RECENT REVISIONS OF CEYLON BOTANY. 155 



seeds (Eta-KiuiicU-wel) Col. Ind. Exliib. 171, 1886 in Mas. Kew 

 (Eta-Kirindi-wel, Trimen) ; fruits and seeds, Fetch (reed. 1917). 



" The seeds of the type which have recently been received 

 at Kew through the kind ofifices of Mr. T. Fetch are rather 

 larger and thicker than those from Travancore, and are 

 unusually biconvex and about 1 cm. thick. The wall of the 

 fresh fruit is 6-7 mm. thick, and the seeds are embedded in a 

 solid fleshy pulp. The seeds show a distinct marginal border, 

 and have a dense felt-like covering of short hairs, which do not 

 show the satiny lustre of those on the seeds of S. Nux-vomica. 

 Prof. Greenish, who has kindly analyzed the seeds, informs 

 me that they contain 2*07 per cent, of alkaloid, which is 

 brucine, the percentage of strychnine being very small. The 

 species may be distinguished principally by its leaves, which 

 are markedly cuneate at the base. 



" It seems better to refer the Indian specimens of S. 

 cinnamomifolia to a variety, since they differ from the Ceylon 

 plant in having broader leaves with more rounded bases and 

 somewhat different seeds. 



" The resemblance between this species and S. Nux-vomica is 

 considerable, but the latter being a tree with different leaves, 

 fruits, and seeds, can easily be distinguished from the huge 

 climbing plant." 



[Note on the above.— T. P.] 



It will be eviden,t that further details are required con- 

 cernmg S. tetragona, S. coriacea, and S. micrantha. The 

 Varieties of S. Benthami might also repay attention ; the 

 inclusion of the common up-country var. parvifolia with the 

 low-country S. Benthami always startles the novice in Ceylon 

 botany, and var. angustior is little known. 



The specimens in Herb. Peradeniya include the following 

 which are cited here as they stand in the herbarium covers ; 

 the numbers in parentheses indicate the separate sheets : — 



S. micrantha Thw. (1) C. P. 3720, without locality, two 

 specimens, labelled S. micrantha Thw. (2) C. P. 3540, 



