130 Apocynace(2. \yinca. 



veins rather numerous, nearly horizontal, petiole \-\\ in.; fl. 

 small, on very short stout ped., mostly in pairs, very closely 

 placed on short thick branches of rather small dichotomous 

 panicles with long peduncles coming off 2 or 3 together from 

 the nodes and at first appearing terminal, bracts very small, 

 fleshy ; cal.-segm. ovate, very fleshy, glabrous ; cor.-tube under 

 \ in., lobes about \ in., oblong, obtuse; ripe carp. 2\ in., re- 

 curved, obliquely ovoid, bluntly pointed, glabrous, bright 

 yellow ; seed solitary, large, very flat. 



Seacoast in the moist region ; common, e.g., Colombo, Kalutara, &c. 

 Fl. Feb., March, July; greenish-white. 



Also in Singapore, Java, Andaman Is., Mascarene Is., &c., but not in 

 Peninsular India. 



A more decidedly maritime species than C. Odollam., easily known by 

 its small flowers. Full of thick, milky juice, which is extremely viscid. 



8. VZNCA, Z. 



Annual herb, 1. opp., fl. small, solitary, axillary; cal.-tube 

 short, segm. 5, much longer; cor.-tube cylindrical, throat con- 

 stricted, lobes broad, overlapping to left; stam. 5, inserted on 

 cor.-tube; disk of 2 glands; carp. 2, distinct, with several 

 ovules in 2 series in each; ripe carp, follicular, linear, de- 

 hiscent, with about 8 seeds, seed cylindrical, truncate at both 

 ends, ribbed, with fleshy endosperm. — Sp. 10; i in Fl. B. Ind. 



V. pusilla, Murr. Act. Goett. 66 (1773). 



Fl. B. Ind. iii. 640 (not given for Ceylon). Rheede, Hort. Malab. ix. 

 t. 33. 



A small annual, 3-6 in., with spreading quadrangular 

 glabrous branches from the base; 1. 1-2 in., on short petioles, 

 ovate-lanceolate, tapering, acute, glabrous, margin scabrous; 

 fl. on very short ped., very small; cal. glabrous, segm. very 

 narrow, spreading; cor. about \ in.; follicles spreading, i-i^ 

 in., linear, straight, pointed, striate; seed linear-oblong, with 

 vertical muriculate ridges, black. 



Dry region; very rare. Found for the first time in 18S9 between 

 Jaffna and Kankesanturai. Fl. Dec, Jan.; white. 

 Common throughout India. 



V. rosea., L., the Madagascar Periwinkle, is a ver}' common weed on 

 waste ground throughout the island. Its native country is uncertain, as 

 it is now found throughout the Tropics ; the earliest record I have for it 

 in Ceylon is 1804. The flowers are rose-coloured or white. 



Phimeria acutifoUa, Poir. {P. acuminata, Ait.), Wight, Ic. t. 471, is a 

 familiar tree in the low country, especially about Ruddliist shrines, whence 

 it is known as the 'Temple-tree' by the English; the Sinhalese call it 



