1179. Campanula fulgens . (Wall.) stem
erect, about afoot high, hairy : leaves lanceolate acuminated
at both ends, short petioled, serrated ; flowers
subsessile, axillary solitary or three together, approximated
towards the apex : lobes of the calyx subulate
ereet'entire, about the length of the infundibuliform
glabrous corolla.—D. C.Prod. 7- p- 477.
Neilgherries, on grassy slopes and pastures, frequent.
I have another form, apparently, of this plant
with the flowers congested into a capitulum. Flowr
ering season June and July during the rains but not
confined to that season as it may be found in flower at
nearly all seasons. The Neilgherry plant seems to
differ from the Bengal one in the .calyx being considerably
shorter than the corolla, .which leads to the
suspicion of its being a distinct species though, from
its agreeing so well with the character in other respects,
I cannot venture on giving it a new name.
V accinium.
D unal, in his monagraph of the Order Vaccinia,
retains Agapetes and Thibaudia. Endlicher, Miesner,
and Lindley unite them. Kunth is followed by Miesner
in expressing a doubt as to whether Ceratostema
is distinct from Thibaudia, and Hooker states that he
“ cannot understand what are the essential distinguishing
marks between them.” Among the following
are species which have been referred by different
Botanists to Ceratostema, Agapetes, Thibaudia,
Gaylussacia and Vaccinium. To determine among so
many genera it became indispensable to examine the
eharacters-of all with much care. After the closest
scrutiny and careful dissection of the flowers of all
the Indian species in my collection side by side
with several acknowledged Vaccinia from both America
and Europe, I found it utterly impossible, from the
that is not necessary, as a transverse section of a nearly
mature fruit almost always presents the appearance
of 10 cells with one seed in each, and I feel nearly
certain that an examination of the ovary will shew
that but few of Dunal’s 29 species have it 10 celled
with a single ovule in eaeh. G. deppndens, an authentic
characters given, to make out more than one genus
among the Asiatic ones,the structure being the same in
all. By Roxburgh these would perhaps have been all
referred to Ceratostema. Wallich refers them to Thi~
baudia while Don and Dunal form the genus Agapetes
for their reception. Had long tubular flowers been a
constant feature, I might on that account, aided by
geographical distribution, hare followed these authors,
and? assuming that as its essential character, kept up
their genus. This however is far from being the
case, and therefore as a generic character is useless.
And on turning to Dunal’s character of Vaccinium, I
find the corolla described as “ campanulata, urcola*
ta vel cylindrica.”
In all the Indian ones it is either urceolate or
cylindrical. He describes the stamens as limbo
calycis inserta,” which is the case in- all the Indian
ones I have examined, and the fruit “ Bacea calyce
vestita globosa 4 aut 5- locularis loculis polyspermis,
rarissime 10 locularis loculis monospermis” which,
excep t the last clause, is equally applicable to the fruit
of all I hav:e had an opportunity of examining. The
ovary, unfortunately, is not referred to in the'character
of either genus. The concluding clause of the character
may perhaps account for Professor Landle
s s referring one of the species to Gaylussacia,which,
while that clause remains as part of the character of
Vaccinium, seems scarcely a distinct genus, the fruit
having 10 cells with 1 seed in each being its essentially
distinguishing mark. In all other points Dunal’s characters
of the 2 genera are nearly word for word the
same, and the abortion of all the ovules but 2 in each
of the 5 cells converts Vaccinium into Gaylussacia
and, unlesS'Care is bestowed in the examination, even*
specimen of which was most obligingly communicated
to me by Mr. Gardner of Ceylon, has a 4
celled ovary with numerous ovules and is in fact a species
Vaccinium with very short anther tubes.
Whether Ceratostema can be kept distinct I am
unable to say, but, judging from the really essential
points of the character, apart from the numerous non-
essential ones introduced by Dunal, I think not.
Thibaudia has one good distinguishing mark in the
union of the filaments between themselves and their
attachment to the base of the corolla. But if that is
to be taken as the essential character of the genus,
then both Macleanea and Anthopterus should be
associated as subrgenera, the collateral marks derived
from the calyx and corolla being scarcely of generic
value in a family where these organs are so variable.
Influenced by such considerations I have without
hesitation referred all the Indian species to VaccinL
um with the sub-generic appellation Agapetes to’mark
their Asiatic origin. The following I consider the
correct characters of the genus, and would view all
species in which they meet as genuine species.
Calyxradberent, limb 4-5 lobed. Corolla tubular 4-5
cleft. Stamens 8-10 epigynous, anthers adnate, 2
celled often furnished with 2 bristles on the back,
the cells ending in a tube open at the apex. Ovary 4.5
celled, placentas ascending, usually, bearing the ovules
on the margin. Berry 4-5 celled, often spuriously 1 Of
celled through the adherence of the walls to the thickened
placentas^ Seed several in each cell testa coriaceous
or somewhat bony : albumen fleshy : embryo
orthotropus-, radicle next the hilum.
Trees shrubs, &c. &c.-
According to this character it is of no moment
whether the lobes of the calyx are large or small,
whether the corolla is long or short, thick or thin :
the anthers may or may not be bristled, but are always
expected to have the cells more or less prolonged
into tubes, and to have the number of cells of the
ovary equal to those of the lobes of the calyx and
corolla, with, more or less distinctly, free ascending
placentas and a plurality of ovules. Such is the genus
Vaccinium as understood by me when naming the
following and several other still unpublished species
in my herbarium.
1180. Vaccinium (Agapetes) Wallichia-
num (R. W.) leaves subsessile, lanceolate acuminate,
entire glabrous, congested towards the ends of the
ramuli: racemes axillary,erect, shorter than the leaves :
flowers tubular, drooping, and with the pedicels and
calyx sprinkled with longish hairs : pedicels dilated
cup shaped at the apex: anthers rough, without bristles,
ending in two long tubes cohering nearly half
their length •: stigma dilated.
Selhet ? Iam indebted to Dr. Wallich for the
specimen from which this drawing was made, but
without station or name, I have therefore dedicated it
to-him. The leaves are from 2 to 3 inches long, and
about one broad, the flowers dark pink about an inch.
In some points it seems to correspond with Roxburgh’s
Ceratostema variegata, but judging from
Royle’s figures of that species, is certainly distinct if
his is the true plant.