SZ NEILGHERRY PLANTS, 
FRAGARIA—STRAWBERRY. 
Calyx concave at the bottom, 5-cleft, with 5 bracteoles. Petals 5. Stamens numerous. Achenia juice 
Jess, scattered on a fleshy and succulent deciduous polyphore or receptacle. Style lateral. Seed suspended.— 
Herbaceous plants throwing out runners. Leaves trifoliolate ; leaflets coarsely toothed. Receptacles or poly- 
phores roundish, succulent, red or whitish. 
This genus though the number of species is inconsiderable has a wide geographical range : Europe :. 
North and South America beyond the tropics : and N epaul, Neilgherries, Java, China, and, I think, Ceylon in. 
Asia : but in all tropical Asiatic stations at considerable elevations. Two species are found on the Neilgherries,. 
a large proportion (3) of the whole recorded species. The one F. elatior is also found in Europe, America. 
and China, the only station assigned for the other was Nepaul until discovered here. 
Several species are more or less extensively cultivated for their fruit, but the F. Vesea and its varieties. 
by far the most extensively. To offer any remark on the excellence of this fruit would be waste of time, as 
who requires information on that point ? but as regards its cultivation on the Hills, a passing remark may be 
made—which is, that those desirous of enjoying this fruit in something approaching to European perfection, 
must plant it afresh every year. Those produced from two year old plants I have almost invariably observed,. 
are sparing in quantity and indifferent in quality, unless perhaps in those rare instances where they find a very 
congenial soil and exposure. When growing in low situations and annually exposed to frost in sufficient 
intensity to destroy the foliage, as in Europe, the case may be different, but generally the rule is to take 
one crop, which lasts about six months, and then plant afresh, 
_FRaGARtA EBLATIOR (Ehrh.) leaflets somewhat co- with the addition of lime juice and sugar, it is ad- 
riaceous : hairs on the petioles, peduncles, pedicels mired by some. 
and calyx widely spreading : calyx in fruit reflexed : RAGARIA Inpica (Andrews) leaflets obovate ;: 
bracteoles similar to the calycine segments.—W. and peduncles axillary, solitary, 1-flowered : bracteoles pa- 
A. Prod. p bi geo Nilagiriea. (Zenker ous, cuneate, much larger and broader than the 
Be. ") s 
Very common about Ootacamund, to be met with entire calycine segments, deeply 3-5-toothed at the 
in flower and fruit all the year, but the latter most apex.—W. and A. Prod. p. : 
abundant in May, June and July. The flower Frequent in shady woods where the soil is somewhat. 
and fruit white, the latter, with occasionally a pale moist. Unlike the rest of the genus, the flowers are 
rose blush on the side exposed to the sun. It has yellow. The fruit is a bright red, very tempting to the: 
little flavour, but a sweetish watery taste. Eaten eye, but watery, mawkish and disagreeable to the taste. 
POTENTILLA. 
Calyx concave at the bottom, 4-5-cleft, with 4-5-bracteoles. Petals 4-5. Stamens numerous. Achenia 
numerous, collected into a head on the flattish persistent dry receptacle. Style lateral. Seeds suspended,— 
Herbaceous or suffrutescent plants, Leaves compound, Stipules adnate to the petiole. Flowers white or 
yellow, rarely red.—W. and A, Prod. p. 300. ‘ 
This genus is one of great extent, including nearly if not fully, 200 species, but of that vast number few 
only are found’ within the tropics, none so far as is yet known, on the plains of India. Two only occur on the 
Hills, one of these, (No. 63) is very common, the other though much less so, not actually rare, but, from being 
a marsh plant, less seen owing to its being liable to be hid among the rank vegetation, 
It is a genus so very nearly allied to the strawberry, that one of its species was-long confounded with it,. 
under the name of Fragaria sterilis, in allusion to its not producing any fruit resembling a strawberry, which as 
being a true Potentilla it could not do; the distinction between the two genera as already mentioned, resting on 
the one, strawberry, having a large spongy succulent receptacle for the seed, while that of the other is dry.. 
Many of the species of this genus are cultivated as garden ornaments, and two or three introduced into Eng- 
land from Nepaul, are indeed very ornamental : among these may be mentioned P. atro-sanguinea, Nepalensis: 
bd 
