230 Mr. Bentham's Observations on some Genera of Plants 



shining in S. adenophylla, Wall., large, oblong, and rough in S. cerasifolia, 

 Wall., large, globular, and rough in S. mollis, Wall., which appears very near 

 to S.ferruginea, Roxb. I have not seen the fruit of the other species, but I 

 have no doubt that, when better known, the carpological characters will afford 

 good sectional distinctions. 



Of the remaining published species, the Symplocos nuda, Limoncillo, and 

 mua-onata, Humb. et Bonpl. PL .^quin., and S. Schiedeana, Schlechtendal, 

 (Linnsea, viii. 527.) must remain doubtful, as their corolla has not been seen. 

 S. pentagyna of Sprengel must be omitted altogether, having certainly no 

 connexion with Symplocos. It would be impossible, indeed, without seeing his 

 specimen, to say what it might be, but at a guess his character reads most 

 like that of a Vismia. 



The above genera, with Styrax, Strigilia, and Halesia, form a small order, 

 or perhaps a tribe of Ebenacece, established by Richard under the name of 

 Styracece, and more or less adopted by most subsequent botanists, but with 

 very different ideas as to its extent. D. Don, followed by some others, esta- 

 blished three distinct orders, Symplocinece, Styracece, and Halesiacece, the di- 

 stinctions between which are thus stated by G. Don : Styracinece are " very 

 nearly allied to Halesiacece, but differ by the decidedly superior ovarium and 

 the more deeply-cleft corolla, and from Symplocinece in the superior ovarium 

 and entire or slightly- lobed calyx, and in the stamens being fewer and mona- 

 delphous." (Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. iv. p. 4.) Halesiacece come " nearest 

 to Symplocinece, from which they differ in the inferior ovarium, in the fruit 

 being a hard dry winged nut, and in the corolla being more decidedly mono- 

 petalous." (Ibid. p. 6.) 



It is difficult, however, not to agree with Richard in neglecting in this in- 

 stance, notwithstanding its great importance in other cases, the degree of 

 adherence of the calyx to the fruit : for it will be found that at the time of 

 flowering the calyx adheres to the ovary at its base even in Styrax, and is 

 rarely completely adherent even in Halesia ; whilst in the different species of 

 Symplocos and Hopea almost every intermediate degree may be observed. 

 The chief difference lies in this : that, as the fruit swells, it is the adherent 

 part of the ovary that is developed in Symplocos, Hopea, and Halesia, and the 

 free portion only in Styrax ; and it is, I believe, generally recognized, that a 



