INTRODUCTION TO CRTPTOGAMIC BOTANY. 35 



of Balanophcn^ce. Our information at present, with respect to 

 all of these plants, is very imperfect, but it may be asserted, 

 without fear of contradiction, that the better we become ac- 

 quainted with them, the more distinctly their want of afHnity 

 to Fungi comes out. 



21. Such genera again as Lemna, at first sight, may seem to 

 have some claims to relationship, and indeed the species are 

 included amongst the Plantes Cryptogames du Nord of M. Des- 

 mazieres ;* but as every plant in the first instance is destitute 

 of vessels, and myriads of perfect embryos, we can lay little stress 

 upon this point, when the indications of the fruit are as dis- 

 tinctive as in any other genus. And in point of fact, spiral 

 vessels occur abundantly in Lemna polyrrhiza. The resem- 

 blance between LerriTM and Riccia is entirely confined to the 

 fohage, and the mere fact that one may be taken for the other, 

 is only one of those curious instances of analogy which present 

 themselves in every part of the vegetable kingdom. A super- 

 ficial glance is often at fault, when the sHghtest examination 

 of structure at once sets aside all doubts. Other aquatic En- 

 dogens might perhaps be mentioned, but their resemblance is 

 far more slight, and their want of relation still more evident. 



22. We now come to a very important subject, the supposed 

 relation between GoniferoB with other Gymnogens, and some of 

 the higher Cryptogams. These views are, I believe, as un- 

 founded as those which have been stated above, and instead of 

 giving a deeper and larger insight into real affinities, as is 

 sometimes supposed, they tend, as I conceive, rather to con- 

 tract the mind in a general view of the vegetable world. 

 Nature does not make sudden leaps, and though in plants of 

 very different affinities points of resemblance may exist, they 

 are not to be estimated at more than their proper value. 

 There is no single point at which the two great circles of the 

 relations severally of Phsenogams and Cryptogams can be con- 

 sidered as so perfectly coinciding as to intimate any marked 

 transition from one class to the other. Individual points of 

 resemblance may be discerned, but such as to show no close 



* He did not, however, intend to intimate any affinity between these 

 plants and Cryptogams. 



3* 



