57 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



Pyrenacantha volubilis Hook. 



On page 125 of Vol. I of the Journal of Indian Botany is a note 

 on the above species and its distribution. The following observations 

 extend its habitat. 



Apparently at the time Vol. I of the Flora of British India was 

 published this species was unknown in India and had only been 

 recorded in Ceylon. Besides the areas noted in the note referred to 

 above I have seen this plant in the following localities in the Madras 

 Presidency : — 



In the Nellore District, close to the coast and at about sea level 

 and also in the interior of the district. In the Tinnevelly District 

 and in the Coimbatore District both in the dry South East portion 

 and in the North Central. 



The elevations at which I have seen it lie between practically sea 

 level and 1,000 feet. It is typically a plant of dry and almost arid 

 climates. 



I have found the flowers in February, September, November and 

 December and the ripe fruit in November and December. 



The vernacular names I have been able to ascertain are : — ■ 



Telugu (Nellore) Porapotri ; Tamil Ala-kodi (Madura) and Ear an- 

 gali (North-centre of Coimbatore). 



C. E. C. Fischer. 



Scoparia dulcis Linn. 



Sir J. D. Hooker wrote in 1885 (Flora of British India, Vol. IV, 

 p. 29) of this little plant : — " Though now a superabundant Bengal 

 plant according to Mr. Clarke, it was unknown in Roxburgh's time 

 and occurs in no Indian Herbarium except Clarke's. Voigt mentions 

 it (1845) as found about Serampore, whence probably it has spread 

 quite recently." 



T. Cooke (Flora of the Presidency of Bombay, Vol. II, p. 310) 

 writes in about 1908 : — " This weed, a native of Tropical America, is 

 becoming naturalised in many parts of India, notably in Bengal. 

 Woodrow reports having found it in a salt swamp near Bombay, 

 flowering in November. I have not seen his specimens." 



It would seem that this plant has been introduced, therefore into 

 India within the past 100 years certainly, possibly within 80 years. 



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