44 ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 



that on the lid r The portions in italics are both erroneous, they refer to T. obcordata and 



Crmtalina in which one of the carpels seem invariably to abort, which is indicyted by the 

 solitary style. And, here, when tlie ovary is examined, in the early stages, it is found to have 

 only one ceil, and one placenta cohering to the side of the cell, hearing^ several ovtib-s supported 

 on filiform podosperms of unequallHugth, Que or two ovules rise to the top of the cell, where 

 they arc afterwards enclosed by a spurious transverse division and separate with the lid, but are 

 not other wise attachinl to it. With these corrections the character is so far as it goes is correct. 

 It may be thus modified with advantage. 



Calyx 5-sepaled: sepals united at the base, coloured within. Petals none. Stamens 5-iO 

 or more, inserted on the tube of the calyx. Anthers cordate ovate. Ovary obovate truncated 

 1 or 2-celled, with a short placenta in the base, cohering to the dissepiment when 2-celled, and 

 to the side of the cell when one-celled. Ovules attached to filiform podosperms. Styles one 

 or two, simple. Capsule truncated I or 2-celled (cells afterwards divided transversely into two 

 by a spurious partition) splitting transversely a Httle above the base : lid coriaceous containing 

 one or two seeds enclosed by the spurious partition ; bottom membranaceous with one or more 

 seed. Seed pitted. — Herbaceous succulent plants &c. 



Our Glinus trianthimoides^ I have since ascertained does not, as we formerly hinted, be- 

 long to that genus but to Orygia, a genus first discovered in Arabia Felix, a point also as- 

 certained by Professor Endlicher, who refers it to that genus. The following is ihe character of 

 the genus — which it will be found corresponds accurately with the accompanying figure which 

 was taken from growing plants gathered near Bellary. 



Orygia (Forsk) calyx 5 parted persistent : petals numerous (about 20) : ovarium free 5- 

 celled with several ovules in each : styles 5 filiform recurved : capsule firm, chartaceous, glo- 

 bose, marked by five furrows opposite the partitions; dehiscence loculicidal : seed numerous 

 somewhat reniform, testa crustaceous, furrowed; embryo annular curved round a farinacious 

 albumen. 



Herbaceous or suffruticose diffuse plants, leaves alternate, obovate, orbicular, or elliptic, 

 succulent; cymes axillary and sub terminal opposite the leaves, elongated, dichotomously ra- 

 cemelike ; calyx segments ovate cuspidnte, mernbraiiaceous on ibe margin, patulous. Petals 

 spatula to lanceolate entire about the length of the calyx white or purple : style and stigma 

 filiform. Capsule 5-celled of a firm papery texture, smooth and shining externally, splitting 

 from above along the middle of the valves between the partitions, the valves owing to the parti- 

 tions tearing and remaining attached to the axis patulus : seed reniform testa furrowed black 

 brittle. 



PoLYCARP^A.— The species of this genus are of difficult discrimination, if we attempt to 

 distinguish them by the habit or shape of the foliage. Two species are named in our Prodro- 

 mus. These after numberless attempts to distinguish I have finally been compelled to consider 

 identical, scarcely even varieties. In room of the one thus reduced I have added two new spe- 

 cies to the list. P. diffusa, and P. splcata. The former agrees in habit with P. conjmbosa, 

 but is at once distinguished by its lanceolate acute, not obovate obtuse petals and by the petals 

 nearly equalling the sepals in length in place of being less than half the length. 



P, spicata is readily distinguished by its slender form erect habit verticelled spathnlate 

 leaves and terminal spicate corymbs, that is, the peduncles divided into 4 spikelike branches of 

 flowers. The sepals also differ from the others in being rough and coriacious in the middle 



with delicate membranous margins. The petals are linear lanceolate acute about half the 

 length of the calyx. 



The following characters of these species were drawn up and published by Dr. Arnott in 

 the Annals of Nat. History, Vol. 3, Pg. 91. ^ r j 



P di^/m (Wight) « Suffruticosa ramosissima laxa diffusa glabriuscula, foliis fasciculatis 

 Imearibus, floribus cymoso-corymljosis, sepalis scariosis ovato-lanceolatis acuminatis enerviis, 



^::^l^^^^r' "^^"^^'-^^^ ^^"^^™ ^^^-^"^ superantibus. Ha,. Prope 

 fn«J« WiTir^"* ^7'^^'^ Glabra radicle and collum multicipiti. caulibus plurimls gracilibus dif- 

 wl^I?ir.irirT ""*^"' ^^'u^?^'-' ^^^^^^"^^^ ^-^ g^rentihus, foliis radicalibus caulunsque 



fasciculatis glaucis subcarnosis spathulato oblongis acutiusculis, flo ibus imbncatis spicatis, spi- 



\'c 



