CHAP. I. 
GENERIC AND SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
511 
Tubus calyce brevier; Limbus 4-partitus, inaequalis, lobis 
indivisis. Stamina *2, antherifera, sterilia nulla. Capsula 
valvis medio septiferis v. bipartibilis. — ; — Herbae v, Fru- 
tices. Folia opposita, quandoque verticillata, v. alterna, scEpe 
dentata v, incisa, Inflorescentia varia. Calyces ebracteati. 
“ § 1. Capsida bipartibilis. 
“1. V. formosa, fruticosa, foliis perennantibus decussatis 
lanceolatis integerrirnis glaberrimis basi acutis, ramis bifariam 
pilosiusculis, corymbis axillaribus paucifloris.” [Prodr. 434.) 
In these characters it is difficult to say which is most to be 
admired, the skill with which every thing superfluous is re- 
trenched, or the ingenuity with which every thing essential 
is introduced. Nothing that is general to the order is intro- 
duced into the generic character; and nothing that the generic 
character comprehends is discoverable in the specific. By 
making the peculiarity of Capsula bipartibilis the distinction 
of a section, the necessity of introducing that circumstance 
into the specific characters of any of the species compre- 
hended in the section is avoided. 
Compare with this the following generic and specific cha- 
racters taken from Labillardiere’s Sertum Austro- Caledoni- 
cum : — 
“ Microsemma ; a genus of Ternstrbmiaceae (?). Calyx 
5-phyllus, rare 6-phyllus, persistens, foliolis tribus interioribus. 
Coronula petaloidea, petalis 10 — 12 distinctis. Stamina 
numerosa (30 circiter), hypogina, filamentis inter se basi 
subconnatis, antheris bilocularibus reniformibus. Germen 
globulosum, superum, stylo simplici, stigmate 5-6-fido. Cap- 
sula ovata, 10 — 1 2-locularis, valvis medio septiferis, 10 — 12- 
valvis. Semina solitaria, in summo valvularum intus affixa, 
perispermo carnoso, radiculd supera.” (p. 58.) 
Upon this character it may be observed, that the calyx is 
described awkwardly, and at a greater expense of words than 
is necessary: if he had said, calyx 5-6-phyllus imbricatus, 
the same idea would have been expressed : rare should be 
rar^ In the next place, “ coronula petaloidea” is a bad 
term, conveying no precise notion of the organ it is intended 
