Dr. Wallich, in his splendid Illustrations of the Flora 
of India, speaks thus of it : — 
** This very handsome species I took at first to be only 
a purple variety of Roxburgh's H. furcatus, which I have 
likewise found on the banks of the Irawaddi: but having 
had an opportunity, since my return from Ava, to compare 
both plants in their growing state in the Honourable Com- 
pany's Botanic Garden at Calcutta, I am able to propose 
the following marks as sufficient to distinguish them speci- 
fically : — The leaves in our plant are not hairy as in Rox- 
burgh's, but nearly smooth ; the involucres do not enlarge 
at the bifid apex, but are of a uniformly linear figure; and 
lastly, the flowers, instead of being yellow, as in that 
species, are constantly of a deep purple colour. H. bifur- 
catus Cavan. differs, according to a note in Dr. Roxburgh's 
manuscript Flora Indica, made from the living plant, intro- 
duced into the Garden from Trinidad, in being smoother 
and void of the small tubercles, which render the other 
shrubs peculiarly rough to the touch; in having setaceous 
stipules and rose-coloured flowers. 
** Like most of the members of the extensive genus to 
which it belongs, it abounds in strong and woody fibres. 
All its green parts have.an agreeably acid taste." 
BL 
