20 ON THK PROTEACEJS OF JTJSSIEU. 



cases, but fails in Persoonia, the species of which differ in 

 having one or two seeds : it would seem however, in this 

 case, that an irregularity in a point of such importance 

 could not take place unaccompanied with other anomalies 

 in the same organ, and accordingly such are found to exist 

 in this genus, and will be mentioned when treating of the 

 fruit. 



Besides number, the insertion of the ovula is also to be 

 attended to ; for though this may generally be presumed 

 from the situation of the radicula in the ripe seed, yet to 

 this criterion there are several exceptions, even in the 

 present order : thus, while the radicula constantly points 

 downward in the whole of the order, the insertion of the 

 ovulum is in many cases at the top or side of the cell of 

 the ovarium. My observations on this subject are as yet 

 incomplete ; but, from those that I have made, I am in- 

 clined ^to think such differences will be connected with 

 genera, or rather perhaps with particular kinds of fruit. 

 Thus I conjecture, in Leucospermum, Mimetes, Nivenia, and 

 Sj)atalla, the insertion to be uniformly lateral. 



The STYLE, though not subject to much variety in this 

 family, will be found in a few cases to furnish generic cha- 

 racters. Thus in Protea, strictly so called, the persistent 

 subulate style forms an important part of its character : 

 and the persistency of the whole of the style in the greater 

 number of species of Grevillea will probably be used by 

 33] future botanists in distinguishing them from that re- 

 markable section of the genus, which I have at present 

 united with them and called Cydopterce. Its length also, 

 when compared with that of the calyx, seems in some cases 

 to be of importance, as in distinguishing AdenantJios from 

 Spatalla ; but in general this circumstance can hardly be 

 had recourse to except in specific characters. 



The form of the stigma is in many cases of considerable 

 importance in characterising genera, a fact which could 

 not escape the penetration of Dr. Smith when estabhshing 

 his new genera of this order : thus its conical papilla in 

 his Conchium (the Hakea of Schrader) will in many, though 

 certainly not in all cases, distinguish it from Grevillea : but 



