OropJiea.'] Afionaccc^. 35 



oblong, obtuse, somewhat cupped at base, at first coherent by 

 their margins, afterwards free but connivent ; anth.-connective 

 not prolonged, cells contiguous ; carp, smooth, i or 2 ovules ; 

 fruit-carp, numerous, sessile or very shortly stalked, globular, 

 \ in. or more, smooth, purple or pink ; seeds smooth, yellow. 

 Var. /3. tomentosa, Thw. Enum. 10. C. P. 1036. 

 Leaves beneath and young shoots more or less densely 

 tomentose. 



Upper zone of moist low country ; rather common. Hantane ; Balan- 

 goda ; Badulla ; Raxawa ; Kolonna Korale ; Uva (Moon). Var. /3. 

 extending into the dry districts also, as at Polonarua, and in Eastern 

 Province, where Mr. Nevill tells me it is called ' Kekili-maessa.' Fl. 

 Feb., March ; yellowish-green, the lower part reddish-purple. 



Also in Southern India. 



I do not find the fruit of var. j8. pubescent, as stated in Fl. B. Ind. 



2. VL. zeylanica, Gardn. in Hk.f. and Th. FL Ind. 149 (1855). 

 Thw. Enum. p. 11. C. P. 2678. 

 Fl. B. Ind. i. 87. Bedd. Ic. t. 89. 



A large shrub, bark wrinkled, young shoots pilose ; 

 1. 3-6 in., lanceolate or oval, attenuate, acute, subacute at 

 base, glabrous, except the midrib beneath, which is often 

 strigose, petiole very short, strigose ; fl. solitary, axillary, 

 drooping, ped. slender, |-| in. long ; sep. and outer pet. very 

 small, equal or nearly so, oblong, acute, ciliate, inner pet. | in. 

 or more, oblong-linear, obtuse or subacute, somewhat cupped 

 at base ; fr.-carp. numerous, nearly sessile, crowded, nearly 

 globose, about size of a pea, glabrous, minutely granular, 

 often 2-seeded, 



Shady places in moist low country, especially near the shore. Weli- 

 gama ; Bentota, common under the cocoanut palms ; Reigam Korale. 

 Fl. Nov. ; yellowish-green suffused with reddish purple at base. 

 Endemic. 



12. OROPKEA, Bl. 



Small trees or shrubs ; sep, distinct ; pet. biseriate, valvate, 

 inner much larger, clawed, coherent by the margins to form a 

 pointed cone over the essential organs ; stam. 6, anther-cells 

 not covered; carp, about 15, ovules 4; fruit-carp, few, 1-2- 

 seeded. — Sp. about 16 ; ^ in Fl. B. Ind. 



O. zeylanica, Hk.f. and Th. Fl. Ind. 11 1 (1855). 



Thw. Enum. 8. C. P. 2406. 



Fl. B. Ind. i. 90. Bedd. Ic. t. 70. 



A shrub or small tree, young shoots pubescent ; 1. 2-3!^ in., 

 oval, obtusely acuminate, acute at base, glabrous, very shortly 



