ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY, . {41 
part easily distinguished—Curdrospermum has bladdery 3-celled capsules and climbs by 
tendrils. Schmidelia has soft pulpy berries, 3 foliolate leaves, and a shrubby ramons_ habit. 
NVephelium at least the Peninsular species is known at first sight by its rough tuberculated 
fruit, which is usually only l-eelled. Schleichera by the want of petals and by its globose 
I-seeded fruit being pointed with the persistent base of the style, and not unfrequently armed 
all over with projeeting prickles. Sapindus is distinguished by its lobed fruit, each lobe 
I-seeded, the seed not furnished with an arillus, while in Cupania the fruit is 3 angular 3-celled, 
each cell with a single seed furnished with an arillus. When in flower only it is difficult to dis- 
tinguish the twolast. Dodonea is at once known from all its Indian allies by its winged carpels, 
With respect to species I have but little to add, except that in many instances they are apt 
to vary exceedingly and become of difficult determination, hence in some genera, there is reason 
to my collection with the exception of Sapindus laurifolius, of which I have now Peninsular 
specimens. Our Sapindus dcficiens, of the genus of which owing to our specimens wantin 
fruit, we were doubtful, I have now ascertained to be really a Sapindus, and also that it isa 
native of Ceylon as well as of the continent. It appears very nearly allied to 8S. rubiginosus, 
like it two of its cells often aborting from an early stage. It is truly a superb species, its 
racemes sometimes attaining nearly two feet in length, and the leaflets of the leaves from 12 to - 
‘5 inches. Vhe flowers are, so far as I have seen, the largest of the genus. These more_per- 
fect specimens have shown that a correction in the character of this Species, is required, the 
The species of Schmidelia < all so nearly allied and so variable in their forms that I can 
scarcely help thinking that there are not more than avery few appertaining to the genus, though 
Roxburgh describes 7 Indian ones, including Aporetica pinnata of authors, but excluding 
S. Allophyllus, a Ceylon plant,which DeCandolle includes—DeCandolle, exclusive of Aporetica 
which he retains as a distinct genus, has 18 species, but I fear not all good. ‘he two described 
in the Peninsular Flora, are perhaps, nothing more than varieties. The only mark by which [ 
have been able to distinguish them is to be found in the inflorescence, being in S. serrata a 
simple undivided spicate raceme,while in S. Cobée it is branched, but this is not a good distinc- 
tion, since I have seen unbranched spikes mixed on the same plant with branched ones. . 
‘he species of Dodonea like those of Schmidelia are difficult to discriminate, and have I 
suspect been needlessly multiplied, owing to imperfection of materials ; mere variations, of spe- 
cimens having in many instances been elevated to the rank of species. In India I have certainly 
never seen more than one species, though I have them from all quarters—and from every grade 
_ Of ascent from the level of the sea to an elevation of 7000 feet on the Pulney mountains, where 
the plant figured in plate 52 was obtained. Among the specimens collected there, variations 
occur sufficient, if procured under other circumstances, to form two or three species, but which 
are certainly ail referable to one. Intl doen a fied are Ree eaae ia) / ant 
aR Rode ig a 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 51. Sea ane hoe 
| Daiiige Sepals and petals’ removed, to show the insertion 
eee Om ete siatet Alek stoshesaci tier seebeiori * hide: dealeda. 
: “Dack the in- ; Stam ens back an ee ront VIQWSs 1. Gr Bore 
ee EPO a ee. 
1. Sapendus emarginatus, natural sizé. 
2. A fall grown flower. 
Ota lho gl ain gets 
* 
