172 
radicle next the hilum. Roxb.'] — Trees. Leaves coriaceous, alternate, with membranous 
stipules which form the scales of the buds. 
Affinities. Here are evidently distinct traces of a new type of organiza- 
tion, which, however imperfectly they may be yet shadowed out, are neverthe- 
less too remarkable to be passed over unnoticed. The foregoing character 
has been drawn up from what materials I happen to possess, and will probably 
require great correction hereafter, when more species and genera shall have 
been discovered. In the meanwhile, it is obvious that there is no pubhshed 
natural order that wdll include amentaceous plants with arillate albuminous 
seeds and a dehiscent 2-celled pericaiqi. Scepacese have in their male state 
much the aspect of Cupuliferse or Betulaceae, and one of them has actually 
been considered an Alnus by Roxburgh ; but the females have more the appear- 
ance of Antiaris, or some such Urticaceous genus. The fruit, which is very 
remarkable, I only know from Roxburgh’s account, the substance of which is 
quoted from the Flora Indica. The manner in which the plates of the placenta 
overlap the foramen (I believe not tiU after impregnation) is exceedingly curious ; 
these are no doubt what ultimately become the aril. In the genus Scepa the 
ends of the o\Tdes are buried in a thick mass of hairs proceeding from the pla- 
centary sutm'e near the base of the ceU. 
Geography. Natives of the tropical forests of India. 
Properties. The wood of the Kokra, Lepidostachys Roxhurghi, is very 
hard, and is used for various oeconomical purposes. Roxb. 
GENERA. 
Scepa. (20) 
Lepidostachys, Wall. (21) 
? Hymenocardia, Wall. (22) 
Alliance II. URTICALES. 
Essential Character. — Carpels solitary, or more than one combined in a syncarpous 
pistil. Stems continuous, without sheaths. Flowers, if in catkins, never producing fruit 
with a cupule. 
Tlie remarks made under Amentales shew how that alliance is to be distin- 
guished from this, concerning the most usual characters of which it may be 
said, that it is upon the whole a less complicated form of structure, and that 
it exhibits the mass of the group in a state where solitary carpels and unisexual 
floAvers are the prevailing characteristics ; for although there are three orders 
in which the fruit consists of two or more carpels, yet in very much the 
greater portion of species the carpels are uniformly solitary. It is clearly con- 
nected with Amentales through Garryaceae, which would be Cupuliferous if 
they had a cupule, more than one cell, and alternate leaves. Urticaceae them- 
seRes form the type of the alliance, and are pretty accurately known by their 
unisexual, usually clustered, flowers, elastic stamens, membranous calyx, and 
seed-like fruit ; to which may be added, their rough leaves : the other orders 
are more or less closely allied to each other and to Urticaceae, but are 
apparently quite distinct ; they all, however, but especially Stilaginaceae, 
require much revision, and must be so greatly extended, that whatever charac- 
ters m.ay noAV be assigned must be considered merely provisional. 
