162 BOBIACE^. 



short stigmatic lobes. Ovaiy 2-oelled, with 1 erect ovule in each. Fruit a 

 berry, tnth a thin fragile rind.---Stems twining. Stipules 1 on each side. 

 Cymes loosely dichotomous or trichotomous, either axillary or in terminal pa- 

 nicles. 



A smalj genus, almost limited to tropical Asia. 



1. P. fcetida, lAnn.; BO. Prod. iv. 471. A glabrous perennial twiner, 

 woody at the base. Leaves stalked, ovate or lanceolate, 1^^ to 3 in. long, 

 usually somewhat cordate at the base, but very variable in. width. Mowers 

 fessile along the branches of loose dichotorqious or trichotomous cymes, form- 

 ing long loose panicles. Calyx smaU. Corolla 5 or 6 lines long, white or 

 pale pink, mealy-tomentose outside, the throat hairy, the small spreading 

 limb marked with a star-like pink spot. Berries globular or ovoid. 



Mount Victoria, Champion. Common in southern A-^in, ejtending from Mauritius, Cey- 

 lon, and the Peninsula northward to Khasia, China, and Japan, and eastward all over the 

 Archipelago to Tiinor. The Chiiiese specimens have the small globose fruit figured by 

 Gsertner, and I have seen the same in specimens from .Loochgo, from Japan, and from Am- 

 boyna. Many of the Indian ones have a much larger, ovoid, and somewhat flattened fruit, 

 but without any perceptible difference in the foliage and flowers ; and as the majority of 

 specimens are hot in fruit, theYe are no means of ascertaining how far that character may be 

 constant. 



19. SPERM ACOCE, Linn. 



Calyx-Hmb of 4 or sometimes only 2 small teeth. CoroUa-tube usually 

 short ; lobes 4, spreading, valvate in the bud. Anthers usually, exserted, 

 Style entire, or with 2 short stigmatic lobes. Ovary 2-celled, with 1 ovule 

 in each, laterally attached or ascending. Capsxile small, separating iato the 

 2 carpels, either septicidally or leaving more or less of the dissepiment free or 

 attached tp one of the carppls. Seeds marked on the inner face by a longi- 

 tudinal furrow containing the hUum, — Herbs or rarely undershrubs. Stipules 

 shortly sheathing, bordered with bristle-like teeth. Flowers small, clustered 

 in the axils of the leaves or in sessile terminal heads. 



• A large genus, widely spread over the tropical and subtropical regions of both the New 

 and the Old World, some species being amongst the commonest tropical weeds. 



Flowers and fruits about 1 line long, in very dense whorl-like cluatesrs or 

 heads. 



leaves linear or lanceolate, little veined 1.5. strida. 



Leaves ovate, yellowish, with raised lateral veins %. S. semierecta. 



Flowers and fruits about 2 lines long, axillary but not numerous. Plant 



hispid , . . 3. & 



1. S. stricta} lAnn.fll.; DC. Prod. iv. 554. An erect or spreading an- 

 nual, 6 in. to a foot high or rather more, glabrous or slightly and roughly 

 pubescent; the branches 4-angled. Leaves sessile, lineai-, lanceolate or rarely 

 oblong, 1 to IJ in. long, acutely acuminate; their lateral veins scarcely con- 

 spicuous, and having often in their axils 1 or 2 pairs of smaller leaves, which 

 gives them the appearance of being whorled. Bristles of the stipules longer 

 than their sheaths. Flowers .not above 1 iine long, in very dense axillary 

 whorl-like clusters. Corolla shortly funnel-shaped. Capsule scarcely 1 line 

 long, obovate-globular, slightly compressed, crowned by the 4 teeth of the 

 ealyx, more or less pubescent, separating into the 2 carpels, which open on 



