286 Ampelidece. 



disk lining cal.-tube and epigynous, margin free ; ov. qtiite 

 inferior and covered by disk, 3-celled, style 3-lobed ; fruit 

 inferior, crowned by persistent cal. -lobes, bluntly 3-winged 

 and separating from a central, tripartite, filiform axis into 

 3 indehiscent mericarps. — Sp. 30; 3 in Fl. B. Iiid. 



G-. microcarpa, DC. Prod. ii. 40 (1825). 



Thw. Enum. 75. C. P. 1238. 

 Fl. B. Ind. i. 643. 



A shrub, climbing by short, circinate, axillary tendrils, 

 branchlets (including tendrils) pubescent ; 1, 2-3 in., ovate- 

 oval, rounded at base, shortly acuminate, acute, entire, gla- 

 brous, lat. veins 4 or 5 on each side, conspicuous, much curved, 

 intermediate reticulations extremely fine ; male fl. sessile, 

 fem. fl. on short woolly ped., in little clusters, laxly arranged 

 on narrow, elongated, spicate branches of terminal and axillary 

 panicles 4-9 in. long, collectively forming a large terminal 

 infl. ; cal. densely tomentose, segm. triangular; disk pubescent, 

 angles truncate ; fr. \ in. long by nearly h in. wide, at first 

 pubescent, afterwards glabrous and shining, wings thick, 

 rounded at top and bottom, parchment-like. 



Low country up to 2000 ft.; common. Fl. Jan. 



Also in S. India and at Malacca. 



The appearance of the fruit is singularly like that of a Dioscorea ; but 

 its structure is more similar to that of an UmbeUifer, but with 3 mericarps 

 instead of 2. 



XXXIX.— AMPELIDE^. 



Shrubs or perennial herbs, usually climbing ; 1. alt., with 

 stip. ; fl. small, regular, bisexual or rarely unisexual ; cal. cup- 

 shaped, entire or slightly 4-5-lobed; pet. 4 or 5, distinct or 

 connate, valvate, usually caducous; stam. 4 or 5, inserted 

 opp. the pet., distinct and free or completely connate into a 

 tube adnate to pet.; disk large, cupular or annular (in Leea 

 adnate to pet.) ; ov. free or somewhat adnate to disk, 2-celled, 

 with 2 collateral ovules ( Vitis); or 6-cellcd, with i ovule in each 

 cell {Leea); fruit a berry; seed with copious endosperm. 



Stam. distinct, free i. ViTiS. 



Stam. connate into a tube, adnate to pet. . . . .2. Leea. 



