Tas. 6017. 
ALSOMITRA SARCOPHYLLA. 
Native of Burma and Siam. 
Nat. Ord. CucursiraceEm.—Tribe ZANONIER. 
Genus AtsomiTRA, Roem. ; (Benth. and Hook. f. Gen. Pl., vol. i. p. 840.) 
ALSOMITRA sarcophylla ; frutex scandens, ramosissimus, glaberrimus, foliis 
crasse carnosis breviter petiolatis 3-foliolatis, foliolis breviter petiolulatis 
ovatis v. elliptico- v. oblongo-ovatis obtusis integerrimis 3-nerviis 
medio sulcatis, cirrhis simplicibus, paniculis terminalibus et axillaribus : 
multifloris, floribus parvis, sepalis oblongo-lanceolatis acuminatis corolle 
lobis elliptico-ovatis acutis dimidio minoribus, staminibus par 8 eo 
_ curvis; “fl. 2 perianthio ut in g, ovario clavato, stylis 3-4 brevibus. 
conicis carnosis stigmatibus semilunaribus” (Wall.), fructu cylindraceo 
truncato, seminibus compressis testa muricata, ala oblonga hyalina. 
ALsomITRA sarcophylla, Hook. f. in Benth. and Hook. f. Gen. Pl., 1, ¢. 
ZANONIA sarcophylla, Wall. Plant. As. Rar., vol. ii. p. 28, t. 183. 
A singular climbing Evergreen plant, one of a small ano- 
malous tribe of Cucurbitacee, which is distinguished by its 
five stamens, 1-celled anthers and ovary, and very curious 
fruit, which is almost cylindric, and opens by a tricrural slit 
at the truncate top. It is a stove-plant, and has remarkably 
fleshy bright green foliage, which is admirably adapted for 
decorative purposes, keeping fresh for a very long time, even 
without water. The flowers, which are individually insig- 
nificant, are produced in immense abundance. This plant 1s 
moreover recommendable from being very free from the 
attacks of scale and the other insect-pests of the hothouse. 
It is a native of forests in Burma and Siam, abounding n 
arid, sterile, and exposed situations along the banks of the 
Irrawaddy river, where it was discovered by Dr. Wallich in 
1826, flowering in the month of November. Our plants 
were sent from the Calcutta Botanic Garden by the 
FEBRUARY Ist, 1873, 
