cactus, , e. 

 to the family of Opuntiaceae, that it is only quite recently 

 that they have been separated from it ! One and the same 

 family (that of Asphodeleae) comprises the gigantic Dracaena 

 draco, the common asparagus, and the Aletris with its 

 coloured flowers. Not only do simple and compound leaves 

 often belong to the same family, but they even occur in the 

 same genus. We found in the high plains of Peru and New 

 Granada, among twelve new species of Weininannia, five 



VOL. II. P 



