116 CONFOLVULACF^. [Ipom2Ea. 



peduncles £-1$ in. long ; bracts near the flower, minute, lanceolate, 

 acute, or with tlie flowers subsessile amongst leaf -like pectinate bracts. 

 Sepals \ in. long, oblong-lanceolate, recurved at the cuspidate apex, 

 usually muriculate on the back. Corolla white, i-£ in. long, narrowly 

 funnel-shaped, glabrous, lobes acute. Ovary 3-celled. Capsule % in. in 

 diam., subglobose, 3- or 6- valved. Seeds usually 3. 



In the districts of Delhi (Eoyle), Agra, Dholpur (J. R. Drummond) and 

 Aligarh (Duthie), not common. Distrib. S. India and in Ceylon 

 extending to Upper Burma, Hongkong, Trop. Africa and Australia. 



11. I. hederacea, Jacq. Collect, i, 124; F. B. I. iv, 199; Watt E. D. 

 Collett Fl. Siml. 336 ; Cooke Ft. Bomb, ii, 252. I. ccerulea, Keen.; Boxb. Fl. 

 Ind. i, 501 ; Boyle III. 303. 1. Nil, Both ; Boyle III. 307 ; Brain Beng. Fl. 

 734.— Vern. Nilkalmi. 



An annual. Stems twining, sparsely retrorsely hairy. Leaves 2-5 in. in 

 diam., ovate-cordate, more or less deeply 3-lobed ; lobes ovate, acuminate, 

 petioles 1-4 in. long. Peduncles 1-5-flowered, usually shorter than the 

 petioles ; bracts •§ in., linear, close to the calyx, pedicels 3 in long. Sepals 

 £-1 in. long, subequal, narrowly linear upwards, more or less hirsute 

 near the base. Corolla l|-2 in. long, tubular-funnel-shaped, blue tinged 

 with pink, or somewhat orange-coloured below, glabrous outside. Ovary 

 3-celled. Capsule § in. in diam., 3-celled, 6-ovuled, subglobose or ovoid, 

 glabrous. Seeds 6 or 4, glabrous. 



Abundant within the area, but not truly wild. Distrib. Throughout 

 India both cultivated and apparently wild, ascending to 6,000 ft. on the 

 Himalaya ; also in all tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, but 

 believed to be of American origin. The seeds known as kaladana are 

 used as a purgative. 



xv. 



12. I. pestigridis, Linn. Sp. Bl. 162 ; Boxb. Fl. Ind. i, 503 ; F. B. I. 



204 ; Watt E. D. ; Brain Beng. Bl. 734; Cooke Fl. Bomb, ii, 250. 



A diffuse or twining pubescent herb. Stems clothed with long spreading 

 hairs. Leaves fulvous-hairy on both surfaces, more or less deeply pale 

 mately 5-9-lobed, sometimes 3-lobed or occasionally entire, 1-5 in. long 

 and about as broad ; lobes elliptic, acuminate ; petioles 1-3 in long. 

 Flowers 3 or more together inpeduncled heads ; peduncles 1-3 in., densely 

 hairy ; outer bracts nearly 1 in. long, longer and broader than the inner, 

 sometimes cordate at the base. Sepals £-J in. long, lanceolate, acute, 

 fulvous-hirsute and ciliate, the 2 outer broader. Corolla white or pink, 

 funnel-shaped, about 1 in. long. Capsule concealed in the calyx, £-£ in. 

 in diam., ovoid, glabrous, papery. Seeds minutely grey-velvety. 



A common weed in all parts of the area, climbing on hedges and bushes. 

 Flowers in Sep. and Oct. Distrib. Throughout the greater part of 

 India and in Ceylon ; extending to Upper Burma, China, the Malay 

 Pen. and_ Islands, Polynesia and Trop. Africa. The plant is said to be 

 used medicinally. 



