Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 2.djvu/94

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ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. that on the. lid." The portions in italics are both erroneous, they refer to T. obcordata and Crystalina in which one of the carpels seem invariably to abort, which is indicated by the solitary style. And, here, when the ovary is examined, in the early stages, it is found to have only one cell, and one placenta cohering to the side of the cell, bearing several ovules supported on filiform podosperms of unequal length. One or two ovules rise to the top of the cell, where they arc afterwards enclosed by a spurious transverse division and separate with the lid, but are not otherwise attached to it. With these corrections the character is so far as it goes is correct. It may be thus modified with advantage.

Calyx 5-sepaled: sepals united at the base, coloured within. Petals none. Stamens 5 10 or more, inserted on the tube of the calyx. Anthers cordate ovate. Ovary obovate truncated 1 or 2-celled, with a short placenta in the base, cohering to the dissepiment when 2-celled, and to the side of the cell when one-celled. Ovules attached to filiform podosperms. Styles one or two, simple. Capsule truncated I or 2-celled (cells afterwards divided transversely into two by a spurious partition) splitting transversely a little above the base : lid coriaceous containing one or two seeds enclosed by the spurious partition ; bottom membranaceous with one or more seed. Seed pitted. — Herbaceous succulent plants &c.

Our Glinus trianthimoides, I have since ascertained does not, as we formerly hinted, be- long to that genus but to Orygia, a genus first discovered in Arabia Felix, a point also ascertained by Professor Endlicher, who refers it to that genus. The following is the character of the genus — which it will be found corresponds accurately with the accompanying figure which was taken from growing plants gathered near Bellary.

Ort/gia (Forsk) calyx 5 parted persistent : petals numerous (about 20) : ovarium free 5- celled with several ovules in each : styles 5 filiform recurved : capsule firm, chartaceous, globose, marked by five furrows opposite the partitions; dehiscence loculicidal : seed numerous somewhat reniform, testa crustaceous, furrowed ; embryo annular curved round a farinacious albumen.

Herbaceous or suffruticose diffuse plants, leaves alternate, obovate, orbicular, or elliptic, succulent ; cymes axillary and sub terminal opposite the leaves, elongated, dichotomously racemelike ; calyx segments ovate cuspidate, membranaceous on the margin, patulous. Petals spatula to lanceolate entire about the length of the calyx whife or purple : style and stigma filiform. Capsule 5-celled of a firm papery texture, smooth and shining externally, splitting from above along the middle of the valves between the partitions, the valves owing to the partitions tearing and remaining attached to the axis patulus : seed reniform testa furrowed black brittle.

PoLycarp^a. — The species of this genus are of difficult discrimination, if we attempt to distinguish them by the habit or shape of the foliage. Tvo species are named in our Prodromus. These after numberless attempts to distinguish I have finally been compelled to consider identical, scarcely even varieties. In room of the one thus reduced I have added two new species to the list. P. diffusa, and P. spicata. The former agrees in habit with P, con/mbosa, but is at once distinguished by its lanceolate acute, not obovate obtuse petals and by the petals nearly equalling the sepals in length in place of being less than half the length.

P. spicata is readily distinguished by its slender form erect habit verticelled spathulate leaves and terminal spicate corymbs, that is, the peduncles divided into 1 spikelike branches of flowers. The sepals also differ from the others in being rough and coriacious in the middle with delicate membranous margins. The petals are linear lanceolate acute about half the length of the calyx.

The following characters of these species were drawn up and published by Dr. Arnott in the Annals of Nat. History, Vol. 3, Pg. 91.

P. diffusa (Wight) " Suffruticosa ramosissima laxa diffusa glabriuscula, foliis fasciculatis linearibus, floribus cymoso — corymbosis, sepalis scariosis ovato — lanceolatis acuminatis enerviis, petalis sepala subeequantibus, stamina capsulamque acutam paruin superantibus. Hab. Prope Tuticoreen (Maio H35). Wight.

P. spicata (Wight) Glabra, radicle and collum multieipifi, caulibus plurimis gracilibus diffusis foliorum pedunculoruuique fasciculos distantes 1-2 gerentibus, foliis radicalibus caulinisque fasciculatis glaucis subcarnosis spathulato oblongis acutiusculis. fioribus imbricatis spicalis, spi.