330 BURMA, ITS PEOPLE AJB PRODUCTIONS. 



Order COKVOLVULACEJ^. 



Flotvers regular. Calyx of .5 sepals much imbricated in bud, rarely 5-toothed 

 or lobed. Corolla bell- or funnel-sliaped, rarely rotate or salver-shaped, the 

 limb 5-lobed or angular, folded or very rarely imbricate in bud. Stamens 5, 

 inserted in the corolla-tube and altennating ■with the corolla-lobes. Anfliers 

 versatile or nearly erect, 2-celled, the cells opening lengthwise. Ovary free, 2- 3- 

 4-cclled, rarely divided into 2-4 distinct carpels, with 1 or 2 erect or ascending 

 ovules in each cell or caqiel, or 1-celled with 2 or 4 ovules. Style simple, or more 

 or less divided into 2 entire or 2-cleft blanches or styles. Fruit eitlier a capsule 

 opening in as many or twice as many valves as there are cells and leaving the 

 dissepiments attached to the axis, or opening transversely or irregularly, or an 

 indchiscent berry. Seeds erect with a membranous or coriaceous testa. Alhumen 

 scanty or none. Cotyledons usually mucli folded, rarely straight or wanting. Shrubs 

 or herVis, us\ially twining or creeping (rarely trees or leafless parasitic twiners) with 

 usually milky juice. The milky juice of most species is strongly purgative. 

 Scaramony is deiived from Conrolndus scammnnia, and a similar product comes from 

 Ipiymaa titherosn, Pharhitis eatharticn, piptosteyia and others. The best sort of jalap 

 is obtained from Exoynnium piirya, and there are many other species, Indian as well 

 as American, the roots of which yield an inferior sort of jalap. The active princi]de 

 is volatile, hence the powdei'ed drug soon becomes inert. Conroliidus dissectus 

 is rich in prussic acid. Edible roots are also produced by species of this Order, and 

 more especially by Batatas ednlis, the common sweet potato, and B. jalapa. 



EEYCIBIE.f:. 

 Fruit baccate. Carpels connate, into a 1-celled ovary, with a snh-sessile 5-Iuhed 

 stigma. Fmhryo irith distinct cotyledons. 



* Corolla-lolics 2-cleft. Stigma almost sessile. 

 Ektcibe, Bo.vhurgh. 

 Ovary 1-celled, 4-ovulod. Stigma large, globose. Fruit a berry. 



*^ Flowers clustered. 

 E. GLOJiERATA, "Wall. E.S. Upper Tenasserim. 



Leaves strongly and prominently nerved and veined. 



* * Flotvers in cymes, arranged in raceme-like elongate jmnielcs. 

 X Leaves glossy on both sides, not glaucesccnt. 

 E. COEIACEA, "Wall. E.S S. Chittagong and Upper Tenasserim. 



Leaves very coriaceous, the lateral nerves faint, the transverse venation absent 

 or obscure. 



E. PANicuLATA, Rosb. ES.S. Ava. Tenasserim. Kamorta. Car IS^icobar. 



Leaves thin-coriaceous, the lateral nerves and net-venation thin but conspicuous. 



X X Leaves opaiiue, on both sides glaucesccnt. 

 E GLArcEscENs, Wall. Tree forests of Upper Tenasserim. 



Panicle and sepals sparingly silk-haiiy, glabrescent. 



CONVULVULIE^E. 

 Carpels connate. Style simple. Embryo ivith distinct cotyledons. 



Fruit a capsule, with a thin, or hard pericarp, valvately opening, or Lcrry-like, ant 

 the pericarp very thin and rupturing irregularly. 



-\- Bracts and branches deciduous, often small. 



f Style simple, the stigmas capitate to filiform. 



J Sepals )iot, or but little enlarged in fruit, capsule '2-4-celled. 



