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ovuluni. Style cylindrical, branches 5, free, semicylindrical.
Stigma a terminal minutely papillose dot.
Among the numerous discoveries of our late lamented
friend, Mr. Douglas, there are few that possess equal interest
in the eyes of the systematic botanist with the remarkable
plant now before us, which along with Floerkia forms a
small natural group, establishing more completely the re lationships
which exist between Geraniaceæ, Tropoeoleæ and
Oxalideoe. The Limnantheoe were first proposed, as a separate
family, by Mr. Brown in a paper read before the Linnean
Society on the 18th of June, 1833, of which an abstract will
be found in the Philosophical Magazine for July of that
year. This family appears to me to hold an mtermediate
station between Geraniaceæ and Tropoeoleæ, and is principally
distinguished from the latter (with which it accords in the
suhperigynous insertion of its stamens) by its perfectly
regular flowers, and erect ovula. The union of Fimnantheæ
with Geraniaceæ seems complete by the intervention of
Biehersteinia which agrees with the former in its flowers,
and in its exalbuminous seeds, and with the latter by the
presence of stipules, and in the imbricate æstivation of its
calyx.
A hardy annual thriving best in a soil composed ot peat
and loam, and increased either by seeds or cuttings.
Our drawing was taken at the Botanic Garden, Chelsea, in
October last.
The generic name is compounded of Xipvg, a lake, and
avdos, a flower, and alludes to the habits of the species.
’ ’ J). Don.
1. Stamen. 2. Pistil.
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