368 Rubiacece. [Saprosma*. 



9. Xi. varians, Thw. Enum. 420 (i{ 

 Mephitidia varians, Thw. Enum. 146. C. P. 57. 

 Fl. B. Ind. iii. 191. 



A much-branched shrub, branchlets compressed when- 

 young, thickened at nodes, glabrous ; 1. usually small, 1-3 in., 

 oval or lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, acute at base, mu- 

 cronate with excurrent midrib at apex, margins often recurved,, 

 quite glabrous, very coriaceous, lat. veins scarcely distinguish- 

 able from the general reticulate prominent venation ; fl. sessile 

 or on very short ped., in small clusters, borne on short 

 peduncles sometimes nearly \ in. long ; cal.-limb cup-shaped,, 

 segm. usually triangular, acute ; cor. glabrous outside, tube 

 short ; berry \-\ in., crowned with erect tooth-like cal.-segm., 

 broadly ovoid, black. 



Upper montane zone; common. Nuwara Eliya; Pedurutalagala; 

 Horton Plains; Elk Plains; Adam's Peak. Fl. Feb.-May; white. 



Endemic. 



The Fl. B. Ind. would apparently restrict this to specimens with the- 

 inflorescence borne on a peduncle. Easily distinguished from the rest by 

 the quite different venation of the leaves. 



43. SAFROS3TCA, Blume. 



Shrubs, stip. connate, with stiff bristles on margin, deci- 

 duous ; fl. moderate-sized, solitary or in threes, axillary or 

 terminal; cal.-limb cup-shaped, segm. 4, small; cor.-tube short, 

 hairy at mouth, lobes 4, induplicate-valvate in bud ; stam. 4, 

 anth. oblong ; ov. 2-celled, with 1 erect ovule in each cell, 

 stigmas 2, fruit a berry, containing 2 thin crustaceous pyrenes. 

 — Sp. 8 ; 7 in Fl. B. Ind. 



L. sessile, subcordate at base 1. S. indicum. 



L. petiolate, acute at base. 



Branchlets scabrous 2. S. SCABRIDUM. 



Branchlets smooth 3. S. zeylanicum. 



1. S. indicum, Date, in Kew Journ. Bot. iii. 37 (185 1). 



Serissa Gardneri, Thw. Enum. 150. C. P. 82. 



Fl. B. Ind. iii. 192. Bedd. Ic. PI. Ind. Or. t. 16 {Serissa glomeratd). 



A bush, branches slender, dichotomous, widened and flat 

 below each node, yellowish-brown, smooth and shining ; 1. 2-4 

 in., nearly sessile, ovate, rounded or subcordate at base, 

 acuminate, acute at apex, glabrous, stip. small with 3 bristles; 

 fl. rather small, on short ped., 1 or 3 at apex of twigs between 

 last pair of 1. ; cal.-limb short, segm. narrowly triangular, 

 acuminate ; cor.-lobes ovate, acute as long as tube ; berry 

 nearly \ in., broadly ovoid, shining, blue-black. 



