ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 83 
Remarks on Genera anv Species. The characters, of both the genera and species of this 
order, seem involved in much doubt and uncertainty, and with my imperfect materials, I fear, 
I shall not be able to throw much light on the subject, or to supply what is wanting to place 
either on a better footing than that on which they now stand. The uncertainty appertaining to the 
genera, seems in part to have arisen from DeCandolle having taken his character of Ele@ocarpus, 
from a species which did not belong to the genus, as defined by Linneus, and then characterizing 
a genuine El@ocarpus under a new name, 4ceratum, still retaining however several true Eleo- 
carpi, congeners of his Aceratum, under his modified El@ocarpus, though a quite distinct genus. 
From the confusion thus introduced Dr. Jack’s genus Monocera has happily relieved us. The 
leading peculiarities of Linneus’ K/gzocarpus consists in its having 5 sepals, 5 fimbriated petals, 
numerous stamens, the anthers 2-valved at the apex, not awned, to which was afterwards added 
a 3-celled ovary. Of this series of distinctive marks, the only ones not common to Monocera 
are,—the truncated 2-valved anthers, and the 3-celled ovaries—these therefore form the 
essential characters of the genus which may be thus defined, ‘ stamens numerous, anthers 2-valved 
at the apex, valves equal, muticous, sometimes bearded, ovary 3-celled.’ Monocera on the other 
hand has the anthers terminating ina bristle or awn, and a 2-celled ovary. El@ocarpus ganitrus 
having a 5-celled ovary, and anthers without bristles, has been made the type of a new genus 
under the name of Ganitrus. Blume proposes as a fourth genus Acronodia distinguished by 
having unisexual flowers, quaternary sepals and petals, and 8—12 stamens, destitute of terminal 
bristles. Adopting these generic distinctions Roxburgh’s 9 species of Eleocarpus may be thus 
distributed. 
Ganitrus—Anthers muticous, ovary 5-celled. 
G. Roxburgii—Eleocarpus Ganitrus—R. 
Eleocarpus, Anthers muticous, often bearded at the apex, ovary 3-celled. 
E. serratus. E. robustus. E. lancefolius. E. frutescens. 
Monocera—Anthers furnished with a bristle, ovary 2-celled. 
M. tuberculata. FE. tuberculatus. R.—M. rugosa. E. rugosus, R.—M. Roxburgii (R. W.) 
FE. aristatus. R.—To these may be added a species, I think new, from Mergui, collected by Mr. 
Griffith: M. Griffithii R. W. one from Ceylon, M. glandulifera R. W. and one from Coorg. J. 
Muroii. P, 
Species not sufficiently known. 
Eleocarpus lucidus—Roxb. 
Of the 22 species enumerated in Dr. Wallich’s list I can give no account, as we have names 
only: neither can I refer any of Blume’s species to other genera than the one he has assigned, 
as he neither gives a generic character, nor once mentions, in his specific ones, (which are all 
taken from the forms of the foliage, relative length of the racemes and Jeaves, and form of the 
fruit) the stamens or ovaries. The whole of his species therefore, 11 in number, require to be 
re-examined. ‘The new Zealand genus Dicera is only distinguished from Monocera by the 
anthers having two, in place of one bristle, whence the name, a species of which is said to be a 
native of Cochin-China, but is very imperfectly known. 
Thus simplified in their generic distribution and greatly reduced in number, the species of 
Elgocarpus, hitherto most difficult to define, may henceforth be more easily distinguished, an 
operation which will be still further facilitated by subdividing what remains into two sections, one 
with, the other without, bearded anthers, To the first of these sections belong— Roxburgh’s E. 
serratus, E. robustus, E. lancifolius,and E. fruticosus, and lastly, one from Quilon, E. cuniatus, 
R.W. To the other E. oblongus, E. coriaceus Hooker, E. serratus? Moon, and one from 
Mergui, E. angustifolius? Blume. 
‘As my materials do not extend to the other genera of the order I can offer no remarks 
regarding them; but the following characters will, I hope, prove sufficient to distinguish the 
new species named above. 
ELZOCARPUS. 
Sect. 1. Anthers bearded. This species is nearly allied to Z. oblongus except 
E, cuniatus, R. W. Leaves cuneate obovate, termi- in having bearded anthers and an elevated torus, in 
nating in a short obtuse acumen, tapering below into place of being beardless, with the ovary sessile and 
the petiol: Stamens numerous, bearded, hairs at length surrounded by a number of glands, the more 
reflexed : Ovary 3-celled, elevated on a prominent torus, structure of the ¢ 
and with it, thickly clothed with appressed white hairs. : ess. 
Malabar Coast about Quilon, also in Ceylon. E. coriaceus (Hooker in Herb. Walker). Leaves 
