6. PouzoLziA.] 124. VRTICACE^. 



Parasnatb, 3000 ft., Clarice, Campbell, etc. ! Fl. Oct. Also Sikkim Tarai ! 



Leaves on young plants ovate and 1'6" long only, on mature plants up to 5" 

 acuminate, base sometimes sub-cordate. Petioles •05--15" only, hairy. Fruit 

 apterous or 2-3-alate. 



7. DISTEMON, Wedd. 



Herb with alternate, toothed, 3-nerved leaves and minute monoe- 

 cious flowers clustered in the axils of bracts in axillary and terminal 

 androgynous spikes. Male perianth tubular below with 2-3-fid 

 valvate limb. Fem. perianth ovoid-tubular 2-toothed, closely 

 investing the compressed ovoid ovary. Stigma linear, deciduous. 

 Achene broadly ovoid, acuminate, included in the thickened perianth, 

 pericarp fragile. 



1. D. indicum, Wedd. 



An erect slender herb 2-3 ft. high, scarcely branched, puberulous 

 or sparsely hairy. Leaves 2 -5-4 -5" ovate caudate, coarsely dentate, 

 hairy beneath on the nerves and thinly cobwebby between, hairy 

 above, base shortly cuneate, sec. n. 1-more to each of the 3 principal 

 nerves. Petiole slender 1-2-1 -5" long. Stipules '4" lanceolate with 

 a long setaceous tip. Spikes erect 1-2-5" long, sometimes leafy at 

 the base, bracts sub-amplexicaul ovate cordate with cuspidate tips. 

 M. and F. in same axils, about 1 mm. long only. Stamens 2-3 exserted. 

 Achene -1" long, ovoid, beaked. 



Ranclii. elev. 3000 ft. under shade in rocky places ! Fl., Fr. Aug. -Sept. 

 Dist. Assam, Burmah. and Java.- 



8. VILLEBRUNEA, Gaud. 



Trees or large shrubs with alternate 3-5-palmi-nerved or penni- 

 nerved leaves. Flowers monoecious or dioecious clustered, clusters 

 axillary or from leaf scars sometimes in short lateral cymes or 

 panicles. Bracts minute. Male perianth 4-5-fid with a pistillode. 

 Fem. perianth ovoid narrowed to a minute mouth, somewhat fleshy 

 in fruit. Ovary adnate to the perianth, stigma capitate fimbriate. 

 Fruit consisting of a crustaceous achene free or adnate to the perianth, 

 the base of which is sunk in a fleshy cup which grows up round it 

 (and is said to consist of connate bracteoles). 



The achene is described as adnate to the perianth in the F.B.I. , but it seems to 

 me to be merely closely invested by it in our species. 



1. V. frutescens, Blume. 



A large straggling shrub with hairy twigs. Leaves ovate acuminate 

 or caudate membranous, 3-7" long, dento-serrate except at the 

 rounded or very obtuse base, hispidly hairy above, more softly hairy 

 beneath, sec. n. several and tertiaries very reticulate. Petiole long, 

 often half to three-fourths as long as blade. Stipules subulate aAvned 

 •4". Flowers male in dense subsessile or sessile female in cymose 

 clusters axillary and from old leaf scars, conspicuous in fruit from 

 the fleshy white cupules from which the ripe perianth and enclosed 

 achene fall. Achene somewhat compressed, minutely pitted. 



818 



