cimens of this plant, raised with much care from seed brought from Rangoon, sent several hundred
miles as one'of the greatest beauty and rarity, but which, had never' been seen by the cultivator
iu India, though he must have passed it hundreds of times. The plant is really a beautiful
one and richly merited all the attention bestowed on that occasion, but would equally have
merited it if brought from the neighbouring marsh, in place of from a foreign country.
Melhania is not very common, though widely diffused, but like some other members of the
order is very variable. The M. in can a when growing in a fertile soil, changes so much in
appearance from what it is in a more arid one, that it no longer seems to be the same plant,
and indeed I greatly doubt whether the two forms can belong to the same species, 1 have
since the publication of our Prodromus met with a new species having much the appearance of
an’Abutilon, hence called C. abutiloides. It grows in rocky ravines among the Ballagaut hills,
and attains the size of a small shrub.
The determination of the species of the genus Pteraspermum, is an undertaking of considerable
difficulty, owing to the great variations in the form of the foliage in different specimens
of the same species. In my recent excursions I have added a new species to this genus, and
have reason to suspect that there are several, yet unknown to us, to be met with in our alpine
jungles. I had not the good fortune to find fructification of some that I consider new, and cannot
in consequence describe them, but their trailing arborious habit, leave little reason to doubt
their being different from all those already described.
Kydia. a genus established by Dr. Roxburgh, and so called in honor of the late Colonel
Kyd, the founder of the Calcutta Botanic Garden, consists of fine shrubs, bearing their numerous
flowers in large clusters on the ends of the branches. Of this genus there is- one
species met with in the Pulicat jungles towards the foot of the hills, and one very fine new
species in Ceylon, to which Dr. Arnott has given the name of K. angmtifolia, a peculiarity by
which it is well distinguished from the continental forms which have the leaves nearly round.
Other two genera are characterized in our Prodromus as belonging to the order, namely,
Eriochlona and Microchlcena. At the time of publication we expressed a doubt of the stability
of both these genera, conceiving that the characters assigned by DeCandolle were insufficient
to keep them distinct. Of the justice of these doubts further observation has not only satisfied
me, but have even led me to doubt, whether two plants described in our Prodromus under these
names form more than one species, indeed I feel almost certain that they do not, and ought
to be united. These genera are made to rest on the circumstance of one having a quinary the
other a quaternary series of parts, a difference of every day occurrence in different specimens
taken from the same tree, and of course more likely to occur when taken from different trees,
though of the same species. The following aye the new genera of Sterculiece proposed by
Professor Endlicher in his Meletemata Botaniea.
Tribus. Sterouliejs. Flores abortu didines. Calyx e sepalis regulariter connatis,
Corolla nulla. Filament a in tubum carpophore connexum connata. Anther® subuni -1. bilo-
culares curvato-oblong®, ad ovarii perfecti 1, imperfecti basin, Fructus e carpellis legumini-
formibus verticillatis, sutura interiore dehiscentibus. Semina interdum arillo obducta, albumi-
nosa. Arbores. Folia simplicia—1. digitato-composita, peliolo apice turnido.
P terygo ta . Calyx campanulatus 5 partibus carnosus, apice reflexus. Tubus stamineus
masculus cylindricus elongatus calyce inclusus, apice in urceolum expansus, antheris sessilibus
in 5 fasciculus coacervatis onustus, fasciculis singulis superposite-subpentandris. Tubus stami-
num femineus vix ullus, anther® imperfectae in 5 fasciculos superposite coacervatae, fasciculis
carpellorum sinubus oppositis. Ovaria subdistincta multiovulata. Styli subsejuneti. Stigmata
dilatata radiatim posita. Fructus carpella subglobosa longe stipitellata polysperma. Semina
ala longa eultriformi (spongiosa) terminata.—Indi® orientalis incola> foliis cordatis integerrimis,
racemis axillaribus 1. alaribus, floribus majusculis rubro tinctis.
Pt. Roxburghii (Sterculia alata Roxb.)..
S terculia L . Calyx profunde 5 partitus patens. Tubus stamineus maris ac femin®
elongatus cylindricus, apice in urceolum 5- lobum expansus, lobis 3 dentatis, 3 antheriferis.
Styli connexi abrupte recurvi. Stigmata . . . . Fructus carpella follicularia subsessilia polys*
perma.—Arbor generis typum praebens Indiam orientalem inhabitans foliis gaudet palmatim
compositis, floribus laxe-racernosis, rubris, foetidissimis. Ceter® species cum indica hac con-
sociat® simplicifoli®, verosiiniliter genus proprium (Ivira) constituentes, Americam tropicam
incolunt.
St.fcetida L.
Southwellia Salisb. Calyx campanulatus 5—7 fidus, laciniis apice connexis. Tubus
stamineus masculus cylindricus calyce inclusus, filamentis apice liberis antheras in capitulum
inordinate coacervatas gerentibus. Tubus stamineus femineus masculo conformis, antheris
sterilibus 15—30 sessilibus, serie simplici sinuata dispositis onustus. Ovaria coadunata. Styli
connexi recurvi. Stigmata subpeltata cohaerentia, radiata. Fructus carpella follicularia sessi-
lia oligosperma. (Semina nuda.)—Orbis veteris, Afric®, Asi® et Australasi® tropic® incol®,
foliis simplicibus v, com posit is, floribus plerumque flavescentibus.
S. nobilis Salisb. S. Balanghas, S. versicolor, S. Blumii, S, Tragacanthce, S, anousti-
folia, etc. (Steruli® spec, Auct.).
Cavallium. Calyx campanulatus 5 fidus, erectus. Tubus stamineus maris ac femin®
brevis, calyce inclusus medio constrictus, apice in filamenta 10 monanthera solutus, quorum 5
alterna longiora. Styli connexi breves. Stigmata coadunata 5 lobe-disposita. Fructus carpella
coriacea follicularia sessilia oligosperma.—-Indie®, foliis cordatis lobatis, floribus paniculatis
copiosis minutis.
C. mens (Sterculia urens Roxb.) C. comosum (Sterculia comosa Wallich.j.
H ildegardia. Calyx profunde 5 partitus reflexus. Tubus stamineus maris (?) et femi-
n® fusiformi-clavatus elongatus, antheris 10 bilocularibus daplici serie sessilibus ; inferioribus
5 ovarii angulis oppositis* Styli continui connexi. Stigmata coadunata planiuscula minuta.
Fructus carpella longe-stipitellata membranacea venosa, ventricosa, apice ala lata eultriformi
terminata. Semina pauca (?),—Asiatic® tropic®, foliis cordatis acutis, glabris, membranaceis
floribus odoratis.
If. populifolia (Sterculia populifolia Roxb.) H. Candollei (Sterculia populifolia DC.)
H, macrophylla (Sterculia macrophylla Vent.).
Scaphium. Flores . . Fructus carpella stipitellata membranacea venosa, longe ante
maturitatem aperta demum cymbaeformia magnav Semen unicum ad basin carpelli exsertum.
—Indica, nobis e fructu tant.um not a.
So. Wallichvi (St. scaphigera Wall.),
Firmiana Marsigli. Calyx ad basin usque 5 partitus reflexus. Tubus stamineus maris efc
femin® cylindricus elongatus, antheris plurimis. Ovarium e carpellis 5. Styli elongati. Stigm
a ta .... Fructus carpella membranacea longe ante maturitatem aperta, demum foliorum
adinstar expansa (dependentia?). Semina . . . , Arbor Chinensis fo liis lobatis glabris.
$. platanifolia (Sterculia platanifolia L,)
E rythropsis Lindl, Calyx infundibuliformis 5 dentatus. Tubus stamineus maris et
femin® cylindricus exsertus, antheris 30 sessilibus inordinatis. Ovarium e carpellis 5 subdis-
tinctis. Styli breves obsoleti. Stigmata acuta recurva. Fructus carpella stipitellata membranacea
longe ante maturitatem aperta foliorum adinstar expansa dependentia, Semina 2 in
quoqne carpello marginibus alterne adhaerentia.-^Arbor indica foliis lobatis, calycibus carpel-
lisq.ue rubro-coccineis.
E. Roxburghiana. (Sterculia colorata Roxb.).*
The following are the only additions to this order I have recently become acquainted with,
Melhania abutiloides. (Am. MSS.) shrubby, dif- beneath, crenately serrated acute: peduncles axillary
ruse; branches villous: leaves broadly ovate, cordate and torminal 2-3 flowered: involucel leaves broad cor-
at the base softly pubescent above, whitish tomentose date acuminated closely embracing the flower, persis