230 THE BOTANY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 



This plant was first collected by Lister and as no 

 one had lived on the island previously it may be taken 

 that it was not introduced by man, but I could not 

 find it on Christmas Island except in cleared cultivated 

 spots, and at places where fishermen went to fish off 

 the rocks. On frequented tracks it often occurred but 

 not off the tracks, so that it is certainly now carried 

 about by man. 



The common species in the Malay Peninsula is Fl. 

 interrupta. 



Boehmeria platyphylla, Don. 



A shrub or very soft wooded tree about 18 feet tall f 

 branches pubescent hairy. Leaves soft green ovate 

 acuminate crenulate dentate base rounded 3-6 inches 

 long 3-4 inches wide, sprinkled with short hairs above, 

 silky pubescent beneath, petiole 1 to 3 inches long. 

 Male panicles 1 to 3 inches from the axils of the upper 

 leaves, branches an inch or less long. Flowers small 

 globose clustered in distant heads. Calyx cupshaped 

 pubescent with four short acute lobes. Stamens 4. 

 females rather longer and slender. Flowers much 

 smaller silky pubescent stigma very slender. Achene 

 minute ovoid or fusiform, angled covered with sticky 

 pubescence. 



Common Flying Fish Cove, Phosphate Hill. 

 Distribution Africa, India, Ceylon, Sumatra, Java. 

 This shrub stings about as badly as the Laportea. 



Prodis pedunculata, Wedd. 



A succulent herb hardly shrubby with bright green 

 fleshy stems and leaves. Leaves 5-6 inches long 1^ 

 inch wide entire obliquely lanceolate acuminate, 

 shortly petioled, nerves 4 pairs alternate, opposite 

 leaves reduced to a oblong lanceolate or ovate lamina 

 ^ inch long male panicles 1 inch long, peduncles 

 slender branches 3. Flowers very small in cymes green. 



Jour. Straits Branch 



