46 Remarks on the fruit of the Natural Order Cucurhitacece. [July 



be slightly separated in the representation, to facilitate the demonstra- 

 tion. This, however, is I think even unnecessary, for with the clue to 

 the true structure, which this species furnishes, there can no longer be 

 any difficulty in understanding it from the examination of any genuine 

 species of the order.* 



Tsliat effect this new exposition of the structure of the ovarium may 

 have on the determinatior of the affinities of this order, I am, up to the 

 present time, quite unprepared to say : but of this I feel certain, that, in 

 so far as structure is concerned, they are as far removed from all their 

 now reputed allies, as their peculiar habit removes them from all the 

 parietose fiimilies, except Passijiorce, among which Bartling, Endlicher and 

 Lindley have placed them. This very unusual structure, in short, marks 

 them as a peculiar order, the affinities of which have still to be sought for. 



I am equally unprepared to say to what extent this unlooked-for 

 structure may influence our views in regard to other anomalous orders, 

 especially those with solitary carpels : since, having established the fact 

 that the usual structure may be inverted, it will naturally lead to new 

 investigations, which may prove, that the solitary carpels of Leguminosce 

 are not, as now supposed, necessarily the result of constant abortion of 

 one of two carpella, but may be explained on some other theory more 

 consonant with the, almost invariably observed, structure in that large 

 and interesting order ; which, like Cucurhitacpce, stands an isolated fami- 

 ly in the system of plants, through this one remarkable peculiarity, — 

 a peculiarity so constant, in this tribe, that it goes far to prove the exist- 

 ence of that botanical nonentity, a terminal leaf. But, being unpre- 

 pared to offer any matured opinions on these points, I forbear further 

 speculation, and shall at once proceed with the conspectus ; trusting, 

 however, ere long, to be able to re-enter more at large on the consider- 

 ation of this interesting enquiry. 



The subjoined remarks, I copy from the article Cucurhitacecc in my 

 forthcoming Number of the Illustrations of Indian Botany. 



" The following explanatory extracts from the letter which accompanied 

 the Conspectus, may not inappropriately be introduced. 



" ' I have lately been revising our East Indian CucurMtacece, in conse- 

 quence of Schrader's paper in the Linnsea, vol. 12. At first I was in- 

 clined to consider it worse than useless to subdivide old genera, especi- 



* After this paper was in the printet's hands it was suggested that some ilhistrations 

 were desirable to render the verbal description more easily understood. The accom- 

 panying figures representing the three difierent forms of ovaries— 1- celled with parietal 

 placeutae; several celled with central placeatse ; and aPeponida; were therefore prepared. 



