120 BOTANY OF CONGO. 



connecting Rhizophora on the one hand with certain genera 

 of Salicarm, particularly with Antheri/Uum, though that 

 genus wants the intermediate stipules ; and on the other 

 with Cmioniacea} especially with the simple leaved species of 

 438] Ceratopelatum. While Loranthus and Viscum, associated 

 with Khizophora by M. de Jussieu, appear to form a very 

 distinct family, and which, as it seems to me, should even 

 occiapy a distant place in the system. 



HOMALIN^. In the collection from Congo a plant 

 occurs evidently allied, and perhaps referable, to Homalium, 

 from which it differs only in the greater number of glands 

 alternating with the stamina, whose fasciculi are in conse- 

 quence decomposed : the inner stamen of each fasciculus 

 being separated from the two outer by one of the additional 

 glands. This plant was first found on the banks of the 

 Gambia, by Mr. Park, from whose specimens I have ascer- 

 tained that the embryo is enclosed in a fleshy albumen. 



The same structure of seed may be supposed, from very 

 obvious affinity, to exist in Astranthus of Loureiro, to which 

 Blackwellia of Commerson ought perhaps to be referred ; 

 in Naphnoga of Aublet, probably not different from Homa- 

 lium ; and in Nisa^ a genus admitting of subdivision, and 

 which M. du Petit Thouars has referred to Rhamnese. AU 

 these genera appear to me sufficiently different from 

 Rosacese, where M. de Jussieu has placed them, and from 

 every other family of plants at present established. 



Their distinguishing characters as a separate order are, 

 the segments of the perianthium disposedjn a double series, 

 or an equal number of segments nearly in the same series ; 

 the want of petals ; the stamina being definite and opposite 

 to the inner series of the perianthium, or to the alternate 

 segments where they are disposed apparently in a simple 

 series ; the unilocular ovarium (generally in some degree 

 coherent with the calyx) having three parietal placentse, 

 with one, two, or even an indefinite number of ovula ; and 

 the seeds having' albumen, as inferred from its existence in 

 the genus from Congo. The cohesion of the ovarium with 



1 Flinders' s Voy. %,p. 548. (A/ite, p. 20.) ^ jy^^,^ g^^^ Madagasc. n. 81. 



