552 cxxxvi. UIITICACE^;. (J. D. Hooker.) [Pllea. 



troduced into India, and will no doubt soon be ubiquitous there. It occurs under 

 two forms, as a creeping weed with very minute petioled elliptic or orbicular leaves 

 -jL in. broad, in the streets of Calcutta (Harrington St., Clarke) ; and in a more erei" 

 form with spathulnte leaves J in. long, on damp walls at Hoogly (Levinge), at Dacca, 

 and in Perak (Kunstler). It has been found also in Ceylon. It is a penninerved 

 entire-leaved species, but the nerves are very obscure. 



A. Leaves penninerved throughout. Aclienes smooth. 



1. P. ternifolia, Wedd. Monogr. 202; DC. Prodr. xvi. i. 124; quite 

 glabrous, stem erect usually simple, leaves opposite and ternately whorled 

 subsessile linear or linear-oblong more or less coarsely serrate, cymes short 

 lax or dense-fld., peduncles longer than the petioles, achenes minute oblong- 

 ovate smooth. 



SIKKIM HIMALAYA, alt. 6-8000 ft., Griffith, &c. (Kew Distrib. 4520). 



Stem 1018 in. from a thickened base, smooth, slender, rarely branched. Leaves 

 2^-3^ by - i in., flaccid, base obliquely cordate,, subglaucous beneath ; nerves very 

 many, close set ; petiole T \, in. ; stipules obscure. Cymes sometimes half as long as 

 the leaves very slender and sparingly branched, at others short rounded or with 

 spreading branches. Flowers and achenes very minute. In the absence of the 

 3 nerves, this species suddenly departs from the typical condition of its near allies. 

 " The incurved sepals eject the achene with elastic force" (Clarke). 



B. Leaves 3-nerved, those of each pair unequal. Achenes smooth. 



2. P. anisophylla, Wedd. Monogr. 193; DC. Prodr. xvi. i. 117; 

 suffruticose, dioecious, shoots petioles and peduncles more or less-f urfurously 

 tomentose, leaves 3-nerved in unequal pairs, larger petioled obliquely oblong 

 lanceolate caudate-acuminate base hastate or cordate, smaller sessile ovate 

 deeply cordate auricled on one side, achenes smooth. Urtica-anisophylla, 

 Wall. Cat. 4594. 



EASTERN SUBTROPICAL HIMALAYA; Nepal, Wallich-, SIKKIM, alt. 3-5000 ft., 

 J. D. H., Clarke ; Bhotan, Griffith. NAGA. HILLS, alt. 6500 ft., Clarke. 



Stem 2-3 ft., sparingly branched, rustily hairy. Leaves glabrous or strij^ose 

 beneath, larger 4-6 in., subfalcate, entire serrulate orcrenulate; petiole -1 iu. ; 

 smaller -i in. or ; stipules small, triangular. Cymes half as long as the leaves 

 paniculate, peduncle longer or shorter than the petiole. Achene smooth. 



VAR. robusta ; stem stouter, shoots petioles and cymes more densely tomentose, 

 small cymes very robust, flowers densely crowded along one side of the rachis 

 and branches. Sikkirn, at Rungbee, alt. 5000 ft., Clarke (who states that it is 

 monoecious). 



VAR. khasiana ; larger leaves ovate or oblong, smaller petioled or sessile oblong 

 base hastate. Khasia Hills, at Moflong, Griffith (Kew Distrib. 4513), and Shillouj?, 

 alt. 5-6000 ft. ? Mishmi Hills, Griffith. Male flowers more minute than in the 

 type; achenes not seen. The Mishmi specimens are imperfect. 



3. P. insolens, Wedd. in DC. Prodr. xvi. i. 118; quite glabrous, 

 dioecious, leaves alternate or in very unequal pairs 3-nerved, larger long- 

 petioled broadly ovate caudate-acuminate remotely serrate more or less, 

 base peltate or cordate, smaller sessile orbicular-ovate base cordate or sub- 

 hastate, cymes very slender panicled, flowers very minute, achene smooth. 



Mishmi Mts. in UPPER ASSAM, Griffith (Kew Distrib. 1425). 



Stem 6-12 in., subsimple, terete. Leaves membranous, larger 2-4 in., 3-nerved 

 from the insertion of the petiole, cross-nervules distant; petiole l|-3 in. ; stipules 

 oblong-ovate. Cymes (fern, alone seen) as long or shorter than the leaves; flowers 

 rather scattered. Achenes very minute, obliquely ovoid. 



