0()2 LXVII. U.MBELLIIER.K. 



Petals valvate in hud: soeouclary ridges of fruit 0; pericarp not 



tliickeiuxl •• 1. H. javanka. 



Petals imbricate in bud ; secondary ridges of fruit distinct ; peri- 

 carp much thickened 2. H. asiatica. 



1. Hydrocotyle javanica, Thunh. Diss. (1798); edit. Pers. v. 2 

 (1800) p. 415, t. 3. Stems long, siu'culent, pubescent beneath the nodes, 

 Bending up erect stout branching shoots more than 6 in. high. Leaves 

 suborbicuhir, broader than long, l|-3 by 2-3 1 in., subentire or palinately 

 7-y-lobed oue-t'uurth of the way tlown, coarsely crenate, shining on both 

 sides, with a few weak hairs on the nerves ; petioles pubescent, those of 

 the leaves of the prostrate stems sometimes reaching 10 in. long, those of 

 the erect shoots much shorter ; stipides entire, scarious. Flowers pale- 

 green, very small, sessile or shortly pedicelled, 20 or more crowded iu 

 dense globular heads or umbels on the apex of peduncles -L-2 in. long 

 which are often in clusters of 2-6 from the nodes of the upright 

 branches; pedicels 0-i in. long ; bracts small. Calyx-teeth 0. Petals 

 lanceolate, acute, valvate in bud. Fruit yV in., orbicular or subquadrate ; 

 niericarps with acute primary but not secondary ridges. Fl. B. I. v. 2, 

 p. G67; Wight, Icon. t. 1003 ; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 2, p. 275 ; Woodr. in 

 Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 11 (1898) p. 642.— Flowers : Feb. 



Kanaka : Hulikal, Woodrow. 



This plant has been included on Woodrow's autliority, who gives the above-named 

 locality as its habitat. I have seen no Bombay specimens, and there are none from 

 that Presidency in Herb. Kevv. 



2. Hydrocotyle asiatica, Linn. Sj^ PI. (1753) p. 234. A slender 

 herbaceous creeping plant ; stems long, prostrate, coming off from the 

 leaf-axils of a vertical rootstock, filiform, often reddish, and with long 

 internodes, rooting at the nodes. L;>aves .]-2| in. indiam., several from 

 the rootstock whicli often have much elotigated petioles, and 1-3 from 

 each node of the stems, orbicular-reniform, rather broader than long, 

 more or less cupped, entire or shallowly crenate, glabrous on both sides, 

 and with numerous slender nerves from a deeply cordate base ; petioles 

 very variable in length, 3-6 in. long or more, channelled, glabrous or 

 nearly so ; stipules short, adnate to the petioles, forming a sheathing base. 

 Flowers in fascicled umbels, each umbel consisting of 3-4 pink, sessile 

 (rarely pedicelled) flowers ; peduncles pubescent or glabrous, short, pink ; 

 bracts ovate, acute, concave, 2 beneath each umbel. Calyx-teeth 0. 

 Petals minute, pink, ovate, actite. Fruit ^ in. long, longer than broad, 

 ovoid, hard, with thickened pericarp, reticulato-rugose, often crowned 

 by the persistent petals, the primary and secondary ridges distinct. 

 Fl. B. I. V. 2, p. 6G9 ; Grab. Cat. p. 84; Dalz. & Gibs. p. 105 ; Wight, 

 Icon. t. 565 ; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 2, p. 276 ; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. 

 Nat. V. 11 (1898) p. 642;' Watt, Diet. Ecou. Prod. v. 4, p. 311.— 

 Flowers : May-Nov. Vekn. Brahmi. 



In moist situations throughout the Presidency. Konkan : IWatheran, Cooke\ 

 Deccan : Woodroui\; banks of the Poena river, Cookc\; Mahableshwar, Cooke \ 

 S. M. Count II Y : Woodrow; Belgaum, lUlchie, lOSO !— Disteib. Throughout India; 

 Cej-lon, tropical and subtropical regions of the world. 



The plant is extensively employed in medicine. It was employed by Dr. Bhau Daji 

 as a remedy for leprosy and Las considerable reputation as an alterative in skin- 

 diseases. See Watt, Diet. Iilcon. Prod. 1. c, where an exhaustive account of the 

 medicinal uses of the plant may be found. 



