208 THE BOTANY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 



SoLANACEiE. 



Solanum biflorum, Lour. A herb 2 or 3 feet tall with white 

 flowers and scarlet berries. 



Not rare in open spots on the Plateau and on the 

 track to the Waterfall. 



First collected by Lister. 



Distribution East Ava, Mergui, Malay Peninsula and 

 Malay islands. 



S. ferox, L. A shrubby herb very thorny and densely covered 

 with yellow wool. On the road above Flying Fish Cove 

 and Phosphate Hill, (Andrews). 



Distribution Indo Malaya. 



I did not see this plant, which is a village plant in the 

 Malay Peninsula, more or less cultivated. 



S. involucratum, Nees. A plant of similar habit with the broad 

 ovate sinuate toothed leaves thinly covered with stellate 

 hairs. Stem and leaves thorny. Flowers white, calyx 

 in fruit large and thorny concealing the fruit. 



Phosphate Hill, and on the track towards. Murray 

 Hill. Distribution Java. I have never seen this in 

 the Malay Peninsula. My Javanese plant collector 

 recognized it as a Javanese plant used in local medi- 

 cine and probably introduced for that purpose. 



Physalis minima, L. 



A common or weedy plant, from a few inches to a 

 foot high, sub-glabrous, pubescent or viscid leaves ovate 

 entire or toothed or lanceolate. Flowers yellow with a 

 dark centre, axillary \ inch long. Berry red globose in 

 closed in the enlarged ovoid calyx. 



Common in Flying Fish Cove and all cultivated 

 ground, and also on the sea rocks. 



Three forms were met with, the erect nearly glabrous 

 plant with nearly entire leaves which is common in- 

 waste ground ; a shorter more prostrate plant with 



Jour. Straits Branch 



