Siec/esbeckia. polygamia superflua. 439 



In tattooing, the natives after puncturing- the skin, rub the 

 juicy green leaves of this plant over the part ; which gives 

 the desired indelible colour, viz. a deep bluish black. 



SIEGESBECKIA. Schreh. gen. N. 1320. 

 Receptacle chaft'y. Pappus none ; exterior calyx five- 

 leaved. 



1. S, orientalis. Willd. iii. 2219. 



Annual, erect ; branches dichotomous or trichotoinous. 

 Leaves opposite, from triangularly ovate, to lanceolate, the 

 larger obtusely laciniate. Peduncles from the fork of the 

 branches, one-flowered. 



A native of the Moluccas. 



This has the inversely pyramidal, tubercled, brown, bald 

 seed of Gartner's plant, which induces me to think it is his, 

 thouoh the leaves do not agree. 



2. S. brachiata, Roxb. 



Annual, erect, brachiate, ultimately dichotomous. Leaves 

 opposite, petioled, triangularly cordate, grossly serrate. Ca- 

 lyx longer than the florets. 



An annual, a native of the moist vallies among the Circar 

 mountains. Flowering time the cold season. 



Stem erect, round, piped, branchy, downy. Branches cross- 

 armed, stem-like ; the whole height about four feel. Leaves 

 opposite, petioled, cordate, coarsely serrate, running down 

 the petiole, very soft, downy ; the longer ones are from four to 

 five inches long, and three broad. Floioers terminal, small, 

 yellow. Leaflets of the common exterior calyx, wedge-form- 

 ed, increasing in length till the seeds are ripe; on the outside 

 they have simple hairs ; and on the inside they end in green 

 glutinous bulbs. Hermaphrodite florets ten, shorter than the 

 calyx ; five of which stand in the disk ; the other five stand 

 alternate with the five female florets in the ray. 



