160 



XXXIV. CELASTEACEiE 



\_Microtropis 



1. M. discolor, Wall. ; Kurz F. Fl. i. 251. 



A shrub or small tree. L. thinly coriaceous, caudate-acuminate, blade 

 3-7 in., narrowed into a short petiole. Cymes bracteolate, dense, axillary or 

 supra-axillary. Fl. \ in. across, whitish. Fr. ovoid, 2-valved, i-f in. long, 

 seed 1, shining scarlet. 



Kuraaon, Sikkim, from the foot of the hills ascending to 7,000 ft., Khasi hills 

 Manipur, Martaban and Tenasserim. Fl. Nov -March. 2. M. latifolia, Wight. "Western 

 Ghats from the Konkan southwards, Nilgiris. A small tree. L. very coriaceous, 

 margin thickened, Made 4-5 in., narrowed into a short petiole, cymes dense, sessile. 

 Fr. 4 in., oblong. 3. M. ramiflora, Wight Ic. t. 977. Nilgiris, Anamalais, Palnis at high 

 elevations. A middle-sized tree. L. very coriaceous, obtuse, broadly elliptic or obovate, 

 margin thickened, blade 24—4 in., petiole J in., cymes dense, sessile, mostly on the previous 

 year's wood below the leaves. Fr. J in. 4. M. densiflora, Wight Ic. 1. 1052. Higher ranges 

 of the Nilgiris and Palnis. L. resembling 3, cymes axillary, peduncle J in. Fr. 

 cylindric, | in. 5. M. microcarpa, Wight Ic. t. 975. Western Ghats from the Konkan 

 southwards. A shrub, 1. elliptic, obtuse, blade 1-3, petiole | in., cymes axillary, lax, 

 often clustered towards the ends of branches, peduncle 4-1 in., petals obovate-cuneate. 

 Fr. J in., seed brown. 6. M. ovalifolia, Wight Ic. 976. Higher ranges of Nilgiris and 

 Palnis. A shrub"or small tree. L. similar to 5, cymes axillary and below the ^leaves, 

 peduncle J-l in. Fl. numerous, petals orbicular. Fr. cylindric, 4 in., apiculate, seed 

 crimson. 5 and 6 are possibly not specifically distinct. 7. M. bivalvis, Wall., Tenas- 

 serim, Malay Peninsula and Archipelago. A small tree. L. elliptic acuminate, 3^t in., 

 narrowed into a petiole ^J in. Cymes extra-axillary, very lax, peduncles slender, 

 1-2 in. long. Fr. ovoid, apiculate 4 in. long. Beddome (FL Sylv. Manual, 65) states that 

 M. Wallichiana, Wight, a Ceylon tree, is found in the western forests of the Peninsula. 



4. HIPPOCRATEA, Linn. ; Fl. Brit, Ind. i. 623. 



Climbing shrubs or small trees. L. coriaceous, opposite, entire or serrate. 

 Fl. bisexual. Calyx small, 5-parted, petals 5, spreading. Stamens 3, fila- 

 ments fiat, recurved. Ovary 3-celled, style short, ovules. in each cell 2-10, 

 2-seriate on the inner angle. Fr. separating into 3 distinct flat coriaceous 

 usually dehiscent 2- or more-seeded carpels, seeds compressed, winged, at- 

 tached to the base of carpel. Cotyledons greenish-yellow, fleshy. Species 

 70-90, tropics of both hemispheres. 



A. Fl. minute, -^ in. across or less. 



1. H. indica, Willd. : Roxb. Cor. PI. t, 130. 



A glabrous climbing shrub. L. ovate, more or less serrate, blade 2-3 V, 



petiole \ in. Fl. rusty 

 7 yellow, in axillary ped- 

 / unculate cymes. Fr. 

 carpels oblong, striated 

 1-H in. long, 1 in. 

 broad. 



Western Peninsula, on 

 the west side, from the 

 Konkan southwards. 

 Burma. Thankyeghat for- 

 est. Malay Peninsula. 

 Fl. Jan.-April. 2. H. ar- 

 borea, Roxb. Cor. PL t. 

 205 (Metehkar, Ouclh). 

 Oudh, Bhutan, Khasihills. 

 A large climber, ascend- 

 ing the largest forest trees, 

 often enveloping them 

 with its thick heavy 

 foliage. L. serrulate, 

 5-6 in. long. Carpel 

 3 by 14 in. Probably 

 only a large form of H. 

 Fig. 73. — Hippocratea indica, Willd. Fr., fl. 4. indica. 



