198 



ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY- 



of the peace and quiet of many good men who, being now contented to puff away their cares 

 in the fragrant fumes of Tobacco, might become agitators for want of some better and more 

 innocent occupation, and then become as bad and troublesome subjects as they are now good 

 and amiable men. 



Remarks on Gekeua and Species, — On this subject I have little to say. As regards 

 genera, there is perhaps no family in the Indian flora, of the same extent, in which the genera 

 are more easily distinguished ; in fact they can scarcely be mistaken. As regards species, the 

 case is different; they are most difficalt, owing I suspect, to the merest variations having, 

 in many cases been, I presume from the badness of the specimens, described as species. 

 Professor Nees, when preparing his monograph, was more favourably situated, and has thereby 

 been enabled to reduce a vast number of bad species which previously loaded our flora, to the 

 great inconvenience of those who attempted their investigation. Now that the difficulty is 

 removed by his excellent memoir, the species are generally more easily made out. 



In plate 1G6, I have represented one of the many varieties of Solaniim Melongena^ selected 

 for the purpose, on account of the small size of the leaves by which I am enabled to give a 

 good figure within the limited space I have to devote to the species. The general form is much 

 the same but the actual size diflPerent, a luxuriant plant furnishing leaves large enough to fill the 

 whole paper. In the supplementary plate I have given analyses of six genera of the order, 

 in all of which particular attention has been paid to the ovary. From these we learn that this is 

 normally, a truly dicarpellary order; and that the occasions, on which more are present, are 

 owing to excessive luxuriance caused by cultivation. Too much stress is, I fear, occasionally 

 laid on these abnormal productions, and inferences drawn from them but too often more ingen- 

 ious than philosophical. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE 1G6. 



1. 



Solamim mdongena, § insanum 

 ing branch, natural size. 



2. Detached flower, side view. 



The same seen from above. 



Corolla split open, stamens in situ. 

 Detached stamens. 



6, Transverse section of an anther. 



7, 



3. 

 4. 

 5. 



Calyx and ovary. 



8. Ovary detached. 



9. Cut transversely. 



10. Longitudinally. 



11. A fruit nearly full-grown. 



12. Cut transversely. 



13. A mature seed. 



14. Cut longitudinally, embryo in situ. 



15. Cut transversely. 



16. Embryo detached. 



17. Upper and under surfaces of the leaves. All more 

 or less magnified. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE 166-b. 



L Daiura fastuosa (Miller). The 3 sections of the 

 ovary of this figure are all taken from one ovarium, 

 showing that two of the apparent 4 cells of the lower 

 section are spurious. 



IL Nicotiana Tabacum (Linn). The sections of the 

 ovary are, as in the preceding, all taken from the same 

 ovarium. ' 



III. Lycium fndicum {R. W. Icon. L. Europjeum ?) 

 The plant from which this figure is taken is a native 

 of Scinde and upper India. It is probably only a variety 

 of L. Europaeum, but seemed to me different when 



I named it as above. 



ly. Capsicum fasligiatum (Blume). This species is 

 readily recognized by its capsules growing erect, not 

 pendulous, like the rest of the Indian ones. 



V. Lycopersicum esculentum (Miller). The sections 

 of the fruit were taken from two half-grown benies 

 picked oflF the same branch, one with two the other 

 with 3 carpels. There was none with more on that 

 plant, but I have seen them with several. 



VI, Physalis angulata (Linn), 

 waste places. 



A common plant in 



CXVL 



DROLEACE^ 



The separate existence of this small order was first indicated by Mr. Brown, in his prodro- 

 mn«, but merely to the extent of remarking that several genera, at that time referred to Convol- 

 Ka nr^' did not properly belong to the order, and ought therefore to be removed. This opinion 



unfH IT 'V^^f '"^ ^"' 'T^'K' ^" ^^'^ ^^^^^^ collection. Since that time the order has, 

 iL !7; ^u""^'^' ^""'^ generally adopted by Botanists. The same most accurate Botanist 



^jQfJnrvf frnm R« " '".f^^"^^'-, ^^^^' ■^^^^ Holland.) another order (Hydrophyllacece), ». 



distinct from BorragmecB, with which its genera had been Associated, and allied to Polemmieacece 



