A handsome ramous leafy shrub, varying from 6 to
12 and even in favourable situations, 20 feet high,
found growing in shady woods usually near water.
Flowers yellow racemose, racemes erect or scarcely
drooping ; seeds enclosed in a large scarlet caruncu-
lus, leaves deep green from 4 to 6 inches long, and
about 2 broad, acuminated, strongly nerved, glabrous
or sightly puberulous beneath.
947. STELLARIA MEDIA (Smith) stems procumbent
with an alternate line of hairs on one side:
lower leaves ovate, upper ones lanceolote: petals
deeply divided: stamens 5-10 : capsules deeply
divided, scarcely longer than the calyx.— W. 8> A.
P rod. p. 42.
Thisis a very common plant about villages and cornfields
but I suspect has been introduced with European
seed along with the following and with Spergnla or-
vensis which is now as common a weed in Ootacamund
as in European corn fields.
918. Cerastium vulgatum (Linn) stems, leaves
and calyx, covered with a roughish viscid pubescence :
stems flaccid, angled : leaves ovate or oblong, lanceolate,
with a.short raucroniform attenuation : flowers
much shorter than the pedicels, in a small compact
somewhat dichotomous panicle : petals scarcely longer
than the oblong-acutish sepals : capsules ovoid,
scarcely so long as the calyx ; teeth 10, rolled backwards,
their margins flat.— W. Sp A. Prod. p. 43.
Like the preceding as common a weed in the gardens
of Ootacamund as in those of Europe.
949. Aren aria N eilgherrensis (W. & A.)
stems elongated, much branched, procumbent, with
an alternate line of hairs on one side : leaves distant,
obovate, mucronulate, glabrous, with minute whitish
points, 1-nerved; margins thickened, nerve-like,
ciliated towards the petiole: flowers axillary, or in
terminal sub-dichotomous panicles : pedicels viscidly
pubescent all round, longish, slender: sepals oblong,
acute, with 1 dorsal hairy uerve : margin membranaceous
: petals longer than the calyx : styles usually
3 (sometimes 2 or 4) : capsules ovate, nearly the
length of the calyx.— W. Sp A . prod. p. 43.
950. H alva N eilgherrensis (R. W.) annual hairy
all over; branches diffuse somewhat angular: leaves
long petioled suborbicular cordate, 5-lobed ; lobes
ovate obtuse doubly serrated : flowers numerous,
densely aggregated in the axils of the leaves : invo-
lucel of three narrow linear lanceolate acute leaflets,
shorter than the calyx: calyx somewhat inflated 5
cliff, lobes ovate acute 3 nerved : coralla rose coloured,
nearly twice the length of the calyx, petals deeply
emarginate, carpels about 10, corrugated on the
angles, pubescent.
Kottergherry, in cornfields and about villages, in
the rich soil surrounding the latter very luxuriant :
flowering during the rainy season. The larger leaves
are from four to six inches across, pubescent above,
hairy beneath, supported on a hairy petiol from four
to six inches long. Flowers very numerous,, small in
proportion to the size of the plant, forming dense
clusters, or short racemes in the axils of the leaves.
Jnvolucral leaves slender, clothed with long hairs,
acute, calyx considerably inflated, cleft about half
way down, hairy, lobes ovate,obtuse, three nerved
and, viewed by transmitted light, finely reticulated
between; after drying translucent and chartaceous :
capsule white, triangular, corrugated along the exterior
angles, pubescent. These last points are not
shown in the drawing, the figures having been taken
from too young specimens.
This species, comes nearest to M. verlicellata a
Chinese plant, bnt, so far as can be made out from
written characters, seems amply distinct.
951. ABELMOSCHUS (HyMENOCALYX) ANGUL08U3
(Wall :) stems herbaceous, not prickly : leaves on
long petioles, cordate, 5-lobed, unequally toothed;
lobes ovate acuminated ; upper side pubescent with
short softish hairs, under slightly tementose : pedicels
rigidly aud horizontally hairy, abont as long as
the petioles: involucel 3-5 leaved, leaves cohering
splitting spath-like: calyx much shorter, and concealed
within the involucel, membranaceous : capsule
ovoid, acute, very hispid.— W.and A. Prod. P. 53.
This is a considerable, erect growing, shrub, frequent
in moist soil in clumps of Jungle on the Neil-
gherries : in favourable situations, as on the banks
of streams, attaining the height of from 10 to 15 feet.
It is to be met with in flower at all seasons, but perhaps
in greatest perfection during the earlier months
of the year, contrary to the general character of’ the
genus the flowers are white or very pale yellowish.
I have altered that part of our specific character
which refers to the, involucel and calyx which, as
given in the Prodromus, is incorrect.
952. Monocera Munroii (R. W. 111. Ind. Bot.)
glabrous, leaves ovate lanceolate, acuminated slightly
serrulate on the margin, without glands on the under
surface: racemes about the length of the leaves
many flowered, flowers drooping : sepals lanceolate
acute : petals not unvolute on the margins : anthers
glabrous, apex, at length reflexed : ovary elevated on
the torus very hairy.: fruit about Lite size of au olive.
—R. W.
On the slopes of the large ravine below Coonoor
flowering in November and December, covered with
fruit in February, apparently nearly full grown. A
large and handsome tree, which l should estimate at
not less than from 60 to 80 feet in height, with a fine
umbrageous head, every branch of which, when I
gathered the specimen here represented, was covered,
like it, with pure white flowers, forming a rich contrast
to the deep green foliage. Captain Munro first
found it in Coorg and sent me the specimens from
which the above character was taken. It is certainly
very closely allied to M. glandulifera, but differs
in technical characters, and as I have never seen that
tree in such a state as to admit of their accurate comparison,
I am still uncertain whether or not they
ought to be united.
958-54. Gomphandra polymorpha. (R. W) d is-
cious glabrous, leaves petioled, membranaceous, glaucous
beneath, from oblong to obovate lanceolate acuminated
: cymes axillary, solitary or in parts, about
the length of the petiol; male, many flowered, female
2 or 3 flowered : calyx entire, minutely 4 or 5-toothed
: petals 4 or 5 united below, glabrous: stameus
projecting : fruit oblong, crowned with the persistent
stigma.
This large shrub is found in the dense clumps of
jungle about Coonoor, the Avalanche and elsewhere,
flowering in March and April, and, usually, the female
at the same time bearing ripe seed, showing that it
is in flower most part of the year. The plant here
figured approaches most nearly io my variety G. an•
guslifoUa. 111. Ind. Bot. p. 103, but does not seem
quite identical. I cannot, however, find characters to
distinguish it as a species. It seems rather to be an
intermediate form between that variety and G.coria-
cia, differing from the latter in being pentandrous,
not tetrandrous, but in other respects, agreeing, upon
the whole, better with coriacia than polymorpha.