Artabotrys!] flora indica. 127 



tatum, fotundatura. Ovula in sutura ventrali indefinita, biserialia. — 

 Arbores, foliia glabris lucidis, floribus terminalibus et opposiiifoUis, solita- 

 riis velfaseiculatis. 



This very remarkable genus is clearly but briefly defined by Major Champion in 

 the Hookerian Herbarium. The flowers are intermediate between those of Xylofieis 

 and those of Gnatteriece. The torus is that of Xylopia, but the petals are flatter 

 than in Habzelia, and very like those of some species of Artalotrys. The stamens 

 are more like those of GuaUeriea, and the single ovary with many ovules is very 

 anomalous in the Order. It will be interesting to determine on the living plaut the 

 position of the solitary carpel with respect to the floral envelopes ; our specimens 

 are not sufficiently numerous to enable us to ascertain this point. One species only is 

 known, which appears to be a native both of Ceylon and the Malayan coast. 



1. C. Zeylanicus (Champion, mss. in Herb. Hook.); foliis ob- 

 longo-lanceolatis, pedunculis 1-3 fere poUicaribus, petalis lineari-ob- 

 longis. 



Hab. In Zeylania, alt. 1-3000 pedum, Walker ! Gardner ! ad Han- 

 tani, Kandy, et Narawelle Galle, Champion!; et in Tenasserim ad 

 Mergui, Griffith! (No. 1033; specimen fructigerum, sed quantum e 

 specimine suppetente judicandum a planta Zeylanica nuUo modo dis- 

 tinguendum). 



Arbor. Hamuli Iceviusculi, atro-fusci, adulti glabri, Juniores aureo-pubescentes. 

 Folia 6-10 poll, longa, 2-3 lata, petiolo J-poUicari, utrinque glaberrima, acuminata, 

 basi acuta, coriacea, nervis obliquis, incurvis, venulis crebre reticulatis. Sejtala in 

 cyathum truncatum -J poll, altum ^ poll. diam. coalita, dentibus 5 rotundatis obtusis 

 remotis, fusco-sericea. Fetala 2^ poll, longa, fusco-sericea, obtusa, ^— | poll. lata. 

 Ovarium obscure costatum, glabrum. Fructus (ex spec. Grifflthiano, in Herb. Wight) 

 late ovalis, utrinque obtusissimus, sesquipoUicem longus, plus quam poUicem latus, 

 subtornlosus, glaber, aromaticus. Semina biserialia, 8-10. Testa Isevis. Albumen 

 ruminatum. 



14. ARTABOTRYS, R. Br. 



Sepala 3, basi cohaerentia. Fetala 6, sest. biseriatim valvata, basi 

 concava, et circa genitalia constricta, sursum patentia, forma varia. 

 Stamina indefinita, oblonga vel ouneata, eonnectivo superne truncato 

 piano. Antherte dorsales, loculis remotis. Torus piano -convexus. 

 Ovaria indefinita vel subdefinita (5-30), ovalia vel oblonga, stylis ova- 

 libus vel lineari-oblongis plerumque reflexis terminata. Ovula 3, e 

 basi erecta, coUateralia. Carpella forma varia. Semina 1-3, magna. — 

 Prutices sarmentosi vel scandentes, foliis lucidis^, floribus interdum sua- 

 veolentibus solitariis vel fasciculatia, pedunculis lignosis uncinatim re- 

 trofractis. 



This genus, which was first characterized by Mr. Brown in the ' Botanical Register,' 

 is readily known by its peculiar habit, and by its floral characters. The uncinate 

 woody peduncles have no parallel in the Order. The position of the genus in the 

 family is somewhat doubtful, but, on the whole, its nearest affinities appear to be with 

 the tribe in which we have placed it. The concave base of the petals resembles that 

 of Xylopia and Habzelia, but they are all similar in shape, and the upper part is 

 usually quite flat. In one species, however, it is cylindrical or clavate, and in ano- 

 ther triquetrous, — a circumstance which has been overlooked in the preparation of the 

 analytical table of the genera. Arlabotrys is for the most part an Asiatic genus, one 



