collection was obtained from Singapore, Silhet, the Calcutta Botanic Garden, and Courtallum ; the first is
probably identical with Rumphius’ plant, the last with the Ceylon one, and the two others with that cultivated
in this country, the seeds of which were forwarded by the late Dr. Carey.
O r d . L X X I I . E U P H O R B IA C E Æ . Juss.
1. Glochidion Sinicicm.— Bradleia Sinica. Goertn.— Roxh. F l. Ind. 3. p . 700.— Phyllanthus
villosa. Poir. in L am . Enc. Meth. 5. p . 297 ?
We have only received it from Rev. G. H. Vachell, n. 153, collected in Lappas Island.
2. Glochidion molle; ramulis compressis, petiolis pedunculisque pubescentibus, foliis
petiolatis ovalibus basi retusis apice vix acuminatis subtus molliter pubescentibus, adultis
supra glabris nervis pubescentibus, pedunculis petiolo subdimidio brevioribus multifloris,
pedicellis masculis pedúnculos subæquantibus, foemineis filiformibus 2-3-plo longioribus.—
Phyllanthus obscurus. Willd.?
From Roxburgh’s character, this appears to be closely allied to his Bradleia hirsuta (Fl. Ind. 3. p. 699).
In the few specimens w’e have seen, and which we owe to Mr. Millett, the ovary and young fruit are constantly
injured by insects : we refer it, however, without hesitation, to Glochidion, as defined by M. Adrien
de Jussieu, from the structure of the male flower and of the stigma. We may remark, that the character given
by him must be altered, if Bradleia pinnata, Roxb., in which the fruit is said to have 8-10 cells, and B .
muUilocularis, Roxb., or Agyneia multilocularis, Willd., belong to it ; this last has 8-12 anthers.
1. Phyllanthus Niru ri. L in n . (excl. syn. Rheed.)—Roxb. Fl. Ind. 3. p . 659 certe (excl.
syn. Rheed.) Pluk. Phyt. t. 183. f . 5. B u rm. Thes. Zeyl. t. 93. f . 2. Rheed. Hort. M a i
10. t 16 ? (certe non t. 15.) Rumph. Herb. Am. 6. t, 1 7 . / 1.
We can scarcely clear up the synonyms between this and P . urinaria, Linn., nor are we quite certain
that we are not reversing the appellations given by Linnæus. What we here call P . Niruri, has smaller
leaves than P. urinaria, and the capsule is perfectly smooth and even, which, in the other, is covered with
numerous flattened small scale-like tubercles. To our P . urinaria belong Rumph. Amb. 6. t. 17. f. 2, and
Rheed. Mai. 10. t. 15, which last represents faithfully our specimens from the Peninsula of India, from Dr.
Wight: indeed, although this figure has been always quoted for P. Niruri, Rheede says decidedly, that the
gemnuB or capsules “ sunt in superficice velut granulatoe ac in sex cancellos suturis distinctæ.” Plukenet’s
t. 183. f. 6, seems distinct from either, unless it be a narrow-leaved form of Ph. Niruri. Linnæus describes
P . urinaria as the smaller plant of the two, and as having procumbent stems : we find it as large, and both
to be erect. If, then, Linnæus be correct in his reference to Rheede, our P. Niruri must be his P. urinaria,
and vice versa. Both P. Niruri and urinaria of Poiret, in Lam. Encycl., appear to belong to our
P . Niruri.
2. Phyllanthus Poir. {\8 9 4 .) in L am . E nc. 5. p . 296.— P. turbinatus. 5 ¿m (1 8 1 6 .)
in Bot. Mag. t. 1862. (non Koen.)— Nymphanthus rubra. Lour. Fl. Coch. 2. p . 665 ?
Our difficulty about Loureiro arises from his saying, that the male and female flowers spring from the
same axils, which is not the case in our plant. -As the name turbinatus was applied by Sims to this, while
Koenig and Roxburgh intended by it another species, (that figured by Rheede in his Hort. Mai. 5. t. 43,
which differs by the shape of the leaves, and several other characters,) we have availed ourselves of the
older appellation given by Poiret. The Chinese plant, with P. turbinatus, Koen., P. patens, Roxb., P.
vitis-Idea, Koen,, and Roxb. (Rheed. Hort. Mai. 5. t. 44.) form a small groupe, with turbinate male perianths.
as arc represented by M. Adr. de Jussieu, in his P. tristis, Euph. p. 22. t. 5. f. 16. B. To these M. de Jussieu
adds P . cemuus and P. rhamnoides. We suspect that he, as well as Poiret, mean by this latter Koenig's
and Roxburgh’s P , vitis-Idea; indeed, we arc almost sure of it, for at p. 1 08 he looks on P . rhamnoides as,
perhaps, the same with his P . tristis. What Retz’s and Willdenow’s P . rhamnoides is, we scarcely know,
the synonyms adduced by the latter belonging to several very different plants. Roxburgh’s species of that
name has the male flowers racemed, and six scales on the middle of the leaflets of the perianth, “ pointing
inwards, before the flower expands, so as to cover the anthers like so many hoods:” he compares it with
P . pendula, Roxb., and this last is, “ when young, not unlike Niiuri." We have received P . lucens from
Mr. Millett and Mr. Vachell, n. 95. •
3. Phyllanthus cinerascens ; frutex glaber, ramis striatis cortice cinereo, foliis parvis
obovatis vel ovalibus obtusissimis vel retusis coriaceis glabris approximatis fasciculatis vel
2-4 ad ramulos breves juniores, floribus 3-5-nis breve pedicellatis 6-fidis.
The only specimen we have seen, sent by Mr. Millett, is very imperfect. The leaves scarcely exceed a
third of an inch : the flowers (we have only observed the male ones,) arise from a small scaly tubercle, or
abortive branchlet; their structure is precisely that of P . lanceolata, Adr. de Juss. Euph. t. 5. n. 16. A. f. 2.
1. Loureiri ; ramulis pubescentibus virgatis, foliis oblongis acutiusculis utrinque
glabris, stipulis minutis deciduis, floribus plurimis axillaribus glomeratis sessilibus, proces-
subus petaloideis late cuneatis apice grosse dentatis perianthio vix dimidio brevioribus,
stylo trifido,— Cluytia monoica. Lour. Coch. 2. p . 784.
This was received, about ten years ago, in Sir Wm. J. Hooker’s first packet from Mr. Millett. The
flowers are sometimes 6-cleft, and with 6 anthers. It approaches very closely to B . patula, but seems to
differ in several particulars.
M. Adrien de Jussieu has remarked, (Euphorb. Tent. p. 25.) that although four or five of the East
Indian species of Cluytin agree with C. pulchella and the other Cape ones, in having a trifid style,
and three-celled fruit, he is rather disposed to unite them with Bridelia, and make the principal difference
between that genus and Cluytia to depend on the disk that lines the bottom of the perianth, (as in some genera
of the Rhamneoe) unaccompanied with the bifid or trifid appendages that alternate with the petaloid bodies,
and characterise the Cape species. We have, therefore, inserted Loureiro’s plant in Bridelia, and this,
with C. stipularis, Linn., C. diversifolia, Roxb., C. collina, C.patula, and C. oblongifolia, will constitute a
section distinguished by the trifid style and trilocular capsule. It is probable tbat C. semperflorens, Roxb. Fl.
Ind. 3. p. 7 3 0 , from Silhet, must form a genus (S il v æ a , Hook, et Arn.) distinct from either ; in it there appear
to be in the male, five glands that alternate with the insertion of the petaloid processes, instead of a disk, and
the petaloid processes are of a deep purple colour ; there are six anthers. In the female, the petaloid processes
are wanting, but tho ovary is surrounded at the base by a pentagonal ring, similar to what almost
always usurps the place of a disk in the female flowers of Bridelia. The species belonging to the groupe
with a three-celled fruit, may be thus distinguished :—
$ 1. Stipuloe majusculæ.
1. B. stipularis; foliis ovalibus subtus tomentosis, stipulis ovatis acutis.— Cluytia stipularis. Linn.
2. B. diversifolia; foliis utrinque glabris ex obovatis obtusis in late lanceolata acuta, stipulis ensiformibus,
floribus sessilibus, processubus petaloideis rotundato-obovatis.-—Cluytia diversifolia. Roxb. Fl. Ind. 3 . p. 731.
ÿ 2 . Stipulæ parvæ vel minuioe.
S. B. collina; foliis ovalibus glabris, floribus paucis glomeratis breviter pedicellatis, processubus petaloideis
minutis lanceolatis integerrimis.—Cluytia colliua. Roxb. Cor. 2. t. 169,- Fl. Ind. 3. p . 732.
I