264 The Flowering Plants of Western India. 



monopetalous, tube persistent, covering the fruit, limb 3 to 5- 

 lobed, stamens hypogynous, anthers twin or distinctly 2-celled, 

 ovary free, fruit membranous. 



This small tropical order has two garden species sufficiently well 

 known and beautiful to make it famous, but it would take a tolerably 

 good botanist to discover the relationship between them, or between 

 either of them and the other plants of the order here given. One of 

 these is the Marvel of Peru, Mirabilis dichotoma, generally called iu 

 India, as in America, " four-o'clock," from the time of the flowers 

 opening, and thence clidr baje. The other is perhaps the most con- 

 spicuous feature of Bombay gardens, the grand climber, Bougainvillea 

 spectabilis, introduced from the Cape little more than forty years 

 ago. The flowers are very small and yellow, the large leafy invo- 

 lucres which surround them giving the plant its brilliant colour. It 

 is often seen in English conservatories, but the colour there is always 

 fas far as I have seen) more or less washed out, so as to afford no idea 

 of the beauty of the tropical plant. The native species of the order 

 have no such attractions as these two foreigners. 



BOERHAAVIA.. Herbs, with very small flowers on jointed 

 pedicels, stamens 1 to 5, ovary oblique stalked, stigma peltate. 



1. B. repens. A prostrate and spreading plant with thick 

 stem and petioles, leaves ovate oblong or roundish, often 

 cordate at the base and with waved red edges, often white 

 with hairs below, flowers pink, in small heads or umbels, fruit 

 oval ribbed, viscid, stamens 2 or 3. Punarnavd, Khdpard. 



Very common. Throughout India (IT.)- ^ e nas two varieties, one 

 of which is D.'s B. diffusa (B. procumbens, R.), which G. says is gene- 

 rally monandrous. When in fruit and withering this plant looks 

 much like a bedstraw (Oalium). 



2. B. repanda. Climbing in hedges, all smooth, leaves 

 petioled cordate sinuate, sometimes red-edged, flowers few 

 together in long-stalked umbels, like a miniature pink convol- 

 vulus with long-exserted stamens, fruit oblong, broader at the 

 top, rough all over with glandular knobs. Sdtura, punarnavd. 



Pretty and delicate, very common in Guzerat, less so in the Deccan. 

 Konkan (Stocks). 



* B. verticiVata (B. stellata, D.), which seems to have been found in 

 most parts of the Presidency, but not common, is described as very 

 like this, but the flowers smaller, white or pink, the fruit club-shaped 

 with largo glands round the top (H.). Sdtura. 



* B. fruticosa, shrubby erect, all viscid and hairy, leaves small 

 ovate, flowers umbellate, pink, pedicels long and slender, fruit linear 

 oblong, warty. Sivner and Ghauts E. of Bombay (Dalzell). No other 

 Indian authority. 



Pisonia, trees or shrubs, flowers dioecious, perianth of male flower 



