436 



Scientific Intelligence, 



Arachis, the change from the one to the other. The moment the style 

 breaks off, the lower fragment curves back, and forms at the end of it 

 what I always took for a thickened stigmatic surface ; but it is a mere 

 callosity which, when examined under the microscope, shows no stigmatic 

 papillae. Loth as I am to be convinced of so gross an error, I must beg 

 of you to do amende honorable for me to Mr. Neisler in any way you may 

 think proper." — We are still inclined to think, but without a fresh exam- 

 ination, that the more fruitful flowers of Stylosanthes and Lespedeza, 

 although similar to the others in structure, are commonly precociously 

 fertilized in the bud, as they are in Impatiens and many other plants, in 

 which, however, the fully-developed blossoms also become fruitful under 

 favorable conditions. a. g. 



5. Martins, Flora Brasiliensis ; fasc. 16 and 17, 1856. — This imperial 

 Flora is now carried on with such spirit that this new and large part (of 

 two fasciculi combined) follows hard upon the last. The present part is 

 mostly the work of Prof. Miquel, of Amsterdam. It comprises first the 

 Primulacecz. These are insignificant both in number and interest in the 

 Brazilian flora, consisting merely of Pelletiera (which Miquel suspects may 

 be a lusus of Asterolinon), four species of Anagallis (most of them intro- 

 duced, no "doubt), two of Centunculus (one of which, like our N. Ameri- 

 can plant, is identified with the European C. minimus), and six species 

 of Samolus, among them both S. Valerandi, of Europe, and S. floribun- 

 dus. 2. The Myrsinece ; to which we are pleased to see Miquel reunites 

 both the Theophrastece and the jEgicerece, and suggests that all might as 

 well be referred as suborders to the Primulacece. It is more convenient 

 to retain the two groups as orders, but it should be kept in mind that they 

 are based on convenience and general habit, and not upon any important 

 ordinal characters. The Myrsinece of Brazil here embrace 56 species, 

 about one-fifth or one-fourth of the known species of the group. 3. The 

 Ebenaceoe ; consisting of 4 species of Diospyros, and 3 of Macreightia. 

 4. The Symplocacece, admitted as an order of a single genus ; but no 

 character is mentioned in the diagnosis which definitely distinguishes it 

 from the Styracaceae, and some Brazilian species are noticed with even 

 as few as five stamens. — Von Martius himself has illustrated three remark- 

 able genera incertce, sedis, namely, Diclidanthera and Moutabea, which 

 he develops the affinities of with great acuteness, and regards as a mono- 

 petalous, regular, and generally 5-carpellary form of Polygalacew ; and 

 Hornschuchia, which, with all its anomalies, he refers to the Lardizabalece. 

 The present part is illustrated by 50 plates, besides two Tabular Physiog- 

 nomical. A. G. 



6. L. R. Tulasne : Monographia Monimiacearum. Paris, 1855, pp. 

 163, tab. 10. — An admirable memoir, contributed to the Archives de 

 Museum <f Histoire JVaturelle, vol. 8, illustrating a small family of plants, 

 long of obscure affinity. These had for the most part been approximated 

 to the Laurinece and Urticaceae : with the latter they have nothing in 

 common ; with the former only a similarity in sensible properties, and 

 occasionally in the structure of the anther. It is now clear that the 

 relationship of the family is with polypetalous apocarpous orders ; and 

 that it is to be associated either with Calycanthacea?, or with the group 

 of orders of which Magnoliaceos may be assumed as the leading type. 



