Dr Balfour' ;4 Description of Hare Plants. 3G7 



Ovaria 3-5 libera, unilocularia. Ovulis ad suturam ventralem 

 plurimis biseriatis. CapsulcB foUiculares, membranaceae, stylis 

 rostrataj, intus longitudinaliter dehiscentes. Semina rugosa, testa 

 crassiuscula, spongiosa, raphe valida. — Herbae perennes, vene- 

 nata, in Hemisphcerce Borealis temperatis ct fngidis, montanis 

 et alpinis obvice ; radicibus tuberosis, tuberihus nunc fibrilliferis, 

 nunc napiformibus ; foliis petiolatis, pabnatim tri-quinque par- 

 titis, lohis inciso-dentatis vel multifidis ; racemis terminalibus, 

 pedicellis e bractearum axillis solitariis, unifions, bibracteolatis ; 

 floribus ochroleucis, coeruleis purpureis vel albis. Endlicher. 

 Specific Character. — Floribus racemosis, paniculatis, villosis ; 

 galea semicirculari, antice acute porrecta, deorsum attenuata ; cu- 

 cullorum sacco longo, angusto, calcare inclinato, labio elongate, 

 recurve; filamentis alatis, subsagittatis, ciliatis ; ovariis, capsulis, 

 ramisque villosis ; foliis quinquepartito-palmatis, subtus pubes- 

 centibus, lobis inciso-piimatifidis, basi cuneatis, lobulis acutis 

 divaricatis. 

 The plant has been found in the Himalaya at Gossain Than, at Sir- 

 more and Kamaon, and on the summit of Sheopore in Nipal. It oc- 

 cupies the highest situation in the forest-belt investing the sides 

 of the Himalaya. It flowers during the rainy season, and perfects 

 its fruit in October and November. The name of the plant in 

 Sanscrit is Visha, which means poison, and Ativisha, or virulent 

 poison. In Hindustanee it is called Vish, Bish, or Bihh. It was 

 introduced into the Saharunpore garden by Dr Royle, and the 

 present specimen was raised from seeds sent by the energetic and 

 talented superintendent, Dr William Jameson, nephew of Pro- 

 fessor Jameson. 

 The specimen in the Horticultural Society's Garden (where it has 

 flowered under Mr Evans's care), is about five feet high. Root 

 perennial, having 2-3 fasciculated fusiform attenuated tubers, 

 some of the recent ones being nearly 5 inches long and 1 J inch in 

 circumference, dark-brown externally, white within, sending olf 

 sparse longish branching fibres. Stem erect, nearly round, about 

 the thickness of a swan quill, attenuated upwards, smooth at the 

 lower part, pubescent above where it gives off flowering branches. 

 Leaves alternate, remote, deep-green above, smooth and furrowed 

 in the course of the ribs, paler below, covered with minute vesi- 

 cular-like spots, and having prominent radiating veins, which 

 form a beautiful angular net-work; lower and middle leaves 

 petiolate, upper ones sessile ; petioles varying in length, shorter 

 than the lamina, smooth, deeply furrowed above, especially near 



