Narmelia.1 flora indica. 3 



Gray, in the lUustrationa of the Genera of Plants of the United States. We can 

 nnd no difference between the anthers of Isopjnm or Trollius, both of which are 

 considered by De Candolle to belong to Banunculacece vera, and those of Actcea, 

 which he refers to lianunculacece spuriie. We have therefore followed Amott, and 

 Torrey and Gray, in restricting the tribe Feeoniem to Pneonia alone. Our other 

 tnbes are like those of De Candolle. 



Rcmunculacem constitute a widely-diffused and extensive family, most abundant 

 in the north temperate zone. The genera are well-marked, and contain mostly 

 many species. The latter are almost always widely diffused, and very variable. 



The plants of this family are in general more or less acrid; but this property 

 exists to a very variable extent, and it is only in the genus Aconitum that it is so 

 concentrated that the plants become poisonous. Tew of the Indian species are 

 officinal, though Ranunculus sceleratus ia well known for its blistering powers, and 

 Coptis is imported into Bengal from the mountains for medicinal pui'poses. 



Tribus I. ClematidejE. 



Sepala sestivatione valvata. Petala nulla vel plana. Carpella (ache- 

 nia) monosperma, semine pendulo. — Frutices sapissime scandentes, op- 

 positifolii. 



1. NARAVELIA, DC. 



Sepala 4-5. Petala 6-12, calyce longiora. AcJienia stipiti crasso 

 cavo insidentia, stylo barbato plumoso caudata, demum spii-aliter torta. 

 — Frutices scandentes, foliis bifoliolatis, petiolo in cirrhum producto. 



This genus, which is scarcely distinct from Clematis, differing only by the conver- 

 sion of the upper leaflets of the pinnate leaf into tendrils, by the presence of petals, 

 and by the stipitate achenia, is quite tropical, growing in thickets in the hot plains of 

 Southern India, and never rising on the mountains into the cool zone. The only 

 species known are those described bdow. 



1. N. Zeylanica (DC. Syst. i. 167; Prod. i. 10); foliolis late 

 ovatis breviter acuminatis basi cordatis vel rotundatis subtus dense 

 pubescentibus vel tomentosis (rarius glabratis), petalis lineari-spatbu- 



latig_ Wall. Cat. 4687 ! ; W. et A. Prod. i. 2. Atragene Zeylanica, 



L.; Roxb. Coram, ii. t. 188 ; Fl. Ind. ii. 670. 



Hab. Zeylania ! Carnatica ! Malabaria ! Concan ! Maisor ! Dekhan ! 

 Orissa 1 Bengal ! et secus basin Himalayse ab Assam ad Sikkim et 

 Nipal orientale ! Ava ! Malaya ! in dumetis calidis prEesertim mon- 

 tosis sed c provinciis siccioribus extratropicalibus omnino exul. — (v. v.) 



The leaves are generally pubescent on the under surface, but we have before us 

 specimens from Assam and Khasia in which they are quite glabrous, as in the speci- 

 mens from Prome referred to by Wight and Amott. 



2 Iff. laurifolia (Wall. Cat. 4685 !); foliolis elliptico-lanceolatis 

 acuminatis glabei-rimis basi rotundatis vel subacutis, petalis anguste 

 iinearibus.— N. Knlaysoniana, Wall. Cat. 4686 ! 



Hab. In Peninsula Malayana, prope Mergui, Griffith ! et Penang, 

 Mnlayson ! — (»• «•) 



DisTBiB. Ins. Philippm.! 



iV. Finlaysoniana is a diseased state, with the achenia long, subulate, and beard- 



