363 ox SOME KEMARKABLE DEVIATIONS 



Tor, in the first place, its habit is entirely that of the 

 original species of the genus. And secondly, though the 

 pericarpium oi Leontice Leontopetalnm, which is the type of 

 the genus, remains shut until the ripening of the seeds, and 

 attains a size more than sufficient for the mere purpose of 

 containing them ; yet in Leontice altaica, a species in other 

 respects more nearly approaching to L. Leontopetalum than 

 to L. thalidroides, the pericarpium, though it enlarges con- 

 siderably after impregnation, is ruptured by the seeds long 

 before they have arrived at maturity. 



The accompanying drawing, for which I am indebted to 

 my friend Mr. Ferdinand Bauer, will materially assist in 

 explaining the singular economy now described; and may 

 also perhaps render more intelhgible the account I proceed 

 to give of the second instance in which I have observed an 

 analogous structure, but to illustrate which I have at pre- 

 sent no drawing prepared. 



11-7] This second instance occurs in PeliosantJies Teta of 

 Andrews's Repository and the Botanical Magazine. 



In this monocotyledonous plant, which in 1812 nearly 

 ripened seed in Mr. Lambert's collection at Boyton, the 

 ovarium coheres with the tube of the perianthium or corolla, 

 and has originally three cells, each containing two ovula. 

 Soon after impregnation has taken place, from one to three 

 of these ovula rapidly increase in size, by their pressure 

 prevent the development of the others, and rupture the 

 ovarium, which remains, but little enlarged at the base of 

 the fruit, consisting of from one to three naked berry-like 

 seeds. 



In the Botanical Magazine Mr. Ker, in describing a 

 second species of Peliosanthes} takes the opportunity of 

 altering in some respects the character of the genus he had 

 previously given, and of adding a description of its sup- 

 posed pericarpium, from an inspection, as it seems, of the 

 unripe fruit of PeliosantJies Teta. It is evident, however, 

 that he is not aware of its real structure ; and consequently 

 does not succeed in reconciling its appearance with the 

 unquestionable fact of its having "germen inferum." 



' Botan. Ma"az. 1532. 



