ILLUSTRATIONS OF IXDL^X EOTAKY. 



33 



4. A young fruit. 



6. The same cut transversely, 



6. A seed divided vertically, 



7. Cut tnaisvtrsely. 



Lagknart:a vuLCAnn. 



1. Stamens as seen when the corolla U simply removed. 



2. The sauie, the anthers separated to show their lobed 

 form. 



3. A detached stamen showing it lubed but not much 

 more so than in Coccinea. 



4. Ovary, style and stigmas. 



5. The same cut transversely. 



Zrhnekia IIookertahi.p 

 1. Male flower, stamens free. 



2. The game split open, showlnc: the inserlicns of the 



stamen,-^ -'d htr^t.- abortive or -y. 



3. (Hv liiiNiake H) detach*. J slumens. 



4. b cuiale fl r and ov:.: v. 



5. The same 8plit open to show the styles and xtigmns 



anil abortive stau;, 



Obs. — This figure ,...ft prepared from dried specin 

 but appears sufhcicntly ; -' ct to show that § 5 and Q\ 

 might without inconvenic. cc, jterhu[)H with advantagt' be 

 united so far as the Htaiucns ar*- concerned for the uuthcrs 

 of Muhia do mA cohere though connivcnt and less dis- 

 tinctly free than those of Zchncria. 



^ The plate a*? a whole amply I think est^hlishos the po- 

 sition with uliich I hiaruJ, that the sections are too nu- 

 uierous. 



LXIX,-PAPAYACE^. 



This, thou£;h one of the smallest, is yef, in some respects, a very interesting order. The 

 number of its species seem to amount to only 6 or 7, and form two genera, neither of which are 

 coniiidered of Indian origin. The Papnw tree, the only one met with in India, being infroduced 

 from America. This tree is usually supposed to be always dicBcious and F have even heard the 

 possibility of the union of the sexes on the same plant questioned. The prevalence of this 

 opinion combined with the general acquaintance, in India, with the usual form of the tree, has 

 induced me, in the accompanying figures, to present unusual forms, partly with .the view of re- 

 moving such erroneous opinions, but principally to illustrate a point in vegetable ph}siology not 

 generally understood. I allude to power which vegetables possess, in particular circumstances, 

 of developing organs which are usually suppressed. In the first of these plates we have an in- 

 stance of a ramous specimen of this tree, to show, that though ft rarely developes lateral buds, 

 yet, that they exist in the axil of each leaf and are readily developed when the terminal one 

 has been injured. The main trunk of this tree had been injured and many lateral buds are de- 

 veloped and now form vigorous branches. The next presents two panicles of male flowers every 

 branch, of the larger of which, is furnished with one or more fertile flowers : the smaller is the 

 usual form without fertile flownrs : the former was taken in June from a tree growing in moist 

 rich soil on the bank of a canal, in the then cool and humid climate of Quilon ; the other grew 

 in Madras. The mtuicecious plant is also of frequent occurrence in the cool climate of Kandy in 

 Cpylon, but T have never seen a single instance of the kind in the hot dry climate of the Carnatic. 

 This fact affbrds a strong confirmation of the truth of an observation of Mr. Knight, that he 

 could render melon plants much more prolific of fruit by cultivating them in a very cool atmos- 

 phere, almost every flower produced in such circumstances being fertile, while male flowers pre- 

 dominated in opposite circumstances. In the Papaw, this is accounted for by each male flower 

 being furnished with an ovary, usually rudimentary, hut which is yet capable of becommg fertile. 



The Papaw is, except in the circumstances above mentioned, nsually a tree \uthout branch* 

 es with a cylindrical succulent lactescent stem, of so very rapid growth that it often attains suf- 

 ficient maiurity to bear fruit within 18 months from the time the seed was sown. The leaves 

 which are large digitately palmatifid on long hollow petiols without stipules, form a ^capacious 

 tuft or crown on the apex : the male flowers form large drooping panicles while the females 

 are nearly sessile. 



*' Flowers unisexual. Calyx minute, .5-toothed. Corolla monopetalous, inserted into the 

 base of the calyx, in the male tubular and 5-lobed ; in the female divided nearly to the base 

 into five segments. Siamens 10, inserted on the throat of the corolla: anthers introrse, 2-celI- 

 ed, bursting longitudinally ; those alternate with the lobes of the corolla on short filaments, 

 those opposite to the lobes sessile. Ovarium free, 1 -celled : ovules indefinite: stigmas sessile, 

 5 loljed, lacerati^d. Placentas 5, parietal. Fruit succulent, indehiscent, 1 -celled. Seeds inde- 

 finite, parietal, enveloped ifi a loose mucous coat : testa brittle, pitted. Embryo in the axis of 



fr 



