Pqlyalthia.] ploua indica. 137 



In the absence of fruit, this species and the next cannot be better placed than in 

 the genus Unona. They are probably congeners of TJnona pannosa, Dalzell, and of 

 Uvaria virgata, Blame. 



12. U. cauliflora (H.f. et T.) ; fbliis Uneari-oblongis vel lineari- 

 lanceolatis brevissime petiolatia basi rotundatis obtusis, floribus secus 

 rainos fasciculatis, sepalis dense pilosis, petalis linearibus sei'iceis. 



Hab. In peninsula Malayana ad Siugapur, Lobb ! — (u. «.) 



Arlor ? 'Ramuli dense fusco-tomentosi. VoHa 5-6 poll, louga, IJ-IJ lata, pe- 

 tiolo vix lineam longo, incrassato, tomentoso, tenuiter coriacea, supra lucida, subtus 

 (secus costam densins) fuaco-pubescentia, nervis falcatis. Flores in fascicnlo pau- 

 cicres (juam in prsecedeute. Pedioelli pedunculo abbreviate liguoso ramoso inserti, 

 i poll, longi, tomentosi. Sepala ovato-lanceolata, J-pollicaria. Petala i\ poll, 

 longa, i poll, lata, (ex sicco) laete rubra. Stamina indeflnita, breviter cuneata, trun- 

 cata, antherarum loculis discretis. Ovaria ovalia, dense albo-strigosa. Ovula in 

 sutura ventrali 3-4. 



17. POLYALTHIA, Blume. 



Polyalthia, § 1, Blume, Fl. Jav. Anon. 70. 



Sepala 3. Petala 6, biseriaUa, ovata vel elongata, coriacea, plano- 

 convexa, test, valvata. Stamina indeflnita, connectivo truncate capi- 

 tato ; anthei'is lineari-oblongis dorsalibus. Toi'us apice triincatus, pla- 

 nus. Ovaria indeflnita, oblonga, in sutm-a ventrali prope basin biovulata. 

 Stylus oblongus. Carpella Gnatteria. — Aibores, foliis coriaceis, nervis 

 obliquis distantibus apice arcuatim connexis inconspicuis, floribus axillari- 

 bus vel extra-alaribus. 



The genus Pohjalthia, as originally instituted by Blume, included foui- very dis- 

 tinct groups, all of which were clearly distinguished by that author as sections. 

 Blume made the character of the genus to rest mainly on the two-ovuled ovary. 

 This indeed is the principal point of resemblance between the different groups which 

 he brought together under this genus, while they possess, it appears to us, too many 

 and important points of distinction to permit of their being associated together. 

 We have therefore considered each of Blumc's sections as a distinct genus, except 

 Kentia, which is so closely allied to our genus Melodorum that it does not appear 

 necessary to retain it as a genus. As Blume has foreseen the probability of this being 

 done, and has given to each section a name, indicating at the same time to which he 

 desired the generic name to be attached, we have of course made no alteration in 

 that respect. The true Folyalthia, in the restricted sense, as characterized above, 

 is much more closely allied to Guatieria than to any other genus, the flowers being 

 in no respect different, except by the increased number and different position of the 

 ovules. The species have, however, a peculiar habit, not like that of the majority 

 of Guatterice, the very short-petioled leaves giving them a peculiar facies. Guat- 

 teria suberosa, however, approaches the genus Pohjalthia in this respect very closely, 

 and forms a direct transition from the one genus to the other. We learn from Blume 

 that species of Polyalthia are numerous in the Malayan Archipelago, while within 

 our limits they are entirely confined to the Malayan peninsula. Besides Blume's 

 species and those described below, we have before us several species from the Philip- 

 pines, collected by Cuming. We have also seen an imperfect specimen from Ceylon, 

 in Dr. Wight's Herbarium, which resembles P. ohliqua, but has obloug-lanceolate 

 leaves more membranous than those of that species, and long-pedicellcd flowers op- 

 posite the leaves, not axillary as in P. obliqua .- it is probably a very distinct species. 



T 



