size, being from three to six inches long by from l£
to 2 broad, usually ending in a blunt acumen.
According to Professor Arnott the genus Choripe»
talum Alph. D. C. is identical with the genus Samera
Linn : and that this plant, consequently, ought to be
called Samara aurantiaca. To this view I am not
yet prepared to accede, unless the genus Myrsine be
added, as I feel all bnt certain that S. la ta Lin. is
Myrsince capitellata. Wall, and Alph. D. C.— Cor*
nus Zeylanica fyc. Burm. Zeyl. tab. 31.
1211. Myrsine capitellata. (Wall.) leaves
elliptico-obovateentire, coriaceous,glabrous,narrowing
into the petiol: fascicles numerous, 5-8 flowered, brac-
tiate: bracts imbricated,ovate: flowers short pedicelled;
teeth of the calyx ciliate: lobes of the corolla lanceolate
acute, two or three times larger than the calyx,
exceeding the stamens.—D. C. Prod. 8—95.
Leaves 4-6 inches long, acute or obtuse, everywhere
punctuate, those of the margin larger—flowers polygamous,
the fascicles, owing to the bracts, resembling
small cones. Nepaul.
P Grandiflora, leaves smaller, lobes of the co-
rolla 4 times longer than the teeth of the calyx, Neil-
gherries, D.C. l.c.—Comus Zeylanica sylvestris altera
8fc. Burm. Zeyl. tab. 31.
Ootacamuna, frequent in clumps of jungle, flower*
ing February and March, when the naked branches,
below the leaves, are quite covered with its numerous
compact capitulce of flowers, an appearance which the
artist has not been successful in representing. The
branch in fruit conveys a better idea of its appearance
in that stage.
1 2 1 2 . ' Ardisia humilis. (Vahl.) leaves obovate
lanceolate, obtuse, subentire, coriaceous, contracted at
the base into the petiol: racemes umbilliform, axillary
and terminal, reflexed, shorter than the leaves: lobes of
the calyx orbiculate, subciliate: lobes of the corolla
lanceolate, subacute, twice the length of the calyx.—
D. C. Prod. 8— 129.
Eastern slopes of the Neilgherries, in subalpine jungles,
in moist soil near the banks of streams, flowering
March and April. This is beautiful and somewhat
variable plant but is not likely to be confounded with
any other species. Its showy rose or rather light
purplish flowers shining black fruit and large bright
shining leaves makes it a most conspicuous shrub.
In favourable situations it becomes a small tree. That
from which the specimens represented were taken was
nearly 20 feet high. It is a widely distributed and
conspicuous plant and has received several names as
A. Solanacia, lit I oralis, Doma, oleracea, umbellata,
&c.
I am uncertain to which of D. C.’s varieties this be*
longs but think his last.
1213. Ardisia rhomboidea, (R. W.); leaves
rhomboidal acuminated, contracted below into the
petiol, glabrous, slightly crenulately undulated on the
margin : racemes axillary, much shorter than the
leaves, few flowered : pedicels umbellate, bracts lanceolate
acute : lobes of the calyx ovate, subciliate, three
times shorter than the corolla: lobes of the corolla
broad, ovate acute, longer than the stamens : fruit globose
small.
Shevagherry Mountains in dense jungles, flowering
August. A glabrous shrub, leaves from 2 to 3 inches
long and from 6 to 8 lines broad, at the broadest
part, whence it suddenly contracts towards each end,
without pellucid dots, flowers small. In some respects
this approaches A. pentagona but is I think
quite distinct.
1214. Ar disia pauciflora. (HeyneD. C.):
leaves long elliptic, narrowing at both ends, entire:
racemes axillary scattered few flowered, much shorter
than the leaves, pedicels umbellate, longer than the
flowers : lobes of the calyx ovate-acute, subciliate: co-
rolla two or three times longer than the calyx.
Branches virgate, terete, puberulous at the extremities,
leaves 3 to 4 inches long, pellucedo-punctuate, mixed
with other larger redish ovate semipellucid ones.—
D. C. Prod. 8— 127.
Courtallum, flowering in August and September.
The plant figured seems to correspond well with
the character but wants the “ punctis majoribus ru-
bescentibus ovatis semipellucidis” which I consider
an important character though the want of it seems
scarcely sufficient to authorize my considering this a
new species, unless I had authentic specimens of the
other to compare, which I have not.
1215. Ardisia Courtalensis. (R. W .): leaves
obovate cuniate bluntly acuminate entire, subsessile :
panicles longer than the leaves terminal lax, branches
umbellate (not paniculate) few flowered ; pedicels
umbellate 4-5 times longer than the flowers, spreading:
lobes of the calyx ovate, pointed, ciliate; of the corolla
ovate, subcuspidate longer than the stamens.
Courtallum.—August and September. In subal*
pine jungles.
This species so nearly approaches A paniculata in
its general characters that I should probably have
been induced to consider it a form of that species had
I not possessed authentic specimens from' the Calcutta
garden. The best and most easily recognized
distinction is the compositon of the panicle: in this
each branch ends in a simple umbellate raceme, in
that forms a secondary smaller panicle : in this therefore
the panicle is simple in that compound. Other
distinctions are not wanting when the two plants are
compared, the dense panicles with their numerous
reflexed branches, and short pedicelled drooping
flowers of that and the loose ones of this, with their
long pedicelled spreading flowers, show at once the
difference.
The upper 4 or 5 leaves forming a verticel round
the base of the panicle, are from 7 to 9 inches long,
and from 2 to 2£ broad, the fruit I have not seen.
1216. Il ix (P.) Wightiana. (Wall.): glabrous,
leaves ovato elliptic or elliptic acuminate entire, coriaceous
: umbels numerous axillary or from the scars
of fallen leaves, pedicels about the length of the peduncles,
often longer : flowers often polygamous by
abortion, corolla 5-6 cleft, berry 5-6 seeded.
Neilgherries—frequent: to be met with in flower at
nearly all seasons, but in greatest perfection in all
March and April.
A large umbrageous tree everywhere glabrous,
leaves from an inch and half to two inches long, coriaceous,
shining above paler and dull beneath, usually
ending in a short abrupt acumen. Flowers very
numerous, small, white ; at certain seasons nearly all
males, at others generally bisexual. Berries about
the size of a pea, red when ripe. I measured one
tree 18 feet in circumference at about 6 feet from the
ground.