NEILGHERRY PLANTS. 79 
is most polimorphous in its aspect, so much so that I can scarcely suppose that all the species now referred 
to it will long be permitted to retain the name; still less can I suppose that all its present interminable list 
of species will be retained, when once taken in hand by a competent Botanist with adequate materials for 
the determination of what are and are not good species. Nees, by being provided with such a series, was 
enabled to reduce those of the Indian Flora, by nearly a half. Previous to his examination it was a task 
of the most irksome kind to determine any species from a dozen specimens taken from as many different 
plants, as among them representatives of several could usually be found and then it was impossible to say 
which was the right one. The case is now altered, it being about as easy to make out the species of a 
Solanum as of any other genus, except in one or two instances where he seems to have carried his retrench- 
ments a step too far. This I suspect is the case in the example I have selected to illustrate the genus. 
But whether or not I am in error in this supposition, I feel certain that the plant represented is correctly 
named, according to his list. It is common in woods about Ootacamund. 
Soianum FEROX (Linn.), perennante-herbaceous, for dissenting from that view, but yet, I for the pre- 
woody at the base: leaves paired, cordate, sinuately sent adopt it, as my opportunities of examining the 
angled, woolly tomentose and prickly on both sides: correctness or otherwise of his opinion have not been 
peduncles intra-foliaceous and, like the short pedi- such as to satisfy me on the subject. One circum- 
cels calyx and berries, hairy. 
allum, flowering August and September, and these plants, No. , has not, so far as I am aware, 
Neilgherries always in flower. ee ith on the higher range of the Neil- 
NUM FEROX, minus. (Nees.) gherries, while the other is quite common. 
Neilgherries. Se 
Nees Von Esenbeck views these two forms as but causes me to doubt the correctness of Nees’ decision 
varieties of the same species. I think there is room in this instance. 
CONVOLVULACE. 
This is a large and beautiful family, many of the species of which are very deservedly 
much admired for the elegance of their forms and the richness of the colours of their 
flowers. Most of those found on the Hills are rather defective in these particulars being, 
for the most part, large coarse-growing plants and the flowers, without sufficient variation 
in their colours, a rose pink being the predominating one. The one here given is the only. 
species of Convolvulus I have met with, the others belonging to the genus Argyreia. 
The difference in generic characters between these two genera is not at first sight very 
conspicuous, and requires the aid of magnifying glasses to detect, as being found in the 
ovary and stigma. In this the style splits at the apex into two linear stigmas and the 
ovary has 2 cells, with 2 seed in each, while in Argyreia the style terminates in 2 rough 
globular heads and the ovary has 4 cells, with one seed in each. A more easily detected 
distinction is found in the fruit which, in Convolvulus, is a dry capsule, in Argyreia a fleshy 
berry. This last, the baccate fruit, is a peculiar feature in this order, and serves to unite 
into one group 8 genera which, when thus separated from the rest, are easily distinguished 
from each other by these brief characters. Rivea has two prolonged stigmas like Convol- 
vulus, and a 4-celled ovary, to which may be added a long narrow-tubed corolla. Argyreia 
has a capitate 2-lobed stigma and 4-celled ovary, with a short tubed campanulate corolla. 
Lettsomia is like Argyreia but has a 2-celled ovary, with 2 ovules in each cell, to which 
may be added that the stamens are sometimes longer than the corolla and exserted. 
This last however is not constant. The genus Jpomea, which is a very large one and 
very common in India, is distinguished from the last by the fruit only. It hasa dry pit 
sule which splits into two halves, has 2 cells and 4 seed, capitate 2-lobed rough stigma ; 
a campanulate corolla is common to both. By these simple marks these four genera 
which contain the bulk of the species of this family, found in India, are readily dis- 
tinguishable: the species, which are numerous, are of difficult discrimination. 
