1870-71. Trewia nudifloe.^ (Linn.), arboreous Malabar, Neilgherries, and in sub-alpine forests 



leaves ovate oblong, acuminate, quite entire, glabrous : 

 male racemes long, pendulous : female flowers solitary 

 or paired, styles 3-4, long plumose. 



An extensively distributed tree : common about 

 Coimbatore on the banks of tanks and near water 

 courses, flowering dming the hot Spring months. 



The history of this plant is curious. It was first 

 made known through the medium of an indifferent 

 figure in the Hort. Malab. (1 tab. 42). Linnseus thence 

 took it up and named it, but apparently without having 

 seen a specimen as his character is very faulty, and he 

 places it in his class Polyandria Monogynia. Burman 

 (FL Indica) followed and, apparently being equally 

 unprovided with good materials, placed it in the class 

 and order Monoecia, Tctrandria, quoting Linn, and 

 Rheede. Willdenow, having got specimens, next de- 

 scribed it in a periodical publication, under the name 

 of Roitlera Indica. Subsequently, becoming aware 

 that his Rotilera was the Linn^ean Trewia^ he re- 

 duced his genus and adopted the older one, but with 

 a slight error in the generic character, " masculi, caL 

 3-phyllus.'* In the interval, Gaertner had obtained a 

 fruit, a figure and analysis of which he published, but 

 with the error of representing the seed exalbuminous ! 

 Roxburgh, being well acquainted with this tree, gave 

 an amended and correct generic character, pointing 

 out Gaertner's error, by describing the embryo as 

 *' inverse and amply furnished with a perisperm" 

 (albumen). Endlichcr omitted it altogether in the 

 body of his Genera Plant., but afterwards gave it in 

 his 3d Supplement. And Lindley, in the second edi- 

 tion of his Natural System, misled I presume by 

 Gsertner, made it the type of a new order, in which 

 he was followed by Meisner. Lastly, Dr. Klotch, 

 having obtained access to good materials, published 

 a revised character, showing that it was truly a 

 Euphorbiaceous plant, and has thus finally cleared A common shrub in low stunted jungle, but so vari- 



along the Ghauts, not unfrequent. 



This plant corresponds in so many important par- 

 ticulars with Roxburgh's description, that I could 

 scarcely venture to give it a new specific name on 

 account of the discrepancies it presents while unac- 

 quainted, except by description, with his plant. 

 Mine differs in its panicled terminal inflorescence, and 

 the rusty-brown colour of the pubescence on the 

 young shoots and under-surface of the young leaves. 

 That on the latter afterwards becomes pale, and in 

 some specimens whitish. The inflorescence is also 

 at first tawny but, like the leaves, becomes paler. The 

 stigmas in my plant do not quite correspond, " styles 

 Jths three-cleft, segments hauy ; stigmas simple," in 

 his ; in mine, the stigmas are large tongue-shaped and 

 plumose, but on the other hand the capsules " covered 

 with pretty long hairy filaments" is a character so 

 marked and peculiar, combined In both with peltate 

 leaves, that nothing short of an inspection of original 

 specimens could set it aside. I have another species 

 with peltate leaves, but not otherwise corresponding. 



The female calyx in both is 4-lobed, in mine the 

 number of cells of the ovary varies, thi'ee or four. 

 I have not seen i ipe fruit. 



1874. 



(Willd.) 



oblong, acuminate, enth-e, glabrous on both sides : 

 flowers umbelled, terminal. 



Courtallum, and elsewhere in sub-alpine jungles. I 

 am uncertain whether this shrub is a genuine number 

 of the genus as now defined, but it is certainly Will- 

 denow's plant, as I possess original authentic speci- 

 mens thus named from Klein's Herbarium. 



1875. Fluggea ubucopxeus (Willd.). 



up the botanical uncertainties which had previously 

 attached to this very common tree* 



able that I apprehend there are more than one species 

 in India, though one only has yet been named and 



In his generic character, Dr. Klotch describes the described. ^ On the Eastern slopes of the NeOgherries 



calyx of the male flower as " diphyllus foliolis pro- 

 funde bifidis." I have not at this time (November) 

 recent flowers before me to determine this point, but 

 so far as it can be made out from dried ones, carefully 

 softened, I cannot make out that structure ; the calyx 

 appearing to me distinctly 4-sepaled. 



1872. HEMICTCI.IA sEPiARiA (W. aud A.), a 

 large ramous dioecious shrub, with alternate, elliptic, 

 obtuse, coriaceous, glabrous, leaves : axillary, usually 

 aggi'egated, longish pedicelled flowers : male flower 

 8-an<£'ous with 4 sepals : female subsessile, peduncle 

 afterwards elongating : ovary seated in a fleshy disk, 

 2-celled, crowned with 2 sessile, semicircular, stigmas 

 (hence the generic name), fruit drupaceous, globose, 

 one-seeded by the abortion of the other ovule : seed 

 somewhat lenticular, arilled at the base : embryo cen- 

 tral, cotyledons foliaceous, enclosed in copious albumen. 



My specimens, which were obtained from the neigh- 

 bourhood of Tuticorin, are deficient in female flowers, 

 hence then- absence in the plate. 



The wood of this shrub seems to be very hard and 

 close-grained, something like box, 



1873. RoTTiiEKA PELTATA ( Roxb. ), arborcous, 

 leaves long petioled, cordato-peltate, acuminate, downy ; 

 racemes terminal and lateral, solitary (always ?), cap- 

 sules covered with villous filaments. Roxb. 



a very distinct form occurs in great abundance, flow- 

 ering during the earlier months of the year, and 

 much more luxuriant than any I have seen on the 

 plains. It is perhaps a distinct species, a point which 

 I regret to say I have never determined by careful 

 comparison. The plant here represented, corresponds, 

 in regard to the female flower and fruit, with WiUde- 

 now's description, but not with Roxburgh's, as the 

 latter assigns three 2-cleft stigmas and a 3-celled 

 fruit in place of 2 two-cleft styles and a 2-celled, 

 fruit. If both are correct, it seems to imply that 

 there are two species. 



1876. PuTRANjivA RoxBURGHii (Wallich), leaves 

 alternate, narrow oblong, acutely seiTulate : flowers 

 triandrous ; filaments more or less coalesced : drupes 

 ovate* 



Paulghaut Jimgles. 



The plant here represented I find accurately cor- 

 responds with Roxburgh's description, so far as my 

 specimens permit comparison, for, unfortunately, I 

 have not succeeded in finding the male tree. Dr. 

 Royle has published in his Illustrations of the Hima- 

 layan Flora, figures, under the same name, of what 

 appears to me a distinct species. His plate repre- 

 sents a tree with elegant drooping branches, entire, 

 somewhat elliptic, obtuse leaves; solitary female 



globose 



( 21 ) 



F 



