126 BOTANY OF CONGO. 



a genus nearly related to it from India with capsular fruit, 

 and Tapura of Aublet (which is Bohria of Schreber), form 

 a natural order, very different from any yet established. 

 The principal characters of this order may be gathered 

 from M. de Candolle's figure and description of Chailletia, 

 to which, however, must be added that the cells of the 

 ovarium, either two or three in number, constantly contain 

 two collateral pendulous ovula ; and that in the regular 

 flowered genera there exist within, and opposite to, the 

 petal-like bodies an equal number of glands, which are 

 described by M. da Petit Thouars in Dichapetalum, but 

 are unnoticed by him in Leucosia, where, however, they 

 are equally present. 



It may seem paradoxical to associate with these genera 

 Tapura, whose flower is irregular, triandrous, and ap- 

 parently monopetalous. But it will somewhat lessen their 

 apparent differences of structure to consider the petal-like 

 bodies, which, in all the genera of this order, are inserted 

 nearly or absolutely in the same series with the filaments, 

 as being barren stamina ; a view which M. de Candolle has 

 taken of those of Chailletia, and which M. Richard had 

 long before published respecting Tapura.^ It is probable 

 also that M. de Candolle at least will admit the association 

 here proposed, as his Chailletia sessiliflora seems to be 

 merely an imperfect specimen of Tapura guianensis. 



The genera to which Chailletese most nearly approach 

 appear to me to be Aquilaria of Lamarck^ and Gyrinops of 

 Gtertner. But these two genera themselves, which are not 

 referable to any order yet established, may either be re- 

 garded as a distinct family, or perhaps, to avoid the too great 

 multiplication of families, as a section of that at present 

 *«•] under consideration, and to which I should then propose 

 to apply the name of AquiLARiNiE in preference to Chail- 

 letese. 



The genus Aquilaria itself has been referred by Ventenat 

 to Samydem. Prom this order, however, it is sufficiently 



1 Bid. Mem. de Botatiique par Bdliard, revu par L. C. Richard, ed. 1803, 

 ;;. 34. 



* Or Ophiospermum of the Flora Cooliinohinensis, as I have proved by com- 

 parison with a specimen from Loureiro himself. 



