THE BOTANY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 217 



lanceolate acute 6 inches long and three inches across 

 petiole 1 inch long spikes axillary and terminal, 6 or 7 

 inches long. Flowers white crowded sessile, sepals 5 

 oblong stamens 5, stigmas 2-4. Fruit a ribbed crimson 

 scarlet pulpy berry J inch long. 



Very common all along the coast over the sea, form- 

 ing thickets. 



Distribution India Malay Peninsula and Malay 

 islands, New Guinea, Siam, China and Australia. 



The flowers are white not red as stated Rendle. The 

 fruit is bright red pulpy and sweet, and doubtless dis- 

 persed by birds. In the Malay Peninsula it only so far 

 as I have seen grows on the limestone rocks in Perak, 

 and this form has usually short inch-long spikes nearly 

 all axillary. A plant inland at Bangtaphan collected 

 by Dr. Keith had he says white fruits. 



Achyranthes aspera, L. 



A large Weedy plant often quite shrubby 3 or 4 feet 

 tall. Leaves ovate lanceolate or lanceolate acuminate 

 at both ends pubescent 6 inches long by 3 wide. Spikes 

 terminal and axillary 4 to 6 inches long, dense flowered 

 bracts and bracteoles subulate with a short wing at the 

 base, straw colored. Sepals 4 or 5 subulate ^ inch long 

 stamens. 



Very common shore terraces, all along the coast. • 



Distribution Africa, India, Malay, Peninsula, Java, 

 New Guinea, Australia and America. 



The common form of this plant in the Malay 

 Peninsula is a weed of cultivation the var porphyros- 

 tachys with longer and more slender spikes smaller 

 N rounds and more tomentose leaves. 



The seeds are dispersed by the adhesion of the sharp 

 sepals and bracteoles to cloth, bird's feathers etc., the 

 whole flower breaking off. 



E. A. Soc, No. 45, 1905. 



