198 Neilgherry Plants, 



courtianeae) which many Botanists consider quite distinct, but 

 which others combine to form one large one. The prepon- 

 derance of opinion is on the side of those who keep them dis- 

 tinct, but they, on the other hand, differ among themselves as 

 to the genera that should be respectively referred to each, a 

 fact which seems to indicate a degree of affinity quite consistent 

 with their union and re-division into sub-orders, the course 

 which Professor Endlicher has adopted in his Genera Plan- 

 tarum. Mr. Bennett (Plantse Javanicae Rarioris) has in a 

 long and very elaborate article, under Phoboros rhinanthera, 

 undertaken to throw more light on the subject, and to recon- 

 cile the differences existing among Botanical writers on these 

 two families : but after a copious adduction of evidence on all 

 sides, has forgot to sum up, and, consequently, has left the 

 question involved in about as great darkness as when he com- 

 menced. I learn however from a careful perusal of that arti- 

 cle — 1st, That Mr. Brown coincides with Dr. Blume in 

 considering the genus Hydnocarpus as forming the type of a 

 new order, to which the latter Botanist has given the name 

 Pangiacea, derived from Pangium an old generic name of Rum- 

 phius. — 2nd. That he agrees in opinion with those Botanists 

 who think the two families ought to be combined, a view in 

 which I can scarcely coincide, on his own showing, as he 

 states the ovary of Flacourtia has several cells, with central 

 ovules, while those of all the other genera have one-celled 

 ovaries and parietal ovules, as in the accompanying figure. 

 For this reason I conceive the order Flacourtianece should be 

 retained, even though limited to the single genus Flacourtia. 

 But supposing this difficulty got over by finding the partitions 

 more or less inconstant, I cannot help thinking the associa- 

 tion of numerous plants having dry dehiscing capsules with 

 others equally numerous having indehiscent baccate fruit, one 

 that ought, when possible, to be avoided. 



