246 PHANEROGAMIA. 



The ripe fruit and seeds are still wanting to the full illustration of 

 this remarkable plant. Until the latter are known, the affinity of the 

 genus cannot be positively made out. Mr. Bentham thought it allied 

 to Ixionantlies of Jack, itself a genus of very obscure affinities ; but, 

 having subsequently examined specimens of the latter, he no longer 

 recognises the relationship. Mr. Rich, the Botanist of the Expe- 

 dition, in a note annexed to the specimens, suggests its relationship 

 with Canella (another genus of doubtful place), guided probably by 

 some similarity in sensible properties, and by the number and union 

 of the stamens. There may be, indeed, a real, although not imme- 

 diate, affinity between these two genera, notwithstanding the ex- 

 trorsely adnate anthers and the very different ovules of Canella. I 

 suspect, however, that Vavwa is scarcely to be separated from the 

 Meliaceai, from which its floral characters differ only in the stamens 

 being (at least for the most part) above twice the number of the 

 petals, and in the lesser union of their filaments. In the leaves of 

 Quivisia, if I mistake not, traces of similar dots in the leaves may be 

 discerned. 



The specimen which I find figured (to which I have merely caused 

 new and full details to be added), represents a form of the plant with 

 larger leaves and stouter branchlets than that described by Mr. 

 Bentham. Other specimens of the present collection have slender 

 branchlets, and smaller leaves (only two or three inches in length), 

 with a little sparse pubescence remaining on their lower surface ; but 

 there seems to be no specific difference between them. In both forms 

 the sepals and petals vary from four to seven. 



Plate 16, B. — Vav^ia Amicortjm : flowering branch of a large- 

 leaved form, of the natural size. Fig. 1. Diagram of a (pentamerous) 

 flower. 2. An expanded (pentamerous) flower. 3. Pistil, with the 

 andrcecium laid open and displayed. 4. A stamen, seen from within. 

 5. Exterior view of the same. 6. Vertical section of a flower, dividing 

 the ovary, and displaying the ovules, &c. 7. Unripe fruit, with the 

 persistent calyx. 8. Transverse section of the same. — The analyses 

 variously magnified. 



