138 XIII. POLYGALACE^. [Polygala. 



2-celled, 2-ovuled; capsule 2-celled, loculicidal. Seeds usually 

 strophiolate and albuminous, \^^lole world except Tasmania, 

 about 250 species. 



Shrubs ; flowers axillary. 



Fleshy plant; fruit winged . . . • (i) P. venenosa 



Woody plant; fruit not winged . . . . (2) P. pulchra 



Shrublet ; raceme terminal, erect ; flowers white . (3) P. monticola 

 Small herb with small yellow flowers, prostrate 



with narrow lanceolate leaves . . • (4) P. brachystachya 

 Erect herb ; leaves ovate ; flowers many very small 

 yellow (5) P. cardiocarpa 



(i) P. venenosa Juss. in Poir. Diet. v. 493 ; King, I.e. 130. 



A glabrous shrubby plant 4 to 6 ft. tall. Leaves thin rather 

 fleshy, lanceolate and oblong-lanceolate acuminate and narrowed 

 at the base ; nerves 7 to 10 pairs, 5 to 8 in. long, 1-5 to 4 in. wide ; 

 petioles "2 in. long. Racemes axillary pendulous i to 3 in. long. 

 Sepals translucent, tipped with pink. Petals white, keel not 

 crested chroftie yellow withering to violet pink with a crimson 

 keel. Capsule reniform -3 in. long 4-winged all round purple. 

 Seed with scarlet aril. Hah. In mountain forests from 1500 to 

 5500 ft. altitude. Rarely below this. The form here is the var. 

 robusta, Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. i. (2), 126. Pahang, Pulau Tawar. 

 Selangor, Ginting Bidai (Kloss) ; Menuang Casing (Kloss) ; Semang- 

 kok. Perak, Thaiping Hills (all collectors) . Gunong Kerbau (Robin- 

 son) ; Gapis Pass (Curtis) ; Gunong Batu Putih (Wray) ; Penang, 

 West Hill (Curtis) . Distrib. Malay Islands. Native name : Katum- 

 bit Hitam. 



(2) P. pulchra Hassk. Flor. xxv. (2) ; Beibl. 32. 



Slender woody shrub 4 ft. tall. Leaves membranous thin, 

 oblong-lanceolate; nerves 9 pairs, 8 in. long, 3 in. wide; petioles 

 ■25 in. long. Racemes i in. long, pendulous. Sepals 2 outer ones, 

 one saccate ovate acute, the other small ovate; petaloid sepals 

 obovate round, "25 in. long. Petals 2 short oblong blunt; keel 

 4-lobed, fleshy not crested. All white tinted yellow. Capsule 

 obovoid orbicular deeply refuse, not winged except at tip, green 

 tipped with purple or nearly all purple, *2 in. long, '3 in. wide. 

 Seed sub-globose, aril scarlet. Hab. Hill woods, Negri Sembilan, 

 Bukit Tangga. Selangor, Ginting Bidai (Ridley) ; Ulu Langat 

 (Kloss). Perak, Goping (Kunstler). Distrib. Java and Sumatra. 



This is easily recognised by the slender woody stem, narrower leaves and 

 smaller flowers. 



(3) P. monticola Ridl. Journ. Linn. Soe. xxviii. 803. 



A simple erect shrublet 2 ft. tall. Leaves 3 to 4 in. long, 1-5 in. 

 wide, lanceolate acuminate at both ends, glabrous or with a few 

 hairs; nerves 8 pairs; petioles '5 in. long. Raceme dense erect. 

 Flowers white, keel pink -25 in. long; pedicels very short. Sepals 

 outer ovate rounded pubescent. Petals oblong, keel crested pink 



