130 



PLATYSTEMON LEIOCA.RPUM. 



presented to the Birmingham Botanical and Horticultural Society, in which 

 establishment it grows luxuriantly and flowers abundantly, covering a space of at 

 least from three to four feet in circumference,, and when in perfection is certainly 

 a most delightful annual ; but not more so than P. Californicum, which is culti- 

 vated near to it, and equally luxuriant. They appear both to ripen seeds freely. 

 We have not been informed in what country the seeds were collected. 



The genus Platystemon is exceedingly interesting, and singular in bearing 

 strong affinity to two distinct natural orders, Ranunculacece and Papaveracece. It 

 approaches Ranunculacece in its distinct carpels, but differs in having a deciduous 

 calyx and oily albuminous seeds, in which respects it agrees with Papaveracece ; 

 while in the structure of its anthers and the carpels (which are articulated) it is 

 very similar to those of the genus Hyper coum. 



Indeed botanists consider it a connecting link between the two natural orders, 

 and the different generic alliances have been arranged by Dr. Lindley in the 

 Botanical Register, p. 1781, taking the genus Papaver as the type, until they 

 pass gradually into the order Ranunculacece, which they do in the following 

 manner : — Papaver — Meconopsis — Glaucium — Eschscholtzia Hypercoum — Platy- 

 stemon— Trollius. We are not aware of any more being discovered except the 

 two above mentioned, which are probably confined either to the northern parts 

 of America, or to the northern parts of Europe. 



Fig. 1, stamen ; 2, germs and stigmas. 



The generic name is from irXarvs broad, and orr^wz' a stamen ; in allusion to 

 the great breadth of the filament. 



