77 
THE PRINCIPLES OF BOTANY. 
By Professor James Buckman, F.G.S., F.L.S., &c. &c. 
(Continued from p. 18.) 
ASARALES. 
The Asaral Alliance introduces us to the last group of 
our series. It is remarkable for its small number of natural 
orders, as it possesses only three, as also for its paucity of 
both genera and species. At the same time several of the 
latter are of great interest, both in a botanical and economic 
point of view. 
In the explanation of the alliance we copy the following 
from the author of the system we have followed : 
“ Diagnosis. —Epigynous exogens with monochlamydeous 
flowers, and a small embryo lying in a large quantity of 
albumen. 
“The place which Birthworts should occupy in a natural 
arrangement is one of those disputed points respecting which 
it is extremely difficult to arrive at any positive conclusion. 
They are so anomalous in their woody structure, and so pecu¬ 
liar in their trimerous flowers, with an inferior ovary abound¬ 
ing in ovules, that an obvious ally can hardly be found for 
them. In fact they seem to be of an intermediate nature 
between exogens and endogens or dictyogens 
“ The great livid calyx of Aristolochia calls to mind the 
spathes of Arads; the leaves are those of Sarsaparillas. It 
is therefore probable that they should be regarded as a 
group standing on the borders of the three subclasses just 
mentioned, and joining them to each other, just as Switzer¬ 
land join Austria, Italy, and France. 
“ The points of resemblance between Birthworts, San- 
dalworts, and Loranths are their want of corolla, their 
inferior ovary, their large albumen, and small embryo. 
These appear to be circumstances of greater weight than any 
distinctions that might be found between them. The rim 
which appears at the summit of the ovary of Aristolochia is 
possibly of the same nature as that of Loranths. 
“ It is not to be wondered at that here, amidst orders 
which, although apparently at the uttermost boundary of 
the vegetable kingdom, are really points of communica- 
