Mr Don 
on the Natural Family 
3-celled, S^vaived capsule, with septiferous valves, seeds nume- 
rous or definite, attached to a 3-sided central placenta, covered 
bj a thin mucilaginous integument, and furnished with a fleshy 
albumen ; and, lastly, by a straight embryo, with somewhat fo- 
liaceous, orbicular or oval cotyledons, frequently longer than the 
straight, thickest inferior and obtuse radicle. The order most 
nearly allied to it is Conml’nulacetE^ which, however, is readily 
distinguished from it, by having a simple or double stigma ; by 
the septa, instead of proceeding from the centre of the valves of 
the capsule, being directed to their margins ; and the seeds, ha- 
ving no central placenta, being attached to the bottom of the cells. 
'I he seeds are very different, being covered by a thin, very fra- 
gile, mucilaginous albumen ; with a curved embryo, having 
large, foliaceous, plaited and wrinkled, emarginate cotyledons. 
The Polemoniace^E^ through the genus Cantua, has some afli- 
mty, likewise, with the Bignoniacece ; but this order has an ir- 
regular corolla, a bilamellate stigma, a very different capsule ; 
transverse seeds, destitute of albumen ; and, lastly, a foliaceous 
embryo, with a curved radicle. Externally, the Plumbagmece 
have some resemblance to the Polemoniacea, chiefly through the 
genera Phlox and Plumbago; but the former order has four or 
five stigmas, with a single-seeded ovarium attached to the bottom 
of the calyx. The figure of its embryo corresponds exactly with 
that of the PolemoniacecE; but it is inverted, and surrounded by 
a very white farinaceous albumen. Professor Link {FI. Portu- 
gaise) has separated Statice and Armeria from Plumbaginere^ 
to constitute a new order, which he has named Staticlnjce. In 
this he has been followed by De Candolle and others; but, as- 
suredly, there seems no good reason for such a division : both 
agreeing exactly in the structure of their seeds and embryo. It 
is true the Staticm^E^ have 5 separate styles, and a 5-petalled co- 
rolla ; but this last character is not always constant, for there are 
some species of Statice with monopetalous corollas. The inser- 
tion of stamens, which in Plumbago is hypogynous, and epipe^- 
talous in Statice^ is, perhaps, of less importance than is generah 
ly admitted ; for in most cases of epipetalous insertion (as it is 
erroneously termed), we can trace the filaments to the base of 
rthe corolla ; they are in feet only united to the petals. 
^The order Polemoniavew consists of six very natural genera. 
