Ord. SARRACENIACEtE. 



Herbae paludosae acaulescentes, foliis coloratis, petiolo tu- 

 bseformi seu amphorasformi : dicotyledoneae, hypogynas, poly- 

 apetalae, polyandra? ; aestivatione imbricativo ; ovario 3-5- 

 loculari, placentis axi exsertis multiovulatis ; capsula poly- 

 sperma loculicida ; embryone parvo in basi albuminis car- 

 nosi incluso. 



Sarracenie/e, Pylaie, in Ann. Soc. Lin. Par. 6. p. 388. t. 13. Hook. 



FI. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 33. 

 Sarraceniaceje, Dumort. Anal. p. 53. Torr. & <jray, FI. N. Am. 1. 



p. 58, 664. Lindl. Veg. Kingd. p. 429. 



This group consists of two genera of American Pitcher-plants ; namely, 

 Sarracenia of the United States and Canada, of which five or six species 

 have long been familiarly known ; and Heliamphora, Benth. , founded on a 

 plant which Mr. Schomburgk gathered on the mountain of Roraima, in Brit- 

 ish Guiana. The latter differs from the type of the family in bearing several 

 flowers in a raceme on the bracteate scape, in the total absence of the caly- 

 culus, of petals, and of the peculiar umbrella-shaped summit of the style 

 which is so remarkable in Sarracenia, and also in having the seeds sur- 

 rounded by a wing. 



Unfortunately, this accession does rot appear to throw any new light upon 

 the affinities of Sarracenia, which are still obscure, notwithstanding that Dr. 

 Planchon * has recently pointed out some striking points of resemblance be- 

 tween this genus and Pyrola, which in his mind leave no doubt of their im- 

 mediate affinity. 



The pitcher or open tube of the leaves evidently belongs to the petiole, 

 which is also simply winged or margined along the inner side ; while the 

 blade is represented by the hood, or rounded appendage at the apex, which 

 cannot be called a lid, as it never closes the orifice, nor is it so much incurv- 

 ed as at all to cover it, except in two speices. This proper lamina is rudi- 

 mentary in Heliamphora, and very small in proportion to the ample orifice, 

 which extends some way down the inner side: and thence a double wing- 

 like border extends to the base, appearing just as if the two margins of an 



In London Journal of Botany, 5. p. 252. 



