natural Family of Plants called Composite. 135 
other families ? .And, in adopting the hypothesis I have formerly 
advanced* respecting the nature of this disk in certain families, 
—namely, that it is composed of a series of modified stamina,— 
has not the part in question a considerable resemblance in appa¬ 
rent origin and division to the stamina of the nearly-related family 
Stylidece ? 
To render this supposition somewhat less paradoxical, let' the 
comparison be made especially between theindusium of Brunonia 
and the imperfect antheree in the female flowers of Forstera. Lastly, 
connected with this view, it becomes of importance to ascertain 
whether the stamina in Stylidece are opposite to the segments of 
calyx or of corolla. The latter disposition would be in favour of 
the hypothesis. This, however, is a point which will not be very 
easily determined, the stamina being lateral. In the mean time, 
the existence and division of the corona faucis in Stylidium render 
it not altogether improbable that they are opposite to the seg¬ 
ments of the corolla. 
Since the preceding paper was submitted to the Society, 
M. Cassini has published f the substance of a Memoir, which he 
read to the Academy of Sciences of Paris in August last, on a 
new family of plants named by him Boopide;e, and consisting of 
Calycera , Boopis, and Acicarpha. I have also, through the libe¬ 
rality of Messrs, de Jussieu, Desfontaines, and Baron Delessert, 
had the opportunity of examining specimens of Acicarpha tribu- 
loides in flower and fruit, of both species of Boopis in flower, and 
detached flowers and pericarpia of Calycera . In all of these I 
have found the ovulum pendulous; and in Acicarpha and Caly¬ 
cera an inverted embryo occupying the axis of a fleshy albumen. 
* Linn. Soc. Transact, x. p. 159. f Bulletin des Sciences, 1816. p. 160. 
My 
