MENISPERMACE^. II 



seeds- Species sixteen, all on the tropical mountains of 

 Asia (India, Malaya, China). 



Named in honour of Antonio Micheli, a Botanist of Florence. 



Miciiclia nilagirica Zenh ; F.B.L i 44, VI 8. Stem 

 white; twigs erect; buds long, silky, leaves elliptic, 

 acuminate, entire, hard, glabrous and shiny, flat or 

 drooping. Flowers white or a pale cream colour, of nine 

 to twelve oblong or obovate, easily crushed and quickly 

 fading sepals and petals. Stamens numerous with very 

 short swollen bases and slender anthers of J^ inch with 

 small tips. Fruiting torus erect, 3 to 4 inches; carpels 

 covered with white warts and opening by a slit beginning 

 on the outer side. Seeds two, red, the outer coat soft with 

 a mango smell, inner hard ; completely filling the carpel, 

 and attached close together, the upper with its micropyle 

 just above or to one side of the hilum, the lower with it 

 just below; funicle at first remarkably elastic, t. 8. 

 Wight Sp. Nilg. t. 6 = Ic. t. 938 ; 111 t. 5 (ex. carpels fruit 

 and colour of flower). 



In all the higher sholas, very common — Ootacamund Kodai- 

 kanal and above. Not apparently below 5,000 feet. ■Fyson^c^']^ 

 1752," 1893, 2064. Bourne 250, 2043, 2221. 



With reference to the distribution of the seeds, see note on Ternstroemia 

 japonica Thtmb.^ p. 41. 



Michclia champaca Limi. ; F.B.L i 42, VI 2 ; with 

 leaves 6 to 10 inches long, tapering to a long point and 

 fragrant yellow or orange flowers is occasionally found 

 in gardens, e.g., Trewin near the bund at Kodaikanal, 

 Fyson 2787. At Poombari, Bourne 722. 



MENISPERMACEi^. f.b.i. 5. 



A family of slender twining plants with alternate 

 leaves usually attached to the stalks inside the margin, 

 small unisexual dioecious flowers in axillary umbels 



