Modecca.] Passifloracece. 241 



2. JVX. palmata, Lam. Encycl. iv. 209 (1796). Hondala, Potu- 



honda. S. 



Herm. Mus. 41. Burm. Thes. 49. Fl. Zeyl. n. 353 (in part). Bryonia 

 palmata, L. Sp. PI. 1012. M, luberosa, Roxb., Moon Cat. 48. Thw. 

 Enum. 128. C. P 1627. 



Fl. B. Ind. ii. 603. Wight, Ic. t. 201. 



A large perennial herb, becoming woody at base, stems 

 long, thickened at nodes, cylindrical, smooth and shining, 

 mottled with purple and covered with a ' bloom,' slightly 

 branched; 1. large, 4-5 in., broader than long, usually very 

 deeply palmately 5-lobed (rarely 3-lobed or undivided), very 

 glabrous and shining, especially beneath, lobes oval, narrowed 

 at base, shortly acuminate, acute, entire, veins conspicuous, 

 vinous-red, prominent beneath, where are often dots of red 

 colour, and between the bases of main veins 4 circular, fiat, 

 pellucid glands, as well as 2 larger ones on the outer side of 

 the lateral veins, petiole about 2 in., stout, curved, with 2 short 

 setaceous stip. at base ; fl. rather large, on short articulated 

 ped. in two opposite cymes of three, on a long axillary 

 peduncle, which is continued beyond them as a long simple 

 tendril; cal. § in., truncate at fleshy base .broadly and squarely 

 campanulate, glabrous, segm. triangular, acute, slightly 

 spreading; pet. small, distant, linear, inserted at base of cal.- 

 tube, rather larger in male fl., more or less hairy, disk wide, 

 with 5 circular pits opp. segm., with white cilia (corona) on 

 their outer side, and a short blunt, erect process within each; 

 male fl. : — stam. distinct, fil. very short, anth. linear, ov. rudi- 

 mentary; fern. fl. : — staminodes 5, erect, immediately sur- 

 rounding ov., small, acute, ov. shortly stalked, globose, smooth, 

 tapering into 3 long styles, stigmas much divided, feathery ; 

 fruit nearly 2 in., on a short stalk, globose, apiculate, 

 smooth, orange, splitting into 3 fleshy valves ; seeds on long 

 stalks, nearly £ in., muriculate and pitted, black, each enclosed 

 in large pulpy aril. 



Moist low country; common. Fl. May-August; greenish-white, 

 tinged with pink. 



Also in the Indian Peninsula. 



The only specimen now in Hermann's Herb, representing Bryonia 

 palmata, L. is a very bad one, and no doubt is B. laciniosa; but Linnaeus 

 seems to have had specimens of the present plant also before him in 

 writing his description. 



fruit is poisonous, and has caused death. The root is used in 

 medicine. 



Passiflora tuberose^ L., with small green flowers and purple fruit like a 

 small grape, is occasionally found as a weed in the moist low country. It 

 is figured as a Ceylon plant under the name of/-'. Walkeria in Wight, 

 111. t 108. Native of the VV. Indies. 



PART II R 



