170 Sterculiacece . \Waltheria. 



shorter than the persistent scp., densely stellate-hairy ; seeds 

 angular, rough. 



Dry country ; very rare, and doubtfully native. Near the Giant's 

 Tank, Mannar Dist. 1890. Fl. Feb. ; bright red. 



Throughout India. 



This was brought by my collectors, and I have never met with it 

 myself in Ceylon except in gardens. At the above locality it may readily 

 have been introduced by Indian immigrants. 



6. MEXiOCKIA, L. 



Herbs ; fl. in terminal clusters, with numerous bracteoles ; 

 sep. 5, connate below ; pet. 5 ; stam. 5, connate into a tube 

 at base ; ov. 5-celled, with 2 ovules in each cell ; fruit a 

 loculicidal, 5-valved capsule, seed solitary in each cell. — Sp. 

 about 50 ; 2 \n Fl. B. Ind. 



"Sfl. corchorifolia, L. Sp. 675 (1753). Gal-kura, S. 



Herm. Mus. 43. Burm. Thes. 156. Fl. Zeyl. n. 246 (no specimen) 

 and 247. M. concatenata, L. Sp. 1. c. Moon Cat. 48. Thw. Enum. 30. 

 C. P. 1 127. 



Fl. B. Ind. i. 374. Rheede, Hort. Mai. ix. t. 73. Dill. Hort. Elth. ii. 

 t. 176. 



An erect or prostrate branched herb, stem with a line of 

 slightly stellate pubescence down one side ; 1. variable, often 

 very small less than \ in. but sometimes 2 in. or more, ovate 

 or oblong-ovate, rounded at base, acute or obtuse, serrate, 

 glabrous or nearly so, petiole half as long, stip. small, lanceo- 

 late, ciliate ; fl. small, nearly sessile, densely crowded in 

 small terminal clusters with numerous hispid bracteoles ; sep. 

 lanceolate ; capsule very small, depressed - globose, hispid ; 

 seeds angular, mottled black and grey. 



Roadsides and waste ground ; a common weed, especially in the dry 

 country ; Fl. June-August ; pink. 



Generally distributed through the Tropics. 



M. pyramidata, L., is Fl. Zeyl. n. 245. There is no specimen in Her- 

 mann's Herb., but it is figured in Burm. Thes. t. 69, f. i. This American 

 species is said to occur also in India as an introduced weed. I have not 

 seen it in Ceylon. 



7. 'WAZiTHERIA, L. 



Perennial herbs ; fl. very small, in axillary clusters ; sep. 5, 

 connate for 5 below ; pet. 5, connate ; stam. 5, connate below; 

 ov, I -celled, with 2 ovules; fruit a membranous cap.sulc ir- 

 regularly 2-valved ; seed solitary. — Sp. 15 ; i in Fl. B. Ind. 



