12 
In conclusion, the evidence is that the fat shows certain 
characteristics of drying oils, such as Tung Oil, without the pro- 
perty of producing a varnish as in the case with drying oils, such 
as linseed oil, whereas, after heating, it behaves as a semi-drying 
oil, and it would seem that, in this condition, admixed with 
drying oils, it might be used in the production of paints and 
varnishes. 
A consignment of seeds of Momordica cochinchinensts 
received through the kind offices of Mr. W.J.Tutcher, Hongkong, 
was sent to the Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture, West 
Indies (see Agric. News, Feb. 22, 1919). Some of these-were 
xviii, No. 457), on p. 347, it is reported a fruit has matured on 
one of the plants raised from the seed received in February. 
The fruit weighed 33 Ibs. and contained 42 seeds, weighing 6 ozs. 
Agric. News, Dec. 13, 1919, p. 398. 
It is hoped that the plant may be grown successfully in the 
West Indies and the oil from the seeds may be found to be of 
commercial value. 
Momordica cochinchinensis has been figured in the Botanical 
Magazine (Ser. ITI, vol. xv), Tab. 5145, and there is a descrip- 
tion of the plant with a figure in Catalogue des Produits de l’ Indo- 
Chine, Tome i, p. 180, where it is stated that a well-clarified oil 
is made from the seeds. 
IIJ.—CLEMATOPSIS, A PRIMITIVE GENUS 
OF CLEMATIDEAE. 
J. Hurcuinson. 
The genera Clematis and Naravelia, comprising the tribe 
Clematideae of Ranunculaceae, have generally been regarded as 
sharply differentiated from the remainder of the family by their 
usually shrubby habit, opposite leaves, and induplicate-valvate 
‘sepals.* And the Tribe Clematideae is so described in the 
This aestivation appeared superficially to be of the ordinary 
imbricate type, but on dissection of the buds of several species, 
the types of aestivation shown in diagrams 1-4 were found to 
* In the addenda to vol. i. of Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant. the following 
note occurs:—“ Clematis, " charactere, post Sepala . . ..., valvata, 
- + + + + Yarius (in speciebus paucis Africae tropicae) imbricata.” 
Prantl. (Engl. & Prantl. Pflanzenf. iii. 2) has a section an Clomatte with 
imbricate aestivation which he named Pseudanemone 
* 
