74 GENERAL REMARKS ON THE 



Obs. This genus forms a very unexpected addition to 

 Annonacece, of which it will constitute a distinct section, 

 remarkable in the manifestly perigynous insertion of its 

 stamina and the cohesion of the tube of its calyx with the 

 ovarium. It has therefore nearly the same relation to the 

 other genera of the order that Nymphsea has to Hydro- 

 peltis : and the affinity in both cases is chiefly determined 

 by the structure of the seed. 



The operculum of Eupomatia, in which there is no 

 mark of longitudinal division, may be considered as formed 

 either of the calyx alone, or of the confluent calyx and 

 corolla, as appears to be the case at least in several species 

 of Eucalyptus. 



A singular pai't of the structure of Eupomatia consists 

 in its internal, barren, petal- like stamina, which, from their 

 number and disposition, completely cut off all communica- 

 tion between the antherse and stigmata. This communi- 

 cation appears to be restored by certain minute insects 

 eating the petal-like filaments, while the antheriferous 

 stamina, which are either expanded or reflected, and 

 appear to be even slightly irritable, remain untouched. I 

 have at least not unfrequently seen the barren stamina 

 removed in this way, and, as all the stamina are firmly con- 

 nected at the base and fall off together, it is difficult to 

 conceive any other mode of exposing the stigmata to the 

 influence of the antherse. 



M3] EUDESMIA. 



Ord. Nat. Mp-tacece, inter Eucaly])tuiii et Angophoraiii. 

 Syst. Linn. Polyadelphia Poli/mdria. 



Char. Gen. Calyx superus, 4-dentatus. Petala arete 

 connata in Ojjerculum 4-striatum deciduum. Stamina 

 in phalanges quatuor polyandras, cum dentibus calycis 

 alternantes, basi connata. Cajjsula 4-loc. polysperma, 

 apice dehiscens. 



