Pisoma.] Nyctaginec^. 391 



nodes, cylindrical, glabrous; 1. nearly equal, i|-2| in., ovate, 

 rounded or cordate at base, very acute, repand, glabrous , 

 above, slightly hairy beneath, petiole \-\ in.; fl. rather large, 

 on long capillary ped., 3-8 in long-stalked umbels arranged 

 in very lax, divaricate, glabrous, axillary panicles much ex- 

 ceeding the 1. ; perianth \ in., tube long, very slender beyond 

 the ov., segm. spreading, 2-lobed ; stam. 5, much exserted; 

 fruit over \ in., linear, obtuse, faintly ribbed, ringed with dis- 

 tant lines of large sessile glands. 



Seacoast in the dry region ; rare. Kirinda, S. Prov., abundant ; near 

 Kankesanturai, Jaffna. Fl. December-February ; bright pink. 

 Also in India, Beluchistan, and Burma. 



Mirabilis Jalapa, L., Sendrikka, S., the ' Marvel of Peru ' of the 

 English, is a very common weed in the moist region. It is native to 

 Peru, but must have been an early introduction to the Old World. 

 Hermann has it (Mus. 67) under its native name. It occurs with yellow, 

 bright purple, white, and striped flowers. 



2. PISONZA, Z. 



Climbing shrub with curved axillary spines, 1. sub-opp. ; 

 fl. small, unisexual, dioecious, in panicled cymes ; male fl. : 

 perianth funnel-shaped, lobes 5, large, deep, stam. 6-10, much 

 exserted ; fem. fl. : perianth tubular, lobes minute, stigma 

 capitate, lacerate ; fruit enclosed in glandular, persistent 

 perianth, pericarp very thin ; seed solitary, embryo with 

 large cotyledons surrounding scanty endosperm. — Sp. 60; 3 in 

 Fl. B. Ind. 



P. aculeata, L. Sp. PL 1026 (1753). 



Thw. Enum. 245. C. P. 2266. 



Fl. B. Ind. iv. 711. Wight, Ic. t. 1763-4. 



Large scandent shrub, branches very numerous, divaricate, 

 with many strong curved very sharp axillary spines (abortive 

 branchlets) in the axils; 1. ii-3 in., oval, tapering to base, 

 entire, obtuse, quite glabrous, petiole \ in. ; fl. on short pubes- 

 cent ped. in small rounded cymose clusters combined into 

 small pedunculate axillary panicles, bracts very small, hairy; 

 perianth pubescent outside, lobes acute, spreading ; fruit- 

 perianth about \ in., oblong-ovoid, very blunt, pubescent, 

 faintly 5 -angled, with 5 double vertical lines of stalked very 

 viscous glands. 



Dry region; rare. Mullaitivu (Gardner); Hambantota; Uma-oya ; 

 near Kankesanturai, Jaffna. Fl. February-April, September; greenish- 

 white. 



In the Tropics of both hemispheres. 



