.1854.] Some account of the Botanical Collection. 647 



elongated floral envelopes, the one-celled authers with ordinary fila • 

 inents, conneetiva and loculi, the generally capsular, annulated, one- 

 celled fruit with simple parietal placentation, and the pendulous* 

 e tunicate seeds. There does not appear to be any peculiarity in the 

 situation of the cirrhi, the particular nature of which is besides 

 unknown.f 



It passes I imagine into typical Cucurbitaceae through Zanonia, 

 in which the placentae are so produced inwards as to meet in the 

 axis, and still more through Telfaria, (Hoolc.) in which there appears 

 to be a tendency to the triadelphous stamina, and which is repre- 

 sented as having horizontal and tunicated seeds. 



It affords strong evidence against the hypothesis of the structure 

 of Cucurbitaceous fruit advanced sometime ago by Dr. Wight, and 

 which goes so far as to reverse what has hitherto been found to be 

 the constant disposition of the vegetable leaf. For the gradation is 

 complete (through Zanonia) J between the entirely and simply parie- 

 tal placentation of Actinostemma, and the more complicated, but 

 still parietal, placentation of typical Cucurbitaceae. 



I regret that it has not been in my power to give an accurate 

 Catalogue of the species contained 'in the Chinese collections. It 

 cannot be too often insisted on, that the usual necessary means of 

 Botanical determination, and which are characteristic of scientific 



Frutex cirrhosus, ferrugineo-pubescens. Folia oblongo-ovata, integra, Menis- 

 permoidea vet Phytocrenoidea. Cirrhi latarales. Paniculse amplae, folia exce- 

 dentes. Flores minuti ; perianthium utrumque extus ferrugineo-hittum. 



Affinis Natsiato (Ham.) ; affinior Cucurbitaceis, Zanoninis. An Enkylse sp. ? 



* Feuillea is described, (Endl. Gen. p. 934) as having the ovula erect, which 

 probably is an error. I 



t Compare with this Arnott's character of this sub-family, Lond. Joui : 

 Bot. 3, p. 272. 



% The structure of the ovarium and fruit of Zanonia still appears to be unknown. 

 While the ovula are distinctly parietal the placentae are produced inwards so as to 

 meet in the axis, resembling in a remarkable degree, the very young state of the 

 placentation of Coccinia. 



The fruit may be thus described. Capsula (clavata) uniloculars, infra apicem 

 annulata, apice piano valvis tribus demum inflexis dehiscens ; placentea 3 (trigonse,) 

 magna?, usque ad axin productge. Semina cujusque placeutse (fol. corpellarium 

 duorum) bina, pendula, etunicata, marginato-alata. 



Dr. Arnott, I believe, considers the wing of the seed to be of secondary im- 

 portance. But the common form of the margin of Cucurbitaceous seeds would 

 seem either to indicate the occurrence of no wing, or if any of two. In either case 

 Zanonia appears remarkable. 



I subjoin a character of the genus. 



Zanonia, Linn. — Flores dioici ; Masc. Sepala 3, Petala 3, Stamina 5, soluta, 

 antheris unilocularibus. Fee in. Perianthium maris. Ovarium (infer urn) unilocu- 



4 q 



