Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Peninsula. 385 



Erect shi'iibs destitute of tendrils. Petals 

 and stamens connate with the disc. Ovary 

 3-6-cellecl, cells n-ovuled ... ... 3. Leea. 



1. ViTis, Linn. 



Sarmentose shrubs, usually climbing by means of leaf-opposed 

 tendinis. Leaves simple or 3-9-folioIate, digitate or pedate, rarely pin- 

 nate or bipinnate. Flotvers in umbellate paniculate racemose or spicate 

 cymes, usually ebi-aoteate, sometimes polygamous. Calyx short entire 

 or 4-5-toothed. PttaJs 4-5, free or cohering at the apex. Stamens 

 4-5, inserted below the margin of the disk ; anthers free. Ovary 

 2- very rarely 3-4-celled ; style or short ; stigma minute and entire, or 

 large and 4-lobed, ovules 2 in each cell. Uerry ovoid or globose, 1-2- 

 celled ; cells 1-2-seeded. — Distrib. About 375 species growing mostly 

 in the tropics and subtropics of Asia Africa and Polynesia, more rarely 

 in America. 



Note. — Tlje genus Vifis as understood by Messrs. Bentham and Hooker in their 

 Genera Flantarum and by Mr. Lawson in his account of the Indian species in 

 Hooker's Flora of British India, comprises various plants which many botanical 

 writers (and among others M. Plaiichoii) distribute into genera which, as it 

 appears to me, are founded on characters rather insufficient to warrant generic rank, 

 although sufficient to form the bases of sections of one large broadly-marked o-enus. 

 As the species treated of here are numerous and not very easy of identification 

 I liave made two keys for them ; the first drawn up under four sections which are 

 considered genera by M. Planchon in his monograph of the Ampelidex in M. De 

 Candolle's Suites du Prodromtis ; the second on the principle followed by Mr. Lawson 

 in Sir Joseph Hooker's Flora of British India. 



Sect. I. Amphlocissus. Flowers 4- to 5-merous ; disc annular, ad- 

 herent to the base of the ovary ; style conical, stiiate, stigma minute • 

 inflorescence tliyrsoid coiymbiform. or cymose, the peduncle often 

 tendril-bearing. 



Inflorescence tliyrsoid; leaves simple ... 1. F. harbata. 



Inflorescence spicate or paniculate-spicate, the 



flowers in fascicles or solitary ... ... 2. V. macrostachya. 



Inflorescence an elongated pendulous raceme 

 of short spikes. 

 Leaves simple. 



Sparsely strigoso on both surfaces ... 3. V. gracilis. 



Densely cinnamoneoue-tomentose on the 



lower surface ... ... ... 4. F. cinnamonea. 



671 



