31 
PORANA. 
Gen. plant. edit. Schreb. n. 236. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Calyx five-leaved, in the fruit larger. Corol one-petalled, cam- 
panulate. Stylecloven. Stigmas globular. Capsule superior, entire, 
one-celled, one-valved, one-seeded. 
235. PORANA PANICULATA. 
Shrubby, scandent. Leaves exactly cordate, entire, hoary. 
Panicles terminal and axillary. Three of the leaflets of the Calyx 
increase with the capsule into large, scariose wings. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Stem woody, dividing into numerous, very long, (many fathoms,) 
scandent, stout, woody branches ; which extend over the 
largest trees, ruins, or whatever else they meet with ; their 
extremities drooping beautifully. Bark of the woody-parts 
ash-coloured, of the young shoots clothed with whitish, soft 
down. 
Leaves cordate, entire, fine-pointed, villous on both sides, but par- 
ticularly so, and hoary, underneath; from one to four inches 
each way. 
Panicles terminal, and from the exterior axils, pendulous, or 
drooping. 
Flowers very numerous, small, pure white. 
Calyx five-leaved, downy ; leaflets unequal, but all greatly shorter 
than the corol. 
Corol one-petalled, campanulate ; margin five-lobed. 
Filaments five, inserted into the bottom of the tube of the corol. 
Anthers \inear, half hid. 
Style short, very little cloven in this spectes. Stigmas round. 
Capsule superior, ovate, one-celled, one valved, brittle, villous, 
size of a small pea, surrounded by the remaining calyx ; 
three of the five leaflets thereof, are now scariose, and en- 
larged into as many oblong lanceolate wings, two or three 
times longer than the capsule itself; the other two continue 
of their original length, but contracted in breadth, in short 
filiform. 
Seed solitary affixed, to the base of the capsule. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
A native of the interior parts of Bengal ; and particularly plenty 
upon the ruins of Gour, and the Rajamahl hills. Flowering time 
the cold season, seed ripe in March. 
A large plant, 30-40 feet long, covering a mango tree, is now 
in full blossom before me, and in this state it is certainly one of 
the most beautiful objects I have yet seen in India ; the long pen- 
dulous extremities of the branches, with their numerous panicles 
of small, pure white flowers, and hoary leaves, render it a very 
Porana volubilis Burm. fl. ind. p.51.t. 21. f. 1. 
which is also now in flower in the Botanic garden, 1s a smaller 
plant, of much slower growth; and though beautiful, is by no 
means so conspicuously so as P. paniculata. Dr. Buchanan has 
charming sight. 
found a third annual species in Nepaul. 
a 
SPERMADICTYON. 
PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Capsule inferior, one-celled, five-valved. Seeds five, lattice- 
arilled. Corol funnel-shaped. Stigma five-cleft. 
236. SPERMADICTYON SUAVEOLENS. 
Shrubby. Leaves opposite, elliptic. Flowers in terminal um- 
belliform heads. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Stem erect, shrubby. Branches opposite, cross-armed, ascending. 
Bark of the ligneous parts ash-coloured, with dark purplish 
specks, 
Leaves opposite, short-petioled, from elliptic tolanceolate, smooth, 
entire; length from three to six inches. 
Stipules, or rather connecting membranes, broad, ensiform. 
Flowers sessile, in terminal corymbiform heads, on short tricho- 
tomous branchlets; numerous, pure white, and delightfully 
fragrant. 
Bractes ensiform, villous, several surrounding each fascicle, or 
head of flowers, as well as intermixed amongst them. 
Calyx above, five-cleft, permanent ; divisions subulate. 
Corol one petalled, funnel-shaped. Tube slender, widening a 
little towards the mouth. Border of five, spreading, oblong 
divisions. 
Filaments five, very short, inserted into the tube of the corol a 
little within its mouth. Anthers half erect, linear. 
Germ beneath, oval. Style as long as the tube of the corol. Stigma 
five-cleft. 
Capsule oblong, hairy, one-celled, five-valved, opening from the 
apex. 
Seeds five, one for each valve of the capsule, black, compressed, 
enveloped in a dry, latticed aril. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
This charming fragrant shrub, was found wild on the Rajamahl 
hills by Mr. William Roxburgh, and by him introduced into the 
Botanic Garden at Calcutta, where it blossoms during the cold 
season. 
EXPLANATION OF THE FIGURES. 
Fig. 1s Part of a branch, with two branchlets ; natural size. 
2. The calyx, and pistil, magnified. a. The five stigmas 
much magnified. 
3. The corol, with the stamens laid open, and magnified. 
4, The capsule, rather larger than natural. 
5. Section of the same, more magnified. 
6. A seed in its dry latticed aril. 
7. A section of the same. 
237. MORINDA ANGUSTIFOLIA. 
Shrubby, erect. Leaves opposite to each other, or toa peduncle, 
lanceolate, bullate. Flowers solitary, short-peduncled. Berries 
distinct, succulent, four-seeded. 
