The drawing was made at Mr. Kent’s at Clapton; a 
plant having flowered in that gentleman’s hothouse in Sep- 
tember last, and is probably the first ever introduced into 
this country. ; 
The genus had been consigned by M. de Jussieu to a 
group appended, as a division of doubtful affinity, to his Ro- 
sacece. A further research into its structure, as well as that 
of some kindred genera, has suggested to Mr. Brown a dif- 
ferent notion of their position in the vegetable system; and 
determined their combination. into a separate order, to 
which Homatrum, as the main type, has communicated the 
_ technical denomination. 
We regret to find ourselves obliged, from want of room, 
to refrain from extracting the whole of the instructive re- 
marks that accompany the project and definition of this 
new order, and to confine ourselves to the passage which 
contains its character. 
“The distinguishing characters (of the order Homa- 
lince) are the segments of the perianthium (calyx and co- 
rolla of Jacquin and Swartz) disposed in a double series | 
or an equal number of segments nearly in the same series; 
the want of petals; the stamina being definite and Oppo- | 
site to the inner series of the perianthium, or to the al- 
ternate segments where they are disposed apparently in a 
simple series; the unilocular germen (generally in some de- 
gree coherent with the calyx) having three parietal placentas 
(receptacles of the ovula), with 1, 2, or even an indefinite 
number of ovula; and the seeds having albumen, as inferred 
froma genus from Congo. The cohesion of the germen with 
the tube of the perianthium, though existing in various 
degrees in all the genera we have enumerated, is probably 
a character of only secondary importance in Homalina>, 
For an unpublished genus found by Commerson in Mada- 
gascar, which in every respect agrees with this family, has 
germen superum. ‘This genus at the same time seems to 
establish a considerable affinity between Homaline and cer- 
tain genera, either absolutely belonging to Passi orew, 
especially Parorsra of M. du Petit Thouars, or nearly re- 
lated to them, as Eryrurospermum well described and 
figured by the same excellent botanist.” Brown’s botany of 
the Congo. 19. _ 
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