BBRBERIDACEiE. 219 



2. VANCOUVERIA, Morr. & Decaisne. 



1. Vancouveria hexandra, Morr. & Decaisne. 



Hab. Fertile woods about Puget Sound. — Fruit dehiscing, not by 

 the sutures, but by a vertical separation of the dorsal from the ventral 

 portion (as in Diamorpha), forming (from the gibbosity of the fruit) 

 two unequal valves which are revolute and persistent. In the only 

 unopened capsule there was but a single perfect seed, and eight abor- 

 tive ones. Raphe inflated and arilliform. 



3. A C H L Y S, DC 



1. ACHLYS TRIPHYLLA, DC. 



Hab. Fertile woods, Puget Sound, and Umpqua Mountains in Ore- 

 gon. [The dehiscence of the carpel in this plant, otherwise well 

 figured by Hooker, Fl. Bor.-Am. 1. 12, is also anomalous. It is neither 

 "bivalvatim dehiscens," nor really dehiscent at all. The whole dorsal 

 portion is almost cartilaginous ; the ventral portion is thin, membra- 

 naceous, and strongly concave or cupped, with a fleshy central ridge, 

 which when soaked, and probably in the fresh state, swells up very 

 much and fills the cavity. This pulpy portion might be likened to 

 the thickened placenta of Podophyllum, but it does not bear the seed. 

 That rises from the very base of the cell. Vide Proceed. Am. Acad. 

 8, p. 376.] 



