Polygala.] xvi. POLYGALE^:. (A. W. Bennett.) 201 



SUBTROP. and TEMP. HIMALAYA, from Nipal eastward, alt. 2-6000 ft. KHASIA MTS., 

 alt. 4-5UOO ft. WESTERN PENINSULA, AVA, CEYLON. DISTRIB. Malayan Archipelago, 

 S. China. 



An erect pubescent or nearly glabrous shrub, 4-8 ft. Leaves 4-6 by f-2| in., lan- 

 ceolate obovate-lanceolate or elliptic-oblong, acuminate ; petiole |-^ in. Flowers 4 in. 

 long, in usually panicled racemes ; bracts linear, deciduous. Sepals very unequal, ca- 

 ducous, upper very concave, 2 lower small, ovate ; wings very large, ovate, red-purple. 

 Corolla yellow ; keel amply crested, united to the lateral petals for half their length. 

 Capsule ^-f in., broad-reniibrm, rather fleshy, rugose when dry. Seeds large, globose ; 

 cotyledons fleshy. 



SECT. II. Herbs. Flowers small Calyx deciduous after flowering. Keel 

 not crested. Seeds albuminous. 



2. P. triphylla, Ham. in Don Prodr. 200 ; annual, glabrous, loaves 

 spathulate or elliptic long-petioled, racemes terminal many-flowered 

 leafless. 



TEMP. HIMALAYA, alt. 4-8000 ft. ; from Sirmore to Sikkim. KH-ASIA MTS., Griffith; 

 CENTRAL INDIA, Vicary ; AVA and BIRMA, Wallich. 



Stem slender, 2-10 in., erect or ascending, weak. Leaves |-2 in., membranous, 

 glabrous, obtuse or subacute, contracted into the petiole. Racemes 1^-2 in., slender. 

 Flowers -^ in.,secund; bracts deciduous. Outer sepals small, ovate, acute; upper 

 larger ; wings petaloid, elliptic, equalling the corolla. Keel hooded, with 2 inflated 

 terminal lobes; lateral petals narrow. Capsule iV~i i n -> orbicular, entire, narrowly 

 winged. Seeds black, slightly hairy ; strophiole galeate, with 2 minute appendages. 

 Capsules in some (diseased?) Moulmein specimens, with unequal lobes, and irregular 

 much-veined wings. 



VAR. 1. triphylla proper; leaves small orbicular or spathulate, flowers pink. Roi/le 

 111. t. 19 D. P. hyalina, Wall Cat. 4181. Semeiocardium Hamiltonii, Hassk. in Miq. 

 Ann. Mus. Bot. i. 151. 



VAR. 2. ylaucescens, Wall. Cat. 4182 (Sp.) ; leaves much larger 1-2 in. elliptic, 

 flowers yellow. P. furcata, Royle 111. t. 19, B. Semeiocardium hyaliuuui and glauces- 

 cens, Hassk. I.e. ^ 



SECT. III. Herbs, sometimes woody at the base. Calyx persistent. Keel 

 crested. Seeds albuminous. 



* Bracts persistent, at least till the flower expands. 



t Undershrubs. Racemes axillary. Wings petaloid, membranous. Stro- 

 phiole 2-appendiculate. 



3. P. javana, DC. Prodr. i. 327 ; stems closely pubescent, leaves obovate 

 or obovate-lanceolate mucrona,te, racemes many-flowered, bracts triangular- 

 ovate, wings triangular. W. & A. Prodr. i. 38 ; Thwaites Enum. 22 ; Hassk. 

 in Miq. Ann. Mus. hot. i. 180. P. ceylanic^, Heyne in Wail. Cat. 4183. 

 ?P. tinctoria Vahl ; Hassk. I.e. 181. 



WESTERN PENINSULA and CEYLON. DISTRIB. Java. 



A much branched undershrub ; branches stout, strict, erect or spreading, leafy. 

 Leaves f-14 in., usually obovate and apieulate, finely pubescent on both surfaces; 

 petiole very short. Racemes ^-3-4 in., sessile, stiff, few- or many-flowered, densely 

 pubescent. Flowers ^-4 in. long ; pedicels pubescent ; bracts small, ovate. Outer 

 sepals suhequal ; wings broadly triangular-ovate, angles rounded, exceeding the orbi- 

 cular notched pubescent shortly stipitate capsule. Seeds very hairy ; strophiole galeate, 

 appendages ovate, equalling the seed. 



4. P. crotalarioides, Ham. in Don Prodr. 199 ; stems villous with 

 spreading hairs, leaves elliptic or oblong-obovate apieulate hairy ciliate, 



