e x p l a n a t io n o f p l a t e s .
VOL. III.—PART III.
931. VanIlia aphyLla ? (Blume, Lind.) leafless,
peduncles 3 (or many) flowered : limb of the lip undulated
obtuse bearded in the middle : anthers two-
lobed, fruit cylindrical (insipid ?) Lind. I c. p. 436.
Travancore near Trevandrum, climbing among
bushes. Dr. Lindley refers to this, plant in his remarks
under V. ophylla but seems doubtful of their
being identical, a point which my imperfect specimen
did not-enable him to clear up. At first he seemed
to have considered it distinct as he has marked a
specimen in my Herbarium V. Wighiii, but, on reconsideration
changed his mind and published the
species under the name here adopted. The numerous
flowers and acute not obtuse limb of the lip
seem to indicate that his first opinion was correct,
but that point I leave for himself to decide.
932. Vanilla Walkericb (R.W.) leafless, peduncles
many flowered : “ lip and petals much waved delicately
transparent” and like the sepals marked with
a deep green costa ; lip slightly bearded; anthers
2-lobed ; fruit cylindrical.
Ceylon.—For this very characteristic drawing lam
indebted to Mrs. Colonel Walker. It is accompanied
by the following note written on the margin. “ The
leafless Vanilla alluded to by Colonel Walker, (in a
letter to me). The, original drawing was sent three
years ago '(1834 P) to Dr. Graham, by whom it was
sent to Dr. Lindley who pronounced it anew species
of Vauilla. 1 am anxious to get the flower again to
make a better drawing, as I think I have improved a
little since this was drawn, and also understand the
structure of Orchideoe better than I then did.
“ Flower inside pure white : labellum and petals
much waved and delicately transparent, sepals striated,
outside tinged with fawn eolour, a streak of deep
green in the centre, which the petals also have,
though neither so broad nor so strongly coloured.”
This species seems very nearly allied to the preceding
but differs in the petals being much more
waved ; the lip being less distinctly three-lobed and
sparingly bearded toward the base. Should they, on
better acquaintance, prove the same species I trust
this name will be retained in preference to Dr. Lind-
ley’s MS. name, the compliment being so highly merited
by that most accomplished lady by whose admirable
pencil the Flora and more especially the
Orchidece of Ceylon has been largely and most exquisitely
illustrated.
Judging merely from the brief character given, I
can scarcely hesitate in considering both distinct
from Blume’s plant. Fearing, however, that Botanists
more intimately acquainted with the order might consider
these two identical, this plate is given extra to
the .regular number. The figure is copied from a
tracing not from the finished drawing.
1 flower seen from below—2 lip side view—3 front
■view,_4 column — 5 anther case—6 anther case with
its contained pollenia—7 front view of the column
with the anther case raised to show the pollen—8
side view of the same—9 seed vessel.
933. 34. Clematis Gouriana (Roxb.) climbing:
leaves pinnate or bipinnate ; leaflets ovate-lanceolate,
acuminated, cordate at the base, 3-or obscurely
5-nerved, entire or with a few coarse serratures :
young branches angled, and peduncles, and oblong
acheuia pubescent; sepals re volute. W>andA>Prod.pX
This beautiful species flowers during the cool
season. At this time, January, it is in full bloom in
the jungles below Coonoor, where it may be seen
climbing to the tops of the highest trees completely
covering them with such a profusion of white flowers
as almost to conceal the tree, that supports them.
In Mysore it is of frequent occurrence in the dense
thickets surrounding most of the hamlets of that province.
935. Clematis Wightiana (Wall) climbing:
leaves pinnate ; leaflets not wrinkled, very villons and
soft on both sides, coarsely serrated, cordate at the
base, palmately 3-lobed, the middle lobe the longest
or divided again in 3 ovate-lanceolate segments:
young branches, peduncles, and flat, aehenia, pubescent,
sepals ovate, outside very pubescent inside
glabrous : filaments hairy.— fV. and A. Prod. p. 2.
This species is less frequent than the preceding,
but is abundant among the brushwood of chimps of
jungle about Ootacamund : also on the road side
above Kaity and on that leading from Southdown
round the foot of Elk Bill. In the latter station I
met with it in the greatest perfection. It is readily
distinguished by its soft almost woolly pale green
leaves.
936. Anemone W ightiana (Wall) clothed with
silky hairs : leaves on very long petioles, tripartite;
divisions very deeply 3-cleft; segments cuneate deeply
3-lobed; lobes cuueate, irregularly inciso-serrated:
involucral leaves subsessile, deeply 3-cleft: divisions
3-cleft; segments linear-eblong, cut and serrated :
sepals 6-8, elliptic-oblong : aehenia glabrous: style
hooked, persistent.— W. and A. Prod. p. 3.
Frequent in pastures about Ootacamund, but also
generally distributed over the hills. Flowering in
May and Jane. Flowers white within purple exteriorly.
During these months it is certainly one of the
greatest ornaments of the hills. I have not heard of
its being applied to any useful purpose, though it
may not ba destitute of useful qualities as some of
them are known to possess these.
937. Ranunculus Wallichianus (W. and A .:)
perennial: stem glabrous, diffuse, prostrate, with a
tendency to root at the joints, aod bearing there
several leaves : leaves and petioles hairy ; radical
leaves trifoliate, leaflets petioled, 3-cleft, segments
somewhat ovate lobed and isciso-serrated : peduncles
hairy, scarcely longer than the petioles: petals
(yellow) about as long as the calyx : heads of fruit
globose: aehenia roundish, compressed-lenticular,
minutely dotted : tuberculated: style broad, booked
at the apex.— W. and A. Prod. p. 4.
This species is generally met with in moist woods,
is of a procumbent habit, with small flowers,flowering
in May and June after the rains of the South-west
monSoon have commenced. It is however found at
other seasons, especially during rainy weather.
Another species is found at the same season and so
much resembling this one, that, to the unpractised
eye, it is not distinguishable, but is at once known by
the seed, which, in this, is furnished with numerous
little tubercles, in that, is quite smooth and without
asperities of any kind.