Page:The Journal of Indian Botany.djvu/817

LANTANA IN CEYLON. 305 As regards the introduction of Lantana into India, it is to be noted that Hortus Bengalensis (1814) records Lantana trifolia, presented to the Garden by Dr. W. Carey in 1807, and Lantana aculeata, presented by W. Hamilton in 1809. Thus both plants were known in India many years prior to their introduction into Ceylon, and, taking into account the fact that in the early days of the Ceylon Botanic Garden the bulk of its accessions were obtained from India, it is most probable that both were introduced into Ceylon from India.

The colour of tbe flowers of Lantana aculeata changes from orange-yellow to red as the flower matures. Some years ago, the ques- tion was raised by an entomologist whether the colour change was related to pollination, and, though that did not appear probable, the following tests were carried out.

An inflorescence was enclosed in a glass tube which was plugged with cotton wool. Care was taken to see that no insects were pre- sent. The flowers expanded normally, the colour change of the in- dividual florets occurring in two to three days. No achenes ripened. This was repeated with two more inflorescences with the same result. The colour change is, therefore, independent of pollination. Two inflores- cences which were left free during the same period ripened three and five achenes respectively.

[Note. — With regard to the name to be adopted for the common Lantana, the following notes may be of interest from a historical standpoint, though the final settlement must depend upon an exami- nation of the material on which the Linnaean citations were based, and a determination of the plants in their native country. I am not aware of any recent discussion of the question.

According to Systema Naturae, Ed. XIII (Gmelin 1791), Lin- naeus distinguished Lantana aculeata and L. Camara as follows, —

Lantana aculeata, foliis oppositis, caule aculeato ramoso, spicis hemis- phaericis. Mant., p. 419. Plukn., Aim., t. 233, f. 5. Gaertn., de fr. et sera., cent. 4, t. 56, f. 4.

Lantana Camara, foliis oppositis, caule inerme ramoso, floribus capitato- umbellatis apbyllis. Dill., H. Elth., t. 56, f. 65.

Schauer, in DC. Prod., XI (1847), made Lantana aculeata L. a form of Lantana Camara L., " forma caule magis aculeato ; " and described L. Camara as " ramis patentibus tetragonis cum pedunculis pubescentibus vel hirto-pilo- sis aculeatis subinermibusve scabris." He cited tbe figure in Dillenius, Hort. Eltb., but not that in Plukenet. According to Schauer, L. camara may be prickly or not. It would seem that this point can only be decided in America : certainly the Ceylon form is always prickly.

Thwaites, in Enumeratio Plantarum Zeylaniae (1861), assigned the Ceylon Low-country weed to Lantana mixta L. This was apparently an error. L. mixta L., fide Schauer, is distinct from L. Camara L. and L. acul- eata L.