116 



floka indica. [Jnonacea. 



This genus corresponds with the section Melodorum of Uuona, as left by Dunal 

 (judging from the characters, not from the species included), and with the Melodora 

 division of TJvaria of Blume in the R. Javee, excluding, however, almost all Dunal's 

 species, and a few of those included by Blume, which do not appear naturally allied 

 to the majority. Loureiro's Melodorum is different, as we have determined by an 

 inspection of the materials in the British Museum, In that collection there is an au- 

 thentic specimen of M.fruticosum, Lour., which is an undescribcd plant, of doubtful 

 affinity, as we have not examined the flower, but certainly not belonging to this genus. 

 It has no fruit. There is no authentic specimen of M. arboreum, Lour., but it is de- 

 scribed as a large tree, and is perhaps a Mitrephora. A specimen from Sir George 

 Staunton, which is so named, is an TJvaria, nearly allied to, if not identical with, V. 

 microcarpa, Champion. This, however, does not accord with Loureiro's description. 

 Notwithstanding the exclusion of both Loureiro's species, it appears desirable to retain 

 the name for the group to which it was applied by Dunal and Blume, whose works 

 and plants are well known to botanists, rather than to substitute a new one. Lou- 

 reiro's plants will probably both be found to belong to well-known genera. At all 

 events, his descriptions are not sufficient to identify the species nor to distinguish the 

 genus : it would therefore, we think, be manifestly unjust to Dunal and Blume not 

 to retain their name. 



As defined above, the genus is a very natural one, well marked by the triquetrous 

 buds. The thick, firm, fleshy petals are strictly valvate in aestivation, and the inner 

 ones are concave near the base only, while towards the apex they are triquetrous and 

 acutely carinate internally, so that the two inner faces rest against the corresponding 

 ones of the next petals, exactly as in Anona. The numerous stamens, with linear, 

 parallel, approximate anther-cells, are terminated (generally) by a fleshy process of 

 the connectivum, which is analogous to that of Anona, but often much more deve- 

 loped. The conical torus and oblong styles, much slenderer than the ovary, are also 

 important characters. The sepals are often persistent in the fruit, and the species 

 are all scandent. 



The generic character might be made still more definite, by introducing the num- 

 ber of ovules, which is in general great, were it not that there are several species 

 in which they are reduced to two. The type of these aberrant species is Polyal- 

 thia Kentii, Blume (Melodorum Kentii, H.f. et T.), a plant which has not hitherto 

 been found within our limits, but which so closely resembles M. elegans, H.f. et T., 

 a many-ovnled species, that the two are undistinguishable when placed together, 

 except by an examination of the flowers. In consequence of this close resem- 

 blance, which extends to all parts of the flower, we think it better to retain M. 

 Kentii and 31. jnsocarpum in Melodorum, than to institute a new genus which is 

 not indicated by habit. Indeed, the number of ovules is in this case of less im- 

 portance than other characters, because M. elegans and M. Kentii agree in so many 

 points that they form a natural section of the genus, characterized by the peculiar 

 thickened petals, the glabrous, glandular dotted ovaries, and pitted seeds. 



Besides the species described below, one or two of which have already been figured 

 by Blume, several exist in herbaria from the Philippine Islands. The genus is, how- 

 ever, so far as is known, entirely Asiatic, no Australian, African, or American spe- 

 cies being known. It is still more remarkable that no species occur in Ceylon, or 

 in the Madras Peninsula, or anywhere west of the Ganges ; though in Malaya they 

 are very abundant, and many species extend along the coast of Arracan and Chitta- 

 gong to Silhet and Khasia, and one or two to the base of the Himalaya, where they 

 are found as far west as Sikkim. 



Sect. 1. Eumelodorum. — Petal a exteriora anguste marginata. 

 Ovaria strigoso-pilosa. Ovula numerosa. Semina non scrobi- 

 culata . 



M. rubiginosum (H.f. et T.) ; foliis oblongis obtusis vel acu- 



