192 Miss Dale, On certain outgrowths {Intumescences) 



On certain outgrowths {Intumescences) on the green parts of 

 Hibiscus vitifolius Linn. By Miss E. Dale (presented by Professor 

 Marshall Ward). 



(With Plates VIII., IX., X.) 



[Received 15 November 1899.] 



Hibiscus vitifolius is a species widely distributed in Tropical 

 and sub-Tropical countries. In different parts of the world it 

 is subject to considerable variation, especially in regard to the 

 kind and degree of hairiness of the leaves, the stems, and the 

 green parts of the flowers. 



By some authors it is regarded as an annual or biennial, by 

 others as a perennial. Hooker 1 says that in India the lower leaves 

 are about four inches long; on the other hand Trimen 2 states that 

 in Ceylon the leaves are generally about one or two inches in 

 length. It is possible however that Trimen may be referring to 

 H. truncatus Roxb., which, according to Hooker, is a variety of 

 H. vitifolius with smaller parts. 



Linnaeus 3 describes the species as " subtomentose." 



De Candolle 4 states that, in Oriental India, the leaves are 

 " glubriusculis," the capsule pilose. 



Roxburgh 5 , who notes that in India the species flowers in the 

 rainy and cold seasons, says that the plant is villous. 



Wright 6 , who gives the distribution of the plant in Oriental 

 India as from Madras to Negapatam, and also in Malabar, 

 describes the leaves as being, on the upper side, nearly smooth, 

 or tomentose, on the under side more or less softly tomentose, 

 and the capsules as " hairy." The same author in his " Catalogue 

 of Dried Plants" describes one specimen, No. 210, as having 

 "leaves very tomentose on both sides" and another, No. 211, 

 as having "leaves more glabrous above." 



Hooker 7 notes that the species in the Niger Territory " differs 

 from the usual East Indian state of the plant in the greater 

 villosity and many stellate setae, or hairs, which, together with 

 the toothing of the leaves, are very variable characters. In some 

 varieties the plant is merely hoary." 



1 Hooker, Flora of British India, 1875, Vol. i., pp. 338, 339. 



2 Trimen, Handbook of the Flora of Ceylon, 1893, Part I., p. 154. 



3 Linnaeus, Mantissa Plantarum, 1767, p. 569. 



4 De Candolle, Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Eegni Vegetabilis, 1824, p. 450. 



5 Roxburgh, Flora Indica, 1832, Vol. in., p. 200. 



6 Wright, Prodromus Florae Peninsulae Indicae Orientalis, 1834, Vol. i., p. 50. 



7 Hooker, Niger Flora, 1849, p. 227. 



