FLORICULTURAL NOTICES. 
163 
and arrive primarily at the outer portion or calyx. One of the greatest and most 
prominent distinctions of the orders in this system is the position of the calyx with 
regard to the ovarium or fruit. If it be situated on the top of the fruit, completely 
cohering thereto, it is said to be superior ; whereas, when placed below the ovary, 
and quite independent of it, the word inferior is applied. The apple, the hawthorn, 
and the quince, afford good instances of a superior calyx, which is, in all these, 
persistent, or, in other words, its apparent existence is coeval with that of the fruit. 
The Ranunculus, all plants which bear legumes or pods, and the bramble, exhibit a 
calyx which is always inferior. 
It is rare, indeed, that the genera belonging to certain orders ever manifest any 
deviation from the common character with regard to the preceding point. A few 
anomalous cases are on record, but they are too trifling to merit much consideration, 
and certainly cannot destroy or even weaken the importance of the feature under 
remark. 
Besides the above features, there are numerous others by which the calyx is 
made to assist materially in determining orders. Sometimes it is totally wanting, 
and when this occurs, the plant is invariably destitute of a corolla also. A large 
group of plants is isolated by this means. It exists, moreover, in some flowers 
which have no corolla, and thus becomes further useful in forming accurate 
distinctions. In other flowers, the calyx and corolla so strongly assimilate to each 
other, both being of the same colour, and occasionally of a like form, that they are 
not readily distinguished. It will be observed, however, that a portion of the seg- 
ments is constantly exterior to the remainder, and the former of these belong to 
the actual calyx. 
The outline of the calyx, as respects its division, is often serviceable to the 
botanist. It is either entire and of one sepal or leaf, or composed of a determinate 
or irregular number of them. Its aestivation, or the manner in which its sepals are 
placed during the infant state of the flower, is likewise particularly useful, as 
they frequently fold over each other in various ways, and open very peculiarly. 
Finally, the size of the sepals is alone sufficient to separate some orders, and 
a calyx is deemed regular or irregular according as its segments are disposed, 
or their shape and direction are similar or diversified. 
FLORICULTURAL NOTICES. 
NEW AND RARE PLANTS FIGURED IN THE LEADING BOTANICAL PERIODICALS FOR 
JULY. 
Brasav5la venosa. In some respects this fine species greatly assimilates to 
B. nodosa, but the flowers are said to be considerably larger, and the sepals of them 
more than two inches in length. " The lip is white, the other parts greenish. It 
is at once distinguished from B. nodosa, and all the allied species, by the firmness 
