NAMES AND OBSERVATIONS ON INDIAN PLANTS. 5 \~
"circumcirca clausum" quod verb in nostra planta. apice divisum est, lobis subciliatis, arete conniventibus. — Brown MSS.
��Apostasia. Blume Bijdray. p. 423. m~
Perianthium limbo sexpartito, regulari. Stamina an- therifera 2, quorum Fil amenta foliolis lateral ibus interi- orurn perianthii opposita, infra connata cum basi Styli supra cylindracei, et vel nudi, vel hinc Eilamento tertio castrato, altius adnato, foliolo antico exteriorum opposito, appendiculati. Anthers biloculares, longitudinaliter de- hiscentes. Pollen e granulis simplicibus, solutis. Stigma obtusum, obsolete bi-trilobum. Capsula trilocularis, poly- sperma. Semina ovata, testa nucleo conformi. — Brown MSS.
This very remarkable genus, founded on Apostasia odo- rata, was first published in 1825 by Dr. Blume in the work referred to; but in 1821 a nearly related species was discovered in the valley of Noakote in Nipal, by the plant collectors of Dr. Wallich, who, in his manuscripts, which I have had the advantage of consulting, named it Mesodac- tylis deflexa, and at the same time had the drawing made which is here given.
I have followed these two distinguished botanists in regarding Apostasia as belonging to, or at least as most nearly related to, Orchidece. It exhibits, however, very few of those characters generally considered essential to that family of plants.
In its antherae, pollen, style, and stigrna (all which parts are so remarkably modified in Orchidea), Apostasia does not materially differ, either in form, structure, or economy from the more regular-flowered families of Monocotyle- dones ; and in its trilocular ovarium it is distinguished from all other genera of the order to which it is here appended.
On the other hand, it agrees with Orchidece in the struc- ture, as far as I am able to ascertain, of its minute seeds, in the reduced number of stamina, and probably, with some genera of the family, in the order of their reduction ;
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