50 ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 



ing the food on which the cochineal insect lives. This very valu^])le little creature of which 

 nearly 400,000 lbs. weight are annually imported into Great Britain is entirely reared on plants 

 of this order, though up to the present time it is uncertain what species has the preference, two 

 or three being named on which it has been reared in diff.uent situntions with greater or lesJ sue- 

 cess. The Cactus or Opuntia (as DeCan.lolle prefers designating it) Toona being said to have 

 the preference and not C. cochimlllfer, which LinnEeus believed to be the true cochineal plant 



The importance attached to the possession of this insect may l)e estimated from the fact 

 of the East India Company having offered a reward of £'2000, Dr. Ure says £G000, to any one 

 who succeeded in introducing it. Stimulated by so large a reward various attempts have been 

 made but hitherto without success; the last was made by the Agricultural Society of Bengal. 

 Un that occasion, the prospect of success was at one tinie considered so certain, that it actually 

 became a subject of discussion among the Members whether (he Society was not entitled to 

 claim the reward offered by Government, but it like all its predecessors failed. Though it seems 

 very desirable to have among us a branch of industry that returns a protit to the Mexic-nn culti- 

 price'of th^aMicL"'' '' ^''^*^^ diminished of late yea^s by the great fall in the 



then it'hasM'rn l.V'"' m^ Tm- ««"^^^^'/*? ™^^^«» P"«« was upwards of £1-10 the pound, since 

 ow that rlh 1 . '^•- 10 shillings and the market is fully suppbed at these prices, though so 

 low that nothing but extreme cheapness of lab ..-''.'- F > 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE 114. 



Cadus DiUenil (Oa worth). r n 



1. Flowering branch, natural size. f' ^'""P 'f t;;«^sversely 



2. ^Flcer cut vertically, showing the po.iuon of the l] A tTd. t^Lz ... 



3.^^Sta.ens and pollen. ?o.'!?S'SLersdy. 



IL Cut lougitudiuaily. 



5. Stigma. 



LXXVII.-SAXIFRAGE^ 



?i:trl:t^:l':"r::i;"rL-•■'''"- ''-'- -p-i- omy ,... yet been 



base : the limb 



foundinSouthernlndia it s^Zr^rr '""'"'' ^'^ *^« «P^«>«« «"1^ »'^^'« J 

 I have seen, ^.^^^^1^^^:::^^^;:^ '' 'V '^."^''^- T»- <>nly .. 



recommend them to our attention On L h ^''"^ ''^^^' '° ^^P^^^ «r properties to 



there, many species annertaird^^^^^^^^^^ Himanyan mountains the ca.e is olh.i « ise, for 



linnted extLtSn ^::^^::iu:::7t'::^':':! '^^" ^-"^■. ^'^^ «-^- '^--Mh of v.ry 



from the varying forms includKlunHpr if Z V ' • , ^!'!"® n>agnif ude in temperate ones, and 

 DeCandolle Ihose ch" " te/V complexity, at ieaSt as viewed by 



m the detection of new Indian forms. ^ repeat here in the hope of its aiding 



" Sepals usually 5 (rarelv 3 4 7 ^m- Q^ i 



usually persistent. Petal -.i, Lny 1,,Z1\T'\"' ^^^^ 



calyx, alternate with its lobes, de'lduouar7^^^^^^^^^ '"^^^^ed on the tube of the 



ous, either equal to (or rarely fewer than) ZZ^l' ""VT^^' *^"^^"^- ^^amens perigjn- 

 many as the petals, some alternate some LI F ! .i '^''♦^rnate with them ; or twice as 



thealternatingstamens, thereareonlv5 anH nn '. ™/'" ""'^ ^P^^Jes, by the abortion of 

 filaments .subulate ; anthers ovate I-c^iW K^^"'r' ^*'^" P^^^'« ' ^' ("' ^a.era) in., 

 pores. Ovarium partly coherent w'iththrtLT/r^ ongitudinally or (in /invem) by two 

 cohering by their introfl.xed sides or m.' ".! 1^ ''^^''^ ^^'^^^'^ of two (rarely 3 5 carpels, 

 or less combined : sti.niHs capitate or davTte * P ^' ""T^ ^' '^' '^'P^^^^^ ^ii«'i»<'-t, or more 

 carpels either throughout thJ whole lentthc^r ^fTT^" '^'T '^' i^troflexed margins of the 

 mg with t e carpels, rarely attached to a c it/af avi' "t ""^^' ^' ^' ^^e apex, usuflly separat- 



3-5) carpels or valves, the margms of whicrar^e^etb:; enti ^^P^"'^;- "-^"^"y ''^ ^^« ^'^ 



definite : 



