5. Argyreia.J 96. CONVOLVULACEJE. 



cordate leaves 2-4" long with a thin white tomentum beneath. 

 Flowers 2'5-3" white with red centre, or rose-pnrple {F.B.I.) , or pink 

 (Roxh.), 1-3 on a pedvmcle 'o-S" long. Calyx '4--6" in flower. Fruit 

 thin dry 1-1 -5" diam inckiding the accrescent fleshy calyx which is 

 1 •2-1-6''' long in which it is completely enclosed. The calyx Avith age 

 becomes a network of veins from which the intermediate tissue some- 

 times disappears. 

 Tidal Forests. Probably- occurs in the Mahanadi delta. Fl. Dec. -Jan. 



6. LETTSOMIA, Roxb. 

 Distinguished from Rivea and Argyreia only through the 2-celled 

 ovary. Sepals nearly eqiial, iisually only slightly accrescent. Corolla 

 from small to large, mostly shortly lobed. Anthers seldom exsert. 

 Disc anular. Style elongate, slender, stigma of two rounded lobes. 

 Fruit baccate, indehiscent, sometimes dry, 4-1-seeded. 



A. Stamens exserted. Flowers •5-'6" long-:— 



Bracts obovate or orbicular, woolly, persistent . . . .1. aggregata. 

 Bracts subspathulate or oblong, deciduous 2. bella. 



B. Stamens included. Flowers large, l*5-2" : — 



L. ovate-lanceolate gradually acuminate. Peduncles slender, not 

 exceeding the petiole .' 3. Thomtoni. 



L. broadly ovate, caudate. Hairs patent or subpatent . . . i. sfrigom. 



L. lower broadly ovate, upper sometimes ovate-lanceolate. 

 Peduncles exceeding the petioles. Hairs strigose . . .5. sefosa. 



1. L. aggregata, Roxh. 



A pretty climber, resembling in new leaf Argyreia speciosa, with 

 Hiilky juice, white tomentose shoots, ovate cordate leaves 3-5" at time- 

 of flowering, attaining 6-5" when mature, white tomentosely hairy 

 beneath, appressed hairy or pilose above. Flowers pink campanulate 

 with spreading petals, -b-S" long only in peduncled capitate cymes 

 with broadly obovate or orbicular woody siibpersistent bracts resem- 

 bling the outer sepals. Berry red, fleshy -3". 



Southern tract only, Puri ! frequent. Fl. Sept.-Dec Fr. Dec-April. The new 

 leaves appear in April. 



L. mostly obtuse or rounded at apex. sec. n. 10-12 of which 3-4 near base, petiole 

 1-5". Peduncles "2-^" tomentose numerous. Two outer sepals concealing the rest 

 woolly or in fruit hirsute. 'So-'i", inner oblong silky '3 '. Corolla white-hirsute on 

 the lanceolate bands. Stamens far exserted. Berry ultimately drj- with thin 

 epicarp and membranous endocarp sometimes intruded between the seeds, seated 

 on the persistent calyx which is scarlet within. Seeds "l?" grey minutely woolly 

 round the large areole. 



NofE.— The type has leaves glabrous above. Our species seem always to be var. 

 osi/rensis, Clarke. 



2. L. bella, C7arA-e. 



A pretty climber closely resembling the last, than which it is little 

 more than a variety. Juice milky, stems Avhite tomentose. L. 4-6", 

 densely pilosely or silkily tomentose beneath and with silky adpressed 

 hairs or glabroiis above. Bracts ■2--25" subspatliulate or oblong- 

 deciduous. 



Singbhum, often in grassy glades! Palamau, very common in the Southern 

 Range! Ranchi ghats! Probably in all districts of Chota Nagpur, doubtfully 

 extending into Orissa, although there appears to be a specimen from Ganjam, 

 Gamble ! and Angul, Lnce ! 



Sec. n. 9-10, lowest 3-4 close to base. Petiole 1-3-5'' Peduncles -5-3". Calyx 



588 



