Mr. A. Christison on Cannabis indica. 485 



the leaves were withering. The plants in the hothouse at the same 

 period were 4 feet high, slender, with few leaves, but in full flower. 

 Plants of the common hemp growing in the Garden had a very similar 

 aspect, being however in full fruit. 



I am indebted to the kindness of Professor Balfour for the follow- 

 ing remarks and botanical description of these plants : — " Those in 

 the open air were all female plants ; among those in the hothouse 

 were one or two males. I have not been able to make out any 

 specific difference between the so-called C. indica and C. sativa of 

 Europe. The common hemp in the Garden has not attained the same 

 size as the plants from Indian seeds, and the segments of the leaves 

 are narrower ; in other respects they appear alike, more especially as 

 regards their flowers, glands, &c. Both the Indian and European 

 seeds produce plants which have a strong resinous odour. In this 

 respect the European plants in the garden seem to excel the Indian. 

 On the Indian specimens even when cultivated in the hothouse there 

 has not appeared any of the Churrus described by Indian observers. 

 The racemes and spikes of flowers have a resinous feeling when 

 touched. The following is a description of the plants raised from the 

 Indian seeds : — 



"Flowers dioecious. Male plants in the hothouse about 4 feet high; 

 circumference of stem at the base about one inch, lower part of the 

 stem woody. Stem somewhat quadrangular, grooved and roughish ; 

 surface of the stem at the base of a brownish colour, mixed with 

 greenish streaks. Leaves opposite, sap-green above, pistachio-green 

 below, quinate to septenate, at the upper part of the stem the leaves 

 become alternate ; segments of the leaves feather-veined, with a 

 prominent midrib below, lanceolate, acute, with large serratures. 

 Stipules 2, subulate. 



" Flowers in cymose axillary leafy clusters, some of them abortive. 

 Perianth of five ovate blunt segments, which are of a pale green colour 

 (the margins being white and the centre greenish) with a marked 

 green midrib, covered externally and internally with glandular 

 pubescence ; segments of the perianth concave internally. Stamens 

 covered with glandular pubescence, opposite the segments of the 

 perianth. Anthers large, projecting beyond the perianth, oblong, 

 bilocular, erect, with an apicilar process and longitudinal dehiscence, 

 supported on slender filaments which are shorter than the anthers 

 and have pyramidal bases ; pollen spherical, with three facets, each 

 consisting of a small ring in the centre of a larger one. In the 

 centre of the flower there is the rudiment of the pistil. 



" Female Plants. These are much stronger than the male plants, 

 have attained a greater size, and have a stronger balsamic odour ; those 

 in the hothouse attained a height of 5 feet, and those in the open air 

 9^ feet ; stems hollow, 4 inches in circumference, with a tenacious 

 stringy bark. Leaves covered with minute vesicular sessile glands, 

 which give out a viscid resinous-like exudation, and are interspersed 

 with glandular hairs. Flowers in aggregated spikes ; usually three or 

 more unibracteate flowers in a cluster in the axil of floral leaves which 

 are often tripartite. 



