386 OBSERVATIONS ON PLANTS 



Zygophyllese'^ from tlie other subdivisions of that class in 

 which he has included it, depends chiefly on the endocarp, 

 or inner lamina of the pericarp, not separating from the 

 outer lamina or united epicarp and sarcocarp, and on the 

 texture of the albumen. His first section of Zygophyllese, 

 however, is characterised by the want of albumen ; and in 

 his second section I find exceptions to the remaining cha- 

 racter, especially, in Pagonia Mysorensis, in which the two 

 laminse of the ripe capsule separate as completely as in 

 Diosmese. Another plant, in my opinion, referable to the 

 same order, and which, in memory of a very meritorious 

 African traveller, I have named Seetsenia africana, has in 

 its ripe capsule the epicarp, or united epicarp and sarcocarp, 

 confined to the dorsal carina of each cell, the endocarp 

 being the only membrane existing on the sides, which are 

 exposed long before the bursting of the fruit. The plant 

 in question has, indeed, many other peculiarities, some of 

 M'hich may, perhaps, be considered sufficient to authorise its 

 separation from the order to which I have referred it ; for 

 the aestivation of its calyx is valvular, it has no petals, its five 

 styles are distinct to the base, and the cells of its ovarium 

 appear to me to be monospermous. It completely retains, 

 however, the characters of vegetation, on which I chiefly 

 depend in distinguishing Zygophylleae ; and I have no 

 doubt of its being Zygophyllum lanatum of Willdenow,* 

 by whom it is stated to be a native of Sierra Leone ; I 

 suppose, however, on insufficient authority, for the specimens 

 in the Banksian herbarium, from which I have made my 

 observations, were found in South Africa near Olifant's 

 River, by Prancis Masson. 



In all the species of Pagonia, and in the two species of 

 Zygophyllum in Dr. Oudney's collection, a character in the 

 fructification still remains which is not found in Diosmese 

 or Rutacese, and Avhich, were it general in Zygophyllese, 

 would satisfactorily distinguish this order from all the 

 families it has usually been compared with. This character 

 consists in the direction of the embryo with relation to the 



1 Mem, du Mm. d'Hid. Nat. 12, p. 450. ^ Sp. Plant. 2, p. 564. 



