63
Fruii M
;K0L1A PTEROCARPA.
,hl.mgs[vol>ilif<.r
in cii-cumfcrenc
n length,?
,ofal
mlly i :ed wiLh t
long-tailed Follicukr samarpe, which open on the outside near
the base, and expose to view the large beautiful orange seeds,
often hanging by a slender, soft, sericeous filament.
Smb one, or two. subtrianguliiv; angles rounded. LUcgu,nails
three; exterior Deshy, and while fresh of a fine glossy orange
colour; second of a nuciform texture, and divides into two
valves, when vegetation begins ; inner a fine membrane.
Albunim conlbrm to the seed, soft and oily.
Emhnjo small, lodged in that angle of the albumen, next the urnbilicus.
Goti/ledons c o i A a i g . Radicle centripetal.
267. LF.PIDAGATHIS CRISTAT.A.
Lim,. sp.fd. ed. mUd. 3.p. 400.
inial, diffuse. Leaves opposite, sessile, hneeoli
a dense head close to the crown of the root.
.A^ native of ele
CoTomandcl. Flo\v<
In gcneric chara
the habit of the pia
OBSERVATIONS,
ued, dry, barren ground .
iog time the rainy and col
ei it is bi.t little removed
. is very different.
• the Coast of
^ Barhria, but
DESCRIPriON.
Root ¡jei
iny, but s( :nder, opposite, diffus'
smooth branches spread close on the ground, ;
Leaves oppositi
Inflares
close t<
e, lanceolate entire, sometimei villous, or
cabrous; from one to three inclies long, and
broad.
•ariously-shaped, densely imbricated heads,
nailer
lejoi ; of the larger branches.
imbricated, lanceolate, ciliate, spinous pointed.
r greatly larger.
a little curled, a
Filaments ithin the
Germ ovate. elevated
long t< ) elevate
Cupstde ov; ue. acute
FISTIA.
268. FISTIA STRATIOTES.
Linn. sjK pi. ed. Witld. 3, /;. 690.
Zala asiatica. Lo7ir. cochinch.p. 'lOS.
Kodda-p:iil. Rhecd. mal W.p. G3. 32.
Plantago aquatica. Rnmph. amb. <i. p.\T'• t.'i-J
Cumbhica, the Sanscrit name.
Nuroo-boodooky of the Teliugas,
Tacca-panna of the Bengalese, and Hindoos.
OBSERVATIONS,
ingon pools ofstagnr
Roof consists o
tering th.
Leaves radical
mud-
; the hi
,nd 0
: of half grow
DESCRIPTION.
r most parts of
lettuce plants.
hairy fibres, rarely e
obcordate and triangul
e red
Brada
Flower:
Calyx of two pair of utiequal leaflets, exleri
with the lower leaflet thereof faidentate ; all are hairy and
ciliate.
Corel one-peialled, ringcnc. Tube gibbous, with moulh much contracted.
T/irofl/ campanulate; upper lip sTsct, emarginate;
under lip, large, 3-parted, middle division broad, emarginate,
ind more deeply coloured,
throat of the corol. Ànthers twin,
on a glandular receptacle. Style sufliciently
the small stigma even with the anthers.
sessile, 2-celled, 2-valved, bursting with
Jiisticia, Burlería, kc.
shape betv
dioped ; many elevated ridges run lengthvays
underneath; tlowny on both sides.
Gcvimalion. or stoics from the bsse of the united leaves.
Flozoers short peduncled, rising from the centre of the leaves, few
and in succession, small, pale yellow ; the structure uncommon,
and beautiful in the extreme.
Calyx none.
Coro/one-pctalled, tubular, irregular, r^if obliquely bell-shaped,
woolly on the outside ; a crescent-shaped, fleshy, yellow
gland, [lomr nectary] on the centre of the inside, opposite
to the stigma. .Borrfcr broad-cordate, woolly on the otuside ;
margin a little waved : on its middle there is a green, fleshy,
crenulated saucer-shaped body, [upper nectary,] from the centre
of which rises the antheriferoiis column.
Stamina. Filament single, from the centre of the (upper) nectary
of the border of the corol. Anthers five, adjoined to the
enlarged apex of the short filament.
ñitil. Germ above, ovate. Style short, slightly curved towards
the stamina. Stigma somewhat peltate.
Capsule ovate, beaked, one-celled.
Seeds a few, oval, rugose, affixed to a longitudinal receptacle on
the inside of the ba.se of the capsule, which, from its oblique
situation, appears to be its back part.
Embryo obovate, lodged in the apex ofan ample albumen.
EXPLANATION OF THE FIGURES.
Fig. 1. A plant, natural size.
2. Aji entire fiower.
3. The same, with part of tlie bell-sliaped tube of the corol
cut, and thrown back, to show more of the germ.
A. A perpendicular section of the same. These last three
IliflCC
Tlie capsule i
A section of
magnified.
; natural r urved .state ;
some of the
! 269. GOSSYPIUM HERBACEUM.
Bi-triennial, young parts hairy; leaves hairy, palmate, with
sublanceolate, acute lobes: leajlets of the exterior calyx dentate:
"i capsnlesovnt. pointed. distinct, clothed with firmly adher-
I ing white down, under the long white wool.
G. herbaceum. Linn. spec, plant, edit. Willi. %.p. 803.
Gossipium Capas. Rumph.Amb. 4. p. S3, t. 12.
Cudupariti. Rlued. mal. I. p. 55.i. 31.
Karpassi, or Kapossi, in Sanscrit.
sally cultivated
•I Rewey, of the Hindoos.
' Karri-Kapass, of the Bengalese.
Kootn, ofthe Arabians.
Poombeh, or Pembeh, ofthe Persians.
Patti-tshittoo, ofthe Tclingas, and Patti the cotton itself.
• i
iT OBSERVATIONS.
' r This, and its varietie.s, are by far the mc
by the natives of India.
DESCRIPTION.
Trmti short, nearly straight, woody, oft<
four years; bark ash-coloured, or bn
/• cracked in various directions. Branche:
'v tender extremities well clothed with long, soft, diverging
Jiairs, and marked with numerous rust-coloured dots ; general
"ij height, when cultivated on a middling soil, about three feet,
though in a rich garden loam they rise to eight or even ten
feet.
•1 • ieflWialternate,petioled,hairy on both sides, palmate; /ctefrom
three to five, in young plants lanceolate, in old almost ovate;
size very various ; colour pale green; glands, in large luxuriant
leaves there is generally a single one near the base of
each of the three middle, or large nerves; but I do not think
iV they ever can be so much depended on, as to form a part of
,11 the specific character in this, or any other of the species.
Petioles liairy, nearly as long as the leaves.
Stipules obliquely linear-lanceolate.
Pcduncles solitary, short, hairy, opposite to the leaves, or on one
side of them.
Flowers solitary, large, pale yellow, with the bottor
a dark crimson colour.
Calyx: f.vim'or, leaflets sometimes nearly entire, soe
dentate, or even gashed, hairy, with a gland
irely 5-toothed.
1 lasting three or
, and by age bee
each: i
Corollarge, (
Stamens num.
Stigma clavat
Capsule ovate
Seeds a few
adherin
Of this specie;
ioil, situation, ir
marks on as mar
nulate.
)r 4-ribbed, and spir
nted, 3 or i-celled.
ch cell, distinct, do
litish-grey down, unc
ed with much, firmlyr
the long white wool.
OBSERVATIONS,
(here are an infinite number of v
ithod of culture, fee. I sh.ill mi
- of these as I have been able to r
I. Dacca Cotton (the sort figured) may be reckoned the first
variety, or deviation from the last mentioned common sort
(G. herbaceum) in general cultivation over Bengal, and
Coromandel. It is reared about Dacca (in Bengal), and furnishes
that exceeding fine cotton wool, employed in manufacturing
the very delicate, beautiful muslins of that country.
It differs from the common [G. herbaceum) in the following
respects;
1st. In the plant being more erect, with fewer branches, and the
.ich finer and
lobes ofthe leaves more pointed.
2d, In the whole plant being tinged of a reddish colour, even the
petioles, and nerves of the leaves; and being less pubescent,
Sd. In having the peduncles which support the flowers longer,
and the exterior margins of the petals tinged with red.
4lh. In the staple of the cotton being longei
softer.
These arc the most obvious disagreements ; but whether they
•will prove permanent I cannot at present say. The most intelligent
manufacturers of that country, (Dacca.) think the great
difl-erence lies in the spinning, and allow little for the infiuence
of soil.
II. Berar Cotton (of which there is no figure) I shall call the
second variety. It is in general cultivation over the Berar
country, and is from thence imported into the Circars, or
northern provinces by Sada, Palawansa, kc. to Yerna goodum,
in the Masulipatam district. With this cutton the fine Madras
(more properly. Northern circar,) long cloth is made.
It differs from the above mentioned two sorts, in the following
respects:
1st. In growing to a greater size; in being more permanent,
(living longer), with smoother, and straighter branches.
2d. In having the leaflets of the exterior calyx more deeply
divided, and the wool of a firmer, and more durable quality.
III. China Cotton (of which there is no figure,) I call the third
variety. It has been lately introduced into Bengal from
Ciiina, where it is cultivated, and its wool reckoned twentyfive
per cent, better than that of Surat. It differs from the
former sorts :
e bell of
nes acutely
be base of
1st. In being infinitely smaller, with but very few, shot
branches.
2d. In being (so far as my experience yet goes) annual.
3d. In having the leaflets of the exterior calyx entire, oi
, weak
ieties, from
e a (cw rer
under my
270. XANTHOCHYMUS DULCIS ROXB.
Polygamous. Leaves ohlong. f/ozt/crj lateral, fascicled. Carols
globular, Fruit oval, obtuse.
OBSERVATIONS.
A native of the Molucca Islands; from thence introduced into
the Botanic Garden at Calcutta, as a species of Mangosleen. Flowering
time, in Bengal,¡anz. and July. Fruit ripe about the beginine
ofthe cool season.
!Ì i?