6, A note on Swertia tongluensis and on a new variety of 



Swcrtia purpurasccns. 



F 



By I. H. BURKILL, 



new 



Since Swe'tia to7i<jluen4s^ was described in this Journal Vol. ii. 



by a ftecond visit to Tonglu, in the Sikkim Himalayn, where the 

 plant grows. It is not uncommon on the sides of Tonglu south 

 east and north— between 8,500 ft. and the summit at 10,074 ffc. ■ 

 and it occurs to the north of that mountain on the slope that faces 

 it un'l« r Kalipokri. It grows with Swertia Glnrata^ Ham,, rerj 

 often, a d always in similar places, i.e., steep banks at the edge 

 of an opening. 



There is never any difficulty in di'^tinguishing at a glance 

 full-groun S. tfmilueasi<^ with is winged stem and 

 capsules, from 8. Ohirata with its round stem and short capsules. 

 S, tou'jI'Uensis is just as bitber as S, Vhiruta and might be gathered 

 for Chiretta; but I could not find any of it in the Darjeeling 

 bazaav^ where only the commoner and locally abundant S. Chirata 



elongated 



was on 



sale. 



When the buds open, both on S. tonylnen 

 the flowers face obliquely downwards and are shortly carapHnulate 

 with stronjrly recur*ved n " 

 directed straight forward 



ather parallel stamens 

 but tlie flowers of S. tongluensts are a 



little smaller than the flowers of S- Chirata^ and the livid patch 

 <m th^ petals just above the ne- taries is not quite so marked 

 When the capsules enlarge, there is seen to be a great difference 

 between the two. As the flowers die, in both they turn upwards 



ike cap 



same loumey 



cens. Wall. 



I gathered close to the Jorpokri dak- 

 Luogalow a Swertia that I at fiz'st thought to be a new species, 



I very distinct variety of S. pnrptiras- 

 : it extends the known range of S. ywr- 

 puruicens eastward considerably. My plants trrew in an open glade 

 together with 5. dilutatuy G, B. Clarke ; and on the bank at tlie 

 edtre of the glade was S. Chirata^ Ham. The stem of S. Chirata 

 is seldom vertical : the habitat of the plant, i.e., banks, means 

 that the sunlight is unevenly distributed, and tfie plant leans 



out to seek it. 



u^nsis. But 8. diltitftta and 



this new variety of S- jpurpnmscens (var. rar/io^a) are to be found on 

 more -even ground, and their main stem is vertical except in its 

 lowest inch where it is always cui^ved. Most Swertias of the 

 section Ophelia seem to be de^^umbent as seedlings, and the conse- 

 quence of this persisting is a bend at the base of the stem. 



The tallest nlant found was 80 cm. hi^h. The lowest third 



