Podostemaceae. 175 



To the detailed descriptions of all the species of Podoste- 

 macece, which have as yet been found in India, I shall add 

 characters of the order, and of the two Indian genera, in 

 accordance with the views which I have taken of the struc- 

 ture of these plants. In the genus Podostemon, I find that 

 the bracts or scales which surround the base of the spathe, 

 afford excellent specific characters. 



PODOSTEMACEiE. Lind. 

 Dapsilophytum, Necker Element. Bot. 2. p. 245. — Podos- 

 temonejE, Richard in Humb. et Bonp. N. G. 1. p. 246; 

 Martins N. G. I. p. 6 ; Bartling Ord. Nat. p. 72 ; Arnott 

 in the Ency. Brit. p. 137; Endl. Gen. Plant, p. 268; 

 Meisner Fas. Gen. p. 122 (88). — Podostemace^e, Lindl. 

 Introd. ed. 2. p. 190. — Philocrenace^e, Bongard in Mem. 

 Ac. Imp. Pet. 6. Ser. 3. p. 72. 



Char. Perigonium nullum vel triphyllum, foliolis dis- 

 tinctis, concaviusculis, membranaceis, imbricatis. Stamen 

 unicum, duo vel indefinita, hypogyna : filamenta libera, vel 

 basi inter se cohaerentia, rarius in tubum coalita, com- 

 pressa, acuta, nonnulla saepius ananthera : antheroe introrsae, 



peppers (Elatinacece,) whose manner of life is in some respects similar. In fact, 

 upon comparing the two orders, we find that they are otherwise much alike, 

 except that the Podostemads are more incompletely formed in the floral en- 

 velopes, and seem to want the capitate stigmas of that order. Both have 2-celled 

 anthers bursting inwards longitudinally, and a separable placenta bearing numer- 

 ous anatropal seeds. It seems, therefore, probable that Podostemads stand in the 

 same relation to water peppers ( Elatinacece ) , as Hippurads to Onagrads, and 

 Lemnads to Arads." The following is the tabular view which he gives of the 

 relations of the order. 



Haloragea. 



Elatinaceae, — Podostemace^:, — Piperaceee. 



Marchantiacece. 



The affinity traced between Podostemacece and Elatinacece is a very natural 



one, the two orders agreeing so well, particularly in their Carpologicai characters. 



A link in this direction was much wanted to connect the order with the more 



highly developed Exogens. From the above tabular view it will be seen, that 



2 A 



