13 GENERAL REMARKS ON THE 



The greater part of the order exists in the principal 

 parallel, very few species have been observed within the 

 tropic, and one only in Van Diemen's Island. 



Lasiopetalum, the most extensive genus of the family, 

 was established by Dr. Smith,i who considered it to belong 

 to Ericese. Ventenat," taking a different view of its struc- 

 ture, has assigned some plausible reasons for referring it 

 to Rhamnese. Prom both these orders it appears to me 

 sufficiently distinct, and it is certainly more nearly related 

 to the genera with which I have placed it. 



DILLENIACEtE. It was first, T believe, proposed by 

 Mr. Salisbury to separate Dillenia, Wormia, Hibbertia, and 

 CandoUea from the Magnoliae of Jussieu, and to form them 

 into a distinct order, which he has called Dillenea? It 

 is remarkable that Decandolle,* who has adopted this 

 order, should also hmit it to these genera, Jussieu^ having 

 previously suggested the separation of Dillenia from Mag- 

 nolias and its combination with Tetracera and Curatella, 

 genera which certainly belong to Dilleniacese, as do also 

 Pleurandra of Labillardiere* and Hetnistemma of Du Petit 

 Thouaa's.^ 



The Dilleniacese appear to be more abundant in Terra 

 Australis than in any other part of the world, nearly seventy 

 Austrahan species having already been observed ; most of 

 these belong to Hibbertia and Pleurandra, both of which 

 are very generally diffused, their maximum, however, is in 

 the principal parallel, to the western extremity of which 

 Candollea seems to be limited. Hemistemma, Wormia, 

 642] and an unpublished genus remarkable for its thickened 

 filaments and flat leafless stems, are foimd only within the 

 tropic. The remaining genera of the order have not yet 

 been observed in New Holland. 



longior. Erutices raro Arbores, pube scepe stellari. Folia alterna, simplicia 

 stipulata, siepms dentata. Pedunouli subeymosi, oppositifolii ; pedicellis ul- 

 plurimum bracteatis. 



1 Linn. soc. transact. 4, p. 316. ^ j£almais. 59. Dec. gen. nov p 7 



3 Paradis. Lond. 73. " Annates du mus. 17, p. 400. 



^ Annates du mus. 14, pp. 129-130. ^ Ptant. Nov. Holt. 2, p. 5. 



' Gen. nos. Madagasc. ». 61. 



