604 PENTANDRIA MON^GYNIA. RkamUUS. 



Leaves sub-opposite, round -obcordate, dentate, polished. 

 Umbellets axillary. 



A native of the forests of India, where its lonjr straarerlincr 

 branches armed with the most acute, strong-, recurved thorns 

 give the most cautious travellers infinite pain and trouble. 

 Flowering season the months of January, February, and 

 March ; the seeds take nearly a year to ripen. 



Trunk short, soon dividing into many, long, straggling, 

 scandent branches; with numerous, diverging, alternate, 

 round, smooth, armed branchlets. Spines on the lateral 

 branches axillary, solitary, rather longer than the petioles, 

 coloured, very sharp, and a little recurved ; the leading shoots 

 are unarmed. Leaves sub-opposite, short-petioled, round- 

 cordate, dentate, firm and polished on both sides ; about three- 

 quarters of an inch each way. Stipules small, caducous. 

 Umbellets axillary, solitary, very small, from ten to twelve- 

 flowered, the floriferous axills bear no thorns. Calyx globe- 

 campanulate, five-toothed. Petals or scales crescent-shap- 

 ed. Germ ovate. Style scarcely any. Stigma somewhat 

 two-lobetl. Berry a little depressed and umbilicate, smooth, 

 the size of a marrowfat pea, having the base covered by the 

 remaining calyx. Seeds five when all come to maturity. 



3. R. virgatus. R. 



Shrubby, erect, spines terminal. Leaves oblonff-ventri- 

 cose, serrate. Floivers round the base of the young shoots 

 and axillary, tern ; corol four-cleft. Stigma two or three- 

 cleft. 



A native of Nepal, from thence Dr. Buchanan sent seeds 

 to the Botanic garden at Calcutta in 1802, where the plants 

 grow freely to the size of a very large shrub ; they blossom 

 in March, and ripen their seed in October and November. 



Trunk not very short, distinct from the branches, all are 

 erect, dividing and sub-dividing into long, terminal, straight, 

 unarmed twigs, and short, rigid, lateral spinous pointed 

 branchlets, bark of the old woody parts beautifully variegated 



