70 G. King — Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Peninsula. [No. 1, 



sheathing at the base ; stipules 0. Flowers hermaphrodite or polyga- 

 mous, in compound umbels (simple in Hydrocotyle and Bupleurum) ^ 

 exterior of the umbel sometimes radiant; umbels with involucriform 

 bracts at the base of the general one and bracteoles at the base of the 

 partial ones (umbellules). Galyx-tuhe adnate to the ovary, limb or 

 6-toothed. Petals 5, epigynous, often unequal, and with a median fold 

 on the face, plane or emarginate or 2-lobed with the apex inflexed ; 

 imbricated in bud, in Hydrocotyle sometimes valvate. Stamens §, epigy- 

 nous. Ovary inferior, 2-celled, disc 2-lobed ; styles 2, stigmas capi- 

 tellate; ovules 1 in each cell, pendulous. Fruit of 2 indehiscent 

 dorsally or laterally compressed carpels, separated by a commissure ; 

 carpels each attached to and often pendulous from a slender often 

 forked axis (carpophore), with 5 primary ridges (1 dorsal, 2 marginal 

 and 2 intermediate) and often 4 secondary ones intercalated between 

 these; pericarp often traversed by oil-canals (vittae). Seed 1 in each 

 carpel, pendulous, albumen cartilaginous ; embryo small, next the hilum, 

 radicle superior. — Distrib. Species about 1,500, mainly in Europe, 

 North Africa, West Central and North Asia ; a few are North American, 

 tropical, and natives of the Southern Hemisphere. 



Creeping unarmed herbs ... . ... ... 1. Hydrocotyle. 



Erect spinous herbs ... ... ... ... 2. Eryngium. 



1. Hydrocotyle, Linn. 



Prostrate herbs, rooting at the nodes. Leaves (in the Indian 

 species) cordate or hastate, not peltate, round or 5-9-gonal, subentire or 

 palmately lobed, palmate-nerved, long-petioled ; stipules small, scarious. 

 Umbels (in the Indian species) simple, small ; bracts small or ; flowers 

 white, sometimes unisexual. Calyx-teeth or minute. Petals entire, 

 valvate or imbricate. Fruit laterally compressed, commissure narrow ; 

 carpels laterally compressed or sub-pentagonal ; lateral primary ridges 

 concealed within the commissure, or distant therefrom and prominent ; 

 vittae 0, or most slender, obscure ; carpophore 0. Seed laterally com- 

 pressed. — Distrib. Species 70 ; in wet places in tropical and temperate 

 regions, more numerous in the Southern Hemisphere. 



Petals acute, valvate ; fruit with no secondary ridges ; 



pericarp thin ... ... ... ... 1. H. javanica. 



Petals obtuse, imbricate; fruit with prominent secondary 



ridges, the pericarp thickened ... ... ... 2. H. asiatica. 



1. Hydrocotyle javanica, Thunb. Dissert. Hydrocot. n. 17, t. 2 : 

 ed. Pers, II, 415, t. 2. Leaves reniform, 5-6-lobed, the lobes irregularly 

 crenate, sometimes sub-entire, 1 to 3 in. broad. Peduncles long, slender, 

 often clustered. Petals acute, valvate. Fruit much compressed, the 



