Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 2.djvu/453

ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY.

229 ghi alia videtur quam ilia Forskali ex descriptione." Royle afterwards took the same view and called the one S. Persica, the other »S'« Indica, but without giving distinctive characters. He however, as I understand him, calls, perhaps by mistake, the Indian plant figured by Roxburgh, S. Persica, and the Forskalian one *S*. Indica. As I happen, through the kindness of Mr. Stocks (who sent me specimens of the Western plant from Scinde), to have both species before me, I am enabled to clear up the doubts and uncertainties which have so long hung over them. The typical forms of the two plants may be distinguished at a glance, the Western or Persian one having long narrow elliptico-lanceolate leaves, and compact spicato-panicled inflores- cence, or, in other words, a sessile flowered panicle; while the Eastern or Indian one, has broad ovato-oval obtuse leaves, and large diffuse racemoso-panicled inflorescence, that is, pedicelled flowers on the floriferous ramuli. The berries, moreover, of the Persian plant are described as yellow or black, those of the Indian one are red. I now have specimens of the Indian form, from both Cambay and the Circars, and thence extending South to within a few miles of Cape Comorin (how far North it goes I am unable to say), and every where corresponding with Roxburgh's figure and description. To this species, therefore, I restrict the specific name Indica, to the other, or long narrow leaved and sessile flowered form, I assign the specific name of Persica.

But I have a third nearly intermediate form, also from Scinde, which, being only in fruit, I am as yet uncertain how to dispose of. It has the broad short blunt leaves of the Indian plant, but the panicles are much more compact, and the pedicels scarcely half the length. It seems a distinct species. The above species may be thus defined : —

Salvadora Persica (Linn. Cissus arborea, Forsk.), leaves oblong, narrow elliptico-lanceo- late, succulent, glabrous: panicles terminal, compact : flowers sessile, bracteate : bracts caducous : corolla persistent : fruit. Scinde, Arabia, Persia, Egypt.

Salvadora Indica (Royle? R. W., Salvadora Persica, Roxb.), arboreous, leaves broad ovate-oval, obtuse, glabrous : panicles terminal and axillary, diffuse ; flowers longish pedicelled : bracts sub-persistent : berry about twice the length of the calyx, red, embraced by the marcessant corolla.

India, everywhere in low lying damp ground, usually near cultivation.

Salvadora Stocksii (R. W.), leaves ovato-oval, mucronate: panicles compact, terminal: flowers short pedicelled : corolla deciduous : fruit three or four times the length of the persistent calyx.

Scinde, Stocks. I consider this a perfectly distinct species, as shown by the deciduous corolla, large size of the fruit, and compact form of the panicles. In these definitions I have limited myself to the characters simply required to distinguish one species from the other. Of the two last I shall give figures in the Icones.

1. Salvadora Indica (R. W.), flowering branch, natu- ral size.

2. Portion of a raceme with 2 flowers.

3. A detached flower.

4. Corolla split open, showing the attachment of the stamens and a small gland-like scale (abortive stamens ?) between each pair.

5. Anthers back and front view.

6. Calyx and ovary, the latter some days after fertili- zation.

7. Calyx cut vertically, showing the solitary ovule.

8. A ripe berry.

9. 10. The same cut vertically and across, showing the seed aborted.

11. The aborted seed.

12. A fertile fruit cut transversely, showing the seed filling the whole cavity.

13. Cut vertically.

14. A single seed, lobe and radicle.