198 xv. PITTOSPORE^. (Hook. f. & Thorns.) 



Ovary l-celled, with 2-5 parietal placentas, or 2-5-celled by the projection 

 of the placentas; style simple, stigma terminal 2-5-lobed; ovules many, 

 parietal or axile, anatropous. Fruit capsular or indehiscent. Seeds usually 

 many, albumen copious ; embryo small, radicle next the hilum. DISTRIB. 

 Genera 9 ; species about 90, chiefly Australian. 



1. PXTTOSFORUM, Banks. 



Erect trees or shrubs. Sepals free or connate below. Petals erect, claws 

 connivent or connate. Stamens 5, erect; anthers 2-celled, introrse, bursting 

 by slits. Ovary sessile or shortly stalked, incompletely 2-3-celled ; ovules 

 2 or more on each placenta. Capsule l-celled, woody, 2- rarely 3-valvo<l ; 

 valves placentiferous in the middle. Seeds smooth, imbedded in pulp. 

 DISTRIB. Species about 50, subtropical Asiatic, Australian, and Oceanic. 



* Capsule 3-valved, twice as long as broad. 



1. P. glabratum, LimU. in Journ, Ilort. Soc. i. 230; leaves obo vat e 

 oblong or lanceolate, flowers in lax terminal corymbs, peduncles glandular- 

 pubescent. Bentli. FL lltntijkn,,ij t 19. 



KHASIA HILLS, in thickets above 4000 ft, Griffith, &c. DISTRIB. Amoy and 1I> n-- 

 kong. 



A straggling shrub, branches whorled. Leaves 2-4 by -lJ in., glabrous, usually 

 acMiniiiiate, base acute, white beneath. Flowers I in. , pale yellow, titpals sometimes 

 ronuatf bflow, ovate, j.ult.'.scont. Ovary linear-oblonir. pulti-sceiit. st\l<- as luiii^. < '</j>- 

 sule 1 in. or more, obovuid-obloDg, niany-secd-d. In ( irillith's llt-rl). thru- ar< 

 &ien8 marked as from Sikkim, but probably through misplacement of tirk<-t>. ( 'bintjso 

 bpecimens are usually quite glabrous, but the. peduncles are now and then downy. 



** Capsule 2-valved, when ripe broader than long. 



t Leaves and branches glabrous (except 3, tetraspermum). 



2. P. humile, //. /. & T. ; dwarf, leaves lanceolate, racemes sul um- 

 bellate few-flowered much shorter than the leaves, sepals obtuse, ovary 

 glabrous. 



KHASIA HILLS, banks of the Borpani river, alt. 5000 ft., II. f. & T. 



A small, much branched shrub, 1-2 ft., glabrous. Lcurvs 1^-2 by |-f in., short- 

 petioled, obtuse or subacute, margins recurved. li<i>-< // * A-l in., slightly pul 

 }x direls %-\ in., pubescent; bracts as long, linear. Fluirers & in., yello\, 

 tiepalx T ^ in., ovate, obtuse. Petals oblong. Capsule subglobose, scarcely compressed, 

 2-valved. 



3. P. tetraspei mum, W. & A. Proclr. 154 ; leaves broad-ovate to lan- 

 ceolate acute, flowers in terminal many-flowered umbels, rays ,-liort simple 

 or 2-fid, sepals ovate acute ciliate, ovary toinentose. II iykt Ic. t. 'J71 

 (stigma bad). 



N iniiijRi MTS. ; and CEYLON, central province, alt. 5-7000 ft. 



A large shrub or tree; branches ot'u-n umbelled, young puberulous. Leaves 14~4 

 by -2 in., glabrous, shining above, pale below, coriaceous, acute at both ends. UmteU 

 sessile or shortly peduncled, rays many, in., short, bracteolate, glabrous or pubescent. 

 F lovers % in. long, yellow-green. /Style glabrous, 2-lobed. Capsule globose, glabrous, 

 2-valved, 4-seeded. Very closely allied to P. nilgldrense. 



4. P. nilghirense, TF. & A. Prodr. 154 ; leaves broad-ovate oblong or 

 lanceolate, flowers in slender glabrous terminal 3-8-flowered corymbs, sepals 

 ovate acute subciliate, ovary tomentose. Wight 111. i. t. 70. 



