18 Notes on Indian Botany. 



stigma 5-lobed. Capsule [5-valved, W.] separating, entire, 

 with the withered corolla, like a cap, leaving exposed the sin- 

 gle seed, pendulous from the apex of a long podosperm. The 

 capsule, during this process, splits into five parts at the base, 

 but remains united at the apex by the persistent, hairy base 

 of the style. 



The following remarks are Mr. Stokes* : " It seems curious 

 that Brown (Prod.) gives 5 styles to Plumbagineae [Plum- 

 bago, however, as defined by him, has e stylus 1, filifor- 

 mis* W.] Lindley more positively insists on this character, 

 both in his marks of Plumbales and Plumbaginacea. Endli- 

 cher makes his c Plumbagineae verse* to have one style ; and 

 he notices the curious fact, that the stamens are opposite the 

 lobes of the corolla, which neither Brown nor Lindley men- 

 tion, and which one would therefore suppose was almost 

 peculiar to Primulacece and Myrsinacece, by so much stress 

 being laid on that character in these Orders. It is curious, 

 that in these three Orders (not to mention others) two with 

 central placentas, and one with an equivalent basal ovule, the 

 stamens should in all be opposite the petals.'* 



The two species, of which the genus now consists, may be 

 thus very briefly defined. 



V. Africana (Lam.), foliis obcordatis. • 



V. Indica (Gibson), foliis ovato-perfoliatis. 



MONSONIA. 



I am indebted to Mr. Stokes for specimens, and the follow- 

 ing very full description of another genus new to the Indian 

 Flora. 



Gen. Char. Monsonia, (Linn. fil. D. C. &c.) Calyx 

 5-sepaled, sepals equal, aristato-mucronate at the apex. Petals 

 equal, twice the size of the calyx. Stamens 15, monadelphous 

 at the base, partially united above into 5 fascicles of 3 anthers 

 each; carpels 5, indehiscent, 1 -seeded, attached to a central 

 column, and ending in very long awns. 



