A diffuse tree, growing on banks of streams near Coo-
noor also in similar situations at Sisparah. Flowering
during the rainy months. This species in general
appearance is allied to both G. Moxburghii and G.
Cambogia (the G.Kydia W. and A. Prod, not Roxb.)
but differs from both in the style, the form, and the
peculiar nipple-like prolongation of the fruit, whence
the name. This last structure seems confined to
this plant and to Roxburgh’s G. Kydiana,s a very distinct
species, where it exists in a less degree.
961. Mesua spbciosa (Choisy) leaves long linear-
lanceolate subacute: flowers shortly peduncled : petals
exuuguiculate rouudish, regular, mature fruit, four-
seeded. Choisy, in D. C. prod.
This very handsome tree I found on the Eastern
slopes of the Neilgherries, 3 miles below Coonoor,
probably at an elevation of about 5,000 feet above the
sea. ; . . .
It is not easy to distinguish the species of this
genus. 1 formerly published a figure of the Ceylon
plant under the name of M. ferrea tad. up to the present
time thought this distinct. A closer examination
however leads me to doubt whether the continental
one is different from the insular tree, the more so as
the original M. ferrea is an Eastern tree, while the
M. speciosa is from Western India. The distinctions
between the two as given by Choisy are that in M.
ferrea, the petals have a claw or ‘ unguis’ which is
wanting in this, and that the fruit in that is one-seeded,
while in this four is the usual number.
962. Salacia macrospeema (R. W.) a diffuse, rambling
shrub; leaves oblong, elliptic, acuminated, coriaceous,
glabrous: flowers numerous, fasicled, short pedi-
ceiled calyx 5-lobed fringed with rusty coloured
hairs : petals ovate, obtuse, broad at the base : ovary
3-celled with 2 superposed ovules in each: fruit
irregularly ovate, few-seeded : seed ovoid conferu-
minate without a conspicuous radicle.
Jungles about Sisparah flowering, and at the same
bearing full grown fruit in April.
This species seems nearly allied to my S. verrucosa
but wants the warty stems, and has a ciliated, in
place of glabrous, calyx. The plants, besides, when
compared, seem quite distinct, though the differences
are not easily stated iu words. The structure of the
anthers and ovary amply distinguish it from my S.
multiflora ; in this the anthers open longitudinally, in
that transversely : here the ovules are two superposed
in each cell, there they are numerous, forming
two rows.
963. H ippocratea obtusifolia (Roxb :) glabrous :
leaves elliptical, obtuse or acute at the base, obtuse
or shortly and obtusely acuminated at the apex,
slightly serrated or almost quite entire, very coriaceous
: panicles axillary and terminal, thyrsoid, longer
than the leaves, terminal ones sometimes much elongated
and compound from the abortion of the upper
leaves : flowers pretty large : petals lanceolate, much
longer than the calyx: ovules 6 in each cell: carpels
obovate, emargiuated, striated.— W ■ and A. Prod,
p. 104. .
The specimens from which the accompanying figure
was taken were gathered on the eastern slopes of the
Neilgherries by the roadside from Kottergherry to
Matypolium iu the beginning of March, but no fruit.
964. Schmidelia rheedei (R. W. S. Cobbe partly
W. & A.) a diffuse shrub, all the young parts densely
villous or tomeutose: leaves elliptic, oblong, acute or
cumiuaicd, serrated, pubescent above ; at first short*
]y tomentose, afterwards villous beneath : racemes
axillary, solitary or sometimes paired, often longer
than tbe leaves, branched ; rachis hairy: calyx glabrous
4 sepaled, sepals unequal, lateral pair orbicular :
petals 4 spathulate hairy with 4 fleshy glands at the
base : ovary hairy, minute, style compressed ending
in two spreading stigmas, berry two, or, by abortion,
one-lobed; lobes obovate obtuse, glabrous: cotyledons.
fleshy, foliaceous folded.
Growing in thickets in Malabar and eastern slopes
the Neilgherries also on the hills near Coimbatore.
The ripe fruit 1 have not yet found, but presume that
it is like the rest, a red succulent bacca. This is
distinguished from all other species I have seen by
the ramnli and under surface of the leaves being tomentose
and by the many branched racemes.
964-2. S chmidelia cobbe (D. C.) leaves trifoliate
; leaflets stalked, ovate or oblong, acute, serrated
; younger ones more or less pubescent above,
villous beneath ; older ones more glabrous, but always
more or less pubescent : racems axillary, solitary,
simple, or sometimes bifid ; rachis pubescent :
petals cuneate, emarginate, with a scale bearing a
tuft of hairs above the slightly hairy claw, limb glabrous:
stamens glabrous: ovary hairy, 2-lobed :
style as long as the ovary, glabrous : fruit baccate.—
W. and A. Prod. p. 109.
This figure of what I esteem the true S. cobbe
is introduced to show by comparison how perfectly
distinct this species is from the preceding with which
it has long been confounded. The specimens
from which this is taken, were gathered in Malabar
and simelar ones in Courtallum.
964-3. M illin g to n ia pungens (Wall.) leaves
simple, coriaceous, lanceolate, ^ acute at the base,
quite enire, glabrous on both sides, nerves beneath
with a rusty pubescence : panicle rigid, densely
covered with a rusty pubescence ; rachis terete ;
flowers on the ultimate branchlets of the panicle aggregated
: calyx with 3 bracteoles ; sepals unequal,
glandularly ciliated : outer petals roundish, concave ;
inner ones cleft beyond the middle, equal to the filaments.—
W. and A. Prod. p. 115.
A large tree very abundant in the woods about
Ootacamund—flowering during the warm season—
Leaves thick and leathery; Panicles large, terminal,
flowers white, the branches of the panicle arid the
calyx clothed with short, matted rusty coloured hair.
Fruit about the size of a pea, dark brown, nearly
black, when ripe.
965. Vins (Ampélopsis) N bilgherrensis (R.
W.) leaves coriaceous, palmately trifoliolate, slightly
macronately deutate, middle one, broad oval acuminated,
lateral ones unequal sided, like the centre one
ending in a slender straight acumen : cymes terminal
peduncles, longer than the leaves : flowers pentan-
drous, petals distinct.
This species I found at Kottergherry and Nedda-
wuttum, but at neither place have been so fortunate
as to find it in fruit. The under surface of the leaves
are sometimes coloured of a deep crimson : those
from which the drawing was made were pale whitish
beneath.
Dr. Royle has described a nearly allied species
from the Himalayas, but which differs in the form of
the leaflets, as well as their being deeply serrated, and
in having small, short ped uncled, cymes. The venation
of the leaves also differs considerably and shows
at once they are distinct species. These distinctions
are drawn from comparison of specimens.
( S )