20 Notes on Indian Botany. 



elongating as the seed advances towards maturity, when the 

 whole carpel is about 3| inches long and covered with stiffish, 

 brown hairs. Fruit of five carpels, separating from the axis 

 by the spiral twisting of the styles. Carpels one-seeded, 

 conical, tapering below and ending in a brown hook ; above 

 truncated obliquely outwards and just where the style begins, 

 furnished with two pits, one on each side of a middle ridge, 

 which forms the base of the style, muricated within : styles or 

 aristae about 3 inches long, fitted to furrows in the gyno- 

 base, the inner face covered with long adpressed hairs, which 

 start up when the style is released. 



I find in those I have examined, the styles separate at both 

 ends, and, usually, the stigmatic one first. The seed suffici- 

 ently accords with Endlicher's descriptions of those of both 

 Er odium and Monsonia, except that it has not a crustaceous, 

 but membranaceous testa : the embryo, cotyledons, and ra- 

 dicle, all agree with the descriptions of those of Erodium, but 

 are not described under Monsonia. 



It seems curious, that this plant should have been found 

 and named by three different persons, each of whom has given 

 it a different generic name. Mr. Nimmo has placed it among 

 the Geraniums : Captain Munro who found it, or one of the 

 same genus, near Agra, has made it an Erodium : while Mr. 

 Stokes has, I think, more correctly given it to Monsonia. 



The following essential characters of the three genera, will 

 enable any one to determine, which of the three has come 

 nearest the truth. 



Monsonia, petals equal, stamens 15. 



Geranium, petals equal, stamens 10 fertile. 



Erodium, petals equal or unequal, stamens 10 ; 5 fertile, 

 5 sterile ; calyx not tubular. 



From these it appears, that so far as such brief artificial 

 characters go, it is clearly a Monsonia ; but I should not wonder 

 to learn, on its being carefully compared with genuine species 

 of the genus, that it presents characters sufficient to keep it 



