so many localities all agreeing, I cannot venture, until 
better informed, or until I have compared specimens, 
to unite them. I have not seen fruit of this species. 
1987-88.  AwcisrRocLADus HEYNEANUS (Wall.), 
shrubby, climbing : leaves sessile, oblong, obovato-lan- 
ceolate, cuniate towards the base, coriaceous, quite 
glabrous; when dry delicately reticulate above: pani- 
cles towards the ends of the hook-bearing branches, 
dichotomous : calyx and corolla about equal: stamens 
10, alternately long and short, filaments of all dilated 
at the base: style thick, conical ; stigmas three : fruit 
5-winged, two smaller, one-seeded : seed corrugated, 
globose, somewhat depressed above. 
Courtallum, and Malabar forests. I am indebted to 
the kindness of the Rev. Mr. Johnson of Cottayam 
for the specimens from which the drawing was made. 
This, I suppose, is Wallich's A. Heyneanus, a still un- 
described plant which I have never seen, if this be 
not it. This seems nearly allied to A. Vahl, but 
which is said to be pentandrous. In other respects 
the characters are very much alike. 
1989. URosTIGMA BENGALENsE (Gaspar, Miquel, 
Ficus Bengalensis, Linn.), * leaves ovate, quite entire, 
obtuse," Lin, “stem rooting below," Lin., Ficus 
Indica, Roxb. “Branches dropping roots, which be- 
come as long as the original trunk: leaves ovate, 
cordate : fruit in sessile axillary pairs.” Roxb. 
Common all over India, often used as a road-side 
ی‎ generally to be met with about every town and 
amlet. i 
` Of this very celebrated tree no good modern figure 
exists, a hiatus I was anxious to fill, but having re- 
stricted the artist in the matter of room, the result 
has been less satisfactory than I could have wished, 
the plate being much too crowded. Except, however, 
in respect to appearance, the representation is correct 
and had it been coloured or the fruit shaded, even 
that defect would have been, to some extent, obviated. 
The mature fruit and the leaves are dark green. To 
see it properly, the plate requires to be viewed from 
the side, and ought to have had the name so written. 
The specifie name of this tree has long been sub- 
ject of discussion; the question on the principle of 
priority is now set at rest. "The above brief charac- 
ter taken from Linnæus, Sp. Plant. added to the 
figure quoted from the Hortus Malabaricus, leave no 
doubt of this being his Ficus Bengalensis, though I 
believe not the plant he intended. 
It is certainly much to be regretted that he fell 
into the mistake, but such cannot now be easily got 
over, and therefore, must be submitted to with what 
grace we may. I certainly wish that Miquel, now 
the highest authority on this genus, had taken upon 
himself to add the weight of his authority to the 
wishes of Indian Botanists to correct the error which 
they all feel to have been inadvertent. But since 
he, in justice to the original founder of the name, 
has deemed it right to retain the ‘original provincial 
one, to the exclusion of the more appropriate country 
one, others I fear must do the same. Under this 
view I have felt it incumbent on me, much against 
my inclination, to follow his example. 
1990. SPoNIA VELUTINA (Planch.), branchlets and 
leaves softly velvety ; the clothing on the very young 
parts shining: leaves ovate oblong, cuspidately acu- 
minate, slightly unequal at the base, cordate or 
rounded, serrated on the margin, above beset with 
rough points: cymes (male, female and polygamous), 
short peduncled or sub-sessile, equaling or twice as 
long as the petiols, many-flowered: male flowers 
exteriorly hairy: berries ovate, glabrous or some- 
times sprinkled with a few hairs. 
Coimbatore, Neilgherries, &c. This is a widely 
distributed tree. India generally, Madagascar, Bur- 
mah, China, &c. 
1991. ANTrIDESMA ACUMINATA (Wall. ۶ H.B. Cal.), 
shrubby or arboreous: leaves ovate oblong, acumi- 
nate, glabrous ; stipules linear acute, sometimes sub- 
falcate, unequal-sided : racemes axillary or terminal, 
sometimes branched: bracts ovate acute: flowers 
short pedicelled, crowded, male and hermaphrodite : 
males 3-4-androus with a free capitate rudimentary 
style, calyx deeply 3-parted setacio-dentate on the 
margin, stamens longer than the calyx: hermaphro- 
dite, calyx 3 or 4 parted: stamens 3-4, about the 
length of the calyx, anthers 2-celled with a broad 
connective; ovary exceeding the calyx, 1-celled, 
ovules 2, collateral, pendulous from the apex, stigma 
3-4-lobed. 
Calcutta Botanic Garden, Malabar. 
The figure is taken from a specimen, named as 
above, received from the Calcutta Botanic Garden, 
and I have since received others from Malabar. But 
for the latter I should scarcely have thought of intro- 
dueing this plant. And had I, before naming the 
drawing, seen M. Tulasne's monograph of the order, 
I should perhaps have deemed myself justified in 
assigning a new generic appellation, on the ground of 
the fertile flowers being furnished with what appears 
perfect stamens. As, however, I have not seen the 
fruit, I refrain from now doing so, as the character 
must to that extent be imperfect, and I hope yet to 
have the deficiency supplied. In the mean time, as 
it certainly belongs to the order, it may be permitted 
to remain as a doubtful number of the genus. 
AsTYLIS (R. W.) 
Gen. Cuar. Diæcious. Male; calyx 4-parted, im- 
bricated in zestivation, lobes all equal. Stamens 5 to 
8 inserted round a flat disk, lining the bottom of the 
calyx ; anthers oblong, 2-celled, cells collateral : rudi- 
mentary ovary various, sometimes altogether wanting, 
sometimes very minute, and, in one flower I examin- 
ed, fertile, that flower being perfectly hermaphrodite. 
Female; calyx 4-parted, lined with a disk, no rudi- 
mentary stamens: ovary free, one-celled ; ovules two, 
pendulous from the apex of the cell: style none: 
stigma large, spreading, covering the whole of the 
apex of the ovary. Fruit? —— A small very ra- 
mous tree, the extreme branches slender, gracefully 
drooping on all sides. Leaves alternate, oblong, ellip- 
tico-lanceolate, acuminate, waved on the margin, en- 
tire, glabrous. Fowers axillary; males faseicled, short 
dicelled ; fascicles 4—8-flowered; the two exterior 
obes of the calyx broad ovate somewhat boat-shaped, 
at first quite concealing the interior pair, all densely 
pubescent exteriorly, slightly downy within: stamens 
very variable in number, 5, 6, 7, 8 in different flow- 
ers mee from ae و‎ A is و‎ 
usually in pairs, icles about the length o 
re like the males except in difference of sex ; of 
those examined none furnished rudimentary stamens. 
( 12 ) 
