1840.] as a distinct Natural Order from Mijrtacecs. 



257 



nent variety of the apple is described, which is exactly to Pome(E 

 what Punica is to Myrtaceoe. This plant has regularly 14 styles and 

 14 cells, arranged in two horizontal parallel planes, namely, 5 in the 

 middle, and 9 on the outside, smaller and nearer the top ; a circumstance 

 which is evidently to be explained by the presence of an outer series 

 of carpella, and not upon the extravagant hypothesis of M, Tiilette de 

 Clermont, who fancies that it is due to the cohesion of 3 flowers." Lindley 

 (l.c) 



** To the Myrtese we, with Mr. Lindley, unite the Granateae, because 

 Pumca or the pomegranate only differs by having its two verticels of 

 carpels developed instead of one, and perhaps in a truly wild state the 

 upper or adventitious one may occasionally disappear. The inner series 

 (or those at the bottom of the fruit) have their placentae in the axis ; 

 but the outer series, forced to the top of the fruit by the contraction of 

 the mouth of the tube of the calyx, having their placentae in the ovary 

 at the back of the inner carpels, exhibit them in the ripe fruit in a 

 horizontal position on the upper surface of the lower cells." Arnott (l.c.) 

 et Prod. Fl. Peninsulae, 1, page 327. 



Premising that the whole controversy turns on these questions, —1st 

 what is the true structure of a pomegranate ? and 2d, whether the dif- 

 ference between it and Myrtus is sufficient to separate these genera as 

 distinct orders ? — I shall now proceed to examine these conflicting 

 statements, and endeavour to ascertain on which side the balance pre- 

 ponderates, and whether, indeed, there is not room for an explanation 

 different from any of those yet proposed. 



Mr. Don's description of this fruit, on the strength of which he first 

 proposed to remove this genus from Myrtaceae, the order with which 

 it was previously associated, as a distinct family, appears to me most un- 

 philosophical and altogether untenable. He, as I understand, considers 

 the fruit a one-celled receptacle, the centre of which is filled with a 

 spongy placenta, round the surface of which there are a number of irregu- 

 lar cells occupied by clusters of ovules, but he does not tell us how the 

 central placenta got there, neither does he account for the ovules being 

 attached to the parietes of the cell, and not to the central placenta. 

 His whole description in fact proves that it had been drawn up from 

 inadequate examination, and that he, at the very time he is accusing all 

 authors of overlooking the real structure of the fruit, totally misappre* 

 hends it himself, as we shall by and by see. 



DeCandolle gives a more correct description of it when he saya, that 

 it consists of two chambers, the under 3-celled, the upper from 5 to 9- 



