42 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY. 
paucis, scapiformibus, interdum nudis, rarius paucifoliosis, 
monocephalis ; folds ladicalibus confertis, elongato-linearibus, 
irregulariter pinnato-laciniatis, laciniis grosse dentato-incisis 
et runcinatis, in petiolum alatum decurrentibus, membrana- 
ceis; capitulis terminalibus ; involucri foliolis 5, spathulato- 
linearibus, elongatis, integris, obtusiusculis, patentibus vel 
reflexis, floribus 6-plo longioribus, subinsequalibus. — Banda 
Oriental, v. s. in herb. Hook. (Tweedie). 
Planta pusilla, rami vix 2^-poll. long.; folia radicalia prona, ra 
diantia, l|-2^ poll, long., laciniis inclusis 6 lin. lat., rachi alata 
2 lin. lat., tenuiter membranacea, glaberrima. Caules scapi- 
formes, suberecti, ssepius nudi, lj-1^ poll, long., monocephali, 
vel interdum foliiferi, 2^ poll. long. ; folia 2-3, alterna, 6-9 lin. 
long., 1-2 lin. lat.; capitula parva, 2-3 lin. diam. ; involucri 
foliola 7-9 lin. long., 1 lin. lat.* 
Observations on the Bignoniace^. 
This beautiful family, the species of which impart a glory to the 
tropical forests of both hemispheres, but more especially to those 
of the New World, has been hitherto imperfectly investigated, 
and a more complete examination of the order is still a great 
desideratum in the science of botany. It has occurred to me 
that the few observations I made long ago upon several points 
of structure in this order may be of use in the pursuit of such an 
investigation; and in this hope the following remarks are offered 
as a small contribution towards that end. It is to be wished 
that some able botanist would take the trouble to re-examine care^ 
fully all the materials existing in the principal herbaria, re-model 
entirely the disposition of the order, determine the more essential 
characters and limits of the genera, and identify the species : he 
will find this labouT amply rewarded by the interesting results 
which such an investigation will assuredly afford. At the time 
when Prof. Bindley published his ‘Introduction’ (in 1836), he 
remarked that the order “ is in great confusion, and requires to 
be carefully revised by some good botanist.” The renowned 
elder DeCandolle made the first step towards this inquiry in his 
‘ Revue des Bignoniacees,’ in 1838, and again, on a more ex- 
tended scale, in his ‘ Prodromus,’ in 1845 ; but the materials at 
his command at that time seem to have been far from complete ; 
consequently we there find the greater part of the individuals of 
the family massed together in the genus Bignonia, all of which 
require sifting and separating into their proper places. This 
valuable contribution to the knowledge of the order in the ‘Pro- 
dromus’ was enriched by many notes relating to structural 
* A drawing of this species is given in , Plate 51 b. 
