Allcnanthus.] cxxxvi. URTICACE.E. (J. D. Hooker.) 491 



Resembles Malaisia tortuosa, a widely diffused Malayan and Australian plant, and 

 mistaken for it by Kurz ; it differs in the erect habit, embryo, and undivided style. 

 The genera might well be united. The true M. tortuosa, though abundant from the 

 Malay to the Pacific Islands, has not [hitherto been found in the limits of British 

 India. 



13. PXiBCOSPERXKUaX, Trecul. 



Glabrous trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, quite entire, penninerved ; 

 stipules minute. Flowers dioecious, in axillary solitary or 2-3-nate peduncled 

 heads. MALE FL. bracteolate. Perianth-lobes 4, concave, imbricate. Stamens 

 4, inflexed in bud. Pistillode minute, hairy. FEM. FL. Perianths fleshy, 

 4-toothed, connate into a fleshy many-celled head. Ovary straight, included ; 

 style filiform, undivided; ovule pendulous. Achenes few in the globose 

 fleshy receptacle, coriaceous, adnate to the perianths. Albumen 0; embryo 

 subglobose, one cotyledon very large fleshy, embracing the smaller folded 

 one ; radicle upcurved. Species 3, an African and the following. 



1 P. spinosum, Trecul in Ann. Sc. Nat. Ser. 3, viii. 124; spinous. 

 Bureau in] DC. Prodr. xvii. 233 ; Wight Ic. t. 1963; Brand. For. FL 401 ; 

 Gamble Man. Ind. Timb. 327 ; Bedd. Flor. Sylvat. t. ,220. Batis spinosa, 

 Roxb. FL Ind. iii. 762 (excl. syn. Rumpli.}. B. aurantiaca, Wall. mss. 

 Trophis spinosa, Heyne in Willd. Sp. PI. iv. 734; Wall. Cat. 4641 A, E. 

 T. aculeata, Roth Nov. Sp. 368. 



From the SALT RANGE, alt. 3000 ft., eastwards along the foot of the Himalaya, 

 and southwards to TEAVANCOEE and CEYLON. 



A shrub or tree, spines axillary, straight ; branchlets puberulous. Leaves 2-3 in., 

 elliptic-oblong orobovate, obtuse or acute, glabrous; nerves obscure; petiole | J in. 

 Male heads % in. diam. ; sepals obtuse or notched, pubescent. Fruiting heads \ in. 

 diam., lobed, with 1-2 achenes. Closely resembles Cudrania javanensis in habit 

 and foliage. 



2. P. andamanicumj King in Herb. Calcutt. ; unarmed. 



TENASSERIM; banks of the Atran, Lobb. ANDAMAN ISLANDS, King's Col- 

 lector. 



Apparently a larger stouter species than P. spinosum, and unarmed, with 

 elliptic-oblong coriaceous leaves 4-5 by 2-3 in., rounded at the base, longer petioles 

 (|-1 in.) and larger fern, heads on very stout peduncles. 



14. 1KORUS, Linn. 



Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, entire toothed or 3-lobed, base 

 3-5-nerved ; stipules small, lateral, caducous. Flowers mono- or dioecious, 

 spicate. MALE FL. Sepals 4, imbricate. Stamens 4, inflexed in bud. Pis- 

 tillode turbinate. FEM. FL. Sepals 4, ducussate, imbricate, accrescent and 

 succulent in fruit. Ovary included, straight, 1-celled ; style central, 

 2-partite or 2-fid ; ovule pendulous. Fruiting spikes or heads many ; 

 achenes enclosed in the succulent perianths. Seed subglobose, albumen 

 copious fleshy ; embryo incurved, cotyledons oblong equal, radicle ascending 

 incumbent. Species few, tropical and temperate. 



I follow Brandis as to the first four Indian species of this genus, which he knew 

 well in a living state, and had carefully studied. M. atropurpurea, Roxb. Fl. Ind. 

 595, Wall. Cat. 4647, a Chinese species closely allied to if not a variety of M. alba, 

 with long cylindric dark-purple fruit, is cultivated in India. 



