MONANDROUS PLANTS. S2^ 



'tnrned into Sanserif, the name would therefore be, not VanaceU, but Vana cadaU or Aranyru 

 tadali ; Avhich accordingly does occur in a Sanscrit treatise on the Materia Medica, cutiticd 

 Rdjanighantu ; and is there stated as correspoading with the names Runaceli and Co - 6 a/t' in the 

 i\/ora/t«^/« and Canara languages. The author of that treatise, however, understood these tQ be 

 names of a plant bearing an esculent fruit: for he has so placed it in his systematick arrangement of 

 plants by their uses. It must be inferred, that, although the Ca7ina iiidica may bear the appellation 

 of Rdna.celi in Malabar^ where Van Rheede's enquiries were conducted^ that name belongs to' 

 one of the wild species of Musa in other parts of the DekMn. 



The native gardeners at Ndgpur, and I believe in Ilindusfayi liRewiscj call this plant Akilbehrctj 

 which is apparently corrupted from the Arabic Akik-ulbehf qu. Carnelion of the sea. In Calcwtta, 

 it is named by the gardeners Subbajuyd, which is probably meant for Sarvajayd, a title of the God- 

 dess DuuGA' " all conquering." This name, as I am informed, is also in use in Hindustan'. 



The seed of the Canna indica is used in rosaries ; whence the Malay name Daim Tassibeh (i. ffr 

 Baneh tasbih,) as is remarked by Rusipmus; Note by the President,- 



2. PHRYNIUM.- 



Oen. Char. Anther single;, terminal on a short erect filament^, StTjIe grow-^ 

 ing to the tube of the corolla. Stigma infundibuliform. Capsule S-celledy 

 3-valved. Seed solitary^ arilled at the base. Embryo uncinate, and furnished 

 "with a perisperm. - 



Hitherto I have found only three plants that can be referred to this ge- 

 hus, viz. LouREiRo's Phyilodes placentaria, Thalia can?iceformis oi Forster, 

 and a new one from the late Dr. Anderson's garden at Madras. These 

 three evidently belong to the same family ; and I prefer Phrynium, because 

 one of our species is that from which Willdenow constituted this genus ;. 

 ^nd the' other two agree very perfe6lly. (The other species of Thalia, 

 viz. ge?iiculata and dealbata are unknown to me, except by imperfe6l 

 descriptions.) AH the three are perennial, with similar, jointed, slowly 

 creeping roots. Their habit is however different ; yet in their generic char- 

 acter they agree parlicalarly well ; the calyx, corolla, stamen, and pistil 

 being almost exactly the same ; and in dichotomum, and capital um, the 

 tdeoccous capsule ; smooth, round, partially arilled, nuciform ^c^^i' ; peris- 



