10 NEILGHERRY PLANTS. 
The essential distinctions of the tribe lies in its cylindrical deeply cleft style, the 
arms linear fringed at the point, generally truncate but sometimes extended beyond the 
fringe into a cone or appendage of some sort. Corolla of the disk pellucid, pollen globose 
echenulate, These marks unquestionably aid in enabling a beginner to ascertain whether 
a plant under examination belongs to this tribe, but are too loose and deficient in precision 
to be of much use until practice has familiarized him with the forms and characteristic 
features, if I may so call them, of the plants belonging to it, when they are but little regarded. 
On this point Dr. Lindley justly remarks, “there can be no doubt thatthe genera are 
needlessly multiplied; a very little practice tells us that the genera collected under the 
signs above given do not in all cases exhibit these signs, as is evident from the figures 
executed under the eye of DeCandolle himself; and we know that, in fact, genera find 
there place by considerations apart from those ostensibly put forward by DeCandolle.” 
A reference to the magnified figures of the few genera represented in this work 
will tend to establish the justice of these remarks. 
Sub-tribe Melampodinee. Flowers unisexuul, no hermaphrodities, Male and Female in different 
pisces (divicous) or in different capitula of the same plant (hetorocephalous) or in the same capitulum monoi- 
cous: anthers ecaudate : receptacle usually paleaceous : pappus never setose. 
As regards Indian Botany this subtribe I fe tives, three or four being all that is known 
and one of these, Xanthium, scarcely meriting a ‘dee in the order, being, as compared with the rest, most 
anomalous in structure. Of the genus here represented only 2, or at most 3 species are known, one continental 
and one, or perhaps two, from Ceylon, the native country of the one first described and on which the genus is 
ounded. 
. * MOONTA. 
Capitulum monoicous. Flowers of the ray 1 series female ligulate, limb 3 cleft; of the disk male. 
Branches of the style of the female linear revolute ; of the male included simple or slightly cleft at the apex, 
sterile. Achenia obovate somewhat compressed entire or shortly bicornute at the apex. Shrubs: leaves 
opposite : peduncles terminal 1 cephalous : involucrum 2 series, the exterior spreading recurved; interior 
erect : receptacle paliaceous palie membranous J nerved : flowers yellow. 
* 
This genus was first defined by Dr. Arnott and named in honor of the late Mr. Moon the zealous 
superintendent of the Ceylon Botanic garden. As above stated, only two, or at most 3 species, are yet known, 
one or, probably, two from Ceylon and the present which abounds on the Neilgherries, especially about the 
Avalanche where it is found round the outskirts of every wood, flowering abundantly in March and April, but 
I believe is in flower at all seasons. There, it is a diffuse very ramous shrub seeking support from its neigh- 
bours, though not a climbing plant, and in favourable situations may be met with upwards of six feet high. 
Moonta ARNorTiana (R. W.) s shrubby, erect, ra- there. It has nothing common or weed-like i in its 
mous: ii opposite, ae soca the ter- aspect and it seems highly probable that, grown in 
or lobe larger, deeply 3 cleft: pinn seeislen but rich soil, the flowers would i posers e insize and 
inate, coarse eb rent ae glahioiik flowers number at "the expense of the m andleaves. It 
of the art pro : achenia entire at the apex—R. would also possess the charm of pats for though 
W. Icon abundant about the Avalanche it is quite unknown 
about Ootacamund, 
Neilgherries and Pulney ppt in clumps of 
j jrmgle—on t the former, common near the Avalanche JM. heterophylla (Arnott) ‘enffruticose f ? leaves op- 
ngalow and in almost every pcscen, of jungle from posite, petio. od, entire or cng girtnd divided, na 
thence to diene Sisparah, mucronate serratures: flowers of th 
acheenia marginate | bibecniite « apex. Ceylon. crt 
This plant seems not unworthy of a place in the per D. C. prod, i—289. 
flower garden,many less deserving being already found 
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