XXXIV.—HIPPO C R A TËACËÜ3.
A small order of tropical arborescent-or climbing slirnbs, with opposite, simple, undivided,
toothed, or entire, somewhat coriaceous leaves, and small deciduous stipules. The flowers are
small, bisexual, regular, arranged in racemes, corymbs, or axillary fascicles.
The calyx consists of five, or very rarely four or six, small persistent imbricating sepals. The
corolla is composed of five, equal, inferior petals, alternate with the sepals, slightly imbricated in
aestivation. There are only three stamens, by some the filaments are described as distinct, by
others they are said to be free above, but dilated and usually cohering at the base, forming a cup or
disk-like covering to the ovary. Anthers terminal, one or 2-celled, in the former case opening
transversely across the apex, in the latter longitudinally. Ovary superior, hid under the disk
of the filaments, 3-celled, with several superposed ovules in each, either ranged in a single or
double row, and attached to the axis: styles 3 cohering into I : stigmas 3 united, or distinct.
Fruit either baccate with one or several seeds, or composed of three sameroid 2-valved carpels.
Seeds exalbuminous, embryo straight, radicle pointing to thé base, sometimes winged, cotyledons
flat, elliptical, oblong, somewhat fleshy.
Affinities. These are uncertain, some Botanists considering this order more nearly allied
to Acerinece and Malpighiacece,while others at the head of whom is the celebrated Brown, and
Dr. Lindley assert they are scarcely to be distinguished from CelastrinetB ; the latter Botanist even
reduces this to a suborder of CelastrinetB. Bartling places these two orders next each other, while
Meisner on the otherhandretains this order in his class MaLpighirrte in the vicinity of Malpigh iacete,
and Erythroxylece. To me it appears that in a strictly natural distribution of the orders it should
rank near CelastrinetB, if not, as Dr. Lindley has done, form a section of that order, but so long
as the orders themselves, are distributed according to an artificial arrangement depending on
the insertions of the petals and stamens, whether hypogynous or perigynous, I fear it must be
retained in its present place. In itself, the order does not seem well constituted, as resting on
a peculiarity of structure which I cannot help viewing as of secondary importance, the un-
symmetrical (ternary) stamens and dilated cohering filaments, while the fruit, which generally
affords more valuable characters, differs most widely in the different genera. The characters however
derived from the relative number of stamens andjepals, added to the very unusual development
of the filaments are so very singular, as well to entitle them to a degree of importance
not usually accorded to them, and even to raise them superior, in this particular instance, to
those taken from the peculiarities of the fruit and structure of the seed, and, for the same reason
that they unite Salacia with a baccate fruit- and Hippocratea with three samaroid carpels,
exclude CelastrinetB, though in both orders g the insertion of the ovules is either towards the
base, or is central, and the direction of the radicle _ is always inferior” as observed by Mr.
Brown.
G eographical D istribution. This order is altogether of tropical origin, the larger
portion appertaining to America. Some species of Hippocratea and Salacia are found in
Africa, and several more of both in India. Hitherto, these two genera only, have been met with
in India, but are very generally diffused over it, and so abundant, that species of one or other
are to be found in almost every jungle.
P roperties and Uses. I am not aware of any use to which any of the Indian species of
this order has been applied. The fruit of one African species Salacia pyriformis is eatable, its
flavour is said to be rich and sweet. The seeds of Hippocratea comosa, a W est Indian plant,
are oily and sweet.
R emarks on G enera and Species. The Indian flora as already remarked only furnishes
species of two genera, Hippocratea and Salacia. They are easily distinguished when in
fruit by the 2-valved capsular carpels of the one, and the pulpy baccate fruit of the o e .
In flower they are not quite so readily distinguished, but may be by the anthers which are
1-ceiled, bursting across the apex in the former, and 2-celled opening lengthwise in the latter,
and generally still more easily by the inflorescence which is panicled in Hippocratea, whi
in Salacia the flowers are for the most part congested in the axils of the leaves. Of this order
Roxburgh seems only to have known five species, three of Hippocratea and two of Salacia
or Johnia as he, supposing them a distinct genus, called them. Under Wallich’s hands thé
number has swollen to 19, but whether these will all prove distinct when thoroughly examined
and compared may be doubtful, as some of them vary considerably according to circumstances
It is not improbable that the species of Hippocratea here figured may be one of them
but as it was impossible for me to determine that from a name only, and as it evidently differs
from all those described by Roxburgh, I could not hesitate about naming it. I have another
species from Bombay, communicated by Mr. Graham under the name of H. obtusifolia It
does not however correspond with my specimens of that species nor indeed with any of the
other Indian ones with which I am acquainted. From H. indica these three species are all
known at a glance by their larger sized flowers ; from each other they may be thus distinguished
H. obtusifolia, calyx fleshy, entire on the margin, petals triangular, tapering to a point’
H. Grahamii, calyx membranous, fimbriated on the margin, petals obovate—spathulate.’
H. Arnottiana, calyx flishy, lobes obtuse, entire on the margin, petals suborbicular unguicu-
late, reflexed. H. Ri.chardiana of the Flora Senegambim; if really distinct, must be very closely
allied to our H. obtusifolia, (1 suspect they are the same species) the figure of H. paniculata
of the same work, shows that it more nearly approaches my H. Grahamii, but is quite
distinct. ^
The species of Salacia cannot, so far as I have yet been able to ascertain, be thus briefly
and clearly distinguished by the flowers. The fruit seems to afford better distinguishing marks
but is often wanting in preserved specimens. The inflorescence also gives several pretty good
characters such as, whether the peduncles have one or several flowers, whether in the former
case, there are few or many aggregated in the axil of the leaf, and whether they are longer or
shorter, than the petiol—according to these marks they may be thus distributed.
1.—Peduncles 1-flowered—(from an axillary tubercle).
A. Peduncles few—(1 or 2 to 6 or 8).
, • MBSlwr-K""' I " 1« ™ . o. macropnyua, rsiume, one trom
Ceylon, A. reticulata, K. W. one and lastly, S. senegalensis distinct, from Malabar, though for
the present united with the Ceylon one, D. C.
B. Peduncles very numerous.
, Tw° species from Mergui of which I have specimens are referable to this subsection—
both, so far as I know, undescribed. S’, verrucosa, R. W. and S. multijlora, R. W.
These two subsections are perhaps too artificial to prove of much value’in practice, as it is
evident that change of circumstances may cause a species to pass from the one into the other.
2.—Peduncles several flowered.
A. Peduncles 2-3 cleft, bearing few subsessile flowers on the apex.
S.pomifera. S. oblonga. S. Javanensis, Blume. S. oblong folia, Blume. & melito-
tarpa, Blume.
1 Bo Peduncles forked, each division terminating in a simple many flowered
longish, pedicelled.
To this subsection one Mergui species S. floribunda, R. W. belongs.
umbel, flowers
The new species of both genera of this enumeration may be thus designated and defined.
HIPPOCRATEA.
H. Arnottiana, (R. W.) Shrubby, twining, glabrous,
eaves ovate, oblong, acuminated, coriaceous, remotely
*renato—-serrated on the margin; panicles small, few
«owered, axillary and terminal: petals from broadly
ovate obtuse to subreniform, unguiculate, carpels linear,
spathulate, broadly emarginate at the apex.
Hab.—Ma labar.
The flowers of this species are perhaps, about the