360 JOnRNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XTV. 



28. Episcia chontalensis," Eoolc. f. (Gesnerace^). It is a beautiful, 

 very dwarf, herbaceous perennial, native of Nicaragua. It is very similar 

 in appearance and habit to the other species, Episcia fulgida, commonly 

 grown in our conservatories under the synonymous name of Cyrtodeira 

 fulgida. The leaves are very hairy, bullately reticulated or puckered 

 between the veins, the upper surface being of a dull light brownish- 

 green colour with a bright green band along the midrib, and the underside 

 bright purple. The flowers are white suffused with lilac with a yellow 

 throat. Like the Episcia fulgida it is a very handsome conservatory plant 

 suitable for rock-work and hanging baskets. It is propagated from the 

 oreeping shoots which take root when pressed in the soil. The plant 

 was obtained as a present from Mr. 0. Maries, Superintendent, State 

 Gardens Gwalior, in October, 1895. It appears to be a more delicate 

 plant than E, fulgida, as it does not seem to thrive so well in the Gardens. 



29. Aeistolochia leuconeuea, f Linden. (ARiSTOLOCHiACBiF,). It is a 

 handsome climber, native of Columbia. The leaves are large, heart-shaped, 

 dull green, veined with bright light green. The flowers are comparatively 

 small about two inches in size, borne in bunches on the corky bark of the 

 old lower stems, the pouch being yellowish green, veined with brown, the 

 tube olive brown, and the ear-shaped lip purplish brown outside and thickly 

 studded with little light brown warts inside, while the throat is cream- 

 veined dull dark brown. The pods are said to be vanilla like. This 

 climber was purchased from the Agri-Horticultural Society of India, 

 Calcutta in January, 1898, and thrives well here. It has commenced flower- 

 ing only this year, the flowers appearing in July and August. 



30. Quassia amara, J L. (Simarube.e), Suranam Quassia, A tree 

 of Tropical America (Guiana), said to be twenty feet high. The leaves 

 are large, pinnate, with five articulated leaflets, dark glossy green, the 

 midribs being red. The petiole is also red and winged. The flowers are 

 in terminal panicles, each about one inch, of a coral red colour. The whole 

 plant contains a bitter principle, and the wood furnishes the well-known 

 "Quassia chips" used as an insecticide by gardeners, and for medicinal 

 nvirposes. The plant was purchased from the Agri-Horticultural Society 

 of India, Calcutta, in 1897. It has been propagated by laying. It begins 

 to flower here in September, and remains in flower through the cold weather. 

 It does not seem to bear exposure to sun at noon, and requires, therefore, 

 to be planted in a situntion where it can receive partial shade at noon. 

 It does not grow into a tree here, as it does in its native habitat, but has re- 

 mained a shrubby plant only about five feet high. 



* Tiie name is derived from Episkios, shaded, as they grow in shady places. 



+ The came is derived from Aristos, best, and locheia, parturiticn, from its supposed 

 jnedical properties, and from leuconeura, meaning white-veined. 



1 The nauieofthe genus was applied by Linnreus to a tree of Surinam in honour 

 of s neoTO, Quassi, who employed its bark as a remedy for fever, and the specific came, 

 emara, "means bitter from the properties of the plant, 



