e x p l a n a t i o n o p p l a t e s .
VOL. III.—PART IV.
1047. CArPARis pyrifolia (Lam.) stipules thorny,
short, hooked: leaves between ovate and oval-lanceolate,
mucronate; the younger ones densely pubescent,
older ones glabrous: pedicels short and stout, axillary,
solitary, I-flowered, 2-3 times longer than the petiole:
ovarium narrow-oblong, glabrous, furrowed. W. and
A. Procl.p. 25. . . . ..
A low thorny shrub with spreading branches . it
rarely attains over two feet in height but the lateral
branches cover a larger space. The flowers are large
and handsome, but very fugacious. Frequent towards
the bottom of the Neilgherries on their Eastern aspect
flowering the most part of the year, but in greatest perfection
during the cool season immediately after the
rains.
1048. C apparis R oxburghii (D. C.) shrubby :
stipules thorny, recurved, hooked : leaves elliptic-oblong,
obtuse, tapering at the /base, glabrous : racemes
terminal, corymbiform, leafless: ovarium obovoid/:
berry globose, many-seeded.—TV. and A. Prod. p. 26.
A large diffuse very ramous shrub: flowering m
April and May. The only plant I recollect having seen
crows near the foot of the descent from the Neilgher-
ries by the Coonoor road. It forms a large straggling
climbing bush : the prickles on it are always small and
often altogether wanting. Flowers pure white and very
evanescent—1 was not so fortunate as to find mature
fruit, but judging from the remains of one hanging on
the bush, they seem to be about the size of small Billiard
balls.
1049. I mpatiens Munronii (R. W.) erect sparingly
ramous: leaves crowded towards the summits ot
the branches ovate, slightly serrated, acute, hairy on
both sides: pedicelsaxillary, solitary, one flowered,
about the length of the leaves, furnished near the base
with a minute bractea, lateral sepals ovate, toothed at
the apex : posterior concave helraate shaped , surmount-
ed bv a membranous crest; lower one terminating m a
conical hooked very hairy spur: lower lobes of the
petals a little larger than the upper.—K. W. must.
In. Bot. 1 p. 160. OHM Neilgherries in Jungles near Sisparah, February 1845.
This seems an almost suffruticose species it grows
among bushes completely shaded from strong light.
All those that I saw seemed to have naked stems a tew
straggling branches tipped with a bunch of leaves from
the axils of a few of which the curious shaped flowers
spring—Found in flower in February, but apparently
at that season past its prime.
1050. Impatiens Gardneriana (R. W.) diffuse,
nearly glabrous, at first procumbent, rooting at the
joints, afterwards ascending: leaves verticelled in threes,
short petioled, ovate, lanceolate, acutely serrated some
of the serratures bristle pointed: pedicels solitary, longer
than the leaves, filiform : lateral sepals ovate, acuminate,
shorter than the petals; anterior ovate pointed,
Ceylon, who accompanied me during the excursion, in
the course of which we fouud this and many other interesting
with a filiform spur as long as the flower and slightly
gibbous at the point; posterior about the length ot the
posterior lobes of the petals: petals obovate, very
obtuse, the upper lobes a little shorter than the larger
anterior ones: capsule oblong, pointed, small, glabrous.
Western slopes of the Neilgherries about 5 miles
below Sisparah in moist pasture, flowering m January
and February. n ,
I dedicate this species to my friend George Gardner,
Esq., superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden,
novelties.
A very slight error of the draftsman has been so
greatly magnified between the transferrer and printer
that a plant almost glabrous,'or with merely a few hairs
scattered on its surface, has come out of the<r hands
decidedly hirsute, the character is correct, the figure
is wrong.
“ In the plate will be found two sets of diagrams A
and B elucidating the views of Messrs. Kunth and
Roeper—A representing the position of the parts as
understood by Kunth, B as understood by Roeper. In
these diagrams the dark lines a,a,a,a,a, represent the
parts respectively called sepals by these savants, and the
double lines, b,b,b,b,b, the petals. From these it will
be seen at a glance that, while Kunth allows only four
petals, united by pairs, and 5 sepals, the upper two of
them united into one, that Roeper accounts for only
three sepals constantly present and 2 minute ones only
occasionally found, but gives the full number of petals
as always present; the upper or posterior compound
sepal of Kunth being viewed by him as the anterior
petal, he accounting for this reversed position of the
flower on the supposition that the pedicel has got a twist
in the course of its growth, a view which is supported
by analogy, a similar disposition of parts being met
with in both Tropaolum and Pelargonium two nearly
allied tribes. And is still further supported by the genus
Hvdrocera which is simply a regular flowered Balsam.
The two dissected flowers given in the plate are similarly
marked so as to show by the corresponding letters, the
parts indicated in the diagrams: the other figures require
no explanation.”—R. W. Neilgherry plants.
1051. Malope I ndica (R. W.) leaves simple
obovate cuspidately acuminate.
Woods near the Avalanche, Neilgherries; flowering
and in fruit in February.
A large shrub or in favourable situations a small tree.
Of this species two plants only were found, one on the
bank of a stream in a deep ravine which had attained
the size of a tree, the other a large very ramous shrub, in
a jungle by the road side going to Sisparah near the
top of the ascent. The leaves are subalternate, petioled,
glabrous, shining, from 3 to 4 inches long by about
half the breadth, broader above and tapering slightly
towards the petiol, ending abruptly in a short acumen.
Flowers long peduncled, about 3 together on
the apex, pale yellow: calyx 4 sepaled: petals 4:
stamens 8 : ovaries 4, cohering below free at the apex,
with 2 ascending ovules in each : styles 4 free below,
apex and stigmas cohering. As the fruit advances one
of the ovules abort and the other becomes pendulous :
capsules 4, coriaceous, devaricated, dehiscing above: seed
solitary in each, ovate ; testa bright shining, nearly,
black, composed of two easily separable coats; external
tunic, in the dried specimen, loose and fragile, interior
hard and bony. Embryo foliaceous, radicle pointing to
the hilum inclosed in a fleshy albumen.
The other 2 species of this genus are both natives of
New Zealand. I have therefore given this a geographical
specific name though a more appropriate one might
easily have been found. The genus seems very nearly
allied to Zanthoxylon, differing principally in the stamens
being double the number of the petals. In habit
and general appearance, they nearly agree, and the seed
of this plant accurately corresponds with the description
of those of Zanthoxylon.