G42 Some account of the Botanical Collection. [No. 7. 



species of Liquidambar,* (Altingia of Noronha), on which genus 

 Blume constructed his family Balsamifluae. For this oversight and 

 empty compliment, Dr. Wallich is responsible, as he had Blume's 

 Flora Javse (in which folio work, the family is defined and the genus 

 figured,) before him during the printing of my MSS. 



The family BalsamiflusB (Balsarnacese, Lindl.) appears to be gener- 

 ally considered allied to Platanese, Salicinese, and some of their 

 neighbours. And although the structure of Bucklandia was not 

 detailed before 1836, it still appears to me odd, that no indication 

 of the similarity of Liquidambar with Fothergilla had been noticed. 



From the great variety in structure presented by Hamamelidea?, 

 in which family, limited as it is in genera and species, plants occur 

 varying in habit, with hermaphrodite or polygamous flowers, with 

 petals or without petals, with a quaternary or quinary number of 

 parts, with definite or indefinite stamina, with simple or valvular 

 dehiscence of anthers, I am inclined to believe that Balsamifluse will 

 be found to be a temporary, or at least a subordinate group. Its 

 present claims to distinction seem to me limited to the male inflo- 

 rescence and flowers, which are, so far as I can judge from dried 



seriata ; extoriora ssepius dentiformia, interdum subulata, filamentorum basibus 

 ssepius opposita ; interiora ssepissime per paria petalis opposita, majora, atroviridia, 

 apicibus subglanduliformibus ssepe recurvis. Ovarium semi-inferum, sericeo- 

 pilosum, biloculare. Styli 2, subulati, staminibus subduplo breviores, apicibus 

 recurvis subdilatatis intus stigmatosis. Ovula inloculis solitaria, pendula, ana- 

 tropa; tegwnenta bina ; foramen magnum, extus spectans. 



Spica fructus pendulse, induratee, bracteis orbatse. Capsula scriebus circiter 

 4 spiraliter dispositse, (dimidium inferius calyce tubo indurate- corticatum,) 

 biloculares, bivalves, valvis demutn septicidim bipartitis, stylisque semi-partis re- 

 curvis apiculatis; endocarpium atrum. Semina non visa. 



My specimens of tbe Khasiya plant are in fruit. I have not therefore been able 

 to compare the flowers. The leaves vary much in size, those on the mere leaf- 

 bearing branches being as large as those of the Minza Peeza specimens. 

 These again differ from the other Bootan ones in the spikes being less precious, in 

 tbe length of the styles, and in the longer and pale ferruginous hairyness of 

 the spikes. 



This is the fourth species of this genus, two having been defined, and one indi- 

 cated in the Flora Japonica, (loc. cit.) of the three Japanese species only one, C. 

 Cesakii. Zucc. has been hitherto met with in the wild state. 

 * Fl. Jav. p. 1. t. 1. 2. 



