NEILGHERRY PLANTS. 33 
A. DeCandolle seems to have experienced considerable difficulty in finding natural sections into which 
to group allied species and suggests that, perhaps, the estivation of the calyx and corolla might be taken for 
that purpose. So far as I can make out, I should doubt their yielding good characters, the amount of varia- 
tion being so small that I confess I should feel almost disposed to put all mine down as valvate the accompany- 
ing among the rest, though its estivation is certainly imbricate, the very edges only of the petals being over 
lapping. The genus, so far at least as the Indian species are concerned, is very unassuming in its aspect and 
is therefore very little known except to Botanists. 
MYRSINE seis omc le Sade i‘ — bs ico B grandifora, leaves smaller, lobes of the 
obovate ‘ead oriaceous, ing rolla 4 times longer than the teeth of calyx, N sii: 
into the pet iol : “fasci cles Seah 58 dgwaes ries, D. C. 
bractiate: bracts imbricated, ovate: flowers short pe- Ootacamund, frequent in clumps of jungle, cap 
dicelled; teeth of the calyx eh iobae, of the corol- .ing February and March, ied the nake © ba 
la tanibeclate acute, two or three times niacin air = below the leaves, are quite covered with its demon 
se: be ceeding the stamens.—D. C. Prod. — weg of flowers, an sagen og the 
L 4-6 inches lo ong: acute or obtuse everywhere artist t been successful in repre The 
souaatiats, efits ofthe margin longer—flowers poly- raat i zo fe it tier da a better idea of its gith tee 
a 
gamous, the fascicles, owing to the imbricating bracts, in that s 
; ul. 
resembling small cones. Ne epau 
ARDISIA. 
Calyx 5 parted. Corolla 5 parted or 5 cleft, the lobes spreading or reflexed ; westivation of both tending 
towards the left. Stamens 5 inserted into the base of the tube of the corolla: filaments free, usually short: an- 
thers free erect, emarginate or bifid at the base; often triangular, acuminate: cells dehiscing longitudinally. 
Ovary rounded 1 celled: style filiform subulate at the apex; placenta central spherical: ovules numerous, 
6-12, peltate. Drupe globose, externally fleshy, usually glabrous, coriaceous, hard within, seed one. Trees 
shrubs or undershrubs : leaves alternate, rarely opposite or ternate, punctuate, entire or serrated : flowers pani- 
cled or rarely racemose, peduncles terminal or axillary, pedicels usually umbellulate at the points of the pedun- 
cles : corolla white or rose coloured, often punctuate, drupes usually purple. 
This is an extensive genus, 91 sufficiently known species being enumerated in D. C.’s Prodromus, exclusive 
of 20 regarding which some tncertainty prevails. rig is generally tropical in its habits and is nearly equally di- 
vided between India and tropical America the p in th ber of species, leaning towards Asia. The 
accompanying is the only species I have met with on the Hills, and it does not ascend above 5000 or 5,500 feet, 
showing how little this family is disposed to encounter the cold of the more elevated Alpine regions, while at 
the same time they are peculiarly attached to subalpine stations. I have several from the Hills about Cour- 
tallum and Ceylon in both of which stations they enjoy an equable and moist climate. Many of them are ex- 
ceedingly handsome shrubs, the one here figured not the least favoured in that respect. It prefers shady 
jungles in moist soil near streams. 
ARDISIA HUMILIS. (Vahl.) leaves obovate lan- renee ee: ere is a aay to be confounded with 
we obtuse, subentire, coriaceous contracted at any other spec Its showy rose or rather light pur- 
the base into the petiol: racemes umbelliform axillary plish flo flowers intl ize fruit and large bright shin- 
and terminal reflexed, shorter than the leaves: lobes ing leaves makes it a most chaos shrub. In fa- 
of the calyx orbiculate, subciliate : lobes of the corolla vourable situations it bec — ~ oo 
lanceolate, Sea twice the length of the calyx.— from bine: the specimens repres ente iol 
D. C. Prod. 8129, nearly 20 feet high. It is eae distributed and 
capil ren and has received seve 
Eastern slopes of the Neilgherries, subalpine jun- 4. Solanacia, hittoralis, Doma, olerace, sovsbaliate;, ge. 
lca in a pal near the banks of streams, flowering am uncertain to = ch of D. C.’s varieties this 
This is a beautiful and somewhat longs but think his las 
ILICIN E—Howty-rrie. 
This small order was formerly considered a tribe of Celastrinew, and as such it 
occupies a place in DeCandolle’s Prodromus. Brogniart, an eminent French Botanist, pro- 
kK 
