PLANTS JAVANICiE RARIORES. 621
of Roxburgh), being considered as only subgenera of Ster- culia, of which the principal characters distinguishing it from Pteryyota are, as he states, orthotropous ovula and embryo either antitropous or parallel to the umbilicus. It would seem that these distinctions were adopted chiefly from the facts stated in the 'Flora Indica' of Dr. Rox- burgh, and in part also perhaps from the generic character of Stercidia given in the ' Flora Brasiliae.'
In 1841 the same arrangement and characters are given in his ' Enchiridion. '
��Before proceeding to the description and characters of Stercidiece, I have to make a few preliminary observations, chiefly on the relative importance of the different organs in the formation of genera.
In the general description of the tribe, I have enclosed in brackets such exceptions to the more usual structure as I believe to be in most cases of generic value.
The ordinary structure follows separately ; no notice being taken of the exceptions, which are numerous, and such parts of the general description being excluded as are of least importance, and it may be remarked that this cha- racter is but little different from that of the genus Stercidia.
I then give the few characters to which hitherto no exception has been found.
The direction of Embryo with relation to the insertion or umbilicus of the seed appears to be by far the most important character, or that which is best supported by other modifications of structure; and it is worthy of re- mark, that in this point the ordinary direction of the embryo in the tribe, namely the radicle seated at the opposite extremity or apex of the seed, is itself a deviation from the more usual structure of Phamogamous plants, and an exception not only to the other tribes of Stercidiacece, but to the whole of the Natural Class Malvaceae, to which that order belongs ; and it becomes still more remarkable in
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