PENTAPETES. BYTTNERIACEJE. ; 67 
Leaves entire, serrated. Flowers yellow, axillary and terminal, capitately 
or spicately conglomerated, with many interposed bracteoles. 
247. (1) W. Indica (Linn.:) leaves ovate, oblong, or lanceolate-oblong, 
rounded or slightly cordate at the base, plicate, serrated, more or less tomen-_ 
tose on both sides: heads of flowers terminal or axillary, sessile or peduncu- 
lated, sometimes elongated into an interrupted almost leafless axillary spike. 
—DC. prod. 1. p. 493 ; Spr. syst. 3. p. 31; Wall.! L. n. 1194; Wight! cat. n. 
243.—W. americana, Linn.; DC. prod.1. p.492; Spr. l. c.—W. elliptica, 
Cav. ; DC. prod. 1. p. 493; Spr. 1. c.; Wall. L. n. 1195.—W. microphylla, 
Cav. ; DC. l. c. ; Spr. l. e—Pluk. t. 150. f. 5. and 6 ; Burm. Zeyl. t. 68. 
À very common and variable plant; so that, in addition to the above sy- 
nonyms, we feel certain that W. angustifolia, Linn. and H. B. K., W. corcho- 
rifolia, Pers., W. ferruginea, St Hil., W. lanata, St Hil., W.erioclada, DC., W. 
ovata, Cav., and W. gracilis, St Hil., are mere forms of the same species, 
arising from local circumstances. When the plant is broken or injured by 
cattle, it sometimes pushes out numerous small leaved branches, constituting 
then W. microphylla, Cay. Some specimens are procumbent, others erect ; 
some arborescent, others suffruticose. In some the leaves are orbicular, in 
others ovate, and they are usually tomentose, but sometimes nearly glabrous j 
whence it is not improbable that W. glabra, Poir., W. glabriuscula, St. Hil., 
and some others must be yet added to swell the already formidable list of 
synonyms we have adduced. The character above given of the inflorescence 
exhibits the appearance; the following will more clearly shew its real struc- 
ture :—F lowers several together, axillary, nearly sessile, usually arranged in 
axillary almost leafless branchlets that are generally very short (capituli sub- 
di) vel pedunculati ), but sometimes elongated (flores conglomerato-spi- 
cati ). 
TRIBE V.—DOMBEYACE;F. Kunth. 
Calyx usually with an involucel, 5-partite or rarely 5-lobed. Petals 5, flat, rather 
e, unequal-sided, convolute in estivation. Stamens some multiple of the num- 
ber of petals, in a single row, monadelphous, sometimes all fertile, but usually 5 of 
them sterile and filiform or strap-shaped. Styles 2, 3, 5, or 10, distinct, or united 
together. Ovules 2, placed side-by-side, or several in two rows in each cell of the 
9varium. Embryo straight, usually in the axis of a fleshy albumen. Cotyledons 
leaty, often bifid, crumpled or flat. 
X. PENTAPETES. Linn. ; Lam. ill. t. 576. f. 1. 
Calyx deciduous 5-partite, surrounded by a 3-leaved unilateral involucel. 
Petals 5, deciduous. Stamens 20 ; 5 sterile, strap-shaped ; 15 fertile, placed 
. by threes between each of the sterile ones. Style incrassated upwards, 5- 
furrowed, with 5 points or stigmas. Capsule 5-celled, 5-valved, many- 
Seeded. Seeds not winged.———Annual plants with axillary few-flowered 
peduncles, ; 
248. (1) P. phenicea (Linn.)—2DC. . 1. p. 498; Spr. syst. 3. p. 79; 
Wall! L. n. 1157 ; ND: nen Ly. angustifolia, B/um.—Dombeya 
Pheenicea, Cav. diss. 3. t. 43. f. 1.—Pluk. t. 255. f. 3; t. 126. f.4; Rumph. 
- 5. t. 100. f. 1; Rheed. Mal. 10. t. 1. = 
Leaves linear-lanceolate, hastate, or rounded and slightly cordate at the 
» serrated. Flowers 1-2, axillary, drooping, red.— We exclude from the 
Benus Brotera ovata, Cav., a plant much more nearly allied to Melhania. 
* 
XI. DOMBEYA. Cav. ; Gaertn. fr. t. 137. 
Calyx 5-partite, persistent, reflexed, furnished with a 3-leaved lateral ca- 
ducous involucel. Petals 5, persistent. Stamens 15-20; filaments only 
slightly united at the base ; 5 sterile ; 2-3 fertile between each of the sterile: 
E 2 
