GompuHta. OCHNACEJA. 158 
shorter than the petals: carpels obovate-reniform.— VaM, symb. 2. p. 49 ; 
DC. prod. 1. p. 736 ; Spr. syst. 2. p. 318; Wight! cat. n. 469.—G. zeylanica, 
DC. l. c.; Spr. l. c.; Wall.! L. n. 2802.—0. Malabarica, DC. L. e.; Spr. l. c.— 
Ochna zeylanica, Lam.—Burm. zeyl. t. 56; Rheed. Mal. 5. t. 48 (good), 
52 (monstrosity ). Travancore, and the southern provinces. 
G. zeylanica, DC., as we feel certain from Ceylon specimens now before us, 
and from the good figure in Burmann, has the carpels thick in their upper 
part, but tapering and curved at the base as Geertner has represented in his 
Meesia (or Walkera). As to G. angustifolia of Vahl, that botanist describes 
only a specimen in bud, in which state the sepals appear orbicular, and the 
leaves of a membranaceous texture: but we have adapted our character to 
older specimens. To the above synonyms of this plant, which appears to 
present little or no variation in its characters, we suspect that Walkera serrata, 
Willd., may be added: Gærtner no doubt describes and represents 5 stamens 
with ovate anthers, but they appear, from the figure, to have been shrivelled up, 
and not in a fit state for examination: he also says that the sepals are lanceo- 
late, and so they appear at first sight in our Gomphia, from the rolling-in of the 
margins: besides, the figure in Rheede quoted by Geertner is an excellent repre- 
Sentation of our plant, Rheede also describing the flowers with “ aliquot sta- 
minulis surrectis acuminatis,” an obvious allusion to the long anthers. If we be 
correct, the genus Walkera must be restricted to an American plant, and the 
name consequently inadmissible ; for Walkera is not in compliment to any 
botanist, but from the Cingalese appellation of Geertner’s plant being Wal kera 
iine hard-tree) ; it is, however, more generally called Bo kera or divisioned- 
on account of the fruit) hard-tree: if, however, it be not prudent to change 
e name even for the American plant, it may remain and be regarded hence- 
forth as in honour of Colonel Walker, the present Governor of Ceylon, 
through whose interest our friends Dr Hooker and Dr Graham are now re- 
ceiving valuable acquisitions from that island. 
ORDER LI.—PITTOSPOREX. R. Brown. 
Sepals 5, deciduous, distinct, or partially cohering : sstivation im- 
bricated. Petals 5, hypogynous, sometimes slightly cohering: sestiva- 
tion imbricated. Stamens hypogynous, 5, distinct, alternate with the 
petals. Torus not discoid, but often forming a stalk to the ovary of 
about the same thickness. Ovary solitary, usually imperfectly 2-5- 
celled ; the dissepiments not uniting at the axis, and therefore apparent- 
ly 1-celled : style 1: stigma 2-5-lobed, the lobes equal in number to 
the placentas. Fruit baceate, or capsular and loculicide ; cells poly- 
spermous, usually incomplete. Seeds covered with a glutinous or re- 
sinous pulp, or arillate. Embryo minute, contained in a fleshy albu- 
men near the hilum: radicle long: cotyledons very short.— Leaves 
simple, alternate, exstipulate. Flowers sometimes polygamous. 
I. PITTOSPORUM. Banks; Gertn. fr. t. 59; Pluk. t. 392. f. 3. 
Sepals 5. Petals 5, the claws approaching each other, and forming a tube. 
Capsule 2-8-valved, l-celled, the valves bearing the placentæ along their 
middle or at their base. Seeds covered with a resinous pulp—Shrubs with 
permanent entire leaves. 
In the Indian species, there are only two cells to the ovar 
do not meet in the axis, so that the ovary is only incomplet 
5 y 
, and the dissepiments 
ely 2-celled. As the 
