6 DARLINGTONIA CALIFORNICA. 



inserted in a single series, and partly concealed by the dilated summit of the 

 ovary : filaments short and rather stout : anthers oblong, with the cells very 

 unequal and opening longitudinally, turned by the twisting of the filament so that 

 the cells are anterior and posterior, the smaller cell lying against the ovary. 

 Pollen simple and spherical. The ovary is turbinate, five-celled and somewhat 

 five-lobed, concave and dilated at the summit, so as to exhibit a sort of margin 

 which projects over the stamens : the columnar style is short, and five-cleft at the 

 summit ; the narrow segments diverging, and stigmatose at the extremity, on the 

 inside. Ovules very numerous, anatropous, covering the large placentae, which 

 project into the cells of the ovary. No fruit was found ; but, on one of the 

 specimens collected by Mr. Brackenridge, there was a small portion of a capsule, 

 which was evidently five-celled. 



From Sarracenia, this genus differs in the calyx not being calyculate ; in the 

 form of the petals ; in the somewhat definite and uniserial stamens ; in the dilated 

 turbinate ovary ; and especially in the absence of the large umbrella-shaped summit 

 of the style, which is so conspicuous in the former genus. The forked lamina of 

 the leaf, and the bracteate scapes, are also characters not found in any 

 Sarracenia. 



From Heliamphora, it is still more distinct. In that genus, the scapes are 

 several-flowered, and the flowers are destitute both of calyculate bracts and petals; 

 the style is entire and not dilated at the summit, and the ovary is three-celled. The 

 leaves, also, differ in their greatly dilated orifice, in the very small lamina, and in 

 the doubly-winged pitchers. 



The geographical distribution of Sarraceniacese is worthy of notice. This 

 small order consists of but three genera, which are all exclusively natives of 

 America. The oldest or typical genus is confined to North America ; and, of the 

 six species, one only (Sarracenia purpurea) has an extensive range, being found 

 fi"om lat. 48°, north, to Southern Florida, but westward only as far as Ohio ; the 

 remaining species being confined to the Southern States. Heliamphora, a genus 

 of a single species, is a native of British Guiana, and has not been found else- 

 where. Darlingtonia is the only representative of the order west of the Rocky 

 Mountains, and even there it seems to be extremely rare. 



The affinities of Sarraceniacese, notwithstanding the discovery of Heliamphora, 

 and now of another genus belonging to the same family, are nearly as obscure as 

 ever. Its resemblance to Nymphseacese and Papaveraceae has been pointed out 

 by several botanists ; and Dr. Lindley, without hesitation, places it between the 

 latter order and Ranunculaceae. A more remote affinity to Droseracese has also 

 been indicated ; but this, however, is chiefly seen in the structure of the leaf of 

 Dionsea. 



The most recent opinion respecting the affinity of Sarraceniacese is that of M. 

 Planchon,* who thinks these plants are very closely related to Pyrolacese. This 

 acute botanist points out some striking characters in which Sarracenia resembles 



* Hooker's LonJon Journal of Botany, 5, p. 252. 



