Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 34 (1896).djvu/189

 I THE DRACiENAS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 167 D. PACHYPHYLLA Kurz. For. Fl. ii. 546 ; Fl. Brit. Ind. I. c. 329, is a native of the Andaman Islands. It closely resembles D. terni- fiora Roxb. The Malay Peninsula plants referred to this species belong apparently to some of the above-described species. D. GRACILIS Wall. Cat. 5150. A slender shrub 5 or 6 ft. tall or more, with drooping branches, and a panicled inflorescence. There are three forms of this, which I think can hardly be considered specifically distinct, as they seem to pass into each other : — {a) A tall long-branched shrub, with broad oblong or lanceolate dull green leaves as much as 6 in. long by 3 in. across. Panicle long, lax, pendent, spreading, with very slender branches. Flowers rather distant, yellow or greenish white, narrow, 1 in. long on slender pedicel. This is the form usually to be met with in the low country in damp woods and thickets. In sandy spots it becomes more stunted, but is otherwise similar. It is common in Singapore at Changi, Tanglin (4412), Chan Chu Kang, &c., and I have collected it in the Carimon Islands, south of Singapore. In Johore I have collected it at Janjong Kupang, and on Gunong Panti and Gunong Pulai (3718), and also found it on Kedah Peak, in the north of the peninsula. The last three localities are hill districts, and the plants have narrower leaves and approach the next form. {b) A smaller form, about 4 ft. tall or less, with narrow lanceo- late acuminate acute leaves 5 in. long and 1^ in. across, with a smaller panicle and smaller flowers. It chiefly occurs in the hill districts, as at Mount Ophir (4000 ft. elevation) (3150), Penang Hill (1100 ft.) (Curtis, 1186), Kedah Peak (3000 ft.), Gunong Hijau, in the Perak Hills (5000 ft.) ; but I have also met with it in Singapore at Chan Chu Kang, and on the Kwala Lumpur limestone rocks in Selangor, both localities in the low country. Finally the plant passes into form c — (c) A scandent, much-branched shrub, with very narrow acumi- nate lanceolate leaves 4 in. long by ^-f in. broad. Panicles short, about 2 in. long, with few branches, often produced laterally on the old wood. The flowers are dark purple, and much smaller than those of the other forms. Bracts ovate, large in proportion to the flower. I collected this on the upper part of Gunong Hijau, in the Perak Hills, at 5000 ft. elevation. It is so distinct in appearance in its curious scandent habit, very long narrow acuminate leaves, and short panicle of purple flowers, that, had I not met with inter- mediate forms, I should certainly have considered it specifically distinct. D. NUTANS Ridl. in Trans. Linn. Soc. I. c. 406. Has the slender half-scandent habit of D. gracilis Wall., and a very lax wide- spreading pendent panicles of slender branches, but the leaves are narrow linear, something like those of I), graminifolia Wall. To these I append the description of a very remarkable plant, of which I have not seen the fruit, and am doubtful as to whether it should not be placed in the genus Cordyline,