Tab. 7350. 



TRICHOPUS ZEYLANICUS. 

 Native of Southern India and Ceylon. 



Nat. Ord. Dioscoreace^!. 

 Genus Trichopus Gsertn. ; (Benth. & Hooh.f. Gen. Plant, vol. in. p. 745.) 



Trichoptts zeylanicus ; herba glaberrima, rhizomate brevi, caulibus simplici- 

 bus fastigiatis flexuosis trigonis apice bractatis monophyllis paucifloris, 

 petiolo elongato cauli simillimo trigono, lamina lineari-lanceolata 

 oblonga v. ovata acuta acuminata v. obtusa, basi cuueata retusa v. 

 (saapissime) prof'unde cordata sinu acuto lobis cordatis, e basi 5-9- 

 costata et transverse venosa, pedunculis gracilibus, floribus nutantibus 

 atro-purpureis, perianthii tubo campannlato, lobis 6 ovato-lanceolatiB 

 biseriatis patentibus, staminibus 6, filamentis brevissimis, antheris latis 

 loculis remotis divaricatis, connectivo in processim erectus elongato, 

 ovario infero 3-gonu 3-loculari, loculis 2-ovulatis, stigmatibus 3 crassis 

 bilobis lobis pyriformibus reflexis, fructu indehiscente trialato, seminibus 

 rugosis sulco ventrali profundo exaratis. 



T. zeylanicus, Gsertn. Fruct. vol. i. p. 44, t. 14. Beccari in Nuov. Giorn. Bot. 

 Ital. vol. ii. p. 13, t. 3. Bedclome Ic. PL Ind. Or. p. 68, t. 290. Hook.f. 

 Fl. Brit. Ind. vol. vi. p. 297. Trim. Cat. Geyl. PL 93. 



T. travancoricus, Bedd. mss. I. c. 



Trtchopodium cordatum, intermedium et angustifolium, Lindl. Bot. Beq. Bub 



t. 1543. 

 T. zeylanicum, Thiv. Fnum. PI. Zeyl. pp. 291, 443. 

 Podianthtjs arifolius, Schnitzl. in Bot. Zeit. vol. i. (1843), p. 739. 



One of the most curious of Indian plants, the affinities 

 of which were long regarded as doubtful, it being first 

 supposed to belong to the Order Aristolocliiacese ; and, though 

 now definitey placed in Dioscoreaceas, it ranks as a very 

 anomalous member of the Order, and the only one that is 

 not a climber. Beccari, who has studied its relationship 

 with both Orders, in a very elaborate paper, referred to 

 above, has decided on the latter Order as its true place iu 

 the system. 



Trichopus zeylanicus was long supposed to be confined 

 to the Island of Ceylon ; more recently it has been found 

 (like so many other Cingalese plants) to extend to Travan- 

 core, and quite lately Mr. Ridley, F.L.S., Superintendent 

 of the Singapore Botanical Gardens, has sent a living 



AriaL 1st, 1894. 



