322 Key to the Orders, Genera, &c. 



genera, of which three are apetalous. These five genera 

 together contain seven species, of which three only have 

 petals. This, for the purpose of the Key, necessitates 

 Ranunculacece finding a place both in the polypetalous series 

 of Thalamifloral and the apetalous of Monochlamyds. So it 

 is with various others of the Ceylon orders, genera, and 

 species ; owing to their aberrant characters their natural 

 affinities are masked, and, except by an artificial key, it is 

 difficult — in some cases even impossible — for one ignorant of 

 Indian botany to identify them, and to find their places in the 

 natural system which is followed in the body of the Hand- 

 book. 



The following table shows the limits of the Series, and 

 the Parts of the Hand-book in which they are to be found : — 

 I. Dicotyledons. 



Series I. Thalamifloral, Part i, Orders j, Ranunculaceae, to 

 xxiv, Tiliacese. 

 ; , II. Discifloral, Part i, Orders xxv, Linaceae, to xlii, 



Anacardiaceas. 

 „ III. Calycifloral, Part ii, Orders lvi, Connaraceae, to 



lxv, Cornacese. 

 „ IV. Gamopetalous, Part ii, Orders lxvii, Rubiaceas, to 

 Part iii, ci, Plantagineaa. 



\ Part iii, Orders en, Nycta- 

 „ V. Monochlamydeous, ( gineas, to Part iv, Orders 

 „ VI. Achlamydeous, | cm, Euphorbiaceas, to 



exxn, Ceratophyllaceas. 

 II. Gymnosperms. Part iv, Orders cxxin, Cycadaceae. 



III. Monocotyledons. 



Part iv, Orders clxxiv, Hydrocharideas, 

 to cxlvi, Naiadeae, Part v, Order 



Series I. Petaloid 



» • P ) cxlvii, Eriocauloneae. 



,, III. Glumal, Part v, Orders cxlviii, Cyperaceas, and 

 cxlix, Gramineas. 



Class I.— DICOTYLEDONS. 



Series I. — Thalamifloral. Fl. usually bisexual and regular; 

 cal. inferior, except Ancistrocladece, of distinct or connate sepals ; 

 cor. of distinct pet., sometimes united at the very base ; stam. 

 hypogynous, rarely inserted on a hypogynous disk or torus. 



