810 Remarks on a collection of Plants, [Dec 



mina ; for the " dehiscentia circumcisa" of the fruit ; and, above all, for 

 the pendulous direction of the seeds. It approaches in some points 

 to Zanonia. I am not aware whether the peculiar nature of the arillus 

 of this order has been explained or not ; it is a separation of that 

 portion of the tissue originally surrounding and in close contact with 

 the ovula. Hence it is a shut sac ; and hence, too, it is wanting in 

 Actinostemma, in which the cavity of the ovarium is not filled by a 

 production from the placentae. 



Conarice. In Conaria, of which I have one species from the Abor 

 Hills, the raphe is certainly external with regard to the axis. I have 

 not been able to ascertain whether this depends upon any torsion 

 of the funiculus, which Mr. Brown has stated to be the case in 

 other instances of a similar anomalous situation. 



Of Saururete Houttuynia is the only example. This plant, which was 

 originally described by Thunberg, appears latterly to have been more 

 misunderstood than by the original describer. I have had no oppor- 

 tunity, however, of examining the work of Thunberg in which the 

 plant is described. And I ought, perhaps, to except M. Meter, who 

 has published " De Houttuynia atque Saurureis," with which work 

 I am unacquainted. I find each flower throughout the spike, except 

 perhaps the terminal one, to be subtended by a very small bracte. 

 Of these, the four lowermost, rarely only three, are highly developed 

 and petaloid, forming the spatha. 



The number of stamina to each flower is, excepting those at the 

 apex of the spike, almost invariably three, and always equal to the 

 carpella entering into the formation of the female organ ; and of these 

 the third is always next the axis. The terminal flower has from five 

 to seven stamina ; the space between this and the uppermost trian- 

 drous hermaphrodite (?) flowers is occupied by an assemblage of male 

 flowers, with a variable number of stamina, but never greater than 

 three, and usually, 1 think, two. That such is the structure of this 

 portion is proved by the presence of bractea, similar to those of the 

 lower portion, interspersed among the stamina. Dr. Wallich says, 

 in Flora Indica, I. 362—'* In the numerous spadices which I have 

 examined, I have with Father Lou reiro invariably found three stami- 

 nas, and as many styles attached to each ovarium : the former above 

 the base, the latter at the apex of its angles. I have not, therefore, 

 hesitated continuing this most interesting plant in the very class 

 and order where it has been placed in the Flora of Cochinchina. As 

 there is no reason for considering it at all different from the original 

 Japan plant, I am at a loss to account for the difficulty which the 

 celebrated Chevalier Thunberg experienced in determining its 



