NAMES AND OBSERVATIONS ON INDIAN PLANTS. 547 



"circumcirca clausum" quod verb in nostra planta apice 

 divisum est, lobis subciliatis, arete conniventibus. — Broken 



M8S. 



Apostasia. Blume Bijdrag. p. 423. p* 



Perianthium limbo sexpartito, regulari. Stamina an- 

 therifera 2, quorum Filamenta foliolis lateralibus interi- 

 orum perianthii opposita, infra connata cum basi Styli 

 supra cylindracei, et vel nudi, vel hinc Filamento tertio 

 castrato, altiiis adnato, foliolo antico exteriorum opposite, 

 appendiculati. Anther^/E bilocidares, longitudinaliter de- 

 hiscentes. Pollen e granulis simplicibus, solutis. Stigma 

 obtusum, obsolete bi-trilobum. Capsula trilocularis, poly- 

 sperma. Semina ovata, testa nucleo conformi. — Brown 

 M88. 



This very remarkable genus, founded on Apostasia odo- 

 rata, was first published in 1825 by Dr. Blume in the 

 work referred to; but in 1821 a nearly related species was 

 discovered in the valley of Noakote in Nipal, by the plant 

 collectors of Dr. Wallich, who, in his manuscripts, which I 

 have had the advantage of consulting, named it Mesodac- 

 tylis dejlexa, and at the same time had the drawing made 

 which is here given. 



I have followed these two distinguished botanists in 

 regarding Apostasia as belonging to, or at least as most 

 nearly related to, Orchideee. It exhibits, however, very 

 few of those characters generally considered essential to 

 that family of plants. 



In its antherse, pollen, style, and stigma (all which parts 

 are so remarkably modified in Orchideee), Apostasia does 

 not materially differ, either in form, structure, or economy 

 from the more regular-flowered families ^ of Monocotyle- 

 dones ; and in its trilocular ovarium it is distinguished from 

 all other genera of the order to which it is here appaoded. 



On the other hand, it agrees with Orchidem in the struc- 

 ture, as far as I am able to ascertain, of its minnte seeds, 

 in the reduced number of stamina, and probably, with 

 some genera of the family, in the order of their reduction ; 



