62 NEILGHERRY PLANTS. 
XXX.—PASSIFLORIZ—PASSION FLOWER TRIBE. 
In Indian Botany this isa family, of very minor importance as so very few Asiatic spe- 
cies belong to it. ‘There is but one native species of Passion Flower in the Indian Penin- 
sula, and, so far as yet known, only found onthe Hills. A second is found on the Hyma- 
layas, and one or two in the Eastern Islands. All the other species, nearly 150 in number, 
are with the exception of a few African ones, natives of America. ‘The few that are found 
in India, are however interesting as forming so many links of the chain connecting the floras 
of the two countries. It was principally under this point of view, that I was induced to in- 
troduce the Neilgherry Passion Flower into this collection, as I had already published it in 
my Icones, and there is certainly nothing very striking in its appearance to entitle it to the 
distinction of being published a second time, as it is in truth, about the plainest looking spe 
cies of this curious and generally handsome genus, I have seen. 
It is met with in considerable abundance on the Hills growing in woods, and climbing 
extensively overthe trees. ‘I'he Mower though plain, when looked at as a whole, owing to 
the want of the bright colours which many of its congeuers present, is by no means wanting 
as regards the perfection of its parts when more closely examined. Here we find a double 
series of floral leaves or a calyx and corolla, while many have the outer series only. Here 
we have a double series of filamentous processes, the same as in the most perfect, and lastly 
there is within these, a membranous tissue plaited with the greatest nicety, surrounding the 
base of the pedicel of the ovary, properly to appreciate the beauties of which the microscope 
isrequired. Within that, borne on an elevated torus, or pedicel, embraced by the base of 
the stamens, is the ovary or embryo fruit, surmounied by three diverging capitate styles. 
Such is the structure of the Neilgherry passion flower. 
Considerable difference of opinion exists among Botanists, regarding the nature of ‘the 
parts of the lower. Some maintain that it has no corolla even in those instances where, 
like the present, there is a double series of floral leaves, and therefore call them all sepals, 
though the interior series are petaloid in their appearance, colouring and texture, and say 
the crown or filamentous processes rise from the cup of the calyx. Jussieu, DeCandolle, 
“udlicher, and Meisner all adopt that view. Lindley on the other hand, maintains that the 
inner series are true petals, and that their crown is metamorphosed petals. Dr. Arnott 
and myself considered the second series petals, but viewed the crown as more properly be- 
longing to the stamens, 
When preparing myaccountof the order for the illustration of Indian Botany, I wasin- 
duced to take a view somewhat diferent from either, considering both series of floral leaves 
sepals and the crown, as modified corolla. A very careful examination of this species has in- 
duced me to adopt Dr. Lindley’s opinion, as being the more correct of the three, as I think 
it can be shown that both the inner series of floral leaves and the crown, arise from the ex- 
terior edge of a disk, lining the throat of the calyx, while the stamens spring from the in- 
terior edge, proving that both the crown and inner series of leaves belong to the same 
series of parts and are equally distinct from both calyx and stamens. Lindley however 
seems subsequently to have relinquished the idea of the crown being metamorphosed petals, 
and in his elements of Botany, (a more recent publication than his natural system,) at page 
