bn TWO SPECIES OP GENUS STAUNTONIA IN ASSAMo 
male flowers, with a variable number of sta- 
mina, but never greater than three, and usu- 
ally, think, two. Tliat such is the structure 
of this portion is proved by the presence of 
bractea, similar to those of the lower portion, 
interspersed among the stamina. Dr. Wal- 
LicH says, in Flora Indica, I. 362 — “ In the 
numerous spadices which I have examined, I 
have with Father LounEtno invariably found 
three staminas, and as many styles attached 
to each ovarium ; the former above the base, 
the latter at the apex of its angles. I have 
not, therefore, hesitated continuing this most 
interesting plant in the very class and order 
where it has been placed in the Flora of Co- 
chinchina. As there is no reason for consider- 
ing it at all different from the original Javan 
plant, I am at a loss to account for the diffi- 
culty which the celebrated Chevalier Thun“ 
BERG experienced in determining its station 
In tlie sexual system ; nor can there be at 
present any doubt of its neither belonging 
to Heptandria, Polyandiia, or Monaecia.” 
Thunberg was, however, so far as I can see, 
right ; for he paid, in ail probability, exciu* 
sive attention to the composition of the termi- 
nal flower, on which, in certain cases, the 
Linnaean rules lay much stress. Taking this 
into consideration, Houttuynia may be refer- 
red to Heptandria, Polyandiia, or Monaecia ; 
most correctly to the latter, and least correct- 
ly to Polyandria. But as, — so far at least as 
regards the Linnaean system,— the most obvi- 
ous characters are the best, it is advisable to 
keep the plants still in Triandria Trigynia. 
The structure of the seed has been likewise 
totally mistaken. In the Flora Indica, loc. 
cit* the embryo is placed at the wrong end of 
the albumen, and is mistaken for the embryo- 
nary sac- The real embryo is a much more 
minute organ contained in this, “ the vitellus,” 
or membrane of the amnios of Mr. Brown- 
Dp. Hooker describes Dr. Wallich’s ac- 
count as most correct ; but he does not define 
the situation of the embryo otherwise than by 
saying that it is situated at one end of the seed- 
Lastly, the plant does not belong to Aroi- 
de» nor even to Monocotyledones. Not- 
withstanding the apparent solidity of true em- 
bryo, yet the more important nature of the 
structure of the stem is sufficient to pointout 
that it is Decotyledonous, or rather Exoge- 
nous ; and among these, its true place is, be- 
yond doubt, Saurureae. 
Of Thymele(B one species only occurs, 
which is apparently referrible to no publish- 
ed species of the order. To this I have at- 
tached the MSS. name of JENKINSIA.in 
compliment to Captain F. Jenkins, Agent to 
the Governor General on the North-East 
Frontier, to whom Botany, among other 
sciences, is considerably indebted- 
Of Menispermetn the majority are interest- 
ing. Cissampeios is the only genus with 
which I am acquainted, in which the ventral 
suture of the ovarium is anticous, or not next 
the axis. 1 am not certain whether the most 
correct way of understanding thecuriousstruc- 
ture of the female flowers is not to assume the 
aggregation of four flowers, which, in the only 
species I have examined, appears constant. 
as a coin plete quaternary divisionof one only. 
It remains to be ascertained whether the sin- 
gular reversion of the situation of the ventral 
suture is more uncommon in aggregate than 
in solitary carpella. 
Of the genus Stanntonia, Assam has two 
species, but only one is contained in my col- 
lection. The anomalous structure of the fruit 
has no doubt been explained by Dr. VVal- 
LiCH in his Tentamen Florae Nipalensis, in 
vyhich it is published under the name Holbbl- 
lia. but w hich I am at present unable to con- 
sult. I find that the placentaiion of this genus 
is similar to that of Flacourtianeae, with which 
order 1 am not acquainted, and to that of 
Rutonneae ; and hence the anomalous situa- 
tion of the seeds. At the peiiod of expansion 
of the flower, the ovula are much less deve- 
loped than is almost universally the case : they 
present indeed the appearance of ovula at the 
earliest stages of development. I refer to this 
order a plant with long racemes of ternarily 
aggregate fruits, notwithstanding that it has 
milky juice, and that the Cotyledons are large, 
foliaceous, and obliquely situated with regard 
to each other. 
Among the CyrthandraceasL species occuTSf 
(Chiiiaridra obovata, mihi,) remarkable for 
the structure of its mature anthers. These 
dehisce in a labiate and incompletely bivalvu- 
lar manner, the lower and smaller valve being 
alone half reflexed. This valve is compound, 
and due to the mutual adhesion of tlie origi- 
nally distinct inner locellus of each loculus. 
To this formation I have adverted in a short 
memoir on Rlilzophoreaj, published in the 
Transactions of the Medical and Physical 
Society of Calcutta, although 1 was at the 
time ignorant of the existence of an example. 
Assam contains another interesting species of 
this family : this, which is remarkable for its 
pentangular petaloid calyx, and the“dehis« 
centia circumcisa,” of its fruit, in which it 
approaches to Aikinia of Mr, Brown, I 
propose calling Cyananthus. 
Scrophularianece aflTord one new genus, 
(Synphyllium torenioides, mihi,) an account 
of which will appear in the Journal of the 
Madras Literary Society, edited by my friend 
Mr. Cole. 
AsclepiaHex contain some interesting spe» 
cies, of which one constitutes probably a new 
genus, unless, indeed, it is referrible to Dr. 
Wight’s Heterostemma, from which it would 
appear to differ in the valvular aestivation of 
the corolla. This species is remarkable for 
the aliform processes running along the larger 
veins of the under surface of the leaves. 
To this order, or to jiApocynese, is to be re- 
ferred a remarkable plant, distinguished by 
the numerous longitudinal foliaceous alae of 
its follicles, and, I speak from memory, its 
serrated leaves. This plant, which I have 
seen near Mergui on the Tenasserim coast, 
seems to have been sent by Captain Jenkins 
to Dr. W ALi.iCH, with many others, none of 
which appear, however, to have excited much 
attention. 
Among.the jBoragi«e<s we find one Myoso- 
tis and a species which, with the habit of some 
