126 DU. THOMSON OX THE OENTJS HEMIGYMNTA., GEIFE. 



Note on the Genus Hemigyimiia, Griffith. By Thomas Thom- 

 son, Esq., M.D., F.E.'S., P.L.S., Superintendent of the Cal- 

 cutta Botanic Garden. 



[Bead February 18, 1858.] 



Botanists will be glad to learn that a valuable contribution to 

 our knowledge of the little-known flora of Malwah in Central 

 India has recently been made by the labours of Lieut. Beddome, 

 of the 42nd Eegiment M. N. I., who has resided more than a year 

 in the province, and has communicated to me many interesting 

 specimens, as well as a catalogue of the plants of the vicinity of 

 Jubbulpore, for publication in the ' Journal of the Asiatic Society 

 of Bengal.' 



In a notice of some plants of this little-known province, col- 

 lected by Mr. M'Leod, Griffith* published a new genus of Ver- 

 henacece^ under the name of Hemigymnia, which he considered 

 nearly allied to Tectona, but readily distinguishable by the included 

 stamina, the styles twice bifid, as in Cordia, and the fruit supported 

 by the persistent calyx, which does not enclose the fruit as in 

 Tectona. 



As the original specimens of the plant on which the genus He- 

 migymnia was founded have not been seen by any botanist but 

 Griffith, the brief description contained in that author's paper, 

 and repeated in DeCandoUe's * Prodromus,' vol. xi. p. 697, is all 

 that is known on the subject. These specimens, which were per- 

 haps very imperfect, are probably still in the India House, where 

 Griffith's original collection is believed to exist. 



Among other interesting plants, Lieut. Beddome has sent excel- 

 lent specimens of a tree which he considers to be Griffith's Hemi- 

 gymnia. In this I have no doubt he is correct, for, except in one 

 point, it agrees very closely with the description ; and its native 

 name Deyngan, though not identical with that assigned by Mr. 

 M'Leod to Hemigymnia (JDaJiman or Dahyan), is so similar, that 

 in all probability both are intended to represent the same sound. 



Griffith's description having been transferred by Schauer with 

 only some verbal alterations to DeCandolle's ' Prodromus,' it is 

 not necessary to repeat it here. Lieut. Beddome' s plant has an in- 

 fundibuliform, striated, five-toothed calyx. The tube of the corolla 

 is cylindric rather than infundibuliform ; but the limb has five 

 narrow oblong segments, nearly twice as long as the tube. There 



* M*aelland's Journal, iii. 361. 



