Vahlia.'] LII. SAXIFRAGACEJE. (C. B. Clarke.) 399 



3. V A KZ.Z A, Thumb. 



Annual or biennial herbs. Leaves opposite, entire ; stipules 0. Flowers ax- 

 illary, usually geminate, subsessile or pedicelled. Calyx-tube entirely adherent 

 to the ovary ; lobes 5, valvate, persistent in fruit. Petals 5, epigynous. Stamens 

 5, epigynous. Ovary inferior, 1-celled, with 2 pendulous many-ovuled placentas ; 

 styles 2, stigma capitellate. Capsule dehiscing at the apex between the styles. 

 Seeds numerous, minute, ellipsoid, smooth. DISTRIB. Species 3 ; in tropical and 

 subtropical Asia, and in tropical and South Africa. 



1. V. viscosa, Roxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 89 ; flowers subsessile geminate or soli- 

 tary in nearly all the upper axils, filaments with a minute hairy scale at the 

 base. W. $ A. Prodr. 364 ; Wight Ic. t. 563 ; H.f. fy T. in Journ. Linn. Soc. 

 ii. 74 ; Dalz. 8> Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 90 ; Oliv. Fl. Trap. Afr. ii. 383. V. sessiliflora, 

 Wall Cat. 7188 ; DC. Prodr. iv. 54. V. Weldenii, Reich. Hort. Bot. t. 91 ; DC. 

 Prodr. iv. 53. Bistella geminiflora, Delile Centurie PL d'Afriq. No. 91, with a 



figure. Oldenlandia digyna, Retz Obs. iv. 23. 



Dry places of INDIA, from CEYLON to BUNDELKUND and the PUNJAB, frequent. 

 DISTRIB. Persia, Egypt, tropical Africa. 



Glandular-pubescent. Stem 6-12 in. high, erect or diffuse, branched. Leaves 

 |-1 in. long, subsessile, oblong, narrowed at both ends, ovate or lanceolate. Petals 

 about in. long, white (ex Eoxb. yellow), obovate. Stamens and styles about | in. 

 long in the Indian specimens, these parts much larger and the filaments pubescent in 

 the African var. Weldenii. Capsule about in. diam., subglobose. This and the suc- 

 ceeding species when in fruit must be carefully distinguished from Oldenlandia which 

 has the capsule completely 2-celled. The leaves of Vahlia have often a connecting 

 line as if falsely stipulate. Mitreola which differs by its single style is also mixed with 

 Vahlia in Herbaria. 



2. V. oldenlandioides, 'Roxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 89 ; peduncles -% in. long 

 from nearly all the upper axils mostly 2-flowered, filaments naked at the base. 



W. 8f A. Prodr. 364 5 Wight III t. 115 ; Ic. t. 562 ; H.f. $ T. in Journ. Linn. 

 /,'oc. ii. 74 ; Oliv. Fl. Trap. Afr. ii. 384. V. Oldenlandiae, DC. Prodr. iv. 54 ; 



Wall. Cat. 7187. V. silenoides, DC. Prodr. iv. 54. 



Tropical dry portion of the "Western Peninsula and CEYLON ; Shuter, Perottet, 

 Roxburgh, Wight, &c. DISTRIB. Tropical Africa. 



Glandular-pubescent upwards. Stem 3-12 in. high, erect or diffuse, branched. 

 Leaves -2 in. long, subsessile, linear or linear-ovate. Calyx-lobes not exceeding the 

 tube. Petals about in. long, white, obovate. Capsule about \ in. diam., subglobose. 



4. TXAREXiXiA, Linn. 



Slender erectherbs ; root perennial. Leaves alternate ; radical long-petioled 

 with large stipules adnate to base of petiole ; stipules of upper leaves small. Ra- 

 ceme terminal, subebracteate. Calyx shortly adnate to the ovary ; lobes 5, valvate. 

 Petals 5, white, or 0. Stamens 10, the 5 alternate with sepals sometimes without 

 anthers. Ovary 1-celled of 2 carpels ending in two styles ; ovules numerous, 

 attached to two nearly basal placentas. Ripe carpels very unequal, diverging at top, 

 and dehiscing ventrally. Seeds 6-16, near the base of the fruit, ellipsoid, smooth. 

 DISTKIB. Species 5, one Himalayan and Japanese ; the other 4 North 

 American. 



1. T. polyphylla, Don Prodr. 210 ; stem-leaves several all petioled 

 cordate-ovate subpentagonal crenate-serrate, petals small linear or 0, fruit cernuous 



