PLATE XXIV. 
PARIS POLYPHYLLA, Su 
Nat. Ord. Sminacex. 
Foliis 4-9 verticillatis sublonge petiolatis lineari- v. oblongo-lanceolatis acuminatis trinerviis basi rotundatis acutisve, flore 
pedicellato, sepalis 4-6 foliaceis ovato-lanceolatis acuminatis trinerviis, petalis 4-6 filiformibus sepalis brevioribus 
longioribusve, staminibus 4-10, antheris linearibus filamentis longioribus obtusis v. connectivo subulato producto 
terminatis, ovario 4—6-loculari 4—6-angulato, stigmatibus divergentibus revolutis, capsula 4—6-valvi, seminibus 
rubris testa aquosa. 
Paris polyphylla, Smith in Rees’ Cycl.; Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep. p. 49; Wall. Plant. As. Rar. v. 2. t.126; Kunth, En. 
Plant. v. 5. p. 118. 
Haz. In sylvis temperatis Himalaye occidentalis centralis et orientalis a Simla ad Bhotan, alt. 6-10,000 ped. FZ. Maio. 
LLL NLL IAD PPI ain ripen pihtasp ous PARI nnn 
This very singular plant has been long known to botanists, though never hitherto introduced into this 
country. It has been supposed to be the same with a Dahurian plant, P. verticillata, Bieb., a point I 
cannot ascertain, for want of sufficient specimens of the latter! The characters by which they have been 
distinguished depend upon the number of parts of the flower and the relative length of the sepals and petals, 
characters which vary in every specimen of P. polyphylla. In those I have examined of P. verticillata and 
P. ncompleta, which hardly appears different, the petioles are much shorter. 
The specimen I have figured here is by no means the largest I have seen, though I have also found 
individuals scarcely three inches high. The parts of the flower are excessively variable in number, size, 
shape, and relative dimension, especially the sepals and petals; the anthers are, moreover, sometimes blunt, 
and at others have the connective produced into a terminal spur, which invalidates the division of the genus 
into Paris and Demidovia, to which latter P. polyphylla has been referred, on account of the acuminate 
anthers. 
Mr. Cathcart’s drawing differs in the seeds from Wallich’s figure, the latter having been drawn from 
dried specimens, in which the brilliant scarlet pulp had shrunk. The seeds are eaten by the Lepchas : they 
are sweet, but mawkish. 
Puate XIV. Fig. 1. Petal. 2, 3. Stamens of different varieties. 4. Tissue of anther-cell. 5. Pollen-grains. 6. Ovary. 
7. Transverse section of ovary. 8. Ovule. 9. Vertical section of ovule. 10. Section of nucleus, showing the 
embryo-sac. 11. Ripe fruit. 12: The same viewed from behind. 13. Ripe seed. 14. Vertical section of ripe 
seed. 15. Section of albumen. 16. Embryo :—all (but Jig. 11 and 12) magnified. 
