Lxi. passifloracb.t;. 523 



DiSTiUB. Chiefly Tropical ; most numerous in 8. America ; genera 

 about :20 ; species about 300. 



1. MODECCA, Lamk. 



Glabrous herbs or underslirubs, scandeut or twining. Leaves alternate, 

 entire, palmi-lobcd or pinnatifid, with 2 glands at the apex of the petiole ; 

 stipules or inconspicuous. Tendrils lateral, undivided, circiiiate or 

 twisted. Flowers unisexual, usually small ; peduncles axillary, often 

 produced into tendrils. Male flowers : Calyx turbinate or tubular ; 

 lobes 4-5, short or elongate. Petals 4-5, inserted on the throat or 

 bottom of the calyx-tube and included in it, small, sometimes fimbriate. 

 Corona 0, or a ring of white cilia arising from uear the base of the 

 calyx-tube. Stamens 4-5, inserted at the bottom of the calyx-tube, 

 opposite to as many scales or glands ; filaments free or connate below ; 

 anthers basifixed, oblong or linear, the connective usually apiculate. 

 Ovary rudimentary or 0. Female elowers : Calyx and petals as in the 

 male. Staminodes 4-5. Ovary stalked or subsessile, ovoid, terete or 

 4-gonous ; ovules numerous, attached to 3 parietal placentas ; style or 

 3-fid ; stigmas 3. Fruit capsular, dehiscing loculicidally by 3 valves. 

 Seeds numerous, enveloped in a fleshy aril, flattened ; funicle long ; 

 albumen fleshy ; cotyledons foliaceous. — Distrib. Asia, Africa, and 

 Tropical Australia ; species about 25. 



1. Modecca palmata, Laml: Encyc. Method, v. 4 (1796) p. 209. 

 A large perennial herb becoming woody at the base ; root large, fusi- 

 form ; stems long, thickened at the nodes, terete, smooth and shining, 

 mottled with purple, not much branched. Leaves membranous, broader 

 than long, 4-5 by 6-7 in., cordate, with 2 flat glands at the apex of the 

 petiole and 1 at the base of each sinus in the divided leaves, usually very 

 deeply palmately 5-lobed (rarely 3-lobed or undivided), glabrous and 

 shining ; lobes oblong-lanceolate, acute, entire ; nerves and veins con- 

 spicuous ; petioles 2 in. long, grooved, glabrous. Flowers in 2 opposite 

 cymes (usually of 3) on a long axillary peduncle which is produced into 

 a long simple tendril. Male flowers : Calyx broadly campanulate, 

 ^-^ in. long, dilated at the base ; lobes 5, ovate, acute. Petals linear- 

 oblong, acute, ciliate, inserted at the base of the calyx-tube. Corona 

 a ring of threads from the calyx-tube just above the dilated portion. 

 Stamens distant ; filaments subulate, connate at the base ; anthers linear- 

 oblong. Ovary rudimentary. Female flowers : Calyx \ in. long, 

 campanulate ; lobes ovate, acute. Petals as in the male. Staminodes 5, 

 erect, flat, strap-shaped, connate at the base into a membranous cup. 

 Ovary shortly stalked, globose, smooth, tapering into 3 long styles ; 

 stigmas much chvided, feathery. Fruit reaching 2 in. in diam., shortly 

 stalked, globose, apiculate, smooth, orange-colored, splitting into 3 fleshy 

 valves. Seeds nearly h in. in diam., discoid, compressed, muriculate and 

 pitted, each with a pulpy aril. Fl. B. I. v. 2, p. 603 ; Dalz. & Gibs. p. 104 ; 

 Wight, Icon. t. 201 ; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 2, p. 241 ; Woodr. in Journ. 

 Bomb. Nat. v. 11 (1898) p. 639 ; Watt, Diet. Ecou. Prod. v. 5, p. 254. 

 — Flowers : Apr.-May. 



Rather rare. Konkan : Stocks ! ; Malwan, Balzell cf- Gibson. Kanaka : Divimana. 

 Sampkhaud (N. Kanara), Woodrow ! ; Ohandvdr, Bitchie, 1763 ! — Distrib. India (W. 

 Peninsula) ; Ceylon. 



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