NEILGHERRY PLANTS. 
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I refrain from any remarks on the affinities of this order for the very simple reason, that 
I do not myself understand them. There is nothing else like it in the vegetable kingdom. 
The Vine and the Ivy have each points by which they approach them, especially in their 
sheathing leaves and albuminous seed; Rununculacee also agree to the same extent and are 
therefore relations, but somewhat distant; the same may be said of the Spermacoceous sec- 
tion of Rubiacee, but still all are wi idely dist smerred Ranunculacee is, perhaps, that which 
approaches the nearest in some points, and Aralacee in others. 
HYDROCOTYLE. 
Calyx-tube slightly compressed; limb with the margin obsolete. Petals ovate, entire, acute, spreading, 
their apex straight. Fruit laterally compressed and flattened. Merricarps without vite: primary ridges 5, 
_ the dorsal and lateral ones often obsolete, the intermediate ones enlarged. Seed carinately compress- 
erbaceous or rarely suffrutescent plants, usually slender and — Umbels simple. Involucre 
page Flowers sessile or pedice-led, whitish.—W. and A. Prod. p. 3 
The plants of this genus as the name implies, generally frequent low, wet or marshy grounds, and where 
they do occur are generally very abundant. On the Hills they are frequent in damp shady woods. Four spe- 
cies are indigenous ; in them, two frequenting the open grounds, and two more shady woods. They are pro- 
cumbent straggling plants, the most erect of the set being the one I have selected for representation. It grows 
with great luxuriance in dark shady woods, in low, wet soil. In such woods about Pycarah and the Ava- 
lanche, I have often seen it; I do not, however, recollect finding it about Ootacamund, though I dare say, 
it is also to be found in the woods here. 
Bak shecoionte POLYCEPHALA (W. and A.:) ic sae heb 2-ribbed on each side, smooth and 
ting, scabrous or nearly glabrous ; stitniches flat between the ribs—W. and A. Prod. p. 366. 
peers haa ete ae and the leaves sparingly, on pote in low-lying woods in rich one ‘soil ; 
both sides, scabrous from short stout hairs: leaves such situations very luxuriant, completely covering 
attached by the peed orbculr-eniform, 7-lobed; large patches of ground; [have found it in many an 
lobes scarcely acute, coarsely crenate pedun cles distant stations in similar situations, both on the Con- 
oary, numerous (6-18) and umbellate in i the axil - tinent and Ceylon. The specimen figured was esi 
the uppermust shortly petioled -_ = almost as lon at Hullikul, on Mr. Lascelles’ —— where it grew 1 
the leaf: flowers all fertile, num S$ (20-30 ane bark ~~ abundance ina wood adjoining his Coffee aes 
at first capitate and almost soulie, sierwatds : fruit) 
on short glabrous somewhat permanent pedicels: fruit 
SANICULA., 
Calyx-tube echinate; its lobes slightly leafy, persistent. Petals erect, connivent, obovate, with long in- 
flected points. Fruit somewhat globose, terete, not dividing spontaneously. Merricarps densely clothed with 
hooked prickles, without ridges, with many vitte. Ca arpophore indistinct. Seeds semiglobose.—Herbaceous 
perennial plants. Radicle leaves petioled, palmately lobed; the lobes cunate, incise and toothed towards the 
pex. Stem naked or sparingly leafy. General umbel with few leaves ; leaflets of the involucre few and 
often lobed: partial one of several rays; the leaflets of the involucel several and entire. Flowers in the same 
umbel, male, female, or bisexaul—W. and A. Prod. p. 367. 
This, like the last, is the only genus of the tribe to which it belongs, found in this part of India. I have 
introduced it here partly on that account, but principally to show a sport of nature by presenting a plant 
whose general appearance is so unlike that of other umbelliferous plants, that one, not havi: g¢ a practical ac- 
guaintance with the family, might find much difficulty in finding its place in the system of vegetables. It is 
very abundant in all the woods about Ootacamund and Dodabet, during the rainy season. 
SANICULA ELATA (Ham.:) stem dichotomous at An t growing herbaceous plant, common in al- 
the apex : leaves 3-partite or ternate, glabrous: seg- most every wood about Ootacamund, flowering during 
ments sessile, ovate, acute, lobed and serrated, cu- the rainy season. It often attains a large size, three 
neate at the base, the lateral ones often bipartite: or foar feet in height, 
aioe usually 3-fid, few flowered: flowers ae. 
us, the males pedicelled, _W. and A, Prod. 
