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Notices of Books . 
that in Vitis, only much longer. The exceptional dilatation of the 
stigma in Tetrastigma gives its essential character. The number of 
seeds, 1-4, in the bilocular baccate fruit serves to distinguish sections 
of Cissus, but is of less importance than the form. The structure 
of the seed is uniform, but the absence or presence and the length of 
the beak at the base of the seed, the position of the raphe on a ridge 
or on a flat surface, the termination of the raphe in a rounded or 
linear projection at a certain point on the back of the seed, together 
with the smooth, rough, or other character of the surface of the testa, 
afford characters of distinction. The presence or absence of tendrils 
is not a feature of much value, but the presence of a tendril upon the 
rachis of inflorescence is a constant feature in Ampelocissus, more rare 
in Vitis, frequent in South African Rhoicissi, and found in one 
Australian Cissus. The tendril is wanting in the inflorescence of 
most species of Cissus, Parthenocissus , and Ampelopsis . As to the 
inflorescence, it varies from a thyrsus in Vitis to a false umbel or spike 
or other form of cymose branching in other genera, and its kind must 
be taken into account as one in the assemblage of characters. The 
sexual states of the flower too are to be noted. Vitis has male 
flowers separate from the female ones, which latter are apparently 
hermaphrodite, but owing to imperfection of many flowers polygamy 
arises, and the genus is dioeciously polygamous ; so also are some 
forms of Tetrastigma. Cissus has on the other hand monoecious 
polygamy (with appearance of hermaphroditism), and may thus be 
distinguished from Vitis. 
The Ampelideae inhabit all regions of the globe save the Arctic and 
Antarctic x , and M. Planchon appeals to distribution as giving support 
to his grouping in an interesting sketch in his Introductory chapter. 
The thirty-three species of Vitis certainly determined are confined to 
the Northern Hemisphere, V. vinifera being the only European form. 
Asia, which also possesses V. vinifera , has besides eight other species 
in its temperate regions (Himalaya, China, Japan). America has 
fifteen species, all different from those of Asia, though many are 
representative ; for example, V. Labrusca of the United States 
and V. Coigneiiae of Japan, V. caribaea , and the Indian V. lanaia. 
1 Ventenat, indeed, named an Australian species, Cissus antarctica. This does 
not occur outside Australia, hence the name is inapt. It is not, however, without 
surprise that we find in this book the law of priority sacrificed before the altar 
of fitness, and Cissus Baudiniana replacing the older name of Ventenat. 
