BOTANY OF TEURA AUSTRALIS. 13 



Magnoliacese and Dilleniacese appear to me to form two 

 orders of one natural class. These orders are sufficiently 

 distinct from each other in most cases, both in fructifica- 

 tion and habit ; they are not, however, easily defined. 

 The ovaria, which are indefinite in number, in the greater 

 part of Magnoliacese, are also so in certain Dilleniacese; 

 there are likewise examples in both orders, in which they 

 are reduced to unity ; and the stipulation of Magnoliacese 

 exists in Wormia. 



PITTOSPORE^.^ Authors have generally been dis- 

 posed to consider Pittosporum, Bursaria, and Billardiera, 

 as belonging to Rhamnese or Celastrinse, from both of 

 which they are certainly widely different ; and they appear 

 to me to constitute, along with some unpublished Austra- 

 lian genera, a very distinct natural family. PittosporetE 

 form a small tribe chiefly belonging to Terra Australis, 

 where most of them have been observed in the principal 

 parallel; but certain species of all the published genera 

 exist at the south end of Van Diemen's Island, and both 

 Pittosporum and Bursaria are found within the tropic. 

 Pittosporum, the only genus of the order which is not 

 confined to Terra Australis, has the most extensive range 

 in that country, and has been found in many other parts 

 of the world, namely, Newr Zealand, Norfolk Island, the 

 Society and Sandwich Islands, the Moluccas, in China, 

 Japan, and even Madeira. It has not, however, been 

 observed in any part of America. 



POLYGALEiE.^ The curious observation of Richard, 



' PiTTOSPOKEiE. Calyx 5ph. (raib 1-pIi. 5-fid.) sestivatione imbricata. 

 Teiala 5 : unguibus couuiveutibus, nunc cohserentibus ; laminis patulis, aisti- 

 vatione imbricatis. Stamina 5, hypogyna, distinota, cum petalis alternantia. 

 Ovarium looulis placentisve 2-5 polyspermis : Stylus 1 : Stigmata numero pla- 

 centarum. Pericarpinm capsulare vel baocatum, looulis polyspermis quaridoque 

 ineompletis. Embryo minutus, prope umbilicum, inclusus albumine carnoso. 

 Prutioes vel Arbores. Polia simplicia, alterna, exstipulata. Flores terminales, 

 vel axillares, quandoque polygami. 



= PoLYGALE.a:. Calyx 5-ph. rare 5-fid. sestivatione imbricata: ssepius ir- 

 regularis : foliolis 2 lateralibus interioribus majoribus quandoque petaloideis ; 



