P roperties and U ses. On th is su b ject almost n o th in g is k n own, th e fru it of some species
of Passiflora are edible an d th e succulent ju icy pulp which su rro u n d th e seed is cooling
i „ le v a n t to th e taste. T h e root of one species, P. quadrangular is, is said to h e power-
fullyPn arcotic, a dose o f th e infusion, a dm in iste red to a dog, having killed him in 40 m inutes
after its a dm in istratio n an d almost immediately knocked him down, as if s tru ck with apoplexy.
L ittle however seems known of it beyond th a t e x p e rim en t, as ,t does not seem to have been
employed as a remedial ag en t in th e cure o f disease. I have no where h e a rd th a t our species o f
Modecca, h av e b een applied to any useful purpose.
R ema„ ks on G enera and S pecies. T h e re b e in g h u t two genera, so far as y e t known
natives of th e Pen in su la, an d these con tain in g between them only th re e species, all ot which I
have figured in the leones, it seems unnecessary to dev o te space to th em h ere. T h e one re p re sented
h ere. for the figure of which I am in d eb ted to the eleg an t pencil o f M rs. W alk er was
found in Ceylon, where it was supposed a n ative and a new species, I h av e , as already s ta te d ,
seen reason to fear is n o t a native hut an in tro d u ced p lan t, as it accords in a lmost every p a rticular
wi‘h th e ch aracters of both P. minima an d suberosa especially the la tte r a figure of which
in Sm ith ’s E x o tic Botany 1 have seen, except in th e smaller size o f its fru it. 1 he following
description is tak e n from a p lan t growing in th e H o rtic u ltu ra l Society s G a rd e n a t Bangalore.
Passiflora Walkerii (II. W. P. minima ? Jacq. P. su-
berosa? Lin.) A small climbling plant, leaves ovate 3
or slightly 5-nerved, the exterior pair much smaller, entire
or somewhat thre^-lobed, the middle lobe the largest,
succulent, glabrous, without glands; p^tiols shorter
than the leaves, with two prominent glands near the
apex ; tendrils simple : peduncles twin, axillary, simple,
one-flowered, jointed about the middle and furnished
with two minute caducous subulate bfacteas at the jmnt,
no involucrum : calyx 5-cleft, inner series wanting, coronal
appendages in four series, first, the inner one a brown
rjnor—2-a plaited lobed membrane the margin of the lobes
ciliated, 3 a circle of erect capitulate filaments—and
lastly—the petaloid series consisting of a ring of spatnulate
filaments reflexed and redish at the apex purple towards
the base. Fruit a small purple berry with several
rough seed enveloped in sweet pulp.
I cannot feel certain that the plant described is identical
with tlie one figured, but trust that the minuteness
of the above description aided by the figure will enable
any Ceylon Botanist, who may meet with the plant, to
determine that point. For figures of the continental
species of this order, see leones—No. 39, 179, 201.
The analysis figures 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are taken from P.
laurifiilia, and were made by Rungiah. The figure of
the plant and section of the fruit No. 7, 1 owe to the
kindness o f Mrs. Walker.
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 108.
Passiflora Walheri (R. W. P. suberosa? Jacq.)
1. A flowering branch, natural size.
2. Stamens, podocarp and ovary.
3. Anthers. - , , ,
4. Transverse section of the tube of the calyx, showing
the iree curtain-like extremity of the torus (?) embracing
the podocarp and cutting off all communication
between the upper and lower portions of the tube.
5. Ovary cut vertically.
6. Cut transversely, one-celled, with three parietal
placentas.
7. Transverse section o f the mature fruit.
L X X I .—PORTULACACEÆ.
L X X I I .—P A R O N Y C H IA C E iE .—L X X I I I .—F IC O ID E iE .
In our P ro d rom u s these ord ers are viewed as quite d istin c t an d n o t even ran g ed in a consecutive
series. In th is course we followed DeCandolle, an d , according to my present ideas on
th e subject, allowed ourselves to be misled by th at h ig h au th o rity on all m atters relatin g to af-
^ ‘ ‘These^three ord ers in common with Caryophylleae, (alread y tre a te d of) Chenopodiaceae
Phytolncceae Polygoneae, and five or six o th ers are connected by one common link namely, by
having th e Embryo applied to the side of, or, more commonly, curved round a mealy albumen
T h e orders associated by th is seminal s tru c tu re , though often a p i l ^ tW '- . widely
by characters taken from the flower, are y et, all so intimately blended in th eir several relation-
ships, th a t no two Botanists seem agreed e ith e r as to th e genera referable to each o r as to the
orders among which they sh ould be gro u p ed as th e ir n e a re s t allies. G u id ed by th is clue to