so many localities all agreeing, I cannot venture, until
better informed, or until I have compared specimens,
to unite them. I have not seen fruit of this species.
1987-88. Ancistrocladus Heyneanus (Wall.),
shrubby, climbing: leaves sessile, oblong, obovato-lan-
ceolate, cuniate towards the base, coriaceous, quite
glabrous; when dry delicately reticulate above: panicles
towards the ends of the hook-bearing branches,
dichotomous: calyx and corolla about equal: stamens
10, alternately long and short, filaments of all dilated
a t the base: style thick, conical; stigmas th ree: fruit
5-winged, two smaller, one-seeded: seed corrugated,
globose, somewhat depressed above.
Courtallum, and Malabar forests. I am indebted to
the kindness of the Rev. Mr. Johnson of Cottayam
for the specimens from which the drawing was made.
This, I suppose, is Wallich’s A. Heyneanus, a still undescribed
plant which I have never seen, if this be
not it. This seems nearly allied to A. Vahlii, but
which is said to be pentandrous. In other respects
the characters are very much alike.
1989. U rostigma B engalense (G-aspar, Miquel,
Ficus Bengaleuisis, Linn.), “ leaves ovate, quite entire,
obtuse,” Lin., “ stem rooting below,” Lin., Ficus
Indica, Roxb. “Branches dropping roots, which become
as long as the original tru n k : leaves ovate,
cordate: fruit in sessile axillary pairs.” Roxb.
Common all over India, often used as a road-side
tree, generally to be met with about every town and
hamlet.
Of this very celebrated tree no good modern figure
exists, a hiatus I was anxious to fill, but having restricted
the artist in the matter of room, the result
has been less satisfactory than I could have wished,
the plate being much too crowded. Except, however,
iii respect to appearance, the representation is correct
and had it been coloured or the fruit shaded, even
that defect would have been, to some extent, obviated.
The mature fruit and the leaves are dark green. To
see it properly, the plate requires to be viewed from
the side, and ought to have had the name so written.
The specific name of this tree has long been subject
of discussion; the question on the principle of
priority is now set at rest. The above brief character
taken from Linmeus, Sp. Plant., added to the
figure quoted from the Hortus Malabaricus, leave no
doubt of this being his Ficus Bengalensis, though I
believe not the plant he intended.
I t is certainly much to be regretted that he fell
into the mistake, but such cannot now be easily got
over, and therefore, must be submitted to with what
grace we may. I certainly wish that Miquel, now
the highest authority on this genus, had taken upon
himself to add the weight of his authority to the
wishes of Indian Botanists to correct the error which
they all feel to have been inadvertent. But since
he, in justice to the original founder of the name,
has deemed it right to retain the original provincial
one, to the exclusion of the more appropriate country
one, others I fear must do the same. Under this
view I have felt it incumbent on me, much against
my inclination, to follow his example.
1990. S ponia velutina (Planch.), branchlets and
leaves softly velvety; the clothing on the very young
parts shining: leaves ovate oblong, cuspidately acuminate,
slightly unequal at the base, cordate or
rounded, serrated on the margin, above beset with
rough points: cymes (male, female and polygamous),
short peduncled or sub-sessile, equaling or twice as
long as the petiols, many-flowered: male flowers
exteriorly h a iry : berries ovate, glabrous or sometimes
sprinkled with a few hairs.
Coimbatore, Neilgherries, &c. This is a widely
distributed tree. India generally, Madagascar, Bur-
mah, China, &c.
1991. Antidesma acuminata (Wall. ? H.B. Cal.),
shrubby or arboreous: leaves ovate oblong, acuminate,
glabrous; stipules linear acute, sometimes sub-
falcate, unequal-sided: racemes axillary or terminal,
sometimes branched: bracts ovate acute: flowers
short pedicelled, crowded, male and hermaphrodite:
males 3-4-androus with a free capitate rudimentary
style, calyx deeply 3-parted setacio-dentate on the
margin, stamens longer than the c a lyx: hermaphrodite,
calyx 3 or 4 parted: stamens 3-4, about the
length of the calyx, anthers 2-celled with a broad
connective; ovary exceeding the calyx, 1 -celled,
ovules 2, collateral, pendulous from the apex, stigma
3-4-lobed.
Calcutta Botanic Garden, Malabar.
The figure is taken from a specimen, named as
above, received from the Calcutta Botanic Garden,
and I have since received others from Malabar. But
for the latter I should scarcely have thought of introducing
this plant. And had I, before naming the
drawing, seen M. Tulasne’s monograph of the order,
I should perhaps have deemed myself justified in
assigning a new generic appellation, on the ground of
the fertile flowers being furnished with what appears
perfect stamens. As, however, I have not seen the
fruit, I refrain from now doing so, as the character
must to that extent be imperfect, and I hope yet to
have the deficiency supplied. In the mean time, as
it certainly belongs to the order, it may be permitted
to remain as a doubtful number of the genus.
A stylis (R. W.)
Gen. Char. Dijecious. Male; calyx4-parted, imbricated
in aestivation, lobes all equal. Stamens 5 to
8 inserted round a flat disk, lining the bottom of the
calyx; anthers oblong, 2-celled, cells collateral: rudimentary
ovary various, sometimes altogether wanting,
sometimes very minute, and, in one flower I examined,
fertile, that flower being perfectly hermaphrodite.
Female; calyx 4-parted, lined with a disk, no rudimentary
stamens: ovary free, one-celled; ovules two,
pendulous from the apex of the cell: style none:
stigma large, spreading, covering the whole of the
apex of the ovary. F ru it? ------A small very ramous
tree, the extreme branches slender, gracefully
drooping on all sides. Leaves alternate, oblong, ellip-
tico-lanceolate, acuminate, waved on the margin, entire,
glabrous. Fowers axillary; males fascicled, short
pedicelled; fascicles 4-8-flowered; the two exterior
lobes of the calyx broad ovate somewhat boat-shaped,
at first quite concealing the interior pair, all densely
pubescent exteriorly, slightly downy within: stamens
very variable in number, 5, 6, 7, 8 in different flowers
picked from the same branch. Female flowers
usually in pairs, pedicles about the length of the
petiols, like the males except in difference of s e x ; of
those examined none furnished rudimentary stamens.