NEILGHERRY PLANTS. 51 
WRIGHTIA. 
Calyx 5-parted, with 5 scales or glands at the base, of which two are opposite the base of the 
2 interior lobes, and the 5th opposite the edge of another lobe, hence they are all nearly alternate with 
the lobes of the calyx. Corolla 5-cleft, tube usually short ; lobes twisted to tlie right in estivation ; throat 
crowned with appendages, equal or unequal, in the latter case the larger ones opposite the lobes of the 
corolla. Stamens 5, inserted on the middle or throat of the tube, protruding; filaments short; anthers 
sagittate, adhering to the middle of the stigma, ending in a short acute hairy point. Nectary none. 
Ovaries 2, adpressed, glabrous; style filiform, dilated at the apex ; stigma obtuse, sometimes bifid. Follicles 
two, long, either cohering or distinct, sometimes cohering at the apex only. Seeds numerous, oblong, 
furnished with a tuft of hair at the interior extremity; coat of the seed double, exterior one somewhat 
striated longitudinally, soft, with 1 furrow, the interior one (albumen ?) pellucido-membranaceous, cover- 
ing the embryo on all sides; albumen none; radicle superior, short ; cotyledons oval, cordate, longitu- 
dinally plicate, convolute to the right, much longer than the radicle.—Sbrubs or trees, natives of India 
and Australia; wood white; leaves opposite, entire; cymes terminal; embryo, when immersed in water, 
becoming reddish violet. 
This genus of rather fine flowering trees and shrubs, contains 15 defined species, two or three of 
which are found on the lower slopes of the Hills. The present one is rarely, if ever, found so high as 
Coonoor, but is not unfrequent by the road side lower down. It also occurs on the Shervaroys at Salem. 
Its white flowers, short, leafy, not fimbriated crown, and cohering follicles, at once distinguish it from 
the much more common JV. tinctoria, which, however, seldom attains the same elevation that this does. 
This is further distinguished by generally appearing as a shrub while the other is a moderate sized tree. 
In the appearance of the flowers, it somewhat resembles W. mollissima, which has dull-reddish flowers. 
Wrightia tinctoria is remarkable for furnishing a very good Indigo, of which considerable quantities are 
annually prepared by Mr. Fischer of Salem. The wood of W. mollissima is employed in the North of India 
by turners, while the yellow juice of W. tomentosa furnishes, according to Roxburgh, a permanent yellow 
dye. It does not appear that medicinal properties have been found in this genus. In the Walliar jungles, 
where the W. tinctoria abounds, considerabfe quantities of a coarse Indigo are extracted by the Natives, by 
whom the tree is called Nilum Pal, literally, as I understand, blue milk, in allusion, I presume, to an idea 
that the white milky juice of the tree becomes converted, in the process of extraction, into the blue dye. 
Warieatia Watuicum (Alph, D.C.), leaves ellip- tose beneath, petiols 2-3 lines long: lobes of the 
tic-obovate, acute at the base, obtusely acuminate, corolla velvety: follicles about half a foot long; con- 
pubescenti-tomentose: cymes tomentose: lobes of nate, cylindrical, rough with white spots, pointed. 
the calyx broad ovate, rounded, externally pubescent, Slopes of the Neilgherries—flowers white. Plants 
half the length of the glabrous tube of the corolla, of this occur by the road side from about the middle 
unequal, the larger ones opposite the lobes, 3 crenate in the figure is represented glabrous, is clothed with 
at the apex, about 4 times shorter than the lobes, the very short pubescence, giving thi é 
alternating ones a little shorter and narrower, 2-cleft : The original specimens of this species were col- 
anthers hairy on the back.—Branches terete retuse lected in the Tenasserim provinces, but the Neil- 
. towards the extremity: leaves 3-4 inches long, 15-18 gherry ones do not seem to differ, at least not spe- 
lines broad, smoothish above, pur-purescent tomen- cifically. 
base, two of the lobes exterior. Corolla 
throat sometimes bearded. Stamens S3 
an en 3 snele, 2-celled, with 2 ovules in each; style filiform, 
thers lanceolate, obtuse or apiculate. Ovary singie, ; ee 
glabrous, thicker above; stigma 2-lobed, hairy, caducous; ovules few, attached t 
tropal. Berry globose or ellipsoid, 9-4-seeded. Seed peltate, rough, albuminous. 
parallel to the linear hilum; radicle inferior; cotyledons ovat 
Ramous shrubs or small trees, lactescent, natives of Asia, Australia, and Africa. page uig 
spreading. Leaves opposite, entire, short petioled; spines opposite, sometimes bifurcated at the 
of the branches, changed above into floriferous peduncles. 
