Dccamwa.'] flora indica. 213 



botanical investigation. The floral characters, and even the fruit of DecaLnea, es- 

 tablish in the clearest manner its close affinity to Stauntonia and Lardizabala, while 

 the more normal arrangement of its ovules and seeds constitutes a remarkable transi- 

 tion from their abnormal insertion in these genera to the ordinary mode of placenta- 

 tion. 



The ripe fruit is entirely filled with a cellular pulp, which is developed from the 

 growing walls of the whole surface of the pericarp, and forms a complete homoge- 

 neous mass, leaving no cavity anywhere. This is firmly attached to the seeds all 

 round, but we cannot find that the adhesion is organic, except at the hilum, where 

 there is a broad organic attachment between the testa and pulp. Vessels originating 

 from all parts of the surface of the pericarp ramify through the pulp, but do not 

 meet in the axis of the fruit. This structure is very different from that of Holl- 

 hoUia, in which the ovules are imbedded in cavities of the walls of the ovary, and the 

 seeds are consequently included in separate loculi of the walls of the pericarp, and in 

 which the pulpy septa do not meet in the axis, uor contract any adhesion with the 

 surface of the testa. Torrey describes the arillus of Podophyllum, a genus allied 

 to Lardizahalea in several important characters, as a pulpy expansion of the very 

 broad placenta, filling the cavity of the fruit, and enveloping the seeds, but not 

 contracting any further adhesion with the walls of the pericarp ; this is a third mo- 

 dification of the development of pulp which is only partially comparable with the 



two described. ^ 



The genus Decaishea is even more interesting on account of its peculiar habi 

 than its placentation. It is erect and nearly simple, resembling at first sight one 

 of the shrubby Araliacece which are so characteristic of the humid forests of the 

 eastern Himalaya. The soft stem, with large pith, and the very large pinnated 

 leaves, which disarticulate between each pair of leaflets, increase this resemblance, 

 which is another curious instance of the analogy in general aspect between Araliacece 

 and Umbellifenv, on the one hand, and the group of Apocarpous Thala flora on 

 the other, long ago iudicated by Lindley. 



1. D.insignis (H.f. et T. in Proc. Linn. Soc. ii. Dec. 1S54).- 

 Slackia insignis, Griffith, Itin. Notes, 187, No. 977 {non ejusdem in 



Palm. Bot. hid. 161). 



II ab. In Himalaya orientali interiori temperata, alt. 6-10,000 ped. ; 



Sikkirn ! Bhotan, Griffith!— (FL Mai.; fr. Oct.) (v. v.) 



Frutex erectus, robustus, subsimplex, medulla crassissima, apicem versus carno- 

 sulus, herbaceus, foliosus, glaber. Folia alteraa, patentia, imparipmuata 8-pe- 

 dalia, petiolo cylindrico subangulato striato, supenie non sulcato, basi articulato. 

 Foliola opposita, 6-8-juga, ovata vel ovato-lanceolata, pleruiiu[iie longe acumuiata, 

 3-5 poll, longa, H~3 lata, basi acuta, petiolulo i-i-poll., submembranacea, subtu 

 glauca, secus costam nervosque sparse puberula, demum glabrata. Racemi plures, 

 terminales vel laterales, elongati, fere pedales, multiflori, crecto-patentes Br e 

 Minute, subulate, cito decidual Fechmculi graciles, pollicares, flores longitudme 

 requautes. Sepala lineari-lan lata, long ima, angustata, tenuiter membranacea 

 (in vivo subcarnosa), multincrvosa, tenuiter puberula. Folhcuh 3 poll, longi, diaiu. 

 |-poll., cylindriei, divaricati, recurvi, utriiupie obtusi, irregnlanter rugosi, sutura vcu- 

 trali dehiscentes, crasse coriaeei, pulpa solida dulci repleti. Semma circa 40, plaeen- 

 tis biuis paullo intra follicuii margines sitis a ,utura i vel * poll, distantibus inserta 

 obovato-ovalia, compressa, pnlpo nidulantia. Testa fragil.s, basi >ubobhque h.h 

 cicatrice lineari-oblonga notata, intus rhaphe marginali pencarpio aversa percur.a; 

 chalasa iqnedis - 3 endospermium tenue; albumen tlavum, carnosum, oleosum ; embryo 



albu3; radicula hilo versa. ..-,, . . 



The fruit of this species, which is eaten by the Lepchw of Sikkiiu, is very pala- 

 table, and might probably be improved by cultivation. 



