xlviii 



LETTERS OF WILLIAM GRIFFITH. 



ashamed of characterising genera from organs, of whose structure 

 they know nothing. They all confound indusium, and involucrum. 

 Now in ferns I would call involucrum those marginal ones, which 

 are nothing but a continuation of the margins themselves; and In- 

 dusium I would limit to the coverings of the sori, formed by a sup- 

 posed (mind that) separation, or forcing up of the cutis. Neither 

 exists in Salvinia. but Azolla has an involucrum derived from the 

 membranous lobe of the leaf. A propos of Calami ; specimens to 

 be perfect, ought to consist of a sheath, and its corresponding part of 

 the stem, the naked lower part of the petiole, a bit of the leaf 

 about the middle and the apex : then come entire spadices, male 

 and female, etc., they can be tied up in bundles, and wrapt in gunny. 

 Jenkins in this way sends me magnificent specimens. I am putting 

 out an assortment of some for you, of such as I have duplicates of, 

 I see the leaves are of little use. 



Jenkins has just sent me a Vanillaceous plant, a Cyrtosia or Ery- 

 throrchis from Assam, a genuine straits form: leafless, and appa- 

 rently parasitical ! The Assam Cycas, of which he has repeatedly 

 sent specimens, is an undescribed species. What difficult things they 

 are? the only characters I as yet see, are derivable from the shape of 

 *the carpel leaves. I have now five species, G. circinalis, C.sphae- 

 rica, C.revoluta C.assamica, and the Pakoo Galowe of Malacca, 

 which appears to be a fine species. I am now at work on them. 



I come out soon with a paper on underscribed plants from the 

 neighbourhood of the Botanic Garden. Lately from the Sunderbunds, 

 I have a Spiranthes, a Cynanchum, a new Sterculiaceous genus, also 

 obtained at Malacca, an Euphorbia etc. Then I have some six Eri- 

 ocaulons, four or five Naiades. Lemnacese, one new genus. I will say 

 hereafter what I think about the Araaranthus you sent, but I know 

 nothing of the family, I shall have to go through it when I come 

 to the Affghan Amaranthaceae. The plants you sent will then be 

 most valuable : there is nothing I am in such want of as authentic 

 specimens, as I detest depending upon books. 



Bat. Garden April 20, 1844. 



Not having yet received the Cardamoms, perhaps you will ask 

 Mr. ConmoUy, to pack some roots in dry sand or mould, or moss, 



