PLANTS INTRODUCED INTO THE VICTORIA GARDENS. 359 



which are green at first, turning scarlet afterwards. The calyx is white, 

 translucent, and the corolla cream-coloured with a pale yellow lip. The 

 plant was obtained as a present from Mr, Krumbiegel, Superintendent, 

 Baroda Gardens, in December, 1896. 



24. OXYSTELMA ESCULENTUM « Br. (Asclepiade.e), DuclUlca or Dudhani. 

 It is a deciduous leaved, very slender, herbaceous, twining perennial found 

 throughout the plains and lower hills of India. The leaves are mem- 

 branous, linear lanceolate. It begins to flower in July, the flowers bein'^ 

 saucer-shaped, entirely white outside, and spotted and veined with purple 

 inside, and are inflated in bud. The plant was collected by my Overseer 

 from near Bassein in 1900. It seems to do well in Bombay. 



25. SoLANUM SEAFORTHiANUMf (SoLANACE^), It is a beautiful herb- 

 aceous climber of the West Indies. The leaves are pinnately divided into 

 about nine segments. The flowers are light purple outside and violet blue in- 

 side, and are produced in gracefully hanging panicles, succeeded by beautiful 

 bunches of cherry-red round berries. It begins to flower here in July, flower- 

 ing in succession afterwards till December. After flowering and fruiting it 

 appears to drop the leaver and to go to rest in the hot weather, when care 

 is cecessary to water it sparingly. It can be propagated easily from seeds. 



26. SoLANUM Wesdlandii, Hooh.f. (SoLANACE^). Au herbaceous climber 

 of Costa Eica, somewhat similar to the above, but of thicker and stronger 

 growth in stem, leaves, &c. The flowers are largo, about two inches in dia- 

 meter, and of a beautiful pale lilac-blue colour. It is propasrated by cuttings. 



Both the above creepers were purchased from the Agri-Horticnltural 

 Society of India, Calcutta, in Januarj', 1898, and appear to do very well in 

 Bombay. 



27. Kleinhovia Hospita,| L. (Sterculiace^). It is a native of Malay 

 Archipelago and doubtfully of India, but is widely distributed in India 

 Ceylon, Java, Mollucas, &c. It is a medium sized tree with large I^eart-shaped 

 light-green leaves and terminal panicles of handsome pale pink flowers which 

 begin to appear in August and continue flowering till November. The fruit 

 ia an inflated, top-shaped, five-winged, membranous capsule. The plants were 

 raised from seeds obtained from the College of Science Garden, Poona in 

 October, 1898, and they seem to do we!l. One of them planted in the ground 

 began flowering in 1900, when it was about 10 feet high. Another has grown 

 about 16 feet high, but has not flowered yet. 



* The imne is derived from Oxys, sharp, and stelma, a girdle, on account of t^e 

 acute negments of the corona, and from esculentum, edible, on account pro'^ably of its 

 follicle or fruit beiuj; said to be Citeo in Sind. The fmitand the lea<'es are alfo said 

 to have been eaten by the poorer classea in Poona and Khandosh during the famine 

 of 1897-98. 



t The name is derived fiui the old Latin name used by Pliny, probably froai Solar 

 to comfuft, troLu the soothing narcotic efftct of this family, ani after Seaforth. 



I Named af let Kleiuhoif, a Dutch botan'st, and probably from hospiialis, ptr piniicr 

 to a gi'est. 



