351 
neighbourhood of Restiaceae, whose imbricated inflorescence does not ofter any 
ver\’^ powerful obstacle.” 
At this time the structure of the seeds w^as unknown : I have since been 
able to ascertain their nature, in consequence of a supply having been given 
me by Mr. Cruckshanks. The result of their examination, while it strengthens 
the opinion of their vicinity to Asphodeleae, and weakens that of a relation to 
Restiaceae, does not induce me to alter my view of them as constituting a 
small but distinct order. 
Geography. Chilian bulbs. 
Properties. Unknown. 
GENERA. 
Gilliesia, Lindl. 
Miersia, Lindl. 
Order CCL. LILIACE^. The Lily Tribe. 
Lilia, Juss. Gen. AS. (1789). — Narcissi, the first sect. Ibid. 54. (1789). — Hemerocal- 
LiDE/E, R. Brown Prodr. 295. (1810). — Liliace^, DC. Th^or. Elem. 1. 249. (1813); 
DC. and Duhy, 461. (1828) in part ; Lindl. Synops. 266. (1829). — Tulipace^, DC. 
Ess. Med. 297. (1816) ; DC. and Duby, 461. (1828) ; Link Handb. 1. 177. (1829) 
Bernh. in Botan. Zeit. Oct. 1835. — Coronaria:, A^ardh Aphor. 165. (1823). — 
Asparagi and Asphodeli, of Juss. (1789). — Asphodele.^:, R. Brown Prpdr. 275. 
(1810); DC. and Duby 463. (1828); Lindl. Synops. 266. (1829). — Alliace^e, 
Aloin^e, Hyacinthin-E, DRACE;NACEiE, Link Hundb. vol. 1. (1829). — Asparagine, 
Ib. 272. (1829). — Smilacee, R. Brown Prodr. 292. (1810) ; Lindl. Synops. 270. 
(1829) ; Bartl. Ord. Nat. 52. (1830). — Asparagee, DC. and Duby, 458. (1828). — 
Asparaginee, Ach. Rich. Diet. Class. 2. 20. (1822) ; Nouv. Elem. ed. 4. 430. (1828). 
CoNVALLARiACEE, Link Handb. 184. (1829). 
Essential Character. — Calyx and corolla confounded, coloured, regular, occasionally 
cohering in a tube. Stamens 6, inserted into the sepals and petals. Anthers opening in- 
wards. Ovary superior, 3-celled, many-seeded; style 1 ; stigma simple, 'or 3-lobed. Fruit 
succulent, or dry and capsular, 3-celled. Seeds packed one upon another in 1 or 2 rows; 
embryo with the same direction as the seed, in the axis of fleshy albumen, or uncertain in 
direction and position. — Roots flbrous, or fasciculate. Stem none, except a bulb ; or tube- 
rous, or creeping, or erect, or arborescent. Leaves with parallel veins, membranous, not 
articulated with the stem ; either sessile or with a narrow leafy petiole. 
Affinities. It w’dl be seen from the numerous synonyms above quoted, 
how unsteady the opinions of Botanists are concerning this natural order. 
Some like Brown divide it into three, others like Bartling into two, while 
some break it up into many. After giving the subject all the attention in my 
power, I am forced to the conclusion that nothing like a solid distinction 
either in the vegetation or the fructification can be discovered by which the 
following genera can be separated into distinct orders ; indeed the characters 
proposed by botanical writers are so unsatisfactory, that I think it superfluous 
to notice any others than those of Brown and Bartling. Brown himself admits 
that his Hemerocallidese are a section of Liliacese, rather than a distinct 
order {Prodr. 295) ; the same may be said of his Asphodeleae, for which he 
states he has sought in vain for a character ; finding nothing that will circum- 
scribe them except a black cmstaceous brittle seedcoat which is easily sepa- 
rable fi'om a fine proper membrane ; but he distinguishes Smilacese by their 
membranous seedcoat, and by the embiY^o being usually remote from the 
hilum. With regard to the colour of the seedcoat or even its texture, I must 
remark firstly, that one would be slow to recognize such a peculiarity as a 
valid distinction even of genera, and that as an ordinal characteristic it is 
