A NEW GENUS OF THE HAMAMELIDEJj:. 



101 



solitarium, omnium extimum infimumqiie, pendulum (appensum), parieti 

 loculi approximatum, extus convexiusculum, intus pressione angulatum, 

 marginato-alatum, ab interiore latere visum aurem liumanam apprime 

 referens, ambitu irregulariter ovatum, brunneum, ala lutescente. Rapheos 

 situs linea angulis caeteris saturatius brunneA indicatus. Clialaza incon- 

 spicua. Foramen superum, inconspicuum ob partium approximationem, 

 oblique et interne situm, sequilaterale. Tegumentum duplex ; exterius e 

 membrana duplicata, tenuissima, decolorata, plicatura fibras plurimas, 

 elongatas, lutescentes, longitudine variabiles fovente, margine fibris orbato 

 sub lente pulchre crenato ; inlerius tenue, celluloso-membranaceum, brunne- 

 um, albumen arete vestiens, supra in collum productum breve, pressione 

 complanatum, concolor, inter alse fissuram foramen constituentem inclusum 

 et nullo modo exsertum. Albumen parcum, carnosum, album. Embryo 

 inversus, axilis, albus, longitudine et latitudine fere albuminis. Radicula 

 supera, cylindraceo-conica, cotyledonibus fere triplo brevior, basin colli 

 membranse interioris fere attingens. Cotyledones faciebus seminis parallelse, 

 planae, foliacese, ovales, venosse, venis vix prominulis. Plumula inconspicua. 



Obs. 1. These genera are nearly allied, although they differ impor- 

 tantly in habit, gemmation and stipulation, in the number of flowers entering 

 into the composition of the capitula, in the dehiscence of the anthers, (so 

 far at least as may be judged from the examination of the antheriform 

 bodies of Sedgwickia) and in that of the capsules, in the number of abortive 

 and perfect seeds and in the structure of their integuments. 



2. Both agree remarkably with Fothergilla in the structure of the 

 calyx, ovarium, styles and stigmata, and Sedgwickia would appear to have 

 an additional and very important resemblance in the dehiscence of its 

 anthers. 



3. They both likewise agree in a very important character, and one 

 which has hitherto been considered as peculiar to naked-seeded orders. I 

 allude to the punctuations, which are probably confined to the fibrous 



2 A 



