966. Impatiens fruttcosa (D.C.) erect, branched :
stems glabrous, glaucous : leaves alternate, long-pe-
tided ; upper side hairy, particularly on the veins ;
under tomentose: petioles villous, glanduliferous :
peduncles glabrous, shorter than the leaves, dividing
into several long 1-flowered pedicels : flowers shorter
than the spur : lateral sepals large, concave, roundish
ovate, acuminated : filaments united at the apex :
stigmas combined : capsule glabrous, tapering at
both ends.— W. and A. Prod.p. 137.
This noble species 1 have only found about Kot-
tergherry and Coonoor, it seems to be in flower the
greater part of the year. The specimen figured was
gathered in August, and I afterwards found it in full
flower in March. It is usually met with ou the banks
of streams, in clumps of jungle and in such situations
I have seen it upwards of 8 feet high, nearly every
branch as richly covered with flowers as the figure.
This species is well adapted for showing the compound
nature of the lateral petals.
967. Impatiens Scapiflo'RA (Heyne) glabrous :
root tuberous : leaves radical, orbicular, deeply sinuate
cordate, the lobes overlapping, coriaceous ; under
side paler, marked with numerous coloured nerves :
scape bearing a many-flowered raceme, bracteated :
pedicels alternate, solitary from eachbractea, slender,
in fruit becoming deflexed : lateral sepals ovate,
small: spur sometimes tumid and inflated, sometimes
much elongated : petals 2-lobed; posterior lobe
small; anterior elongated, projecting forward.— W.
and A . Prod. p. 137. _ ,
This very beautiful but unusual form of Balsam
occurs in great profusion in dry pastures all over
the upper.range of Hills, but is most plentiful
about Dodabet, flowering from July till October or
November, but is in greatest perfection in September
when it is most conspicuous. In this the lower half
of the compound petals is lobed, affording a useful
specific character.
968 I m p at je s s modesta(R. W.)leaves few, radical,
broadly cordate-ovate, or sub-orbicular, hairy above ;
glabrous and pale shining glaucous beneath: scape
erect racemose many flowered ; flowers small, rather
long pedicelled, from the axil of a small subulate
bractea: upper sepal broad obovate or suborbicular,
the lateral ones narrow lanceolate or subulate incumbent
Frequent in swampy grounds and on the marshy
sides of small streams, flowering during the rainy season,
on the upper ; lower shorter than the petals
with a short obtuse spur : petals declining, 3 lobed
. (lower petal two cleft upper entire) hairy near the
attachment : capsule glabrous ovate. (R. W. Madras,
Journal.)
Damp woods about Pycarah, flowering July and
August. Plant from 8 to 12 inches high, leaves from
to 2 inches broad flowers from 10 to 20. Petals approximated
and, uniil closely examined,the whole flower
has much the appearance of an Orchidacious plant.
This description is taken from plants growing in
shady woods on the top of the Hills at Shevagherry
near Conrtallum, but quite corresponds with the
Neilgherry plant.
969. Impatiens ktjfesceks (Benth.) stems erect,
branched, jointed, glabrous: leaves shortly-petioled,
from elliptic and slightly cordate to obovate, sharply
serrated ; upper side hispid with short callous hairs$f
under glabrous and whitish, except the nerves which
are hairy : pedicels solitary or in pairs, about the
length of the leaves, villous : posterior sepals much
smaller than the petals ; anterior saccate, without a
spur : anterior lobes of the petals oblong, protruded,
much larger than the short roundish posterior one:
capsule oval, glabrous.—* W, and A, Prod.p. 138.
but may be met with in flower the greater part of
the year near springs, where the ground is always wet.
This species affords an example of the great inequality
in the size of the two halves of the compound
petals and of a saccate not spurred sepal.
970. I mpatiens inconspicua (Benth.:) branched,
diffuse, glabrous: leaves opposite, nearly sessile,
from oval to linear-lanceolate, slightly cordate at the
base, remotely and slightly bristle-serrated; under
side pale, glaucous : pedicels solitary or several
together, shorter than the leaves, pubescent: lateral
sepals nearly equal to the flowers, linear; lower one
gibbous without a spur : capsule oval, glabrous, few-
seeded.— W. and A. Prod. p. 139.
This minute and little known species I have only
found on Dodabet.and on the top of the hill immediately
beyond and to the south of Elk Hill : in the
latter station among craggy exposed rocks. It flowers
in November, and, but for its abundance where it does
grow, would indeed be truly inconspicuous. This
like, the preceding, is distinguished by its unequal,
petals and saccate not spurred sepals.
970. Impatiens lbschenaulth (Wall.:) suffruticose
erect, branched ; branches ascending, almost glabrous
: leaves alternate, short petioled, ovate lanceolate,
acuminated, acute at the base, glabrous, with
bristly incurved serratures : petioles without glands:
pedicels solitary, shorter than the leaves : lateial
sepals minute, caducous: spur slender, tapering,
rather longer than the flowers, curved upwards: capsules
small, drooping, glabrous, ovate, pointed, few-
seeded.— W. and A. Prod.p. 136.
This is one of the most common species on the
Hills, being found in every thicket and in flower at .
all seasons. It is quite a shrub in its habit and often
attains a considerable size. In shady woods and
moist soil I have seen it fully 8 feet high. It is so
nearly allied to I. latifoila as to be scarcely distinguishable
by technical characters, but, when seen
growing side by side, they are readily recognized. The
flowers of this are pale rose colour or nearly white ;
those of I. latifolia pink and considerably larger.
971 Pittospordm tetraspermum(W. & A,:) leaves
elliptic-oblong, acute, coriaceous, glabrous, margins
slightly waved and recurved : flowers in a terminal
sessile umbel; peduncles aggregated, usually 1-, rarely
2-flowered, pubescent : sepals pubescent, lanceolate,
acuminated, minute, many times shorter than the corolla:
petals linear: ovary hairy: style glabrous:
stigmas 2-lobed : ovules 2 in each cell: capsule
nearly globose, scarcely compressed, 4-seeded;
valves thick-coriaceous.— W. and A. Prod. p. 154.
Ootacamund in clumps of jungle : a large shrub
flowering in February and March. The figure differs
in two points from the character which was taken
from dry specimens. The stigma is 4, not 2-lobed,
and the capsules are somewhat compressed. The lobes
of the stigma are at best so minute that a mistake
might easily have happened, and the capsules are at
first perfectly globose but become flattened when quite
mature. The dark streak on the longitudinal section
of the seed does not represent the embryo which the
draftsman has failed to detect, being very minute and
situated at the base of the seed. P. Neilgherren.se
is also found in the jungles about Ootacamund and
Pycarrah ; a third undescribed species is found at
Sisparali, all of which are in flower at the same time