Neilgherry Plants. 193 



known Columbo root, and the notorious Cocculus Indicus, 

 in which the bitter principle of the family is combined with 

 a less innocent narcotic property, which it is said London 

 Brewers impart to their porter. 



CLYPEA. 



Dioecious. Calyx of 6 sepals in a double series, with 3-6 close 

 pressed bracteoles. Corolla none. Male. Stamens united into a cen- 

 tral column, dilated at the apex, bearing several 2-celled anthers ; 

 cells opening horizontally, placed end to end, and forming a ring 

 round the top of the column. Fem. Ovary solitary. Stigmata 3 

 (or rarely 6 ?) Drupe obliquely reniform ; nut compressed, wrinkled 

 round the margin. Seed solitary, uncinate. Albumen fleshy. Embryo 

 terete, of the same shape, and about as long as the seed. — Twining 

 shrubs. Leaves peltate. Panicles axillary, both male and female with- 

 out cordate bracteas. — W. and A. Prod. p. 14, No. II. 



This genus is one of four or five appertaining to this family found 

 in the Indian Peninsula, and is easily distinguished from its congeners 

 by its male flowers, the stamens of which are united into a single 

 column forming at top a large capetate anther which opens round 

 the upper margin for the transmission of the pollen. The flowers of 

 this like those of the preceding order belong to the ternary form, that 

 is, are composed of one or more whorls, each having three leaves. In 

 this instance three such are shown in the diagram, fig, 8, while the 

 centre ring may be supposed to consist of either one or two such 

 verticles. In Cocculus there are two whorls of stamens, each having a 

 scale at the base ; in this there are only three scales (fig. 3) surround- 

 ing the column, hence it seems probable that one whorl only unites to 

 form the compound stamen. 



Clypea hernandifolia. (W. & Frequent twining among un- 



A. :) — Leaves ovate, rounded or derwood, in the clumps of jungle 



scarcely truncate at the base, about Ootacamund particularly in 



mucronulate, upper side gla- low moist situations — It is equal- 



brous, under slightly hairy : pani- ly frequent in similar situations 



cles about equal to the petioles, on the Pulney mountains, but also 



umbelliform ; rays umbelliferous ; occurs on the plains in moist 



pedicels very short : pollinife- shady jungles, 

 rous ring 6-celled. — W. and A. 

 Prod. p. 14. 



