CROOMIA PAUCIFLORA. —FEW-FLOWERED CROOMIA. 127 
stems of Croonia, the plant was really monocotyledonous, and 
this necessitated again a removal to Roxburghiacee, a very 
small order of Asiatics, not far removed from the Arum-like 
plants. On the other hand, it is extremely interesting to note 
that the AZenispermaceous plants, with which our Croomza was at 
first associated, though certainly dicotyledonous, often have endo- 
genous wood, and is thus on the exact opposite side of the scale. 
Yet another very interesting fact may be noted in the same con- 
nection. Sachs, in his celebrated “ Text-Book of Botany,” shows 
that the normal condition of A/enispermaccous plants is the tri- 
merous verticil, or one formed on the plan of three, and as this is 
the usual type on which endogenous plants are formed, it would 
not be at all improbable that the early relationship, as suggested 
by Nuttall, was not so very far away after all; and the student 
will not fail to observe that though for systematic purposes the 
great divisions of the vegetable kingdom have to be spoken of 
as if they are divided by lines definitely drawn, they are yet so | 
closely blended by nature, that there is no doubt one has grown 
out of, and was once a part of the other; and it proves the unity 
of plan on which are formed the many diversified features of 
vegetation. 
Another very remarkable fact in connection with C7vomda is 
noted by Professor Asa Gray in the “American Agriculturist”’ 
for 1875. Some forty years previously Mr. Croom discovered in 
Western Florida a kind of yew, subsequently named Zorreya 
taxifolia, and underneath the trees were growing plants of the 
Croomia. Now in Japan another species of Zorreya has been 
discovered, and also heneath this Japan species another species 
of Croomza has also been found growing; and as both the yew 
and the Cvoomza are very rare, only a few localities being known 
for them in this country, the companionship of the two in these 
different parts of the world is among the most wonderful facts in 
botanical geography. Thus, though we may not see much 
beauty in the plant itself, we cannot but be interested in the 
wonderful story it tells, and we may truly exclaim with Thomson, 
