230 
Reviews. 
Following the above table is a “ key to the phyla of plants,” 
and then we come to the main body of the paper in which the 4th, 
6th, 7th, 12th and 14th phyla are revised : the remaining phyla are 
left therefore as they appeared in Bessey’s original paper (cited 
above). The revision consists of a statement of the characters of 
each of the five phyla, and short characters of their contained 
classes, orders, and families. The revision of the 4th, 6th, 7th and 
12th phyla occupies about 30 pages, and of the 14th (“ Anthophyta” 
or flowering plants) about 40. 
A short statement of the chief features of Bessey’s system of 
classification is here given, in so far as it relates to flowering 
plants. The usual division into monocotyledons and dicotyledons 
is made, the former being placed first; but the latter group “was 
probably the earlier, as it is now much the larger numerically. 
Indeed it is becoming more probable that the monocotyledons are to 
be regarded as a peculiar side branch which sprang from the primitive 
dicotyledons after the latter had become well established. Yet the 
monocotyledons have not developed to as high a rank in any of their 
orders as have some of the dicotyledons.” The question of a 
possible polyphyletic origin of the monocotyledons is not mentioned. 
A very serious weakness in Bessey’s treatment of monocotyledons 
is that his main sub-division of them is based on hypogyny and 
epigyny : hence the undoubtedly closely allied Liliaceae and 
Amaryllidaceae are widely separated, and the same is the case with 
regard to the Alismataceae and the Vallisneriaceae. The dicoty¬ 
ledons are also divided into two subclasses, the Axiflorae (or “axis- 
flowers ”) and the Calyciflorae (or “ cup-flowers.”) The former 
contains the following orders:—Ranales (which includes such 
families as Saururaceae and Piperaceae in addition to such as 
Magnoliaceaeand Ranuncuiaceae) Malvales (which includes Ulmaceae 
as well as Malvaceae and the like), Sarraceniales, Geraniales, 
Guttiferales, Rhoeadales, Caryophyllales (which includes Salicaceae), 
Primulales (which includes Plantaginaceae), Ericales, Ebenales, 
Polemoniales, Gentianales, Scrophulariales, and Lamiales. The 
Calyciflorae contains the following orders :—Rosales (which includes 
the Casuarinaceae) 1 Myrtales, Cactales, Loasales, Celastrales, 
Sapindales (which includes Juglandaceae, Betulaceae, Fagaceae, 
Myricaceae, Julianaceae, Proteaceae, as well as Sapindaceae, etc.), 
Umbellales, Rubiales (including Adoxaceae), Campanulales and 
Asterales. The last-named order is equivalent to the Composite 
which Bessey sub-divides into as many as fourteen families. It 
ought to be stated that the two sub-classes Axiflorae and Calyciflorae 
are each split into two “ super-orders,” the super-orders virtually 
being polypetalous and gamopetalous respectively; and the 
Gamopetalae as a distinct group disappears. 
There are without doubt, many suggestive hints of affinity in 
Bessey’s scheme; but in the writer’s opinion the main divisions are 
artificial. This is seen particularly in the separation of the Liliaceae 
from the Amaryllidaceae, and (among the dicotyledons) of the 
separation of the “ Nelumbaceae ” and “ Cabombaceae ” from the 
“ Nymphaeaceae.” There would appear to be no likehood of Bessey’s 
interesting arragement of plants ousting its more virile, old-world 
' Bessey adds that “ this family, which has puzzled botanists from the 
first, is doubtfully placed here, on the theory that these plants are leafless 
relatives of the Hamamelidaceae,” 
