to grow beyond 36° lat.; but in Europe Chamærops humilis extends as far as the neighbourhood of Nice.
It is remarkable that no species of Palm has been found in South Africa, nor was any observed by Mr. Leschenault,[1] on the West coast of New Holland, even within the tropic.
JUNCEÆ. We are now in possession of so many links connecting together the Monocotyledonous orders with regular flowers, that in attempting to define several of them, we are obliged to have recourse to differences, many of which may appear, and some of which unquestionably are, of but secondary importance. Of this kind may be considered the characters by which I have endeavoured to distinguish Junceæ from Asphodeleæ, namely the difference in the texture of the perianthium, and in that of the testa of the seed, in the consistence of the albumen, and in the order of suppression of the stamina; these when reduced to three in number being always placed opposite to the three outer leaves of the perianthium: in this respect and 578] in the more important character of the position of the embryo Junceæ differ also from Restiaceæ, to which they more nearly approach in habit.
Three very remarkable genera, which I have referred to Junceæ, are peculiar to Terra Australis. Of two of these, Calectasia and Dasypogon, each consisting of only one species, figures and descriptions are annexed to this essay.
Of the third, Xerotes, 24 species have already been observed. This genus is somewhat more abundant in the principal parallel than in other parts; but it is very generally extended, and is more frequent within the tropic than in Van Diemen's Island. Xerotes, in the structure and appearance of its flowers and in the texture of albumen, has a considerable resemblance to Palms, but it wants the peculiar characters of the seed and also the habit of that remarkable order.
Flagellaria, which I have added to Junceæ, differs from Xerotes chiefly in its pericarpium, and in the form and relation of its embryo to the albumen, which is also of a
- ↑ Annales du mus. 17, p. 87.
