112 



more slender and usually longer pedicels : the ovary of tliis is moreover 

 glabrous, while that of M. fulgens is pubescent and the carpels of this 

 are under half an inch in length, while those of M. falgens are three 

 times as long. This is also allied to M. Kentii, H. f. and Th., the ovaries 

 of which have, however, never more than two ovules. 



Penang : Wallich. Malacca: Maingay (Kew Distrib.,) No. 75. 

 Perak : King's Collector, Wray, Scortechini. 



14. Melodorum pisocarpum, Hook. fil. and Thoms. Fl. Ind. 123. 

 A powerful climber : young branches glabi'ous, black. Leaves coriaceous, 

 elliptic or elliptic-oblong, sometimes obovate-elliptic, shortly and abrupt- 

 ly acuminate ; the base rounded or sub-cuneate : upper surface olivace- 

 ous when dry, glabrous, shining ; the lower glaucous, slightly pnberulous 

 when young: main nerves 10 to 12 pairs, spreading, very indistinct; 

 length 2-5 to 4 in., breadth 1'25 to 1"H in., petiole -35 in. Flowers "3 to 

 '65 in. long, axillary, solitary or in pairs ; pedicels rather stout, deflexed, 

 rufous-puberulous, bi-bracteolate at the base, "25 to "35 in. long. Sepals 

 broadly ovate, acute, concave, connate into a triangular cup, rufous-pu- 

 berulous outside, glabrous inside, persistent. Petals thick : the outer 

 flat, oblong-ovate, acute, minutely silky, rufous-tomentose outside, hoary 

 pubescent inside except on the glabrous basal excavation, '3 to 65 in, 

 long: ^n»er jse^fiZs less than half as long, with a large glabrous basal 

 concavity and a short, thick, triquetrous point, hoary-puberulous. Sta- 

 mens numei'ous, filament very short, apical process of connective orbicu- 

 lar. Ovaries narrowly oblong, glabrous, pitted, 2-ovuled : style lateral, 

 nearly as long as the ovary. Ripe carpels globular, slightly tubercled, 

 glabrous, "25 in. in diam. : stalks about as long. Seeds 2, plano-convex, 

 dark-brown, shining, pitted. Hook. fil. Fl. Br. Ind. I, 82 ; Miq. Fl. Iiid. 

 Bat. I, Pt. 2, 37. M. iiyramidale, Maingay MSS. TJvaria mabiformis, 

 Griff. Notulae, IV, 700. 



Malacca; Griffith, Maingay (Kew Distrib.) No. 77. Singapore; 

 Ridley. Penang ; Curtis. Perak ; common. Distrib. Sumatra, Forbes, 

 No. 2162. 



Only two species of Melodoruyn besides this have glabrous ovaries 

 (M. Kentii and M. elegans) ; but whereas those of this and M. Kentii are 

 2-ovuled, the ovaries of M. elegans have 8, or, according to Sir Joseph 

 Hooker, sometimes 10 ovules. This species has however different leaves 

 from the two above mentioned, and its carpels are much smaller and 

 quite globular. As in other species of Melodortim, there is considerable 

 variability in the size of the flowers in this species. 



20. Xylopia, Linn. 

 Trees or shrubs. Leaves coriaceous. Flowers a.villary. solitary 



361 



