Notes on Indian Botany. 165 



a different view of their affinities, and by more closely ad- 

 hering to the technical characters of the system, has, while 

 retaining the Ericaceae in his Hypogynous sub-class, removed 

 Vacciniaceae to the Perigynous one, an alteration which has 

 the effect of interposing 300 pages of his work between two 

 families, which other botanists consider nearly inseparable, 

 on the ground that no character can be given for their 

 separation except the free or adherent ovarium ; the habit 

 of many of the species being the same in both. In making 

 this change he remarks : " It is usual to station these plants 

 (Vacciniaceae) with Heathwort's (Ericaceae,) to which they 

 bear much resemblance, and of which they are no doubt repre- 

 sentatives in the Epigynous sub-class. They are however to 

 all appearance clcsely allied to Cinchonads (Rubiaceae) in 

 their monopetalous flowers, inferior ovary, and albuminous 

 seed. * * * Upon the whole, Cranberries may be consider- 

 ed as an order standing on the borders of the Epigynous 

 and Hypogynous sub-classes, and of the Cinchonal and 

 Grossal Alliances." 



On the principle strongly insisted upon by~ Zoologists, 

 that each division of the animal kingdom should find repre- 

 sentatives in all the other divisions : the station assigned 

 by Dr. Lindley to this order seems at first sight the more 

 correct of the two, as Vacciniaceae assuredly present in 

 their adherent ovary one rather strong point of relation- 

 ship with cinchonal alliance. But on the other hand, its 

 affinity with the erical alliance is indicated by several of 

 equal or even greater strength, such as the exact similarity 

 of the flowers, the remarkable structure of the anthers, the 

 alternate exstipulate leaves, and the habit generally. These 

 two families being attached by so many points of relation- 

 ship that their separation on account of one only, cannot but 

 be viewed as the first step towards breaking down a very 

 natural alliance hitherto preserved intact, by the almost 

 unanimous verdict of Botanists, all of whom appear to esteem 



