35(3 



NOTES ON SOME OF THE PLANTS INTRODUCED 



INTO THE VICTORIA GARDENS, BOMBAY, 



DURING THE PAST 8 YEARS. 



By Cavasji D. Mahaluxmivala. 



Part II. 



{^Continued from page 131 of this volume.) 



16. Phaseolus cakaoalla* L. (Legominos-e), Snail Flower creeper. 

 It is a twining plant of the Tropics, believed to be a native of Brazil, 

 and long grown in Indian gardens. I have known this creeper grow- 

 ing in Poona for many years past, but it has never been very common 

 there. It is an interesting plant from the peculiar shape of its fragrant 

 purolish flowers turning yellowish when old, the corolla of wt ich is 

 spirally twisted like a corkscrew, giving the unopened buds a curious 

 resemblance to snail-shells. It flowers in August and September. Plants 

 were obtained from Messrs. Vishnoo Sadashiv & Co., Poona, in Febru- 

 ary 1896, and again in August, 1900, from the Empress Botanical Gardens, 

 Poona but they do not seem to stand the climate of Bombay well, 

 and several plants raised from seed this year also seem to be dymg without 



flowering. 



17. EuRYALE PEROXjf Salish. (Nymph^ace^). It is an annual aquatics 

 native of India and China. It is remarkable for its large circular puckered 

 leaves with strong spiny ribs, about two feet in diameter, green above and 

 purple beneath. The flowers are son all, violet, prickly, and being partially 

 submerged are inconspicuous. The seeds are eatable when roasted. It 

 is no doubt a noble plant on account of its very large leaves, second only 

 to the Victoria regia in this respect. Two plants raised from seeds obtained 

 from the Super mtendent, Baroda Gardens, m April, 1896, were pla- ted in 

 one of the ornamental ponds in the Garden, but were destroyed by the 

 large fishes that are plentiful in thi^ particular pond. They were again 

 obtained from Baroda in August, 1897, and the plants flowered then, but 

 were again destroyed by the fishes, &c., before seeding. Plants lately 

 presented by Mr. G. B. Krumbiegel, Superintendent of the Baroda Gardens, 

 were planted in a new water pond specially made for growing aquatics, 

 but they have not survived, having suffered irreparable damage during the 



transit by rail. •, ,t ,. 



18. SwiETENiA macrophylla,J King (Meliace^). Large-leaved Maho- 

 gany' Plants raised from seeds presented by the Sup erintendent, Royal 

 ^"^he name i9^erivedl7omtbe old Greek name, probably from Phasdas, a little boat 

 from the fancied resemblance of the pods, and from caracol, its native name in South 



"^rThTname is derived from JiJuryale, one of OviHs Gorgon's of fierce aspect, and 

 from fcrox fierce, both in allusion to the prickly nature of tbe plant. 



t It is named after Von Swieten, a Dutch b-.tanist, and from macros, long, and phyUon, 

 a leaf the leaves of this species being larger than those of the true mahogany. 



