58 ON THE VEGETATION OF MALAYSIA, 



four if not 'more species of Bauhinia are commonly met with. B. 

 tomentosa affords a remedy for dysentery, while the seeds afford 

 the medicine named the Downy Mountain Ebony Oil. 



The Passiflorace^ are well represented by climbers in the 

 jungle including Passiflora foitida, as well as Modecca ohtusa with 

 its large scarlet capsule, which is common and brilliant. Cucujrbi- 

 TACE^ will be easily recognized by their gourd-like frnits, including 

 the Gourd itself {Lagenaria vulgaris), which grows wild in the jungle 

 as it does in North Australia. It is not very palatable, but still 

 the natives use it as food, and uncooked the pulp is taken as a 

 purgative. Most botanical works state that it is poisonous, but 

 this is incorrect. Momordica ialsami?ia is widely spread, and is 

 conspicuous from its long fusiform bright yellow fruits, which 

 bursting disclose the seeds enveloped in a brilliantly red pulp. 



True Yines of the natural order AMPELiDEiE are especially 

 common, including Vitis elegans, V, hooheri, V. gracilis, V. semi- 

 sagittifolia, V. irifolia, V. lanceolaria, F. capriolata. They all have 

 fruits, and some, large bunches of a very enticing-looking grape, 

 but generally astringent and nauseating. Pcederia fcetida and P. 

 tomentosa are common, the former with its fetid odour being unmis- 

 takable. Three species of Willoughheia, {TV. firma, martahanica 

 and flavescens) represent the scandent Dog-banes, with very large 

 apple-like fruits, said to be good eating ; but the order is a suspi- 

 cious one. Ichnocarpus frutescens is another of its members. 

 Passing from the Dog-banes to the Asclepiade^ we find a larger 

 allied order more extensively represented, including as common 

 members of it, Streptocaulon lanmii, Tylophora tenuis, Gymnema 

 syringifolium, and the Royrn or Wax-plants {H. pratense, H. impe- 

 rialis, H. lacunosa and P^. carnosa) distinguished by their fleshy 

 wax-like leaves and clusters of beautiful fragrant flowers. These 

 plants prefer to grow like Orchids on rocky outcrops. The LoGAN- 

 lACE^ are also represented by climbing Fagrcm, notably F. auricu- 

 lata, a fragrant sjDecies with cream-coloured flowers fully five 

 inches across. Strijchnos colubrina is a climber everywhere 



