710 cxiv. NYCTAGINE^E. (J. D. Hooker. ) \Boerliaavia. 



obscurely ribbed. This closely resembles the American B. scanfens, but the flower 

 is much larger and the stamens are far exserted. 



4. B. verticillata, Poir. Diet. v. 56 ; branches long pale, leaves 

 broadly ovate or rounded rarely oblong obtuse sinuate, umbels long- 

 peduncled axillary and panicled few-fid, often superposed, pedicels long 

 slender, fruit in. clavate with large semi-globose glands round the crown. 

 Chois. in DC. Prodr. xiii. 1, 454; Wall. Cat. 6772; Boiss. Fl. Orient, iv. 

 1044. B. stellata, Wight Ic. t. 875 ; Chois. I. c. ; Dalz. fy G-ibs. Bomb. Fl. 

 213. B. scandens, Gibs. Cat. Bomb. PL 167 ; Wall. Cat. 6773. 



WESTERN PANJAB ; Salt range, Mt. Tilla, AitcUson. The CONCAN, KATTYWAR 

 and SCINDE, Dalzell, Stocks, &c. GOOJEEAT, Gibson. MYSORE, at Hyderabad,. 

 Heyne. TEAVANCOEE and the CAENATIC, Wight. DISTEIB. Affghanistan, Belu- 

 chistan, and westward to Syria and Tropical Africa. 



Habit, foliage and inflorescence much as in B. repanda, but leaves usually obtuse ; 

 flowers smaller, white or pink, and fruit very different. 



5. B. fruticosa, Dalz. in Dalz. Sf G-ibs. Bomb. Fl. 213; "erect, 

 shrubby, viscidly tomentose, leaves ovate or triangular acuminate much 

 wrinkled beneath, base truncate, peduncles axillary, pedicels slender, 

 flowers umbelled small pink, fruit linear-oblong sulcate pubescent, ribs 

 tubercled." 



The CONCAN ; Ghats east of Bombay and Sewnere forts, Dalzell, 

 Stem 2 in. diam. ; branches very stout. Leaves 12 in. ; petiole short, stout. 

 Peduncles as long as the leaves, stout ; umbels sometimes superposed ; pedicels stout, 

 \-~3 in. Perianth ^ in. diam. Fruit not seen. Probably an African species. It 

 resembles B. grandiflora, A. Rich, a good deal. 



*** Flowers in di-tri-chotomous cymes ; pedicels very long, capillary. 



6. B. elegrans, Chois. in DC. Prodr. xui.2, 4*53; shrubby below, branches 

 erect, leaves sessile linear oblong or oblong-lanceolate obtuse or apiculate 

 fleshy prui nose, flowers in a very large excessively di-tri-chotomou sly branched 

 panicle with very long capillary peduncles and pedicels, fruit ^ in. long 

 narrowly ellipsoid or clavate strongly ribbed perfectly smooth. Boiss. Fl. 

 Orient, iv. 1045. 



The PANJAB; at Sandal bar, Edgeworth. SCINDE, Stocks. DISTEIB. Belu- 

 chistan, S. Arabia. 



Stock woody, much divided ; branches erect, 1-2 ft. , glaucous below. Leave* 

 few, 1-1 in-j curiously mottled with white when dry. Peduncles or branches of 

 panicle divaricate ; pedicels 1-2 in.; bracts (if present) setaceous. Floivers minute. 

 Fruit narrowed at both ends, minutely hairy between the ribs. Schimper's No. 744 

 from Arabia, which Steudel has named B. rubicunda, and which is referred here by 

 Choisy and Boissier, is perhaps a different species, having broader petioled leaves (of 

 the same texture however) and fruit twice as large; it is No. 159 of Fischer's, and 

 No. 98 of Schwenfurth's Arabian collections. Seeds eaten, Edgew. 



3. PZSONXA, Linn. 



Trees or shrubs, sometimes spinous. Leaves opposite or alternate. 

 Floicers in corymbose cymes, not involucrate. Flowers usually dioecious, 

 2-3-bracteolate. Perianth 5-10-toothed, of male flower funnel-shaped, of 

 female tubular. Stamens 6-10, exserted. Ovary sessile, oblique ; stigma 

 capitate or feathery. Fruit large or small. Cotyledons crumpled, enclosing 

 a scanty soft albumen. Species 60, all tropical, one only African. 



