Page:Miscellaneousbot01brow.djvu/154

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136
BOTANY OF CONGO.

new species of Vitex ; Stachytarpheta indica of Yahl; and a new species of Lippia, which, from its habit and structure, confirms the union of Zapania with that genus, suggested by M. Richard.[1] This species from the Congo has its leaves in threes, and has nearly the same fragrance as 452] Verbena triphylla, whose affinity to Lippia, notwithstanding the difference in calyx and inflorescence, is further confirmed by a peculiarity in the aestivation of its corolla, which extends only to Lippia and Lantana.

OLACINAE. The herbarium contains a species of Olax differing from all the plants at present referred to that genus, in its calyx not being enlarged after fecundation, but in its original annular form surrounding the base onlv of the ripe fruit. The existence of this species, which agrees with those of New Holland and with Fissilia of Commerson in having only five petals, and in its barren stamina being undivided, while in habit it approaches rather more nearly to the original species O. Zeylanica and to O. scandens of Roxburgh, both of which I have examined, seems to confirm the union I have formerly proposed,[2] of all these plants into one genus. When I first referred Fissilia to this gelius, I only presumed from the many other points of agreement that it had also the same structure of ovarium, on which, not only the generic character of Olax, but its affinities, seemed to me in a great measure to depend. M. Mirbel, however, has described the ovarium of Fissilia as trilocular.[3] I can only reconcile this statement with my own observations, by supposing him to have formed his opinion from a view of its transverse section; for on examining one of Commerson's specimens of Fissilia disparilis, communicated by M. de Jussieu, I have found its ovarium, like that of all the species of Olax, to be really unilocular; the central columnar placenta, at the top of which the three pendulous ovula are inserted, having no connection whatever with the sides of the cavity.

It was chiefly the agreement of Olax and Santalaceae in

  1. ln Mich. Flor. Bor. Amer. 2, p. 15.
  2. Prodr. Flor. Nov. Holl. I, p. 357.
  3. Nouv. Bullet. 3, p. 378.