44 
of irregular cells. In fact, if a Pomegranate is examined, it will be found to 
agree more or less perfectly 'with both these descriptions. But it is clear that 
a fruit as thus described is at variance with all the known laws upon which 
compound fruits are formed. Nothing, however, is more common than that 
the primitive construction of fruits is obscured by the additions, or suppres- 
sions, or alterations, which its parts undergo during their progress to maturity. 
Hence it is always desirable to obtain a clear idea of the structure of the ovary 
of aU fruits which do not obviously agree with the ordinary laws of carpologi- 
cal composition. Now, a section of the ovary of the Pomegranate in various 
directions, if made about the time of the expansion of the flowers before im- 
pregnation takes place, shews that it is in fact composed of two rows of carpels, 
of which three or four surround the axis, and are placed in the bottom of the 
tube of the calyx, and a number, varying from five to ten, suiTOund these, and 
adliere to the upper part of the tube of the calyx. The placentee of these car- 
pels contract an irregular kind of adhesion with the back and front of their 
cells, and thus give the position ultimately acquired by the seeds that anoma- 
lous appearance which it assumes in the ripe fruit. If this view of the struc- 
ture of the Pomegranate be correct, its peculiarity consists in this, that, in an 
order the carpels of which occupy but a single row around the axis, it possesses 
carpels in two rows, the one placed above the other, in consequence of the 
contraction of the tube of the calyx, from which they arise. Now, there are 
many instances of a similar anomaly among genera of the same order, and 
they exist even among species of the same genus. Examples of the latter are, 
Nicotiana multivalvis and Nolana paradoxa, and of the former Malope among 
Malvaceae ; polycaiq)ous Ranunculaceae as compared with Nigella, and poly- 
carpous Rosaceae as compared with Spiraea. In Prunus I have seen a mons- 
trous flower producing a number of carpels around the central one, and also, 
in consequence of the situation, upon the calyx above it ; and finally, in the 
Revue Encyclopedique (43. 762.), a permanent variety of the Apple is described, 
which is exactly to Pomeae what Punica is to Myrtaceae. This plant has re- 
gularly 14 styles and 14 cells, aiTanged in two horizontal parallel planes, namely, 
5 in the middle, and 9 on the outside, smaller and nearer the top ; a circum- 
stance which is evidently to be explained by the presence of an outer series of 
carpels, and not upon the extravagant h}q)othesis of TiUette de Clennont, who 
fancies that it is due to the cohesion of 3 flowers. The anomaly of the struc- 
ture of the fruit of Punica being thus explained, nothing remains to distinguish 
it from Myrtacese but its leaves without a marginal vein, its convolute cotyle- 
dons, and pulpy seeds. There are, however, distinct ti'aces of dots in the 
leaves, and the union of the vense arcuatae, which gives the appearance of a 
marginal vein to M}Ttacec)e, takes place, although less regularly, in Punica ; the 
convolute cotyledons of Punica are only in Myi'tacese what those of Chamaj- 
meles are in Pome^, a curious but unimportant exception to the general struc- 
ture ; and the solitary character of the pulpy coat of the seeds will hardly be 
deemed by itseh sufficient to characterise Granatese. The place of Punica in 
the order will be probably near Sonneratia. There is no instance of a blue 
flower in the order. The fruit varies from succulent to dry in different genera, 
and in some cases is nearly superior. Chameelauciese, which are remarkable 
for the structure of their ovary, are possibly a distinct order. They are, how- 
ever, very near Leptospermese. According to Auguste de St. Hilaire, a pas- 
sage is formed from Myrtacese to Onagracese through the genus Felicianea. 
Geography. Natives of hot countries both within and without the tro- 
pics ; great numbers are found in South America and the East Indies, not 
many in Africa, and a considerable proportion of the order in New Holland 
and the South Sea Islands ; but the genera of those countries are mostly pecu- 
liar to them. Myrtus communis, the most northern species of the order, is 
native of the south of Europe. 
