AFFINITIES OF RIIIZANTHS. 



495 



dogenous than of Exogenous growth. This same genus I consider 

 in both these characters to allude to some analogy with one or more 

 Acrogenous divisions. 



The establishment of the order of Rhizanths, as well as that of 

 Gymnosperms, I consider as a retrograde step in Botanical science. 

 It is totally opposed to all sound principles of classification, and is a 

 proof that, in the nineteenth century, arbitrary characters are still 

 sought for, and when found are obstinately maintained. 



Even in the arbitrary character, which is considered as destructive 

 of all their other claims to ordinary vegetable rank, there is no unison 

 whatever, for Rafflesiaceae have ordinary ovula, while Sarcocoidalis 

 very extraordinary. 



The amount of testimony proving their analogy in germination to 

 be with Acrogens, must be very strong before I am convinced that 

 plants with perfect ovula as Rafflesia, etc. germinate from an indeter- 

 minate point, the existence of an aperture in the coats, points in the 

 most marked manner to some part representing a radicle. With the 

 exception perhaps of Sarcocoidalis, these plants differ in no respect 

 whatever from other Phamogamous vegetables ; we have instances 

 of the same parasitical growth, and instances of the same apparent 

 want of a radicle or homogeneousness of embryo, and in the struc- 

 ture of the parts of the flower there is tolerably absolute general 

 identity. 



It may be worthy of remark, as tending to prove the soundness of 

 Mr. Brown's views with regard to the affinity of Rafflesia with Aris- 

 tolochia, that a certain large and fleshy flowered species of the latter 

 genus has the same putrescent smelling flowers. 



In Rhizanthese, as proposed by Endlicher, we have an assemblage 

 of discordant characters ; we have plants associated, differing in the 

 number of their parts ; we have some of comparatively simple roots 

 associated with others of decidedly complex organization ; we have 

 Rafflesia in which highly complex female parts exist, associated with 

 Sarcocoidalis, in which these are very simple. But besides the 

 objection of combining discrepancies on the strength of one agree- 

 ment, the establishment of divisions upon such pretexts is objection- 

 able in another point of view ; viz., that of making a transition of 

 structure on one point, instead of in several. 



We might as well form into one division all the ternarily formed 

 Dicotyledons, and into another all those Monocotyledonous plants 

 with evident distinction between the calyx and corolla. 



