Mebbemla.] C01S1V0LVXJLACE2E. Ill 



pinkish ; pedicels ±-1 in. long, stout, pubescent. Outer sepals (in flower) 

 about i in. long, ovate, mucronate, pubescent, much enlarged in fruit, 

 orbicular, concave, scariose ; the 3 inner sepals smaller, membranous, 

 apiculate, glabrous. Corolla white, l$-2 in. long. Capsule $-$ in. in 

 diam., globose, enclosed in the enlarged imbricate brittle calyx- 

 segments. Seeds round, black, one in each cell. 



Moradabad (T. Thomson), Dehra Dun (Gamble), Kheri dist. of N. Oudh* 

 (Duthie), Bundelkhand (Edgeworth). Flowers Oct. to Jan. Distrib. 

 Bengal, Bombay and l'eccan and southwards to Southern India and 

 Ceylon ; extending to China, the Malay Islands, Australia Philippines, 

 and to Trop. Africa and America. The root, known as Turpeth-root, 

 is largely used as a purgative. Cattle do not eat this plant. The 

 flowers are sacred to Siva. 



11. IPOMjEA, Linn ; Fl. Brit. lnd. iv, 196 (in part). 



Twining or prostrate herbs, rarely shrubby or erect. Leaves eDtire 

 lobed or divided. Flowers axillary, solitary or in cymes. Sepal 

 ovate or linear, equal or unequal. Corolla campanulate or funnels 

 shaped ; limb plicate, slightly lobed. Stamens usually included, 

 filaments filiform or dilated below, often unequal, anthers straight 

 or contorted, pollen spinulose. Ovary 1-3 (rarely 4) -eel led, usually 

 4-ovuled, style filiform, stigma capitate, entire or 2-3 -globose, rarely 

 stigmas 2-linear. Fruit a 4-6-valved capsule, rarely indehiseent. 

 Seeds usually ,4 or 6, glabrous bearded or uniformly velvety or 

 woolly.— Species about 400, in the warmer regions of the world. 



Leaves entire (occasionally 3-lobed in I.pilosa) 

 Outer sepals sagittate or cordate at the base 1. I, calycina . 



Outer sepals not cordate at the base. 

 Sepals much enlarged in fruit • . . 2. I. barlerioides . 



Sepals not or slightly enlarged in fruit. 

 Flowers in sessile or nearly sessile heads. 

 Leaves ovate, acute, capsule hairy ; 

 seeds glabrous, minutely foveolate . 3. I. hispida. 



Leaves oblong-hastate, acute or acu- 

 minate, capsule glabrous, seeds 

 velvety 4. I. siyidica. 



Flowers in pedunculate cymes or pani- 

 cles. 



Sepals hispid. 

 Stems prostrate ; leaves as broad as 

 long, very obtuse . . . . 5. I. rumicifolia. 



Stems twining, leaves acute or acu- 

 minate . , . . . 6. I. pilosa. 



