648 MONOECIA POLYANDRIA. Begouiu. 



four, or many pelalled. Capsules inferior, winged, or lobed, 

 tJiree-celled, many-seeded. 



1 . B. malabarica. Dryand, in Trans, of Linn. Soc. i. /). 

 .171. 



Caulescent, herbaceous. Leaves unequally cordate, while 

 young- acutely serrulate-dentate ; peduncles axillary, many- 

 tiowered; capsule without wings, four-lobed, four-celled. 



Tsjeria narenampuli. Rheed. Mai. ix. t. 86. 



Ram totee, the vernacular name at Chittagong, where it 

 is indigenous, in moist cool vallies. Plants from thence have 

 been received into the Botanic garden at Calcutta, where 

 they continue in flower the whole year, but chiefly in the 

 rains. The natives of Chittagong, where the plant is plenty, 

 use the leaves as a pot-herb ; when fresh the taste is pleasant- 

 ly acid, not unlike sorrel. 



Hoot perennial, succulent, throughout a pretty deep red. 

 Stems herbaceous, several from the same root, sub-erect, from 

 six to twelve inches high, succulent, round, jointed, and ra- 

 ther swelled at the joints, marked with numerous, small lan- 

 ceolar ferruginous, rather elevated specks, while young hairy. 

 Leaves alternate, petioled, unequally or rather sub-semi-cor- 

 date, acuminate, harsh with a few short, stiff hairs, with the 

 margins, particularly while young.acutely and unequally ser- 

 rulate-dentate, and minutely curled, from six to eight inches 

 long, by four or five broad. Petioles rather shorter than 

 the leaves, round, hairy and marked with ferruginous specks 

 like the stems. Stipules oblong, stem-clasping. Peduncles 

 axillary, short, bifid, many-flowered. Flouiers pretty large, 

 particularly the female ones, drooping, of a very pale pink, in- 

 deed almost white, sparkling, as if frosted; sweetly fragrant. 

 Bractes round the base of the pedicels, minute. Male ca- 

 lyx none. Petals four, in opposite pairs, sub-rotund, the in- 

 ner pair rather smaller by the size of a thin margin, which in 

 the large pair, forms a sharp, vertical rim round the unex- 

 panded globular lloMer bud. Filaments from sixty to eigh- 



