134 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY, 
acute. The ovary is 1 -celled, vrith ttvo ovules suspended from 
near the summit, affixed by a small point to the apex of an in- 
ternal longitudinal ridge, nearly as in Villaresia, which ridge is 
probably formed of four abortive cells. This becomes deve- 
loped into an oval dry drupe, about 5 lines long and 3 lines in 
diameter, consisting of a somewhat chartaceous indehiscent 1- 
celled putamen, marked internally and externally by the line 
indicating the suppressed axis, from the summit of which two 
seeds are suspended, filling the cavity of the cell : each seed 
is therefore oval and plano-convex ; its integuments are mem- 
branaceous, with a small basal chalaza : the enclosed nucleus is 
a fleshy albumen, imbedding in its summit an embryo of half 
its length, with cordiform, broadly ovate, acute, foliaceous coty- 
ledons, and a terete subulate radicle, equal to them in length, 
with its thicker extremity nearly touching the superior hilar 
point of attachment of the seed. 
There may be seen in all these details the very closest resem- 
blance to the structure of Villaresia, the chief points of dissi- 
dence being the presence of the singular floral bract and of the 
five staminodes. To the former, little importance can be at- 
tached in an ordinal point of view. This organ is very analogous 
to the involucral calycule of the Chamcelauciea, and, like it, 
breaks away from the base to allow of the opening of the flower. 
With respect to the nectainal glands, they must be regarded 
either as portions of a disk, or (as just assumed) as sterile stamens 
(staminodes) ; we cannot admit the first hypothesis, because 
these processes do not support the ovary, but are quite free, 
hypogynous, and alternate with the stamens in the same whorl ; 
the natural conclusion, therefore, is that they are metamorphosed 
abortive stamens, or staminodia. We must bear in mind that, 
throughout the Aquifoliacea, there is a general tendency to the 
suppression or depauperation of some of the floral parts, by 
which the flower becomes more or less polygamo-dioecious. To 
this reasoning it may be objected that hitherto the rule has been 
universal in the Aquifoliacece for the stamens to be equal in num- 
ber to the petals ; but many other families could be adduced 
where, although such is the prevailing rule, exceptions (solitary 
or few) occur, where the number is double ; the occasional exist- 
ence of a set of staminodes, in addition to the usual number of 
stamens, is not unfrequent in families remarkable for their iso- 
merous proportions ; and under this point of view we may be 
justified in admitting ^xtoxicum within the limits of the Aqui- 
foliacea. But if it be thought desirable in order to preserve the 
consistency of the family, this genus might form the type of a 
distinct subtribe {A^xtoxicece) distinguished from the tribe Ilici- 
nece by the peculiarities before described. In support of this 
