226 FLORA OF MADRAS. [HeZtmes. 



Species of Pomaderris and Ceanothus are grown in hill gardens 

 as ornamental shrubs. 



Family XLYII. YITACEAE. 



Small trees or erect or climbing shrubs, the latter usually tendril- 

 bearing, stems and branches nodose. Leaves alternate, simple 

 lobed digitate or pedate, sometimes pinnate or bipinnate ; petiole 

 usually thickened at the articulate base; stipules 2. Flowers 

 regular, hermaphrodite or unisexual, in panicled umbelled or 

 spicate cymes usually opposite the leaves, peduncles often trans- 

 formed into tendrils or tendril-bearing. Calyx small, entire or 

 4-5-toothed or -lobed. Petals 4-5, valvate, free or connate, 

 caducous. Disk free or connate with the petals stamens or ovary, 

 annular or expanded. Stamens 4-5, opposite the petals, inserted at 

 the base of the disk or between its lobes ; filaments subulate ; 

 anthers free or connate, 2-celled, introrse. Ovary usually sunk 

 in the disk, 2-6-celled ; ovules 1-2 in each cell, ascending, ana- 

 tropous; style short; stigma small, capitate or slightly lobed. 

 Fruit an indehiscent 1-6-seeded berry, often watery. Seeds erect, 

 often rugulose ; albumen cartilaginous sometimes ruminate ; 

 embryo basal ; cotyledons ovate or cordate ; radicle short, 

 inferior. 



Scandent, rarely erect, usually tendril-bearing, shrubs or herbs ; 

 stamens free ; ovary 2 celled, cells 2-ovuled : 

 Flowers polygamo-dioecious : 



Petals 5, deciduous in a calyptra ; stigma obtuse ; flowers in leaf- 

 opposed thyrses often bearing tendrils on the peduncles ; leaves 

 simple, lobed ; seeds pyriform, 2-furrowed on the face, 1-furrowed 



on the back with a prominent chalaza 1 . Yitis. 



Petals 4, spreading or recurved in flower ; stigma 4-lobed ; 

 flowers in corymbiform cymes without tendrils on the peduncles ; 

 leaves pedately 5- or sometimes 1-3-foliolate; seeds globose, oblong 

 or pyriform, 2-furrowed on face, chalazci on back prominent 



2. Tetrastigma. 



Flowers polygamo-moiioecious ; petals 4-5, spreading or recurved 

 in flower ; stigma small or discoid ; flowers in leaf-opposed cymes 

 or thyrses with tendrils on the peduncle ; leaves simple or lobed, 

 sometimes digitate or pedate ; seeds oblong or obovoid, convex on 

 back, 2-furrowed on face X. Ampelocissus, 



