Parabcena.'] flora indica. 181 



alteruis, inferioribus compositia, superioribus simplicibus, Mvo-pubescentes, bracteis 

 miuutis subulatis muuiti. Flores in ordine majusculi, viridescentes. Sepala ciliata. 

 Pelala obtusa vel emarginata, concava, marginibua iafra medium incrassatis invo- 

 lutis. Columna staminea petalis tcquilonga. Antherm profunde 4-l9b8e, biloculares. 

 Ovaria, in spec, omnia destructa. bruits poUicares, leeves, lateritise, edules, sapore 

 dulci, gynophoro brevissimo insidentes. Putamen valde compressum, lignosum, fra- 

 gile, prseter carinas Iteve, secus margines argute lobulatum, sinubus rotundatis, apicc 

 trilobum, lobo medio laterales superante, laminam argutam tenuem transverse com- 

 pressam formante. Carina dorsalis arguta, longitudinaliter unisulcata. Fades ven- , 

 tralis medio leviter cariuata, et prope marginem serie duplici longitudinali tubercu- 

 lorum munita. Semen plano-compressum, oblongum. Testa tenuis, flavida, Isevis ; 

 rJbo/phe recta ventrali ; olialaia in facie autica seminis subterminali. Embryo albus, 

 somine \ brevior. 



3. PARAB^NA, Miers. 



Sepala 6, carnosula, oblonga, fere sequalia. Petala 6, sepalis dimi- 

 dio breviora, cuneato-triloba vel obovata. Mas. Stamina monadelpha, 

 columna centralis cylindrioa ; antherm 6 in capitulum subglobosum 

 coalita, transverse dehiscentia. Fcem. Stamina sterilia 6, cylindrica. 

 Ovaria 3, stylis subulatis recurvis. Brupai ovales, styli cicatrice sub- 

 terminali. Putamen superne rostratum, dorso tubereulis acicularibus 

 fragilibus exasperatum, antice profunde excavatum. Semen peltatum, 

 circa putaminis processum internum involutum. Albumen copiosum, 

 carnosum, homogeneura. Embryo curvatus. Radicitla supera longa, 

 styli cicatricem spectans. Cotyledones ovatse, divaricatse, in loculis di- 

 versis albuminis sitas. — Frutices scandentes lactescentes, iuflorescentia 

 axillari dichotome ci/mosa. 



In Parabana tlie ovule is amphitropous, but attached considerably above the 

 middle of the cell, so that the micropyle is not far from the hilum. The seed is pel- 

 tate, and attached to the upper part of the iuternal process, which is hemispherical 

 and quite open externally when the sarcocarp is removed. In general aspect and in 

 the male flowers it is very close to Asjndocarya, but the structure of the putamen 

 clearly distinguishes it. 



We have examined the wood of Parabcena sagittata, which we preserved iu 

 spirits in the Khasia mountains ; a specimen about -\ of au inch iu diameter is cy- 

 lindrical and spongy, consisting chiefly of a veiy abundant lax cellular' tissue, with 

 large areolae. There are flve principal wedges of wood, each cuneate on a transverse 

 section, placed midway between centre and circumference, and alternating with these 

 are 5-7 other much smaller bundles, forming an exterior zone. Each wood-bundle 

 consists of a very little dotted pleurenchyma and a large cambium-lai/ei-. Exterior 

 to the wood, and removed from it, the Hber forms a continuous wavy zone, each arc 

 corresponding to the position of the wood-bundles, both small and great ; this liber 

 is added to annually. The cellular and vascular' tissues are all dotted, and the bark 

 is cellular, without any distinct cuticle. 



1. P. sagittata (Miers in Tayl. Ann. ser. 3. vii. 39); foliis ob- 

 longis abrupte acuminatis rarius obtusis basi sagittatis lobis obtusis 

 vel acutis. — P. oleracea, P. heterophylla, et P. ferruginea, Miers, I. c. 

 Cissampelos sagittata, Ham. ex Wall. Oat. 4983 ! C. oleracea, frail. 

 C«;. 4984! 



Hab. In dumetis subtropicis Nipalia; orienlalis ! Sikkim ! Assam ! 

 Khasia! Cliiltagong !— (Fl. Jun.-Jul.) (c. v.) 



