Natural Orders . ] APPENDIX. 579 
RESTIACEiE. The principal character distinguishing this family 
from Junceee and Cyperacese consists in its lenticular Embryo being placed 
at the extremity of the seed opposite to the umbilicus , tiom Juncese it 
also differs in the order of suppression of its stamina, which when reduced 
to three are opposite to the inner lacini® of the perianthium ; and most 
of its genera are distinguishable from both these orders as well as from 
Commelinese by their simple or unilocular anther®. 
With the exception of Eriocaulon, Tonina, and Xyris, the order 
appears to be confined to the Southern hemisphere. In Terra Australis 
its maximum is in the principal parallel, but it extends to the southern 
extremity of Van Diemen’s Island, where it is even in considerable abun- 
dance, and exists, though much more sparingly within the tropic. 
Res ti ace® are almost equally numerous at the Cape of Good Hope, 
as in the principal parallel of New Holland. One species only of the 
order has been observed in New Zealand, and hitherto none in South 
America. 
CYPERACEvE. In Terra Australis this is a very extensive order, 
consisting already of more than 200 species. It contains, however, fewer 
peculiarities in structure than several other orders that are much less nume- 
rous. Its maximum appears to be in the principal parallel ; but the species 
observed solely within the tropic exceed one-third of the whole num- 
ber. Cyperacese, in many respects, are nearly related to Restiace®, and 
when furnished with a true perianthium are distinguishable from the 
monospermous genera of that order, solely by the different position of the 
Embryo in the seed. But in the greater part of the order the Perianthium 
is either entirely wanting or merely setaceous. F uirena, Lepidosperma 
and Orcobolus, all of them natives of New Holland, are almost the only 
genera in which it is found of nearly the usual appearance. 
What I have formerly termed Perianthium in Carex, Diplacrum, and 
Schcenus nemorum, ought, perhaps, rather to be considered as internal 
lateral bracte®, analogous to those of Lepyrodia, of Iride®, and, perhaps, 
to the upper valve of the inner envelope of grasses. 
I have formerly remarked that the Perianthium of Ilypcelyptum 
