Polycarpon.l Caryophyllacecs. 87 



3. DRY]>IARXA, Willd. 



Herbs ; fl. in dichotomous cymes ; sep. 5, distinct, her- 

 baceous ; pet. 5, distinct, bifid ; stam. 2-5 ; style 3-fid. ; cap- 

 sule 3-valved. — Sp. 16 ; imFl. B. Ind. 



D. cordata, Willd. in R. and S. Syst. v. 406 (18 19). Kukulu- 

 pala, S. (Moon). 



Alsine nervosum, Moon Cat. 23. Thw. Enum. 25. C. P. 1091. 

 Fl. B. Ind. i. 244. 



An erect annual, 1-2 ft., with many erect, very slender, 

 glabrous, dichotomous branches ; 1. rotundate-oval, subcordate 

 at base, acute, tapering into petiole, glabrous, 3-5-veined from 

 base, petiole \-\ in., stip. of several setaceous bristles ; fl. very 

 small, \ in., in long-stalked, lax, dichotomous, terminal and 

 axillary cymes, ped. very slender, glandular-pilose, deflexed 

 after flowering, bracts membranous ; sep. oblong, obtuse, 

 prominently 3-nerved, with membranous margins ; pet. about 

 as long as sep., deeply bifid ; stam. usually 2 ; style short, 

 3-fid.; capsule shorter than cal., globose, 3-valved, i -seeded ; 

 seed reniform, slightly compressed, muriculate, dark brown. 



Open waste ground in the moist region, 1000 to 4000 ft.; common. 

 Matale ; Maskeliya ; Rambodde : Peradeniya. Often a weed in gardens. 

 Fl. Jan. to May. 



Found in hilly country throughout the tropics of Asia, Africa, and 

 America. 



Strangely described as a ' shrub ' in Fl. B. Ind. Our plant has usually 

 only 2 stamens, and is probably D. diandra, Bl. 



4. POXiVCARPON, Z. 



Herbs ; fl. in dichotomous cymes ; sep. 5, distinct, keeled 

 on the back ; pet. 5, distinct, not bifid ; stam. 3-5 ; style 

 3-fid ; capsule 3-valved ; seeds numerous, narrowly ovoid, 

 embryo nearly straight. — Sp. 6 ; i in Fl. B. Ind. 



P. Iioefling'iae, B. and Hk.f. Gen. PL i. 153 (1862). 

 Harpalosia Losflingice, Wall., Thw. Enum. 25. C. P. 1090. 

 Fl. B. Ind. i. 245 (not given for Ceylon). 



A perennial herb, with very numerous, diffuse, wiry, 

 pubescent, prostrate or ascending branches, 4-10 in. long, 

 spreading from a centre ; 1. numerous, sessile, linear or linear- 

 spathulate, subacute, pubescent or glabrous, stip. scarious, 

 white ; fl. small, in numerous, small, more or less dense, 

 dichotomous cymes, bracts scarious ; sep. somewhat unequal, 

 linear, acute, thick and keeled on the back, with white, scarious 

 margins ; pet. small, shorter than sep., linear, truncate ; cap- 



