Mr. A. Christison on Cannabis indica. 485 
the leaves were withering. The plants in the hothouse at the same 
period were 4 feet high, slender, with few leaves, but in full flower. 
Plants of the common hemp growing in the Garden had a very similar 
aspect, being however in full fruit. 
I am indebted to the kindness of Professor Balfour for the follow- 
ing remarks and botanical description of these plants :—‘“ Those in 
the open air were all female plants; among those in the hothouse 
were one or two males. I have not been able to make out any 
specific difference between the so-called C. indica and C. sativa of 
Europe. The common hemp in the Garden has not attained the same 
size as the plants from Indian seeds, and the segments of the leaves 
are narrower ; in other respects they appear alike, more especially as 
regards their flowers, glands, &c. Both the Indian and European 
seeds produce plants which have a strong resinous odour. In this 
respect the European plants in the garden seem to excel the Indian. 
On the Indian specimens even when cultivated in the hothouse there 
has not appeared any of the Churrus described by Indian observers. 
The racemes and spikes of flowers have a resinous feeling when 
touched. The following is a description of the plants raised from the 
Indian seeds :— 
Flowers dicecious. Male plants in the hothouse about 4 feet high; 
‘circumference of stem at the base about one inch, lower part of the 
stem woody. Stem somewhat quadrangular, grooved and roughish ; 
surface of the stem at the base of a brownish colour, mixed with 
greenish streaks. Leaves opposite, sap-green above, pistachio-green 
below, quinate to septenate, at the upper part of the stem the leaves 
become alternate; segments of the leaves feather-veined, with a 
prominent midrib below, lanceolate, acute, with large serratures. 
Stipules 2, subulate. 
* Flowers in cymose axillary leafy clusters, some of them abortive. 
Perianth of five ovate blunt segments, which are of a pale green colour 
(the margins bemg white and the centre greenish) with a marked 
green midrib, covered externally and internally with glandular 
pubescence ; segments of the perianth concave internally. Stamens 
covered with glandular pubescence, opposite the segments of the 
perianth. Anthers large, projecting beyond the perianth, oblong, 
bilocular, erect, with an apicilar process and longitudinal dehiscence, 
supported on slender filaments which are shorter than the anthers 
and have pyramidal bases ; pollen spherical, with three facets, each’ 
consisting of a small ring in the centre of a larger one. In the 
centre of the flower there is the rudiment of the pistil. 
“Female Plants. These are much stronger than the male plants, 
have attained a greater size, and have a stronger balsamic odour ; those 
in the hothouse attained a height of 5 feet, and those in the open air 
91 feet; stems hollow, 4 inches in circumference, with a tenacious 
stringy bark. Leaves covered with minute vesicular sessile glands, 
which give out a viscid resimous-like exudation, and are interspersed 
with glandular hairs. Flowers in aggregated spikes ; usually three or 
more unibracteate flowers in a cluster in the axil of floral leaves which 
are often tripartite. 
