Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Peninsula. 359 



Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Peninsula. — By George 

 King, M. B-, LL. D., F. R. S., F. L. S., Superintendent of the Royal 

 Botanic Garden, Calcutta. LIURAK^ 



[Received and read July 3rd, 1889.] WEW YOM 



As the Calcutta Herbarium contains a rich collection of Malayan 

 plants, I propose to publish from time to time a systematic account of 

 as many of theiu as are indigenous to British provinces, or to provinces 

 under Mritisli influence. In addition to the stntes on the mainland of 

 tlie ^Malayan Peninsula, these provinces include the islands of Sini^a- 

 pore and Penantr, and the Nicobar and Andaman groups. The classi- 

 fication which I propose to f(»llow is that of the late Mr. Bentham and 

 Sir Joseph Hooker. It is unlikely that, with the scanty leisure at my 

 command, I sliall be able, under several years, to complete even the 

 meagre account of the Flora of which the first instalment is now sub- 

 mitted. The oiders will be taken up nearly in the sequence followed 

 in the Genera Flantarnm of Bentham and Houker, and in the Flora 

 of British India of the latter distinguished botanist. The natural orders 

 now submitted are Unnunculacece, Dilleniace/e, Magnoliacece, Menisper- 

 macece, Nymphceacece, Capparidece and Violareos. The order Anonaceoe 

 should have come between Magnoliacece and Menispermacem ; but, on 

 account of its extent and difficulty, I have been obliged to postpone its 

 elaboration pending the receipt of further herbarium material. It will 

 however, it is hoped, soon be taken up. 



Order I. RANUNCULACE^. 



Annual or perennial herbs ov shrubs. Leaves alternate or opposite. 



Stipules 0, or adnate to the petiale, rarely free. Flowers regular or 



irregular, 1-2-sexual. Sepals 5 or more, rarely 2 to 4, usually deciduous, 



often petaloid, imbricate or valvate. Petals or 4 or more, hypogynous, 



imbricate, often minute or deformed. Stamens hypogynous ; anthers 



(v^ usually adnate and dehiscing laterally. Carpels usually many, free, 



^ 1-celled ; stigma simple ; ovule one or more, on the ventral suture, anatro- 



"^^ pons, erect with a ventral, or pendulous with a dorsal raphe. Fruit of 



' numerous 1-seeded achenes, or many-seeded follicles, rarely a berry. 



Seed small, albumen copious ; embryo minute. Distrib. Abundant 



— -, in tempei'ate and cold regions : genera 30 ; known species about 310.* 



* The above diagnosis of this order (copied from Sir Joseph Hooker's Flora of 

 British India) covers the entire order, which is usually sub-divided into five sub- 

 orders or tribes. Representatives of only one of these tribes {^ClematidecB) have 

 hitherto been discovered in the rctjion under review. But, as exploration of the 

 central mountain ranges proceeds, plants belonging to one or two of the other tribes 



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