886. T oxocarpus K lbinh. (W.& A.) stems glabrous
ramuli pubescent: leaves elliptic, abruptly acuminated:
corymbs subsessile, branches divaricated longer than the
leaves: flowers pedicelled ; segments of the corolla ligulate
glabrous, throat pilose; leaflets of the staminal crown
ovate bidentato-truncate, the apex furnished with an interior
exserted flat lacinia subtridentate at the point;
stigma rostrate, slightly bifid at the apex, a little longer
than the tube of the corolla : follicles arcuately reflexed.
Wight contributions, p .6 1.
Twining in hedges near the sea coast in Tanjore about
Negapatam.
1 flowering branch—2 detached flower—3 corolla—4
calyx removed and limb of the corolla drawn back to show
the crown more highly magnified—5 pollen masses—6 follicles.
I am indebted to Dr. Greville of Edinburgh for Nos.
4 & 5 of these analyses.
887. I pomcea rugosa. (Choisy.) stems creeping : leaves
cordately reniform, glabrous, obtuse, mucronulate: peduncles
usually shorter than the leaves : sepals ovate, outer
ones shortest and rugosely plicate. Don. diet. 4, p. 266.
Frequent in moist soil as about the banks of watercourses
and under the bunds of tanks, flowers usually
pink sometimes pure white.
In this plate the figure No. 4 represents the calyx with
its two rugous sepals, the best distinguishing mark of tho
species.
888. R ivea pomacea. (R. W. Argyriea pomacea
Choisy.) leaves clothed with cinerious velvetty down on
both sides but 'especially beneath : peduncles exceeding
the petiols, somewhat cymose, many flowered : bracteas
linear lanceolate adpressed to the flowers, sepals ovate
lanceolate obtuse, rather villous. Don. 1. c.
This is a strong growing species frequentabout Coimbatore
twining over hedges and bushes. Juice milky, flowers
pink, berries yellow when ripe, pulpy. The analysis of this
and two subsequent species Nos. 890 & 91 clearly show that
in all of them the ovary is 4 celled and fruit baccate and
to that extent all are clearly referable to Choisy’s genus
Rivea to which, I have referred them. I have however
found this character so universal in the genus that I am
becoming more and more fearful, if rigidly adhered to, that
he older name will be blotted out of Botanical nomenclature
and would therefore suggest that the generic charac -
ter be so extended as to include all those species having
baccate fruit whatever the form of the corolla or number
of cells of the ovary. All that I have yet seen are further
distinguished from Ipomcea by their woody subarboreous
habit abouuding in milky j uice.
889. Capparis diva ric at a. (Lamark. W. & A.) glabrous
: stipules thorny short, curved : leaves very shortly
petioled, exactly linear, elongated, mucronate, coriaceous :
flowers axillary, solitary, short pedicelled : petals linear
spathulate, ciliate, acuminated. W. Sf A. Prod. p. 27.
Very common about Coimbatore, usually appearing as a
small very ramous shrub, exactly agreeing with the first
part of the above character, and in that form-neverin
flower; hence neither Lamark nor ourselves had seen
flowers. More rarely it attains the size of a small tree,
with a round dense top, the ends of the branchlets drooping.
In this state only I have seen it in flower and this
figure gives a good representation of a branch taken from
a tree rather larger than is usually met with. The natives
seem to associate some sacred idea with this tree, as I
have frequently seen swammy idols under its shade.
890. Rivea coneata. (R. W. Argyriea Ker, Choisy.
&c.) 8inoothish: leaves obovate cuniate, emarginate, glabrous
above, but beset with short crowded hairs beneath,
hardly petiolate: peduncles shorter than the leaves 3-6
flowered: bracteas linear very acute : sepals, ovate obtuse,
equal, villous. Don. 1. c.
This species is very abundant in Mysore and is also
generally met with in alpine districts, but rarely below
2500 feet of elevation. It is a beautiful shrub when in
full flower, rarely twining but does sometimes. The fruit
after maturely becomes dry and capsular forming as it
were the transition from the succulent fruit of Argyriea
to the capsule of Ipomcea.
891. Rivea hirsuta. (R. W. Argyriea hirsuta. W.
& A. Madras Journal.) hairy all over; leaves cordate at
the base, harshly tomentose beneath : flowers cymose ;
peduncles usually longer than the leaves : flowers large
tubular, stamens included : fruit ovate py'ramidal pointed
deep orange coloured when ripe. Neilgherries flowering
the greater part of the year.
It ssems, to me, doubtful whether this and several
other reputted species, found on these hills, may not require,
on more careful examination, to be united into one.
892. H bliotropium zeylanicum. (Lara.) stem shrubby
branched, clothed with stiff bristley hairs: leaves linear
lanceolate pilose on both sides : racimes axillary, numerous
towards the ends of the branches, much longer than
the leaves, forked ; flowers secuud sessile : corolla tubular
5 clift, throat platied ; segments of the limb spreading acuminated
: anthers séssile, included, connective produced
beyond thé cells, 3 toothed at the apex.
Frequeut in cultivated land about Coimbatore but generally
a rare plant in India. Burman’s figure (FI. Iudica)
taken from a dried specimen, is most characteristic of the
plant in that state but gives an imperfect idea of the
growing one.
893. Solanum giganteüm. (Jacq.) stem shrubby :
prickles tomentose at the base : leaves elliptic lanceolate
acute, unarmed, entire, glabrous above, clothed with hoary
tomentum beneath : racemes dichotomous cymose lateral,
many flowered, clothed with white tomentum. Don. diet.
•1, p. 430.
A subalpine shrub : the specimen here figured grew on
the Neilgherries at an elevation of 6000 feet.
The flowers which are small, pale purple, nearly hid in
the woolly calyx, are at first drooping afterwards erect,
and the clusters of fruit always erect. This plant has the
property of expanding the flowers of each corymb in such
slow succession, that ripe berries and unopened flower
buds are common in the same cluster.
894. B udlea discolor. (Roth.) arboreous; branches
almost terete, compressed at the nodi, tomentose : leaves
lanceolate, acuminated, subserrated, glabrous above, pale
beneath, or clothed with white tomentum : spikes interrupted
slender, simple or panicled: bracteas linear, lanceolate
: flowers nearly sessile subglomerate: capsules reflexed.
Don. gard. diet. 4, p. 600.
A subalpine plant common on the slopes of the Neilgherries
scarcely attaining to an elevation of 6000 feet,
though most abundant, a little lower. No, 11 of the analysis
represents a seed highly magnified but conveys
very imperfect idea of its beauty when seen under a good
magnifier.
( 8 U