Melhania.\ xxvii. stehculiace^. (Maxwell T. Masters.) 373 



Western Peninsula and Bibma. 

 ' A shnib, cano-tomentose, branches spreading. Leaves 2-3 in., pubescent on both 

 surfaces, white beneath, 5-nerved ; petiole 1 in. Stipules setaceous, scarcely shorter 

 than the petiole. Peduncles axillary and terminal, 3-flowered. Sracteoles recurved 

 at the edges. Sepals lanceolate, cuspidate, villous. Petals yellow, obovate, oblique, 

 longer than the sepals. Staminodes ligulate. Gapsule ovoid, obscurely truncated at 

 the top, villous, shorter than the calyx, 6-celled, cells many-seeded. Seeds oblong, 

 somewhat 4-sided, truncated, tuberoled. 



Vab. 1. tomentosa ; leaves rounded or subcordate at the base densely tomentose 

 obtuse, petals hardly exceeding the sepals. Pentapetes tomentosa. Wall. Oat. 1156. — 

 Dry places on the bants of the Irawaddi, Wall. 



Var. 2. abutiloides, Am. (sp.) ; leaves deeply cordate cano-tomentose more meji- 

 branous acute or acuminate, petals much exceeding the sepals, Wight. let. 23. — 

 Western Peninsula. 



, 5. ni. futteyporensis, Munro in Herb. Booh.; leaves oblong acu- 

 minate serrate base cordate, bracteoles equalling the calyx cordate-oblong 

 acute margins recurved, sepals lanceolate cuspidate. M. Hamiltoniana, 

 Munro, Eort. Agrens. 9 {not of Walt). 



NoKTH Western India, from the Indus Valley, alt. 2500 ft., Stewart, to Delhi, 

 Fahoner, and Bundelkhund, Edgeworth; Sindh, Stoclss. 



A cano-pubescent shrub. Leaves 3 by 2 in., petiole 1 in. Stipules setaceous. 

 Peduncles axillary and terminal, 2-4-flowered, twice the length of the petiole. Flowers 

 1 in. diam. Capsule 4 in., oblong, villous, scarcely so long as the sepals. 



6. M. tomentosa. Stocks in Herb. Hook. ; leaves oblong-lanceolate 

 crenate-serrate, base rounded, peduncles terminal cymose, bracteoles oblong- 

 lanceolate cuspidate shorter than the sepals. M. abutiloides, Ailch, Cat. 

 Punj. PI. 23 parUy, not of Am. 



The Panjab, Aitchison ; Sindh, Stocks. 



A cano-tomentose shrub. Leaves 2 by 1 J in. ; thinly stellate-hairy above, paler and 

 softly pubescent beneath ; petiole | in. Peduncles about the length of the leaves, 2- 

 3-flowered. Bracteoles 4 in., margins not recurved. Sepals | in., oblong-cuspidate, 

 tomentose. Capsule oblong, villous, shorter than the calyx. Seeds muricate, angled. 

 —Nearly allied to M. futteyporensis, but with flowers about half the size. 



7. DX. Denhaml, Br. in Denh. & Glapp. Voy. App. 233 ; leaves qvate- 

 oblong crenate-serrate 5-nerved at the base, bracteoles cordate-reniform 

 accrescent membranous. Mast, in Oliv. Trap. Afr. L 230. M. bracteosa, 

 Boiss. Fl. Orient, i. 841. Brotera bracteosa, OwUl. et Perr. Fl. iSeneg. i. 80, 

 t. 17. Cardiostegia Kotschyi, Fresl Fpimel. Bot. 249. 



Hills of Sindh, Stocks. — Disteib. Belooohistan, Tropical Africa and Arabia. 



SufEraticose, cano-tomentose. Branches spreading. Leaves 1 J in., elliptic, stellate- 

 hairy above, hoary-pubescent beneath ; petiole \-i in. Stipules setaceous. Peduncles 

 as long as the petiole, 3-flowered. Sepals ovate-lanceolate. Petals yellow. Capsule 

 spheroid, downy, hardly as long as the calyx. Seeds 1 or 2 in each cell — The flowers 

 open in the evening.- 



11. niEZiOCKIA. Linn. 



Herbs or undershrubs, more or less downy. Leaves simple. Flowers 

 small, clustered or loosely panicled. Sepals 5, connate below. Petals 5, 

 spathulate, marcescent. Stamens 5, opposite to the petals, connate below 

 into a tube ; anthers extrorsCj 2-lobed, lobes parallel. Ovary sessile, S-celled ; 

 cells opposite the petals, 2-ovuled ; styles 5, free or connate at the base. 

 Capsule loculicidally 5-valved. Seeds ascending, albuminous; embryo 

 •straight, cotyledons flat, radicle next the hilum.— Distkib. Species about 50, 

 natives of the warmer regions of both hemispheres. 



