63 



itig branches, which vary fi'om 1 to 8 feet in length, originate from the 

 stem near its base, pass into the soil underneath the surface of which 

 they run for some distance, and bear on their emerging tips the flowers 

 and fruit 



20. PoLTALTHiA OBLiQUA, Hook. fil. and Thoms. Fl. Ind. 138. A 

 tree : young branches minutely pubescent, lenticellate. Leaves sub- 

 sessile, oblong-lanceolate, acute or shortly acuminate, the base cuneate, 

 minutely and obliquely cordate ; shining and glabrous on botli surfaces, 

 the lower pale ; main nerves 7 or 8 pairs, slender, curving and forming 

 bold arches "15 in. from the margin ; length 4 to G'5 in., breadth 1"5 to 

 2"2 in. ; petiole 1 in., very stout. Flowers -4 to 5"4! in. in diam., soli- 

 tary, pedicellate, extra-axillary ; each pedicel rising from a short conical 

 Avoody tubercle, curving, "25 in. long. Sepals coriaceous, broadly tri- 

 angular, blunt, less than half as long as tbe petals, pubescent. Petals 

 coriaceous, sub-equal, oblong, obtuse, sericeous outside. Ripe carpels 

 pisiform, with stalks "5 in. long, dark brown. Hook. fil. Fl. Br. Ind. 



1, 67 ; Miq. Fl. Tud. Bat. 1, Ft. 2, p. 44. 



Malacca; Griffith, Maingay, No. 4± (Kew distrib.). Chittagong 

 Hill Tracts; Lister. Distrib. Sumatra. 



Lister's plant from the Chittagong Hill Ti^acts agrees well with 

 Griffith's specimens from Malacca. 



2L POLYALTHIA ABEUiiANs, Maing. ex Hook. fil. Fl. Br. Ind. I, 67. 

 A large climber, glabrous except the flowers and fruit : young branches 

 slender, black. Leaves membranous, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, the 

 base slightly cuneate ; both surfaces i-eticulate, glabrous, the lower 

 glaucous ; main nerves 14 to 18 pairs, very faint, the secondary nerves 

 quite as well marked : length 35 to 5 in., breadth 1"4 to 18 in., petiole 

 •2 to "25 in. Floivers 5 to "75 in. in diam., solitary, axillary; pedicels 

 slender, 1"25 in. long ; longer in fruit), with one minute bracteole below 

 the middle and another at tbe base. Sepals ovate-orbicular, sub-acute, 

 quite connate into a 3-angled glabrous cup '25 in. in diam. Petals 

 leathery, ovate-orbicular, sub-acute, spreading, concave ; the outer row 

 •35 in. long and "3 in. bx'oad, yellowish-pubescent on both surfaces 

 except a glabrous patch near the base on the inner : inner petals 

 half the size of the outer but more concave, hoary-puberulous outside, 

 glabrescent inside. Stamens numerous ; apical process of connective 

 broad, discoid, depressed in the centre, quite concealing the long linear 

 lateral anther-cells. Ovaries narrowly oblong, glabrous, 1 or 2-ovuled : 

 style as long as the ovary, curved : stigma small. Ripe carpels ovoid, 

 slightly apiculate, puberulous or glabrescent, '35 in. long and "3 in. 

 in diam. ; stalks "7 to S in., slender, glabrous. Seeds solitary, rarely 



2, ovoid, shining, smooth. Meludornm (jlatictim, Scortechini MSS. 



312 



