41 



from ob-lanceolate or obovate to rhomboid, bat always with tapering 

 bases, serrate to crennte ; under surface hoary, rarely green ; length 

 •5 to 2-5 in., petiole '1 to '2 in. Stipules setaceous, longer than the 

 petioles. Flowers 6 in. in diam., axillary, solitary ; corolla yellow, 

 rarely white ; pedunclfs much longer (sometimes six times) than the 

 petioles, variously and sometimes indistinctly jointed, ebracteolate. 

 Carprls smooth or pubescent, or reticulate, each usually with I or 2 

 rather long awns, sometimes awnless, generally longer than the calyx. 

 Mast, in Hook. fil. Fl. Br. Ind. i. 323 ; Miq. Fl. Ind. B.at. i. pt. 2. p. 142 ; 

 DC. Prodr. i. 462 ; Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 176 ; Wall. Cat 1862, 2 ; Thwaites 

 Enum. 28. <S. cnnariensis, Willd. ; DC. Prodr. i. 462. S. compressa, 

 Wall. Cat. 1866; DC. Prodr. i. 462. 



This very polymorphic species has been divided into varieties by 

 Dr. Masters in Hooker's Fl. Br. Ind. I.e. as follows : — 



" Var. 1. scabrida, W. & A. Prodr. i. 57 (sp.) ; sprinkled with rigid 

 hairs, leaves concolorous, peduncles joined at the base, carpels awned. 



" Var. 2. retusa, Linn, (sp.) ; leaves obovate retuse hoary underneath, 

 peduncles equalling the leaves jointed above the middle, carpellary 

 awns short. — Cav. Diss. i. t. 3, f. 4, and Diss. v. t. 131, f. 2 ; Bl. Bijdr. 

 75 ; W. & A. Prodr. i. 38 ; Wall. Cat. 1870 ; DC. Prodr. i. 462 ; Roxb. 

 Fl. Ind. iii. 175 ; Dalz. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 17 ; Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. i. pt. 

 2, 142. S. chinensis, Retz ex Roxb. Hort. Beng. 97 ; Fl. Ind. iii. 174. 

 8. pUlippica, DC. Prodr. i. 462 ; W. & A. Prodr. I.e. ; Wall. Cat. 1869 ; 

 Rheede Hort. Mai x. 18; Rutnph. Amb. v. t. 19. — The *S' corynocarpa, 

 Wall. Cat. 1870, seems to be a form of this variety, with densely intricate 

 woody branches, and long carpellary awns. 



"Var. 3. rhomboidea, Roxb. Hort. Beng 50; Fl. Ind. iii. 176 (sp.) ; 

 leaves rhomboid hoary beneath, peduncles jointed at the base, carpellary 

 awns very short inflected. DC. Prodr. i. 462 ; W. & A. Prodr. i. 57 , 

 Wall. Cat. 1862 E., 1863 ; Thwaites Enum. 28. S. rhombifoUa, Wall. 

 Cat. 1862 F. ? *S. orientalis, Cav. Diss. i. t. 12. — The flowers expand at 

 noon (Roxb.). 



"Var. 4. obovata, Wall, Cat. 1864 (sp.) ; leaves If by 2 in., broadly 

 obovate, hoary beneath, apex coarsely toothed, base cuneate, petiole |- 

 in., peduncle longer than the petiole shorter than the blade. 



" Var. 5. microphylln, Cav. Diss. i. t. 12, f . 2 (sp.) ; leaves small, 

 elliptic dentate hoary beneath, peduncle slightly exceeding the petiole, 

 carpels 5-7 awned.— Roxb. Fl. lud. iii. 170; DC. Prodr. i. 461." 



In all the provinces — a common weed. Distrib. The Tropics 

 generally. 



4. S. CORDIFOLU, Linn. spec. 961, An erect softly hairy undershrub 

 150 



