126 Dr. T. Anderson on the Indian species of Lycium. 



does not reach the margin, being confined to the 4th, 5th, 6th, 

 7th and 8th interstitial spaces, the colour being shortest on 

 the 5th and longest on the three last ; the posterior spot is con- 

 fined to the same interstices, almost disappearing on the last ; it 

 is more transverse and not so much curved obliquely backwards 

 and outwards as in Si/mei. 



[To be continued.] 



XI. — Xotes on the Indian species o/ Lycium. 

 By T. Anderson, Esq., M.D., Oude Contingent*. 



In October 1855, when passing through the Doab between the 

 Ravee and Beas, I gathered a specimen of Lycium Edgeirorthii of 

 Dunal, a species founded on a plant sent to Dunal by Mr. Edge- 

 worth, from near Sirhind. The plant in my herbarmm is evi- 

 dently the same as that which Dunal has described ; but after 

 most careful and repeated examination of a considerable number 

 of specimens in my possession, I am convinced that Dunal's 

 L. Edgeworthii is only a variety of his L. mediterraneum, the 

 L. europceum of Linnseus. In order that his species L. medi- 

 terraneum and L. Edgeworthii may be distinguished, he has 

 refined their specific characters so much, that they appear to be 

 the descriptions rather of trivial varieties than of permanent and 

 well-marked species. The differences between the specific cha- 

 racters of the species consist of a line or two in the length of the 

 calyx — a mark of no importance, of minute diflferences in the 

 length of the pedicels and peduncles, and of inconstant charac- 

 ters taken from the existence of minute hairs at the insertion of 

 the filaments in Lycium Edgeuorthii. In my specimens I found 

 several flowers entirely glabrous. In Lycium europawti the 

 character is "filamentis basi puberulis." Characters are also 

 taken from the branches and spines, but the latter, in both 

 species, are of all shapes and sizes, from a simple thorn ^ of an 

 inch long to a spine 3 inches long, bearing leaves and flowers. 

 Dunal supposes the colour of the corolla of L. Edgeworthii to be 

 yellow ; in my specimens it is pale rose-coloured, as in L. euro- 

 pceum. 



Dunal has proposed to change the name of the Linnsean 

 L. europceum to L. meditei-raneum, a change by no means appli- 

 cable to a plant widely difi*used in India. I therefore retain the 

 Linnaean name, and propose the following specific character, 

 which seems applicable to both the Indian and Western plants. 



L. EXJROP.i;uM, fruticosum, cortice albido, ramis spinescentibus, 

 spinis teretibus, foliis 2-5 ad basin spinarum fasciculatis, obovato- 



* From the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, No. I. 1857. 



