98 
PLANTS INDIGENOUS TO 
[Zygophjlleai. 
From various forest-regions of New South Wales we possess fruit specimens of an Acronychia, which 
in every respect seems identical with our plant, except that the sarcocarp and septa become much more 
fleshy, causing- thereby a contraction of the fruit-cells, which are walled with the almost or perfectly 
persistent endocarp. This plant may prove a mere state of A. laurina. 
The closely allied Asiatic Acronychia cyminosma (F. M. Fragm. Phytogr. Austr. i. 27, note; Cymi- 
nosma pedunculata, Cand. Prodr. i. 723) differs, according to Wight and Arnott’s Prodromus, i. 147, and 
Aclr. de Juss. description and plate in Memoir, du Museum d’Hist. Nat. xii. 465, tab. 17, 11, in having 
exserted stamens, in the ovary and disk being tomentese, in seemingly less distinctly bearded filaments, in a 
thick sarcocarp and in a bony endocarp. The scarcely less unlike Acronychia he vis (Forst. Gen. 27; Law- 
sonia Acronychia, Labill. Sert. Nov. Caled. 66; tab. 65) is to he distinguished in somewhat downy petals, in 
a lohed disk, a longer style, a broader slightly divided stigma, in tuberculated seeds and in an embryo 
considerably shorter than the albumen. In Turpin’s illustration of the latter plant, the radicle is placed 
inferior and next to the chalaza, a note which, if not founded on erroneous observation, would be sufficient 
for generic distinction. The differences between A. laurina in contrast to those of the other Australian 
species, namely, A. Cunninghami, A. Hilli and A. imperforata, are pointed out in the Fragm. Phytogr. 
Austr. i. 26 & 27. Ripe fruit of the latter species is only known of A. Hilli, showing- precisely the genuine 
general characters. The ovary of this plant is, however, occasionally five-celled. Several evidently allied 
Javanic species are not defined with sufficient accuracy to admit, without comparing specimens, of an exposi¬ 
tion of their differential notes. 
Order ZYGOPHYLLEAB. 
It. Brown, in Flhid. Voy. ii. 545. 
Plow 6i s heimaphrodite. Sepals 4—5, convolute, rarely valvate in aestivation. 
Petals alternate with the sepals, convolute-imbricate in prseflorescence, deciduous, 
seldom wanting. Stamens definite, all fertile or rarely partially sterile. Anthers 
two-celled, the fertile ones with introrse longitudinal dehiscence. Style 1, rarely 
several. Stigma simple or lohed. Ovary 4-5- rarely 10-celled, surrounded at the 
base by a disk or glands or scales. Pruit capsular or rarely carnulent, or consisting 
of free or coherent carpels. Endocarp permanently connate with the sarcocarp, seldom 
free. Seeds with or without albumen. Testa membranous or crustaceous. Cotyle¬ 
dons foliaceous, seldom thick. Radicle superior. 
Herbs or shrubs, rarely trees, destitute of oil-glands , scattered over South Europe, 
Middle Asia, all tropical countries, South Africa and extratropical Australia. Branches 
often articulated. Leaves stipulate , opposite, rarely alternate, frequently compound. 
Plov eis in most cases solitary. Petals yellow, less commonly white, red or blue.— 
Adr. de Juss . in Memoir, du Museum d’llist. Nat. xii. 450; Midi. Gen. 1161; Lindl. 
Veg. Kingdom , iii. 478. 
The Ilutineous oiders of plants are through Zygopliylleoe brought into contact 
with Oxalidese and Geraniaceae. In Australia the genera are reduced to Tribulus 
and Zygophyllum, of which the former is principally intratropical, the latter exclu- 
sive y extratropical. There are many reasons in favor of transferring Nitraria from 
Malpighiaceae to this order. 
