1-90 FLORA INDICA. [Menispermacea . 



adulta glabra, juniora subtus secus costam pnbescentia, 2-3 poll, longa, 1-U lata, 

 iu ramulis sterilibus interdum 5-6 poll, longa, et ultra 2 poll. lata. Petioli i-\ poll. 

 longi, siipcrnc incrassati, pubescentes, demiira glabrati. Faniculce pubcscentea, axil- 

 lares vul paullo siipra-axillares, solitarii vel bini, tuberculo tomentoso iusertse; mas- 

 culffi petiolis duplo longiores, paree ramosEE, vel subraccmosffi, fojmineaj simpHces, 

 petiolum vix ajquantes, paucillorae, subuuifloriE. Bmctea miuutffi, subulatse. Brupis 

 vix i-pollicares. 



Hi/pserpa niiida, Miers (in Hook. Kew Journ. Bot.), does not appear to be dis- 

 tinct from L. cuspidata, Cocculus ct/nanchoides, Prcsl, is perhaps also a synonym. 



8. COCCULUS, DC. 



Nephroia, Lour. ; Nephroica, Holopeira et Diploclisia, Miers. 



Sepala 6, biseriatim imbricata, exteriora minora. Petala 6, sepalis 

 minora, cnneata vel obovata, integra vel saspius emarginata, v. plerum- 

 que auriculata et in maso. circa stamina involuta. jMas. Slamina 6 ; 

 Jllnmeuta cylindricn vel compressa ; anllierie terminales, subgiobosa', 

 4'-lnl)Ee, biloonlares, looulis lateraliter deliiscentibus profunde didymis. 

 FcEM. Stamina sterilia 6 vel nulla. Ooaria 3, gynoplioi'o brevi insi- 

 dentia. Slyli erecli vel retiexi, ovarii longitndine, cyliiulrioi. Drapa 

 lateraliter compressce, obovatae vel rotundatre. Pulamen fragile, hippo- 

 crepiforme, dorso carinatum et varie tuberculatum, utrinque profunde 

 excavatum. Senicit hippocrepiforme, cavitati putaminis conforme. Hm- 

 hryo in albumine parco cariioso homotropua, radioula brevi oylindrica, 

 cotyledonibus linearibus planis. — Frutices scandantvs vel saltern sarmen- 

 iosi, rarissiwe suherecli, foliis forma variis basi pseudo-artiadatls, petiole 

 yracili cylindrico hand dilatato, infloresoentia axillari pankuhUa, pani- 

 culis elongatis vel sapius paucifloris et fuimineis interdum ad florem soli- 

 larimn rediictis. 



We include iu this genus the whole of Mr. Miers' tribe Plati/gotieie, as we can- 

 not attach that degree of importance to the shape of the petals (in itself indeed far 

 from constant in each species) which ilr. Miers seems to do ; nor do vve think that 

 the modifications of the structure of the putamen are either sufBcienlly constant or 

 sufficiently important to be relied upon as generic distinctions. 



Diploclisia of jMiers, with a very different habit from the other Indian species, 

 presents no characters by which to separate it generically, except the elongated 

 drupe. 



Cocculus is mostly an Indian genus, but several American species are no doubt 

 correctly referred to it, and some of the most common Indian species extend across 

 tropical Africa even to the west coast. One species (by Jlr. Jliers referred to Diplo- 

 clisia) is a native of New Holland, extending as far south as the colony of Victoria. 



Cocculus ooalifolius, DC, is also a true member of the genus, and is closely allied 

 to C. Carolimts. It is the Nephroia sarmentosa of Loureiro, of which Menispermum 

 hexagynum, Rosb. (C hexagynus. Wall.) is a synonym. 0. trilobus, DC, and Ne- 

 phroia puhinervis, Miers in Hook. Kew Journ. iii. 259, from Hongkoug, are also, 

 we believe, not distinct. 



Among the Menispermacein of Dr. Hooker's East Nipal collections there is a spe- 

 cimen, without flower or fruit, which so closely resembles Menispermaui Dahuricuw 

 that it is probably a congener, and perhaps not specifically distinct. The leaves are 

 deeply three-lobed. There is also a three-lobed Meuispcrmaeeoua plant among Cap- 

 tain Stracliey's Kuuiaon collections, but iu a very bad state. The genus Uenisper- 

 mum ouly differs from Cocculus by having 12-18 instead of 6 stamens. 



