2 MONOCOTYLEDONEÆ. 
had attempted to distinguish Cyrtandracee by the exalbuminous 
seeds. It is true that, in the typical Cyrtandraceæ, albumen is wan- 
ting, while, in the typieal Gesneraceæ, it is distinetly present. But. 
in a few of the Old-World Cyrtandraceæ, some albumen is present: 
there exists in fact a gradation from the albuminous seed of Euges- 
nereæ to the exalbuminous seed of Cyrtandreæ. 
This last distinction having proved illusory, botanists have by 
general consent united the two Orders in one, viz. the Gesneraceæ. 
This Order subdivides into 3 Tribes, the Gesnereæ, the Columneæ 
and the Cyrtandreæ; of which the two first are entirely New- 
World, the third Old- World with a few American genera inters- 
persed. 
All the genera indeed of the Gesneraceæ are (Klugia excepted) 
either exclusively Old- World or exelusively New-World; the Ameri- 
can genera have been lately revised by Hanstein in Linnæa, vol. 34: 
the present paper is intended to complete the revision of the Order 
by a Monograph of the Old- World genera and species : this is nearly 
equivalent to a Monograph of the Tribe Cyrtandreæ; I have not 
thought it necessary to make it exaetly equivalent by going over 
again the few American genera lately revised by Hanstein, but have 
instead referred to his paper. 
The Old-World and New-World genera of Cyrtandreæ appear 
to touch, botanically and geographically, at two or three points 
only. 
Cyrtandra extends throughout Polynesia to the Sandwich Islands. 
Besleria, in tropical America, only differs from Cyrtandra in having 
^ perfect stamens instead of 2; a distinction, however, which appears 
to have much greater value in Cyrtandreæ than in other bilabiate 
Monopetals. 
Klugia comprises 3 Indian and 1 Mexican species. The distribu- 
tion is perhaps less anomalous than appears at first sight : the genus 
. might be united with Rhyncoglossum, which extends through Malaya 
to the Philippines. 
