2S6 



On some remarkable Plants in the 



as the majority of Botanists appear to do, among Thyme- 

 leae : and if its obvious affinity with Leptonium* and of 



squamcB hypogynae totidem alternantes. Ovulum 1, nucleare, pendulum e 

 placenta central! libera. Embryo inversus in axi albuminis carnosi. 

 Flores spicati, solitarii in axillis bractearum. 



Frutices scandentes. Folia alterna, omto-acuminata. Drupa perian- 

 thio basi stipata. Cotyledones ( saltern in planta malaccensi ) ternce ! 



C. zyziphifolia, pubescens, foliis ovatis breviter^ acuminatis, drupis 

 globosis. 



Hob. Malacca. 



Mr. Bentliam(i) refers this genus to Olacinese, describing it as having 

 a minute calyx ; it forms with Opilia his second group Opiliese. 



The third group Icacineae, in which Mr. Bentham, I believe correctly, 

 includes Gomphandra, (which will have, probably, to give way to Stemo- 

 nurus Blume,) cannot in my opinion be admitted into Olacinese, owing 

 among other things to the very different position and structure of their 

 ovula, the apex of the nucleus of which corresponds in direction with the 

 radicle of the embryo, exhibiting an instance of " embryo orthotropus, 

 radicula supera." On the want of correspondence in direction between 

 the apex of the nucleus and the radicle of the embryo in Santalacese, 

 and the group to which I have alluded in this communication, and on 

 the extraordinary modifications in which it results, at least in Santalum, 

 Osyris and Thesium, I am disposed to attach great importance. 



Of the family Olacinese I have an undescribed genus, (No. 366, 

 849a Herb. Mergui,) very remarkable for the albumen being divided 

 into a number of lobes, between which dips the very fine integument, 

 which is as remarkable an instance as any hitherto recorded, of the 

 presence of spiral cells and vessels. 



Mr. Bentham attributes to Olacinese a simple pistillum, but to me it 

 appears as compound, as I take it to be in Santalacese. So that it may 

 be said that the ovarium of Olax, as well as that of Schaepfia among 

 Santalacese, has partial true rather than partial spurious septa. 



I have only to add that I came to the conclusion regarding the 

 ovulum of Cansiera and Leptonium, and the affinity of Opilia, before I 

 had the advantage of seeing Mr. Bentham's paper. 



* Leptonium. — PeriantUum mc^oloXum, (oestivatione valvatum). Sta- 

 mina 4, perianthii laciniis opposita. Squamee hypogynae 0. Ovulum 1, 

 nucleare, pendulum e placenta centrali libera. Embryo inversus in axi^ 

 albuminis carnosi. Flores racemosi, terni in axilla bracteae cujusque. 



(1) Linn. Trans. 18. pt. iv. p. 679. 



