48i JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol X. 



THE POISONOUS PLANTS OF BOMBAY. 

 By Sukgeon-Majok K. B. Kiktikar, lm.s., fj^.s.. 



Civil Surgeon, Thana. 



Part XV. 



(With Plate Q,) 



{Contimied from Vol. X, page 279.) 



CORALLOCAEPUS ^2mMh..-~Hoolc, fil in Gen, PI 1\ 831. 



Natural Order — GucuRBiTACEiE. 



MARATHI—^r;?^ ^ll. 



This is a small horbaceons annual climbing plant throwing out 

 foliage in the early part of the rainy season, flowering between July 

 and September ; and maturing into seed in the cold weather. 



ROOT. — Very large ; said to be turnip-shaped, but oftener irregular. 



STEM.— Roundish ; rather succulent ; prostrate glabrous ; glaucous 

 (Trimeu). Seldom as thick as a quili ; jointed ; often bending at right- 

 angles at the joint, or ^* flexuose " as, Wight calls it.* 



Tendrils. — Simple ; in the older branches very much branched ; 

 distinctly lateral. 



LEAVES. — Rather small; 1-1| inches long; rotundate; very 

 cordate J sometimes, at the base ; more or less 3-5 lobed. Lobes obtuse 

 or acute ; irregularly and slightly dentate. They are " rounded," 

 says Wight ; the lateral ones the broadest and slightly 2 -lobed. 

 Both the surfaces of the leaf are rather thick or fleshy ; and shortly or 

 roughly pubescent. Wight says the leaves are " sometimes only ob- 

 tusely angled, densely covered on both sides with short hristly hairs." 

 This is something more than being " pubescent " as described by 

 Trimen. Wight's description is more ' accurate as regards the Indian 

 species. 



Petiole." — More than half the length of the leaf ; stout, glabrous ; 

 and somewhat round. It is often so bent as to give the leaf a deflesed 

 appearance. 



• Icones, Yol. 11, p. 7. PI. 503/1079, 1843. 



