184 ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 



Geographical Distribution. The tropics and the warmer regions, on either side of 



America, are assuredly the head-quarters of this splendid order, whose magnificent flowers are 



the glory of the places they inhabit. In India they are comparatively rare, about SO Indian 



<ipecies only having as yet found their way into botanical works. That there are more I have 



not a doubt, but the great size of suitable specimens, and the difficulty of preserving them, stand 



in the way of many species finding a place in herbaria. This circumstance more than any 



other prevents our acquiring a perfect knowledge of them. The fruit of nearly all are most 



unmanageable in herbaria from their great length, and they are almost indispensable towards the 

 determination of the genera. 



Properties and Uses. On this head, so far as the Indian species are concerned, almost 

 nothing seems to be known. The roots of Stereospermum (Bignonia) ckelonoides, are said to 

 be pleasant tasted and are, with the fragrant flowers, prescribed in infusion as a cooling drink 

 in fevers. Rheede states that in Malabar, the juice of the leaves, mixed with lime juice, is 

 administered in maniacal cases. As an ornamental object, the Millingtonia hortenses is not 

 unfrequent^ in gardens, and the species of Stereospermum (Padree poo) are prized on account 

 of the delightful fragrance of their flowers. Probably more of them would be met with in 

 cultivation, were their flowers more permanent, but unfortunately they are all very deciduous, 

 opening during the evening and dropping from the tree early next day. Those of several are 

 picked up by the natives and, made into garlands, presented at the shrines of their idols. 



Remarks on Genera and Species. De Candolle divides this family into two tribes, 

 BignoniecB and Cresceniiece. Of the latter the Indian Flora furnishes no representatives ; of the 

 former, 9 out of 42 genera are noted as having Indian species. Roxburgh describes 12 species 

 under the single generic name Bignonia : these are now distributed under seven genera. This 

 ma^ perhaps be accounted for by the loose construction of the Roxburgian generic character, 

 which is more applicable to an order than a genus. The Bignoniece are again divided into two 

 sub-tribes, Eubignonieos and Catalpece, distinguished by the position of the partition of the cap- 

 sule. In the former, the partition is parallel to the valves, in the latter it is opposite to them 

 or contrary as explained above. This is an excellent character, so far as it goes, but as being 

 only applicable to specimens provided with fruit far advanced towards maturity, it is in every 

 way desirable to endeavour to find generic characters which can be depended upon for their 

 discrimination at earlier stages of their existence, in place of having to depend so much on those 

 derived from a part of the plant which, owing to the great size and length it often attains, is 

 comparatively rare m herbaria. The fact, however, of Roxburgh having grouped under one 

 LTnnr^!- J- f^ ^'fv"^ considered referable to seven genera^ shows that the task is not an 

 Sv^' "^*^^'^^^°^ ^}^ fT? ^^"^'^^ ^^^"^"'^ *^^* P^^^^"« throughout the order. The genera, 

 wnTkTfn^n TjT '"°'^^^?J^,*^' \ "^^ Seem difficult of discrimination with good specimens to 

 rJm Tp nf ?h ^^T' ^^'r^Mra^ma, DC., founded on Roxburgh's Bignonia quadrilocularis, 

 IVlcZ tl rtr.Zl '^^^k^ble of the order, but is very imperfectly known, Roxburgh having 

 ft and tte moTnf ] V? ''"' °V.\' "^''^^° ^'' P^^*«' ^"^ P^«««^ «v-er, in hi^ description, both 

 fribelt tLZt l'^trr.l il!ftf ?.I°„i^^l^-.^ i-Po-ye to say to ^which sub- 



(Catalpew) 



Mex' caT^ nn^^^^^^^ l^?^^' '"^ *^%^^^«'-' ^^^ «^ems nearly allied to AstiantLU 



^l^xSi^Zlt^f^ VM^''^ ''PV'^i: }\ H^i^'ophragma, the septum is thicker in the 

 SarVo thte of rZ««// \^ ^''P'"^'' ^''* *^^ ^°^«^*i°" ^^ ^he seed seems to be marginal, 

 Sure k rwb?Jwr /*' an Indian genus nearly allied to Astianthus. This is of courslcon- 



tt C^tri^^^^^^^^ corresponds pretty well with 



diff-ers somewhat from the character of the gen" TtbpV o^^^^iSpathodeaadenophyUaj 

 the capsule Is connrpmiQ ^^fo .1 ^ ^}^^ ^^^^ ^^ the calyx, and the septum of 



fig 2)Two ecti"ns of ti--? ^^'''^ ' "^""^^ ''°'" ^" *^" additional plate (No. 161-b. 



time before expansion Z IT\J 1 ^^^*^*««^^^* ^^^ S^^ven, one from a young flower-bud, some 

 They were botSe^^^^^^^^ ^'"^^ ' ^°""S ^'t ^°™« ^^7' after the fall of the flower. 



whic^h the fru t undereoer n it? n' '^'''T *"^ ""'^^ '''^' *^ «^«^' ^o some extent, the changes 



undergoes m its progress towards maturity. That plate was prepared for the 



