| Mr. Brown, on the Proteaceae of Jussieu. | 19 |
pression of furrow, on the bursting of the opposite cell of the corresponding anthera, firmly attaches itself to its contents, now become a regular mass of a waxy consistence.
If the accuracy of this statement be admitted, it will probably be allowed that the Asclepiadeæ cannot be regarded as gynandrous, especially in the sense in which they are so considered by botanists; but lest it should not be thought completely satisfactory, it may be added, that in a still earlier stage of the flower bud I have found the fœcundating matter already secreted in the cells of the antheræ, while the glands of the stigma, as well as their processes, were absolutely invisible.
As to the question of their being pentandrous or decandrous, every analogy must lead us to refer them to the former class; nor indeed have they, when not considered as gynandrous, been ever supposed to belong to Decandria.
An œconomy, in many respects similar to that now described, obtains also in Orchideæ, in which, however, the processes connecting the antheræ with the stigma, where they exist, are in many cases derived from the masses of pollen themselves; but in others they as certainly originate from the stigma, or its glandular appendage.
The result of my examination of these two interesting orders of plants, I hope hereafter to submit to the Society; and I now proceed to the proper subject of the present paper.
The natural order of Proteæ, or, as it is less exceptionally called, Proteaceæ, was first established in the Genera Plantarum of the celebrated Jussieu; and the description there prefixed to it will, with a few alterations, still apply to the order, now that it has received so many additions, not only in species, but in very distinct genera, several of which were first published by
| d 2 | Dr. Smith |
