1 3 6 ANNALS OF THE BOVAL BOTAKIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA.
PLATE 179. Melodorum ktifolium, M. f . ^ Th., VAR. ovoidea, King. 1, Flowering
brancli; 2, youog Ciirpels; 3, ripe carpels; 4, flower dissected—o/ natural size; b,
anthers; 6, pistils—
11. MELODOEUM CYLINDRICUM, Maingay 'in Book. Jil Fl Br. Ind. i. 80. A climber;
young branches minutely rusty-pubescent, speedily glabrous and dark-coloured. Leaves
coriaceous, elliptic-oblong, brownish "when dry, acute or acuminate, tlic base rounded
or slightly narrowed ; upper surface quite glabrous; the lower paler, minutely pubescent;
"main nerves 8 to 10 pairs, spreading, very faint; length 2-5 to 4-25 in., breadth
1-6 to 1-8 in.; petiole 5 in. Flowers '5 in. long, solitaiy, axillary, drooping; buds short,
pyj-auiidal, adpressed-brown-pubescfnt; pedicel short, stout, with minute bracteole. Sepak
small, triangular, connate, fonning a flat spreading cup. Outer petals triangular-ovate,
triquetrous with an excavated base; the inner veiy small, triangular, glabrous. Stamens
numerous ; the apex of the connective orbicular. OvaHes 4 to 6, sericeous, liipe carpels
cylindric, curved, both ends obtuse, sub-tubercular, minutely brown-pubescent, 1 to 1 75
iñ. long and -35 to "75 in. in diam. ; pericarp thin; stalk -5 in. long, stout. Seeds
many, horizontal, in two señes, compressed, -65 in. long, shining, with a small
cartilaginous arillus. King in Journ. As. Soc. Bengal 61, pt. 2, 106
Malacca,—ü/ainya^ {Kew Distrib.) No. 78. Singapore, Ridley No. 2115.
PLATE 177B. Melodonim cylindricum, Mainrj. 1, Flowering bi-anch ; 2, ripe fruit; 3,
flower—0/ natural size ; 4, flower dissected; 5 & 6, anthers ; 7 & 8, pistüs-en^ajyerf.
12.' MELODORUM HYPOGIAUCUM, Miq. in Ann. Mus. Lugd. Bat. ii. 37. A strong
creeper; young bi-anches minutely rufous-pubescent, ultimately glabrous, rather pale
and much tubercled. Leaves thinly coriaceous, oblong-lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, acute
or shortly acuminate, the base rounded or caneate; upper surface glabrous, except the
rufous-puberulous midiib ; lower minutely hoary-puberulous, the 10 or 12 pairs of bold,
oblique, cm-ving main nerves ultimately glabrous and darker-coloured ; length 3 to 5'ó
in., breadth 1-3Ó to 2-2 in.; petiole -25 in. Flowers -5 to -8 in. long, in las, 2-
to 3-flowered, axülary racemes or (by abortion of the leaves) in lax, terminal, 10- to
13'-flowered paniclcs ; pedicels as long as the flowers, slender ; bracteoles 1 or 2, minute.
Sepah ovate, acute, concave, conjoined only at the base, rufous-pubescent outside,
puberulous within. Petals leathery, linear-lanceolate; the base expanded and concave; the
outer minutely rufous-tomentose on the external surface, paler and pubescent on the
internal '5 to '8 in. long, concave for their whole length ; the inner onc-thii'd shorter
with a glabrous concavity at the base only, the rest triquetrous and puberulous. Stamem
numerous; apical process of connective . large, broader than the anther-cells, subglobular.
Oouries about 12, oblong, golden-silky, with 4 to 6 ovules in two rows : stigma
laro-e sub-capitate ; style short. Ripe carpels globose or ovoid-globose, tubercled,
puberulous or glabrescent, 1 in. long; stalks about the same length, striate. Seeds
about 4 or 5, oval, compressed, smooth, brown, shining. King in Journ. An. Soc.
Bengal 61, pt 2, 106.
Yer&k,—Scortechini, King's Collector.
The plant described above, agrees fairly well with the only spccm.ens of Melodorum
m Miq which I have been able to consult. It also agrees fairly with
ANONACEiE OP BKITISH INDIA.
Miquel's description of that species, But its petals and stamens, and its ovaries externally,
are rather those of Xylopia than of Melodorum ; although its habitj its torus
and carpels are emphatically those of the latter genus. In the number of ovules it
agrees with the majority of the species of Melodorum. It thus forms a connecting
link between the two genera.
PLATE 180A. Melodorum hypoglaucum, Miq. 1, Flowering branch ; 2, ripe carpels ;
3, section of a ripe carpel—of natural sise ; 4, flower dissected—slightly enlarged ;
5 & 6, anthers ; 7 & 8, pistils—much enlarged.
13. MKLODORUM PARVIIXORUM, Scheffer in Bat. Tijdsch. Ned. Ind. xxxi, 344. A
powerful climber ; young shoots minutely rusty-tomentose, the bark dark-coloured.
Leaves coriaceous, more or less broadly elliptic, abruptly acute, the base broad, rounded;
upper surface pale yellowish-gi-een when dry, when young minutely stcUate-pubescent,
when old glabrescent or quite glabrous, the midiib always tomentosa ; under-surface
softly rufous-pubescent, the nervation and venation very prominent; main nerves 13
to 15 paii-s, oblique, curving, inter-arching close to the edge; length 3 to 6 in., breadtli
2'25 to 3*25 in. ; petiole '4 in. Flowers -5 in. long, in lax axillary or terminal rusty
racemes often more than half as long as the leaves ; pedicels -4 to -6 in. long with 1
or 2 small bracteoles. Sepals triangular, spreading, connate at the base, rusty-tomentose
outside, glabrescent inside like the petals, -1 in. long. Fetals thick, leathery, oblonglanceolate,
with broad bases ; the outer -5 in. long ; the inner smaller, concave at tíie
base, triquetrous in the upper half. Stamens numerous ; the connective with compressed
sub-quadrate apical appendage. Ovaries nan-ow, elongate, densely sericeous, 0
to S-ovuled. Bipe carpels globular, sometimes very slightly apiculate, densely but
minutely dark-brown tomentose, '8 in. in diam.; stalks rather longer, slender, tomentosc.
King in Jounu As. Soc. Bengal 61, pi. 2, 107.
Ferak,—King''s Collector. Distrib.—Bangka.
A species closely allied to M. sphcerocarpum, Blume. The leaves of this are
however larger, the upper surface is stellate-tonientose when young and dries a pale
yellowish-green ; the raccmes are much longer and laxer, and the flowers larger.
PLATE 181. Melodorum parviflorum, Sclieff. 1, Flowering branch ; 2, 3 & 4, flowers,
dissected j 5, carpels - of natural size ; 6, anthers ; 7, ovavics—enlarged.
14. MELODORUM SPII/EROCARPUM, Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. i. pt. 2, 35. A strong climber :
young branches and all other parts more or less dark inasty-velvety-tomentose. Leaves
elliptic-oblong, obtuse and very slightly apiculate, sHghtly narrowed to the rounded
baso ; upper sui-face mth harsh short pubescence, the midrib tomentose ; lower surface
uniformly and minutely soft-pubescent ; main nerves 8 to 12 pairs, oblique, not interarching
at the tips, prominent beneath ; the connecting veins transverse, oblique, rather
prominent; length 2-5 to 4-5 in., breadth 1-25 to 2 in. ; petiole -35 in. Flowers -6 or
•7 in. in diam., in axillary or teiminal racemes or panicles ; pedicels -35 to '5 in.
long with a small supra-basal bracteole. Sepals ovate-acuminate, connate at the base,
spreading, minutely tomentoso outside, glabrescent inside. Petals thick, leathery, brown
outside, pink within, ovate, acuminate, slightly pouched at the base; the outer '-3 to
•35 in. long, tomentoso outside, puberulous within ; the inner smaller than the outer
EOY. BOT. GAUD. CALCUTTA YOL, I T.