176 THE BOTANY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 



centre. Rare, North East Point on the shore terrace. 

 Collected there also by Andrews. 



Rather a small flowered form with the leaves less 

 lobed than usual. This plant seems to be common in 

 Ceylon and India, and occurs in Moa, Java, Timor and 

 Australia but is absent from the Malay peninsula. It 

 is apparently a weed of cultivation in waste ground in 

 Ceylon, but it grows far away from any cultivation in 

 Christmas Island. 



H. Vrieseanus, Hassk PI. Jav. Rar 1048 p. 304. 



Stems about 12 feet tall | inch through pale green 

 brittle with a large pith inside, densely covered with 

 transparent pungent bristles. Lower leaves cordate 

 suborbicular with 6 acuminate points, edge between 

 waved and serrate, nerves 6 to 8 upper leaves more dis- 

 tinctly lobed 6 inches long seven across, quite glabrous 

 on both surfaces except for some scattered, bristles on 

 the upper nerves, petiole 8 inches long thickly around 

 with pungent bristles. Raceme a foot or nine long 

 bristly. Involucral bracts 1 inch long acuminate lanceo- 

 late setose sparingly except the edge which' is densely 

 setose. Bracts broadly triangular acuminate 1^ inch 

 long. Calyx spathaceous. Corolla 6 inches across, lobes 

 rounded expanded, pale lemon yellow with a maroon 

 eye. Pistil conic densely setose. Capsule conic on a 

 2 inches peduncle, over 2 inches long 5 angled densely 

 spiny setose. Seeds sub-globose pubescent. 



In the centre of the island on the track to Murray 

 hill in thick scrub. Also obtained by Andrews, in 

 a valley on the West Coast. 



This beautiful Mallow, is I think certainly what 

 Hasskarl intended by his H. Vriesianus, a very little 

 known and apparently rare plant. It differs from his 

 description slightly, the leaves can hardly be said to be 

 lobed, and are nearly glabrous and the fruit cannot be 

 described as small. H. Vriesianus, w p as obtained original- 

 ly in Java, and does not seem to occur elsewhere. The 



Jour. Straits Branch 



