A f f in it ie s . These as will appear from the preceding remarks are still undetermined; their
epigynous flowers and numerous petals and stamens associating them with Myrtaceae, while
their few celled ovary with solitary, pendulous ovules and albumenous seed, seem more justly
to refer them to the vicinity of Corneae and Caprifoliaceae (where Meisner has placed them)
two nearly allied orders.—Upon the whole, I think we may conclude, that the true relations of
this order are still unknown but that it is conveniently, if not correctly, placed in its present
situation.
G eographical D istribution. All the species of this small order, 3 in number, yet known,
are of Indian origin—two species of Alangium are natives of the Peninsula and both found in
the Carnatic. DeCandolle and Lamark have added a third which however does not seem distinct
from A . decapetalum. The genus Marlea referred here by DeCandolle has yet only been
found on the Himalayas and in China.
P roperties and U ses. Little seems known on this head: the two species of Alangium
are said to be cathartic, and the roots aromatic. Dr. Royle remarks “ they are said to afford
good wood and edible fruit.” The first of these, at least in one sense, I am inclined to doubt
as I have never seen the plant larger than a rather large shrub so that whatever the quality of
the wood, it must always, I presume, be small. Roxburgh says it is beautiful. The fruit
however are edible but not palatable being mucelagenous and insipid.
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 96.
1. Alangium hexapetalum, flowering branch—natural 4. Ovary cut vertically, showing the solitary pendulous
size. ovule.
2. ’ Dissected flower, showing the calyx ovary, a petal, 5. Ovary cut transversely, one-celled—all more or less
stamen, style and stigma. magnified.
3. A stamen detached.
LXIV.—GRAN ATE
The most eminent Botanists of the present day are divided in opinion as to the propriety
of considering this a distinct order, or merely a section of MyrtacecB. Don, DeCandolle, and
Martius, view it .as a distinct order. Lindley, Arnott and iMeisner, take the opposite side of the
question. At the time of preparing the accompanying plate and long after, when writing my
account of Myrtacece, I also adopted the latter view—circumstances haying occurred to delay
the publication of that article I have been enabled to reconsider the subject and review afresh
the arguments on both sides, carefully examining the structure of the ovary and fruit as I went
along. The result has led to the conviction that this is really a distinct order. I should
scarcely I think have come to this conclusion had I not previously ascertained the possibility
of carpels having their position reversed in the ovary, because until I did ascertain this, I
could not understand or explain, to my own satisfaction, the appearances which sections of this
ovary presents and preferred remaining silent to giving an opinion which I felt myself unable
to support. Having at length been enabled to make up my own mind on the subject, I.
shall here explain my views and contrast them with those of my predecessors who have written
on the subject. As the main object of the strictly Botanical portion of this work is to explain
the principles of the science, I trust I shall be excused for considering somewhat at large a
question on which the sentiments of so many eminent Botanists are divided. I regret being
unable to quote professor Endlicher’s opinion, not having yet received the part of his genera
Plantarum containing this order. The following extracts will place before the reader both
sides of the question which wholly rests on the views each author takes^ of^ the structure of
the fruit. Don, the original proposer of the order, and DeCandolle describe it thus.
“ Ovary cohering to the tube of the calyx free at the apex many celled. Berry appleshaped
crowned with the contracted limb of the calyx ; rind thick, covered exteriorly with a
redish smooth cuticle with shining points, spongy within ; the berry when ripe bursting irregularly.
Placenta resembling the substance of the rind but more fleshy and succulent, completely
filling the berry, excavated into numerous unequal manyfseeded cells. No true partitions, but
spurious ones, arising from the substance of the placenta, of variable thickness and very fragile”*
or as explained by himself in English u a fleshy receptacle formed by the tube of the calyx
into a unilocular berry filled with a spongy placenta, which is hollowed out into a number of
irregular cells in which the seeds are placed, the dissepiments being nothing more than thin
portions of the placenta. Don. Edin. New Phi. Jour. 1826.
“ Fruit large, spherical, crowned by the limb of the calyx, indéhiscent ; the fruit is the
tube of the calyx divided horizontally into two chambers or parts, the upper division 5-9 celled,
the lower division 3 celled ; the dissepiments membranous separating the cells ; the placentas
of the upper part of the fruit fleshy, reaching from the parietes to the centre ; those of the
lower divisions progressing irregularly from the bottom of the fruit.” D.C. prod.—Pg. 3.
On the opposite side Lindley examines the question at great length and is followed by
Arnott, who gives a more brief but I think better exposition of the argument on this side than
his leader. I subjoin both in full.
“ The fruit of the Pomegranate is described by Gærtner and DeCandolle as being divided
into two unequal divisions by a horizontal diaphragm, the upper half of which consists of from
5 to 9 cells, and the lower of 3 ; the cells of both being separated by membranous dissepiments
; the placentas of the upper half proceeding from the back to the centre, and of the
lower irregularly from their bottom ; and by Mr. Don as a fleshy receptacle formed by the
tube of the calyx into a unilocular berry, filled with a spongy placenta, which is hollowed out
into a number of irregular cells. In fact, if a Pomegranate is examined, it will be found to
agree more or less perfectly with both these descriptions. But it is clear that a fruit as thus
described, is at variance with all the known laws upon which compound fruits are formed.
Nothing, however, is more common than that the primitive construction of fruits is obscured
by the additions, or suppressions, or alterations, which its parts undergo during their progress
to maturity. Hence it is always desirable to obtain a clear idea of the structure of the ovarium
of all fruits which do not obviously agree with the ordinary laws of carpological composition.
Now, a section of the ovarium of the Pomegranate in various directions, if made about
the time of the expansion of the flowers before impregnation takes place, shews that it is in
fact composed of two rows of carpella, of which three or four surround the axis, and are placed
in the bottom of the tube of the calyx, and a number, varying from five to ten, surround
these, and adhere to the upper part of the tube of the calyx. The placenta of these carpella
contract an irregular kind of adhesion with the back and front of their cells, and thus give the
position ultimately acquired by the seeds that anomalous appearance which it assumes in the
ripe fruit. If this view of the structure of the Pomegranate be correct, its peculiarity consists
in this, that, in an order the carpella of which occupy but a single row around the axis, it possesses
carpella in two rows, the one placed above the other, in consequence of the contraction of
the tube of the calyx, from which they arise. Now, there are many instances of a similar
anomaly among genera of the same order, and they exist even among species of the same
genus. Examples of the latter are, Nicotiana multivalvis and Nolana paradoxa, and of the
former Malope among Malvaceae ; polycarpous Ranunculaceae as compared with Nigella, and
polycarpous Rosaceae as compared with Spiraea. In Prunus I have seen a monstrous flower
producing a number of carpella around the central one, and also in consequence of the situation,
upon the calyx above it ; and, finally, in the Revue Encyclopédique (43-762), a permanent
variety of the apple is described, which is exactly to Pomaceae what Punica is to Myrtaceae.
This plant has regularly 14 styles and 14 cells, arranged in two horizontal parallel planes,
namely, 5 in the middle, and 9 on the outside, smaller and nearer the top ; a circumstance
which is evidently to be explained by the presence of an outer series of carpella, and not upon
« * Ovarium tubo calycis accretum, apice liberum, multiloculare * * * Bacca pomiformis, limbo tubuloso dentate
calycino, nunc contracto, çoronata : cortex crassissimus, extus cuticula lævi rubicunda punctai a lucida vestitus,-
intus spongioso-carnosus, albus, dein, matura bacca, fissura irregulariter rumpens—Placenta cortici baccce substantia
simülima, at magis carnosa et sücculenta, baccam omnino replens, in loculis numerosis polyspermis inaequali-
bus retieulatim atque interrupte excavata. Dissepimenta vera nulla : spuria tarnen adsunt, quae e substantia placentae
orta, valde sunt fragilia, et crassitie varia.” (Don. 1. c.)