210 PHYSIOGNOMY OF PLANTS. 



with " foliis simplicibus," and the rest with pinnate leaves. 

 The genus Aralia shews still greater independence in the 

 form of the leaves : ' ' folia simplicia, integra, vel lobata, digi- 

 tata et pinnata." (Compare Kunth, Synopsis Plantarum 

 quas in itinere collegerunt, Al. de Humboldt et Am, Bon- 

 pland, T. iii, p. 87 and 360.) 



Pinnated leaves appear to me to belong chiefly to families 

 which are in the highest grade of organic development, 

 namely, the Polypetalse ; and among these, in the Perigynic 

 class, to the Leguminosse, Rosacese, Terebinthacese, and 

 Juglandese ; and in the Hypogynic, to the Aurantiaceae, 

 Cedrelacese, and Sapindacese. The beautiful doubly- 

 pinnated leaves which form one of the principal ornaments 

 of the torrid zone, are most frequent among the Leguminosse, 

 in Mimosese, also in some Csesalpiniese, Coulterias, and 

 Gleditschias ; never, as Kunth remarks, in Papilionaceae. 

 " Folia pinnata^' and " folia composite" are never found in 

 Gentianese, Rubiaceae, and Myrtaceas. In the morpholo- 

 gical development presented by the abundance and variety 

 of form in the appendicular organs of Dicotyledones, we can 

 at present discern only a small number of general laws. 



