subsequent and more careful examination brought to
light. Feeling now satisfied that the differences between
them are not of specific value, I have adopted
his name and beg the favour of the reader to change
that on plate. To me it appears that excellent char-
arters are occasionally derived from the staminodes,
but which Moquin generally throws into the back
ground by not introducing them into the body of the
character. Those derived from them and the bracts
seem alone nearly sufficient to distinguish this species
from all the rest, and as these organs in my plant
correspond with Blume’s character I deem it right
to refer it to his species, though geographically so
widely separated.
1780. Centrostachys aquatica (Wall.), leaves
lanceolate, acute, roughish pubescent: spikes long:
flowers pentandrous, with five staminodes furnished
with a dorsal fimbriated appendage.
Northern Circars. I am indebted to Captain Campbell,
50th Regt. N. I., for the specimen from which
the drawing was taken. As I have never met with
this plant in the Southern Provinces, I infer it is rare
or perhaps does not extend so far south, though
Roxburgh says it is a native of Coromandel. As a
genus, Centrostachys is separated from Achyranthes
on account of its pungent perianth, having one of the
sepals longer than the rest, membranous bracts and
the staminodes furnished on the back with a fimbriated
appendage. Should these be deemed insufficient,
I would add that, in this species at least, the
albumen is perfectly farinaceous and not, as in the
species of Achyranthes, breaking into larger granular
fragments as exhibited in the preceding plates.
The angular figure in’ the corner between figs. 8
and 10 represents a portion of the testa highly magnified.
I t is certainly like the object seen, but on too
small a scale for perfect accuracy of delineation.
1781. Cyathula tomentosa (Moq.), shrubby,
erect, tomentose; branches round, densely tomentose:
leaves short petioled?ovate acuminate, shortly pointed;
above pubescent, rusty coloured; beneath clothed with
silky yellowish wool: spikes long, obtuse, thick, compact
above, interrupted below: sepals 5-nerved, pilose,
vrnous at the apex: hooked bristles (glochids) 3-5,
shorter than the calyx, pale yellow: staminodes near-
v long as the filaments, ciliate on the margin.
Simla, Countess Dalhousie. I am indebted to the
late Countess Dalhousie, for the opportunity of introducing
this genus, which I have not met with in
southern India, though it would appeal- Hayne was
more fortimate, as it is described by Roth from specimens
received from that excellent Botanist.
w i l 82'i S YATUVLA CAPITATA (Moq.), herbaceous?
a. f labrous slightly pubescent; branches 4-
l S Petioled> oval acuminate, pubescent on
Dotn sides, deep green: heads of flowers globose, com-
hm L fl0Wers shining (when dry), dark yellowish-
W v V u S-ep,als &labrous, somewhat villous below:
ooKea bristles 5-9, somewhat longer than the calyx,
, 0ve Pn°se at the base: staminodes about
«an the length of the calyx, bifid at the apex,
in vofQa’- ^ ountess Dalhousie. I feel some hesitation
of s J ^ rUaLmy Plant t0 Moquin’s species on account
E f ^ differences in the structure of the flowers,
n c iH i a S f are microscoPic> while the more easily
f f f i g f i M ™ 311 “8™ .1 do not think I would
»justified m assigning to them specific value.
1783. P upalia orbiculata (R. W., Achyranthes
orbiculata, Heyne, Wallich, Cyathula orbiculata,
Moquin), “ stem prostrate: leaves orbicular, retuse,
acute at the base, short pctioled, densely villous when
young, becoming smoother by age: fascicles densely
tomentose, many-flowered, globular, remote, with long
brown bristles.” Wallich in Roxb. FI. Ind. Carry
Edit. 2. 507.
On sandy soils near the sea beach, not uncommon,
near the mouth of the Adyar south of Madras.
An extensively spreading procumbent plant, the
branches being often several feet long, round, pubescent
or, in older plants, nearly glabrous, of a light
brownish-green colour: leaves obovato-orbicular or
spathulate, very obtuse, when full-grown coriaceous
and nearly glabrous, spikes terminal, long, at first
compact, but becoming interrupted as the plant increases
in length: fascicles of flowers capitate, densely
tomentose: bristles when full-grown not simple, as in
Cyathida, but compound, or as it were pinnate, pale
brown, sepals oval acute, 3-nerved, very hairy on
the back. The albumen in this coincides in structure
with that of Achyranthes.
1784. Gomphrena globosa (Linn.), stem herbaceous,
erect, very branchy, somewhat trichotomous,
round, hairy: leaves short petioled, oblong-ovate or
■ tending to obovato-lanceolate, acute, mucronate, entire,
pubescent: peduncles simple; heads terminal,
erect, solitary or sometimes 2 or 3 together, globose,
2-leaved: flowers shining, purple: calyx shorter than
the lateral boat-shaped bracts: sepals acute, 1-nerved,
villous.
Cultivated every where, and known under the
English name of Batchelor’s buttons, now quite a
weed in many gardens.
. TMs plant, properly speaking, does not merit a place
m a, work on Indian Botany, as it is certainly not
indigenous to India, but it seemed desirable to introduce
a plant so generally known and by most persons
supposed a native; the more so, as it differs so
widely in its generic characters from all the Indian
genera of the order. Here the filaments are united
into a tube with the staminodes, exceeding in length
the style and deeply-cleft stigma. In other respects
it is a true member of the family.
1785. Cometes Surattensis (Burm.), leaves cuni-
ate obovate or elliptic: branchlets smooth: stipules
borne on the petiols: ramuli of the involucrum of
the fruit fascicled, the lower ones deflexed. R. Brown
in Wall. PI. An. rar.
Scind, Stocks'.
This curious genus is still unknown on this side
of India, but as it may possibly exist here, in the
same parallel of latitude, I feel much indebted to
Dr. Stocks for giving me an opportunity of introducing
it into this work. For, though it is now well
known to Botanists who have an opportunity of consulting
the very characteristic figure in Wallich’s
splendid work, yet, as I fear few of my readers
possess that advantage, I think it well to give it a
place here. The genus is an old one founded by
Burman, FI. Ind. 1768, but until the publication of
Mr. Brown’s paper, was virtually unknown, Bur-
man’s character, adopted by Linnasus, being incorrect
and his specimen, even when examined by De
Candolle, being pronounced a species of Pupalia.
( * )