stance which he calls Polygaline, under the form of brilliant pale coloured scales, at-first
insipid, afterwards acrid and burning to the taste, insoluble in distilled water, and but spar-
ingly soluble in alcohol. M. Dulong on the contrary, procured one, deliquescent and very
soluble in water and alcohol. M. Peschier states that he obtained from 6 ounces of the root
100 grains of an alcaline substance, united with a new acid, which he has called acide Poly-
oalinique. The Krameria or Ratany root remarkable for its astringent, properties and for
fts extensive employment by preparers of Port wine in Britian, is derived from another genus
of this or a nearly allied family. The species of Xanthophyllum are trees, that furnish timber
of considerable size, and being besides handsome flowering plants, deserve a place in the
garden, as does Poly gala arillata a very handsome flowering shrub, not uncommon on the
higher*hills of this country. The properties of both Xanthophyllum and P. arillata if they
possess any, are unknown. It seems to me desirable to remove the latter from the genus Po-
lygala, from most of the species of which it differs very widely in habit and ip the arillus
which covers the whole of the seed.
R emarks on G enera and S pecies. Three genera only, of this order, have as yet been
found in the Indian Peninsula, viz. Polygala, Xanthophyllum, and Salomonia. The first of
these, is a very old genus, has been long known as a native of India, but of which it appears
Dr. Roxburgh knew only 2 peninsular species, these have now been increased to 14, and Dr.
Wallich and Mr. Royle mention several others, not met with in this part of India. Xanthophyllum
is a genus originally established by Roxburgh for two Silhet trees, but is now found to
extend nearly to the southern extremity of the peninsula, as I have several species from
Courtallum and one from Ceylon. It is also found in Java, whence Blume has 3 species to
which he has given the name of Jackia, not knowing, that the genus had been previously
named by Roxburgh. The genus Salomonia, originally established by Loureiro to receive
a small Chinese plant, has recently had considerable additions made to it. Two have been
found in Nepaul, three in Ceylon, and one in Malabar. The last, having been discovered
for the first time in 1835, the genus has not yet__ found its way into our catalogue
of peninsular plants, on which account I have availed myself of the present opportunity
of making it known. The species of Poly gala here represented, was selected on
account of its being new to the peninsular flora, and under, the supposition that it is a new
species. On this last point however I have still some doubts, not but that my plant appears
more distinct from P. persecaricefolia as figured by Wallich (Plant, rar. tab. 184) than many
of the other allied species of the genus which are kept distinct, but because, I find they have
a stron» tendency to vary in their forms. I was particularly struck with this disposition
while examinin» a very large series of specimens of P. Javana, presenting almost every
form of vegetation and outline of foliage, but all agreeing in two points, the large wings
of the calyx, and in having a curious 2 lobed membranous appendage, or arillus pendant from
the carunculus. In like manner P. Heyneana has three, smaller, but in other respects similar,
appendages hanging like flaps, nearly the whole length of the seed, from its carunculus, by
which a* number of sufficiently distinct looking specimens were with certainty associated.
None of the other species possessed an equally certain guide by which to bring varying forms
together, but from what I have observed in these two, 1 feel but little hesitation in concluding,
that in some instances mere varieties are raised to the rank of species.
The genus Salomonia is distinguished from Poly gala by the absence of the large wing-like
interior sepals ; its 5 sepals being all nearly equal, by having four, not eight, stamens with the
filaments united their whole length ; and lastly, by the capsule being furnished on the margine
with Ion» tooth-like bristles, in place of being naked, or ciliated. Two species are introduced
into the accompanying plate, one from Ceylon, recently discovered, and the other from Malabar.
The genus Xanthophyllum differs from the rest of the order in having symmetrical flowers,
except the stamens, and exalbuminous seed, Here in place of three petals firmly united at the
base into one, there are 5 petals, corresponding in number, and alternate with the lobes of the
calyx, but the stamens retain the unsymmetricg.1 character of the order. It differs further from the
character of the order in having the placentae parietal in place of in the axis of the ovary. The
species of Xanthophyllum here figured I at first doubted, whether to consider a narrow-leaved
variety of one of Roxburgh’s species, or distinct from both; the latter I now think the more
correct view; partly on account pf the difference of appearance of this plant, but much more
on account of the difference of structure which its ovary presents. In X. fiavescens, Roxburgh
describes and figures the ovary as having two tubercles rising from the base, each bearing two
erect ovules, and in his X virens, he represents the placentae as forming two projections,
one from each side of the ovary extending its whole length, and each bearing from 4 to 6 ovules.
In my plant, I find only 4 ovules, as in fiavescens, but differently situated, one namely from
each extremity of each placenta, one ascending the other pendulous. On this account it approaches
more nearly to X virens, but in that species each placenta bears from 4 to 6 ovules in
two rows. I may here observe that in our Prodromus we have fallen into an error in adopting
the name fiavescens, for the only species it Contains. It is most true that in its general
aspect, our plant corresponds with Roxburgh’s fiavescens, even to the colour of the leaves,
but- it differs in the structure of the ovary, the principal point of difference between Roxburgh’s
two species. From X virens, both the present species and fiavescens of the Prodromus differ
in the absence of a glandular enlargement of the veins on the lower surface of the leaves, and
in changing to yellow in drying. The very distant stations of the two plants, tend, still further,
to confirm the opinion that they are distinct. On this point however, I refrain from offering
any decided opinion, as I have not seen a specimen of the original X virens. Among my
specimens from Courtallum and Ceylon, there are five distinct forms, which may be thus distinguished
and named—1st, the one here figured, X. angustifolium. 2d, one with subsecund
spicate racemes, elliptic, shortly acuminated, green, leaves; ovary with four ovules, 2 erect and
2 pendulous, X. Roxburgianum. 3d, one with hard coriacious reticulated, glabrous, acuminated
leaves, undulated on the margin ; ovary with four transverse ovules, X. undulatum.
4th, the form described in our Prodromus under the name of X. fiavescens, but which
I now consider quite distinct from Roxburgh’s plant, X. Arnottianum: and lastly, one from
Ceylon, with oval leaves, ending in an abrupt, rather long pointed, acumen; the ovary 4-ovuled,
the ovules attached to the base, ascending; probably the true X. fiavescens of Roxb: the figure
of which it greatly resembles.
POLYGALA.
P. Wallichiana. (R. W.) Glabrous, erect, ramous:
leaves narrow, lanceolate, obtuse: racemes axillary,
or from the forks of the branches, many flowered:
wings from broadly ovate to orbicular, longer than the
capsules: capsule margined, glabrous: seeds black,
densely covered with white hairs, carunculus white
edentulate.
P. persicariaefolia. Wall. List 4185, c.
A native of Alpine districts, frequent on the Pulney
hills, where the plant attains a much larger size than
the one here represented, bearing fewer but longer
racemes.
This differs from the plant figured by Wallich, in
being perfectly glabrous, diffusely, ramous in having
the racemes invariably springing from the branches, in
place of terminal as in his plant, sometimes they are
axillary, sometimes supra-axillary, and not unfre-
quently from the forks of the branches. The flowers
appear much smaller than in his. It differs from
DeCandolle’s plant in being glabrous, not pubescent,
and in having glabrous, not ciliate capsules. Prom
Dons, P. Buchanani, it differs in its ramous habit, and
in being every where glabrous. The plant here figured
is, I find, equally a native of the Himalayas, and of
the southern mountains, as I have a specimen from
Simla, procured from a very extensive and beautifully
preserved collection of plants formed, while there, by
Lady Dalhousie.
SALOMONIA.
Calyx 5-sepaled, sepals about equal. Petals 3, united
heiow into a tube, cleft longitudinally on one side.
Stamens 4, filaments united their whole length, and
adhering near the base to the tube of the corolla.
Anthers 4. Capsule compressed, bristle-toothed on the
margin, 2-lobed, 2-celled, with a single pendulous
seed in each cell. Seed compressed, glabrous, sub-
lenticular black, testa crustacious, brittle. Embryo
large, straight, enclosed in albumen. Cotyledons
foliacious, radicle pointing to the hilum.
Small herbaceous plants; leaves alternate ; racemes
terminal; flowers minute, purplish, each furnished
with a bractea. ,
Mr. Don characterizes this genus as exalbuminous,
and with an inverse embryo, in both of which points,
it appears to me he is mistaken; the albumen bein»
rather copious in S. obovata, and the embryo ere<Tt
with respect to the seed, though inverse with reference
to the plant.
1. S . obovata. (R. W.) Erect, ramous: leaves
sub-sessile, glabrous, obovate obtuse, or spathulate
below ; above, from sub-orbicular to cordate: spikes
elongated: capsules bristle-toothed on the margine.
Malabar Coast and Ceylon.
My specimens from Malabar scarcely exceed three
inches in height, but are very ramous, some that I have
from Ceylon of apparently the same plant, are much
larger, but less branched; in all other respects they
correspond. Perhaps the species is too nearly allied
to S. oblongifolia D.C. which however seems distinct.
2. Salomonia cordata. (Arnott) Ramous, leaves sessile,
cordate, ovate, glabrous on the sides, ciliate on the
margin ; spikes elongated: capsules crestato-pectinate.
Arnott.
Sea Coast Ceylon.
All the species from southern India are coast plants.
Mr. Arnott inadvertently quotes the mountains of