Boehmeria.] LXVII. URTICACE^E. 403 



luxuriantly in the climate of Bengal on comparatively poor soil, whereas Rheea 

 requires rich soil and continuous moisture. Rheea is easily propagated from 

 cuttings, and when grown for its fibre, it resembles a perennial plant, the her- 

 baceous shoots being cut several times a-year. 



2. B. rugulosa, Weddell. Syn. Urtica rugalosa, Wall. 



A small tree with greyish-brown branches, the youngest branchlets as 

 well as petioles and under side of leaves hoary. Leaves alternate, elliptic- 

 lanceolate, short-petiolate, 3-5 in. long, obtusely dentate, with 3 longitu- 

 dinal nerves from the base to the apex of leaf, each nerve penniveined, 

 the lateral veins of the midrib anastomosing in a marked manner with 

 those on the inside of the two side nerves, the lateral veins on the outside 

 of the side nerves being joined by an intramarginal vein running close 

 under the edge of leaf, nerves and veins prominent on the under side, im- 

 pressed and (the veins) indistinct on the upper side of leaf. Flowers 

 dioicous in round sessile clusters, each cluster in the axil of a cordate 

 membranous bract, the clusters arranged in long undivided lateral spikes. 

 The leaves somewhat resemble those of Sarcochlamys pulclierrima, with 

 which it has sometimes been confused, but it is readily distinguished by 

 the long simple flower-spikes. 



Garhwal (Kotridun), Kamaon, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan. B. nervosa of Madden 

 (The Terai and outer mountains of Kamaon, Journ. As. Soc. xvii. i. 587), and of 

 Jameson (Catalogue, 1 854) ; " Vern. Geti, gainti; wood excellent for making bowls, 

 for which purpose it is extensively used in Kamaon," is probably this species. 



3. B. platyphylla, Don Prodr. Ft Nep. 60 j DC. Prodr. xvi. i. 210. 

 Syn. B. rotundifolia, Don, ibid. U. macrophylla, Wall. Yern. Gargela, 

 Kamaon. 



A shrub with four-sided herbaceous branches ; branchlets and leaves 

 rough with scattered short adpressed hairs. Leaves broad-ovate, acumin- 

 ate, dentate with large triangular teeth, basal nerves 3, all penniveined, 

 blade 3-9, petiole 1-5 in. long. Flowers whitish, monoicous and dioicous, 

 in long axillary interrupted spikes, generally much longer than the sub- 

 tending leaf. Male spikes often branching, in monoicous plants occupy- 

 ing the lower axils of the leaves. Styles hairy, exserted. An extremely 

 variable plant, of which 3 principal varieties may be noted in the North- 

 West Himalaya, a. macrostachya ; Splitgerbera macrostachya, Wight Ic. t. 

 1977, with very large long-petiolate leaves, female spikes generally undi- 

 vided. (3. rotundifolia, with rotundate abruptly acuminate leaves, y. 

 scabrella; Urtica scabrella, Eoxb. PL Ind. iii. 581 ; Wight Ic. t. 691, 

 with small leaves, flower-spikes as long as leaf or shorter. 



Outer ranges of the Himalaya, ascending to 7500 ft. Parisnath in Behar. 

 East Bengal, hills of South India and Ceylon, Indian Archipelago, Japan and 

 China. Fl. April- Aug. 



4. B. macrophylla, Don Prodr. PI. Nep. 60 ; DC. Prodr. xvi. i. 209. 

 Syn. Urtica pendidiflora, Wall. 



A shrub or small tree, branchlets four-sided, and strigose with short 

 adpressed hairs. Leaves 6-12 in. long, lanceolate, obtusely serrate, soft- 



