Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 2.djvu/64

28 order : if different, that is, if the placenta are, in the usual acceptation of the term, truly parietal, then it ought undoubtedly to be removed and plated near if not actually united with Passifloreae. Hut in either case, the points of difference, between Nhandirobeae and Cucurbiteae, seem quite sufficient to distinguish them as separate orders, should that be deemed a judicious arrangement, which is not improbable, were it only for the purpose of simplifying the ordinal character.

Its claims to rank as a sub-order of Cucurbitaceae may be at once admitted, supposing the carpellary structure the same, on account of the differences in the flowers and anthers which are very distinct in the two tribes and by Nhandirobeae having axillary not lateral tendrils.

Two genera only are assigned to this tribe or order — Zanonia, (Plate 103), and Fevellea. The first of these, so far as yet known are altogether of Asiatic origin and extends from Malabar eastwards as far as Java, where Blume found 2 species. The other, which until lately, were only known as natives of America, have recently been found in Assam, whence I have, through the kindness of Captain Jenkins, received two species, but unfortunately the male flowers only.

The 35 genera of Cucurbitaceae, Meisner in his table, distributes according to the stamens into two leading sections — A — stamens free — B— stamens variously united among themselves. To the first of these sections he refers only two Indian genera Luffa and Citrullus, others have since been added. To the other, ten are assigned, They are further distributed according to the number and mode of union of the stamens — the petals free or united, the anthers whether connate or distinct, the cells regular or bent and anfractuose, &c.

Since the publication of this tabular arrangement of the genera, Schrader, a German Botanist, has published a revised distribution of them, founded on a minute examination of a large proportion of the order, establishing his arrangement of the genera according to characters taken principally from the male flowers. The original memoir, published in a German periodical (Linnæa vol. 12), I have not yet seen, but Dr. Arnott obligingly prepared for my use a conspectus of all the genera of that memoir, adding several new ones of his own. This he has permitted me to publish should I think it desirable

Having satisfied myself, by the examination of several of the sections and genera, of the correctness generally of the characters and the facility of applying them in practice, as well as of the greater precision which their adoption confers on our generic characters, I can have no hesitation in subjoining this Conspectus and recommending, to careful examination, the principles on which it proposes to construct the genera of this very obscure and difficult order, as, I think, with some slight modifications it will be found to merit general adoption. Until, however, I have had more extended opportunities of doing so with recent specimens I refrain from saying more in its favour.

The characters of the tribes were not given, which is of little consequence as the tribe Cucurbiteae is, with a single exception, the only one found in India and the whole of the genera of this tribe are given, whether Indian or not, to enable those who may give their attention to this investigation, to determine genera not hitherto introduced into the Indian Catalogue. It may be necessary here to observe, that the fruit, in those genera said to have it baccate, is not truly a bacca, but only a slight modification of the peponida, the placenta being only apparently, not truly parietal, as in the true bacca.

The following explanatory extracts from the letter which accompanied the Conspectus, may not inappropriately be introduced.

" I have lately been revising our East Indian Cucurbitaceae, in consequence of Schrader's paper in the Linnæa, vol. 12. At first I was inclined to consider it worse than useless to subdivide old genera, especially Bryonia, as be has done : but when I came to consider his sectional characters, and that the form and position of the stamens and anthers and stigma and fruit are, really, the only characters hitherto employed for genera by other Botanists ; and that all Schrader has done, is to keep only those species in their old genera that agree with the character and turning out, and making new genera of those that do not, then I felt inclined to go great lengths towards adopting his views. I intend here to give you a Conspectus, or abridged generic characters, which I have drawn up, not only for the Indian, but also for those