DROSERACEAE: Drosera.
MONOCOTYLEDONS.
JUNCEAE: Juncus.
GRAMINEAE: Leersia. Hordeum. Cryptostachys.
COMMELINEAE: Commelina.
PONTEDERACEAE: Monochoria.
ORCHIDEAE: Schomburgkia. Cattleya. Epidendron. Thelymitra.
The first point that strikes us in considering this list of 55 genera, is that they are very widely distributed in the vegetable series. They are more common in the family of the Leguminosae than in any other, and next in order in that of the Acanthaceae and Malpighiaceae. A large number, but not all the species, of certain genera, as of Oxalis and Viola, bear cleistogamic as well as ordinary flowers. A second point which deserves notice is that a considerable proportion of the genera produce more or less irregular flowers; this is the case with about 32 out of the 55 genera, but to this subject I shall recur.
I formerly made many observations on cleistogamic flowers, but only a few of them are worth giving, since the appearance of an admirable paper by Hugo Von Mohl, whose examination was in some respects much more complete than mine. (8/4. ‘Botanische Zeitung’ 1863 page 309-28.) His paper includes also an interesting history of our knowledge on the subject.
Viola canina.