THE COMMELTNiLCE^ OF BEXGAL. 445 



Var. y. paludosa, Hassk. Semina 2. Spatbae cum fuliis subglabrae. 

 Hab. ec in Bengalia ubique*; /3 in coUibus Khasiyse ad 3000-5000 ped.elev., 

 injugoHimalayensiad 4000-8000 ped. elev.; y in Delta gangetiea. 



Lower peduncle often suppressed. Upper peduncle with from 

 3 to 5 flowers^ of which the two inner at least are fertile. Plant 



4-6 



000 



Wight 



and seeds, which he also describes, and there can be no doubt 

 that his C.polyspatha is the a. genuina form of the old C. obliqua. 



Dr. Hasslvarl's laboured description of his paleata is much of 

 it wholly vain; but it contains a description of the capsule and 

 seeds, which makes me feel sure of the plant, though the whiten- 

 ing of the edges of the seeds does not, as might be inferred from 

 Dr. Hasskarl's language, take place at the hilum. Moreover 

 it appears from the ' Eegensburg Flora,' no. 14, 1866, that Dr. 

 Hasskarl has since discovered the identity of his C. paleata with C 

 polyspatha of Wight, though he does not appear to have heard of 



the old C. ohliqua. 



Finally, as to the synonymy. C communis oil&oxh\xr^ : — one 

 glance at his figure, 1. 1018, in the Calc- Herbarium is sufficient ; 

 the figure is characteristic and unmistakable ; and he gives sepa- 

 rate detailed drawings of the capsules and seeds. He says (Flor. 

 Ind. i. p. 171) that his C. communis has the leaves with '' delicate* 

 parallel veins running lengthw^ays on the underside," also that 

 ''the spathes are terminal or subfascicled semicordate ;" also 

 that the next species, C. lengalensis, is "much smaller" than his 

 C. communis^ can be no other than our C. ohliqua. C. obliqua is 

 an abundant weed in this Botanic Garden, and is known to this day 

 among the native gardeners by the traditional name of C. commutiis. 



Next as to the varieties : 



/3. viscida. The common typical Khasiya form of this is exceed- 

 ingly unlike my a. genuina ; but I find from the specimens issued 

 from Kew that it has been reduced as a variety of C. obliqua. 

 From the Himalaya a completely graduated series of specimens 

 varying in hairiness can be obtained ; and I believe that the hand 



an 



y.paludosa. Vide Hassk., in ' PlantaD Junghuhnianse,' p. 137, 

 ^ho says that the flowers are exactly those of C, paleata, that the 

 ripe fruit is wanting, but that the immature fruit is 3-celled. I 

 have authorized Java specimens in which the fruits (very nearly 

 ripe) are all 2-celled. Dr. Haaskarl says that his C, palrafa 



LIXK. PBOC, — BOTANT, VOL. XI. 2 H 



