1473. Clerodendron fhlomoidks (Linn), ra- 



iDuli terete, and, like the petiols and peduncles, 

 whitish tomentose: leaves membranaceous, oppo- 

 site, petioled, ovate, or ovato-rhomboid, acuminate, 

 somewhat obtuse, entire at both ends, irregularly 

 and bluntly serrated in the middle; glabrous above, 

 puberulous beneath: panicles terminal, large, fasti- 

 giate, leafy below: cymes trichotomous, lax, bracte- 

 oles oblong: calyx glabrous, campanulato-ventricose, 



thence infer that the statement has originated rather 

 in loose generalization, than actual and careful 

 counting to determine the point. 



Does the composition of this involucrum throw 

 any light on the vexed question of leaves and stip- 

 ules of Galiaceae, or in any way tend to clear up 

 the difficulty there experienced in determining what 

 are leaves and what stipules. 



The umbellate inflorescence and characteristic 



half five-cleft, segments sub-ovate, acute: tube of involucre, seem of themselves to constitute this, at 



the corolla sub-glandulose, thrice the length of the 

 calyx. 



A common shrub, to be met with nearly all over 

 the peninsula, most frequent in hedge-rows, often in 

 such situations attaining the height of 8 or 10 feet, 

 when not supported rarely exceeding half that 

 height. When in full flow it is a handsome shrub, 

 each branch being terminated by a large panicle of 

 white flowers, the pale almost cream colour of the 



least, a peculiar tribe, if not a separate order; but 

 when to these are added the semi-one-celled ovary 

 and remarkable placentation, approaching that of 

 MyrsintacetB^ and the farctuose seed, nothing seems 

 wanting to justify its elevation to the dignity of a 

 tribe: it is my impression even an order, amply dis- 

 tinct from true Verbenace(£. As a tribe, the struc- 

 ture of the ovary and placentation place it between 

 ViiicerB and AvicennetB^ as it corresponds with that 



calyx and bracts still further contrasting with the of the latter, viz. "Ovula in loculo gemina, ex apice 

 lively green colour of the leaves. 



axeos pendula amphitropa," and to that extent is 

 more nearly allied to the latter, than to the former, 

 in which Schauer places it as a sub-tribe. 



__ „ /. 1 , I t "^^^ following abbreviated essential characters of 



This small group of plants, brought together as a the genera I had prepared before Schauer's Mono- 



SYMPHOREMEiE. 



sub-tribe of Vitice(B^ ought, it appears to me, to con- 

 stitute the type of a tribe, or even a separate order, 



graph reached me, and as they differ slightly from 



his, I introduce them. To complete the Illustrations 



allied to, but distmct from Vtrhenace<B, differing as of the tribe, I have given the analysis of Sympho- 



they do from the rest of the order in the inflores- 

 cence, the ovary, the placentation, and the seed. 

 It is thus defined by Schauer, in D. C.'s Prod. 



"Sub-tribe Symphoreme^, cymes contracted glo- 

 merate, few-flowered; involucrate. Corolla regular 

 or bilabiate. Stamens 4-5, or indefinite. Capsule 

 coriaceous, indehiscent, 1-seeded by abortion. — 

 Flowering shrubs with simple leaves." 



This definition, so far as it goes, seems correct. 

 The cymes might, perhaps, wiUi equal or greater 

 propriety have been called simple umbels, and, 

 having an involucre, they convey the idea of an 

 umbel, rather than that of a cyme. The involucre 

 itself, constitutes a peculiar feature, erroneously de- 

 scribed in the generic character of Symphorema as 

 "6-8 phyllum," but correctly in the description of 

 the species, as being composed of 2 bracts and two 

 bracteoles to each* Such is indeed the composition 

 of the involucre in all the three genera- In j^m- 

 pkorema and Spenodesine it is composed of 2 op- 

 posite bracts, each furnished with two somewhat 

 smaller bracteoles: each leaflet bearing a sessile, 

 axillary flower at the base, and a single flower in 

 the centre, without a fulcrum. In Congea one of 

 the bractBfles of each bract aborts, while the op- 

 posite, contiguous pair often unite, reducing the 



rejna polyanarumy m iNo. 1474. 



SraiPHOREMA. Involucre 6-phylIous, 7-flowered. 

 Corolla regular, many-cleft; segments inflexed in 

 aestivation. Stamens equalling the number of lobes 



of the corolla, alternate with them. 



Sphenodesme. Involucre 6-phyllous, 7- rarely 3- 

 flowered. Corolla sub -irregular, 5-lobed, imbricate 

 in asstivation. Stamens 5, inserted on the throat of 

 the corolla, alternate with its lobes, shortly exserted. 



Congea. Involucre 4- or, by union of the lateral 

 pair, 3-phyllous, 5-7-flowered. Corolla bilabiate, 

 upper lip much produced, 2-parted, imbricate in 

 aestivation. Stamens 4, didynamous, long, exserted. 



When naming the plants represented in the ac- 

 companying figures, I had not seen Schauer's Mono- 

 graph. On comparing my plants with his descriptions, 

 I find he had already named several differently from 

 mine, hence the foUowing alterations have become 

 indispensable. No. 1474. S. barbata, (Sch.) 1475. 

 5. Wallichiana, (Sch.) 1476. S. Jackiana. (Sch.) 

 1477. S. Grifflthiana, (R. W.) 



1474. Sphenodesme barbata (Schauer, 5. fer- 

 ruginea, R. W. Icon.), ramuli, nerves of the leaves, 



four parts to three, giving the appearance of a 3- and inflorescence every where clothed with reddish 



phyllous involucre. 



In the numerous specimens of both Symphorema 

 and Sphenodesme, I have examined, I have always 

 found the involucre 6-phyllous, and only once (No. 

 1478), with fewer than 7 flowers and never more. 

 In Congea, the involucre is four, or, by the union of 

 the 2 bracteoles, reduced to 3-phyllous, with from 5 

 to 7 flowers ; that is, a flower to each leaflet, and a 

 central odd one unsupported, or two to each bract, 

 one to each bracteole and the odd one. Both 

 Roxburgh and Schauer describe the glomerulus of 

 Congea as 6-9-flowered, I have not yet met with 

 more than 7, nor fewer than 5 in any glomerulus, 

 of either of the three species I have examined, 



or rusty coloured hairs: leaves sub-coriaceous, short, 



Eetioled, oblong, usually narrowed a little at the 

 ase, obtusely acuminate, sub-mucronate at the 

 apex, septupli-multupli-veined; the younger ones 

 hairy on both sides, the older ones becommg glab- 

 rous above; glanduloso-punctuate beneath: panicles 

 simple, racemose, terminal, single or temate: pedun- 

 cles filiform, axillary, solitary, longer than the in- 

 volucre : leaflets of the involucre six, oblong, obtuse, 

 attenuated at the base: calyx cup-shaped, 5-cleft; 

 lobes apiculate, retuse, mucronate on the back. 



Malacca. ^ Griffith. I am indebted to Mr. GriflSth 

 for the specimen represented. 



The peculiar clothing and inflorescence of this 



( 13 ) 



D 



