NEILGHERRY PLANTS. 37 
In regard to the affinities of the order, Meisner has well remarked “ordo valde adhuc 
inserte sedis.” Brown, adverting, I presume, for I have not his paper to ascertain, to the 
fact that some of the species of Pittosporum had been referred to Celastrus, remarked, when 
indicating the order, that it is widely different from Celastrinee and Rhamnee, but did not 
mention its affinities. De Candolle, in adopting the family, placed it beside Polygalee which it 
certainly approaches through Xanthophyllum. Ach. Richard thinks it alied to Rutacee by 
a crowd of characters. Lindley adopts this view in the first edition of kis Natural System, but 
groups it Ampelideae and Olacineae in hissecond, two orders, by the way, not very closely allied 
to each other. Arnott, in our Prodromus, placed it next Celastrineae, an arrangement which 
has been adopted by both Meisner and Endlicher. This, I dare say, is as correct a view as 
any of the preceding, but still the relationship seems far from being near. In their flowers, 
Pittosporeae, judging from Pittosporum alone, seem to approach Rutaceae, while their 2-celled 
ovaries erect ovules and very minute embryo at the base of a copious dense horny albumen, 
- more nearly associcate them with Vitis: with Olax it appears to me, the relationship is 
remote. 
In regard to the properties of the order little seems to be known. One yields 
finely veined timber, and the fruit of another is eatable. ‘The seed of all the Pittosporums I 
know, are enveloped in a viscid resinous secretion exhaling a strong turpentine odour, which 
is also given out by the leaves when bruised. 
PITTOSPORUM. 
and forming a tube, Capsule 2-3-valved, L- 
Sepals 5. Petals 5, the claws approaching each other, 
Seeds covered with a resinous, 
celled, the valves bearing the placente along their middle or at their base. 
pulp.—Shrubs with persistent entire leaves.— W. and A. Prod. p, 153. 
This genus, as already stated, has, within the last 20 years, been vastly extended. In 1824, D.C. gave 
characters of 11 species ; in 1844, Walpers compiled a supplementary list of 41, which had been published in 
the interval, and, beyond doubt, there are still many unpublished species remaining to be added. One, if not 
two, I have inmy Hill collections, but not yet determined. Both the Ceylon ones will, I suspect, also prove 
distinct from the Indian ones when opportunities occar for their comparison. The one here figured is com- 
mon in the clumps of jungle about Ootacamund, flowering abundantly in February and March. The fruit re- 
quire several months to attain maturity. 
PrrrosPorum TEerrasPermum (W. & A,:) leaves from dry specimens. The stigma is 4, not 2-lobed, 
ins and the capsules are somewhat compressed. The lobes 
mee " > 
elliptic-oblong, acute, coriaceous, glabrous, margins ) 
slightly waved and recurved: flowers erminal of the stigma are at best so minute that a mistake 
rolla: petals linear: ovary hairy: style glabrous 
Stigmas 2-lobed: ovules 2 in each cel 1 
nearly globose, scarcely compressed, 4-seeded; 81 
valves thick-coriaceous.— W. and A, Prod. p. 154. i otacam: 
Ootacamund in clumps of jungle: a large shrub Pycarrah;at ird undescribed species 1s found at 
flowering in February and March. ‘he figure differs Sisparab, all of which are in flower at the same time 
in two points from the character which wastaken : 
P. Neilgherrense 
und and 
