and inter-petiolar stipules. Were we in this instance constrained to take our ordinal characters
from the fructification from which the best characters are for the most part obtained, this order
would require to be divided into nearly as many orders as it now contains tribes. The capsular
fruit and minute, often almost pulverulent, winged seed of Cinchoneeoe, but for the opposite,
entire leaves and intermediate stipules common to both, would ill associate with the indehiscent,
occasionally hard and woody fruit, and globose, stony seed of Gardeniece, which is still further
distinguished by the twisted aestivation of the corolla. Neither would the numerous-seeded, two-
celled capsules of Hedyotidece associate with the solitary-seeded cells of Coffees Sec ., but here
again the opposite leaves and inter-petiolar stipules supply the connecting link, and allow of our
applying these variations of the reproductive organs to the construction of well-defined and
natural subdivisions.
Whether the fullest advantage has been taken of the facilities thus afforded, is a point on
which my comparatively limited acquaintance with the order, does not permit me to decide,
though I think more might have been made of them. But still, as they now stand, the difficulties
to be overcome, in making out a genus in the long list of nearly 270 genera appertaining
to this family, are not very great.
As stated above, the nearest relations of this order are CaprifoliaceeB, on the one side, and
Loganiaceoe on the other, each of which might almost be viewed as sub-orders, the former only
differing in the absence of stipules, and the latter in having a superior ovary. Bindley considers
it very nearly allied to Composite the relationship existing between the two orders is not however
by any means so obvious to me as he represents. With Apocynece the points of agreement
are numerous, and close, the superior ovary and want of inter-petiolar stipules of the latter
being the only ones that keep them distinct. The tribe Operculariece is a curious one, differing
from the rest of the order in having a one-celled ovary with a solitary, erect ovule. '' These
peculiarities, probably, combined with habit, have induced many eminent Botanists to view this
tribe as distinct from Rubiacece, but in this respect it simply bears the same relationship to
Cinchonacece that Viburnum does to the many-seeded Caprifoliacece, so cannot be considered
distinct.
The tribe Stellatoe was long ago removed from the order by Lindley, for the same reasons
that Caprifoliacece has been by other Botanists, the want of stipules. The correctness of this
view has been confirmed by that most accurate observer, the late Mr. Griffith, who long ago
pointed out to me, in the course of our correspondence, that they have no corolla, the flower of
this tribe being similar to that of Nyctagynece, namely a calyx with a herbaceous tube, embracing
the ovary, and an expanded petaloid limb. This of course settles^ the ^ question.
DeCandolle and most other Botanists consider the verticel of leaves so constant in this tribe as
consisting of one pair of true leaves, and the intermediate ones as diluted, leaf-like stipules.
This position is met by Lindley in the following terms: “To this verbal, but not real distinction
there is this objection which I conceive quite fatal to it. If a part of the leaves of each whorl
of Galium were stipules, they must bear a certain proportion to the true leaves; suppose the
whorl to consist of two leaves, each will have two stipules, and consequently the whole number
of parts in each whorl must be six, and in all cases the number must be some power of three.
But of the first forty species of Galium, in DeCandolle’s Prodromus, only 13 conform to this rule,
and the frequent tendency of whorls to vary from 4 to 6, or from 5 to 6, or from 6 to 8, seems
to me an incontrovertible proof that the apparent leaves of Stellatoe are true leaves and not a
modification of stipules.”
Since writing the preceding remarks, Dr. Lindley’s Vegetable Kingdom, one of the noblest
contributions to Botany of the present century, has reached me, in which, under the article
Galiaceae, he has examined, in detail and I think with even more than his usual ability, this
question. I shall therefore here drop the subject, and under the same heading reproduce the
article in his own words as being much more to the point than any thing I could substitute in
their place. A sub-order might possibly have served the purpose, but to have adopted that
course would virtually be breaking down the whole order which, as already shown, is heterogeneous
in its elements, and only held together by the solitary, but constant character of inter-»
petiolary stipules.
Geographical D istribution. The true Cinchonacece constitute a peculiarly tropical
assemblage of plants, being almost exclusively confined to the tropics or the warmer regions on
S *Ii. a • * 1G limits the species so abound, that it is estimated they amount to about
1-3 0th of the flowering plants, a calculation which I think will be found very near the truth and
which, as apphed to the Indian Peninsula, will raise the estimated flora to about 5000 species
aS arS named m <mr Prodromus, and my present collection exceeds that number by
more than 15 species, which would be required to make good the calculation. In Europe no
true Cmchonaceous plant is indigenous, their place being occupied by the Stellatoe. of which the
European flora includes about 100 species.
In the tropics and warmer regions on either side, they are met with in all countries, but are
as compared with Asia and America, rare in Africa. In India, species extend as far north as the
30th or 31st degree of latitude, and there, we are informed by Dr. Royle, a few of the herbaseous
forms are met with during the moisture of the rainy season at an elevation of 6000 or 7000 feet
an elevation which, as regards temperature, must furnish a climate cooler than the south of
Europe m the 36° of latitude, a circumstance showing, that, however much temperature may and
does affect the distribution of plants on the surface of the globe, climate also has much to
do with it. The following extract from my Neilgherry Plants, recently published, may not be
uninteresting to some of the readers of this work.
“The predilections of this family as regards temperature, are decidedly tropical, or subtropical,
not a single species, excluding Stellatoe,, being, so far as I am aware, indigenous even in
the bouth ot Europe, while within the tropics they are estimated to constitute l-30th of the
flowermg plants At this rate, and assuming that on the higher ranges of these hills there are
1000 species of flowering plants which, including grasses and rushes I dare say is near the truth-
then there should be 33 species of Rubiaceous plants. This may be somewhat beyond the truth*
but 1 rather think, including Stellatae, it is under the actual number now in my herbarium, which
however I have not counted. Assuming that these two estimates are each approximations to the
truth, they go far to show that the climate of the hills partake more of the tropical character
than some of the examples previously adduced would lead us to expect, and that although an
nnmense improvement on that of the plains, we must still view it as very inferior to even the
bouth of Europe, as a temperate climate, unless it can he shown that the temperature is modified
in its effects on the constitution by our very rarified atmosphere, requiring a greater volume of
air, by probably nearly J, to be respired to yield the same quantity of oxygen to the circulation,
that would be obtained in a similar temperature on the level of the sea. This is not the place to
consider what effect this difference may have in modifying health and disease, though it seems
quite m place to direct attention to the circumstance in connection with facts deduced from a
consideration of the natural products of the region.”
The subject here adverted to is one which I am of opinion has not received the attention, in
a purely medical point of view, it seems to merit, which is my reason for alluding to it here
profession r0feS8ed y ■ 3 great measure medicaI. and which is in the hands of so many of the
DeCandolle has distributed about 1600 species described in his Prodromus under 13 tribes
species rtferab e to 10 of these appertain to the Flora of India and the Eastern Islands, a fact
snowing both the richness of our flora in this family, and its marked tropical tendency. I have
not ascertained the relative proportion which the Indian ones bear to those of the rest of the
or , but 1 presume it is at least equal to that of America, and greatly in excess of what has
neen found elsewhere. From these facts, combined with the similarity of climate in which the
vancnonas of America is found as compared with many of the Alpine climates of India, Dr
itoyie suggests the propriety of attempting their introduction into India. The proposal seems
reasiwe enough, and, considering the vast quantities of Bark and Quinine annually consumed in
■ M 14 seemT8 ®:eU deserving of a trial and, if successful, would unquestionably be conferring a
i 00rY!D India, as none of our native products, so far as yet known, can be considered a sub-
ltute. Many plants have been tried as substitutes, but hitherto with very indifferent success.
• 1 ^ E0™?TIES AND U ses. I t has been remarked above that this, in its economical relations,
g-,, most important family. To it we are indebted for the justly-famed Peruvian Bark,
erness and astrmgency are properties very extensively met with in this family, more or
C