OF PLANTS CALLED COMPOSITE. 315
rium inferam." This distinction, however, is neither uni- versal, nor I believe absolute in any case.
M. Auguste Saint Hilaire in his excellent Memoir on Primulacece} while he admits the correctness of M. Decan- dolle's account with respect to great part of Dijjsacece, has at the same time well observed, that in several species of Scabiosa the ovarium is entirely united with the tube of the calyx. But neither of these authors has remarked the curious, and I believe peculiar, circumstance, of the base of the style cohering with the narrow apex of the tube of the calyx, even in those species of the order in which the dilated part of the tube is entirely distinct from the ovarium.
This kind of partial cohesion between pistillum and calyx is directly opposite to what usually takes place, namely, the base of the ovarium being coherent, whilst its upper part is distinct. It equally, however,, determines the apparent origin or insertion of corolla and stamina, producing the unexpected combination of " flos superus " with " ovarium liberum-"
In the vascular structure of the corolla Boojndece may be considered as essentially agreeing with Composite, in many of whose genera the middle nerves of the tube and seg- ments are equally manifest. In stating the character derived from this source in either of these orders, it is not sufficient to describe the nerves of the lacinise only as M. Mirbel has done in his character of Composite/ and M. Cassini in that of Boopidese : but it is also necessary to give their [iso disposition in the tube or undivided part of the limb ; there being instances in both families where the lateral nerves of the segments do not unite at top ; and, as has been formerly remarked, several examples in other families of a nearly similar disposition in the segments, accompanied by a different disposition in the tube. To the examples of this kind formerly given, Globularia cordifolia may be added, in the segments of whose lower lip there are three simple nerves, of which the lateral do not unite at top, and con-
��1 Mem. du Mus. d'LIist. Natur. ii. p. 17.
- Elements de Physiol. Veget. ct de Botan. ii. p. S85.
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