360 A FLORA OF MANILA 



valvate. Carpels laterally compressed, small, the secondary ridges none. 

 (Greek "water" and "a flat cup.") 



Species 50 or 60, in all tropical and some subtemperate countries, 3 or 4 

 in the Philippines. 



1. H. ROTUNDIFOLIA Roxb. 



A delicate, creeping, glabrous or nearly glabrous plant, the stems rooting 

 at the nodes. Leaves orbicular or subrenif orm, thin, about 1 cm in diameter, 

 cordate, margins somewhat crenately lobed, the lobes short, with 2 or 3 

 crenate teeth. Umbels very small, capitate, few-flowered, the peduncles 

 slender, about one-half as long as the petioles. Fruits few, sometimes only 

 2 or 3 on, a peduncle, less than 1 mm long. 



In gardens, and about houses Singalon, Malate, etc., fl. Dec.-Feb., and 

 probably in other months, certainly introduced. Widely distributed in 

 tropical Asia. 



3. CENTELLA Linnaeus 



Prostrate herbs rooting at the nodes. Leaves uniform or rounded, deeply 

 cordate, toothed, palmately nerved, long-petioled. Umbels simple, . axillary, 

 few-flowered, the flowers sessile, the bracts smiall, embracing the flowers. 

 Calyx truncate. Petals 5, imbricate. Carpels laterally compressed, the 

 secondary ridges as prominent as the primary ones, tbe pericarp thickened., 

 (Name of obscure origin.) 



Species about 20, mostly in South Africa, a single one in the Philippines. 



1. C. ASIATICA (L.) Urban. {Hydrocotyle asiatica L.). Taquip-cohol 

 (Tag.). 



A prostrate, sparingly pubescent or nearly glabrous, stoloniferous plant, 

 the stems rooting at the nodes. Leaves rounded to reniform, crenate-den- 

 tate, deeply cordate, 2 to 5 cm in diameter, the petioles elongated. Pedun-; 

 cles in pairs or threes, less than 1 cm long, each with usually 3 sessile 

 flowers at the apex enclosed by a pair of ovate bracts. Petals dark-purple, 

 ovate, about 1 mm long. Carpels cylindric-compressed, about 2.5 mm long, 

 white or green, reticulate, each with 9 subsimilar longitudinal ridges. 



In open or shaded damp places, banks of rice paddies, etc., fl. Oct.- 

 May; widely distributed in the Philippines, probably introduced. Trop- 

 ical and subtropical regions generally. 



108. MYRSINACEAE (Aedisia Family) 



Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing. Leaves alternate, entire or toothed, 

 usually gland-dotted; stipules none. Flowers regular, perfect or polygamo- 

 dioecious. Calyx inferior, 4- to 6-toothed. Corolla-tube short or none, the 

 segments. 3 to 7, usually 5, mostly contorted or imbricate; usually united 

 below, rarely free. Stamens as many as the corolla-segments, alternate 

 with them, free or adnate to the tube. Ovary globose or oblong, 1-celled; 

 ovules few or many, inserted on a free central placenta. Fruit small, 

 globose, indehiscent except in the following genus, where it is elongated and 

 ultimately dehiscent. 



Genera 33, species nearly 1,100 in all tropical and subtropical countries, 

 8 genera and more than 75 species in the Philippine, a single representative 

 in our area. 



