Sesaimnn?\^ PedaliacecB. 285 



p. lUCurez, L. Syst. Nat. x. 580 (1759). Et-uerenchl, S. Peru- 

 or Anai-xierinchi, T. 



Herm. Mus. 42. Burm. Thes. 122. Y\. Zeyl. n. 440. Moon Cat. 46. 

 Thw. Enum. 209. C. P. 1779. 



Fl. B. Ind. iv. 386. Wight, Ic. t. 161 5. 



Stems decumbent, much branched, thick, sh'ghtly rough 

 with scaly glands or hairs, 1. opp., \-\\ in., broadly oval- 

 oblong, acute at base, truncate or obtuse, very coarsely 

 crenate-serrate or lobed, glabrous above, covered with minute 

 scaly glands beneath, rather fleshy, pale glaucous green, 

 petiole \~\ in.; fl. on very short curved ped.; cal.-tube very 

 short and wide, segm. linear, spreading ; cor .-limb nearly 

 I in. diam., lobes broad, throat hairy within ; fil. glandular- 

 hairy at base ; fruit \-\ in., narrowed below into a short thick 

 stalk, broadly ovoid, bluntly 4-angled with the spines from 

 the angles, pericarp very tough, fibrous-woody. 



Sandy places near the sea, principally in the dry region, where it is 

 common. Fl. Feb. -July ; sulphur-yellow. 



Also in S. India and Trop. Africa. 



Hermann gives the native name 'Patiriya' for this, which, he says, 

 means the iron caltrops used in warfare. The spined fruits are the cause 

 of many wounds to the feet of the natives. 



By soaking, a mucilaginous mass is formed in the water, which is a 

 popular demulcent medicine. 



Martynia diandra, Glox., a large strong-smelling annual with beautiful 

 flowers, is quite naturalised and common in the dry region, where it is 

 called ' Naka-tali,' T. It is native to Mexico. The hard woody fruits 

 with strong curved spines are known as ' Tiger's claws.' 



2. SESAMUM, L. 



Annual herb, 1. opp. below, alt. above, fl. rather large, 

 axillary, solitary ; cal. deeply cut into 5 nearly distinct segm. ; 

 cor.-tube ventricose, mouth oblique, lobes 5, unequal, lowest 

 much the largest ; stam. 4, didynamous, included, anth. not 

 connate ; ov. 2- (falsely 4-) celled, with many superposed 

 ovules in two rows in each cell ; stigmas 2 ; fruit a capsule, 

 loculicidally 2-valved, seeds numerous. — Sp. 10; 3 in Fl. B. 

 Ind. 



*S. indicum, L. Sp. PI. 634 (1753). Tel-tala, S. Ella, T. 



Burm. Thes. 87. Fl. Zeyl. n. 237. S. orientale, L. Sp. PI. 634. Moon 

 Cat. 46. Thw. Enum. 209. C. P. 2023. 

 Fl. B. Ind. iv. 387. Wight, 111. t. 163. 



Stem erect, 1-2 ft, puberulous with long ascending 

 branches from the base, 1. opp. below, the upper ones usually 

 alt., i|-2| in., variable, the upper lanceolate, entire, the lower 



