;|^20 TILIACJS^. [COECHOEUS. 



L'Orig.Pl.CulL 104; Watt E.J). Vern. Harraioa (Shahjehanpur dis'- 

 trict).— Jute. 



An erect glabrous aiimial. Leaves 2-4 in, long, ovate-lanceolate, acumi- 

 nate, serrate, rounded at the base, the two lowest serratures produced 

 into'filif orm deflexed tails ; pei iole li in. ; stipules filiform, as long as the 

 petiole. Flon^ers less than | in. across, shortly stalked. Capsule suh- 

 globose, depressed at the apex, i,in. in diam., ridged and muricated, 5- 

 celled. ' Valves woody, without transverse partitions. Seeds few in each 

 cell, wedge-shaped, smooth, brown. 



There are specimens in the Saharanptir herbarium from Dehra Dun, 

 Eohilkhand, Gwalior and Bundelkhand ; and Dr Eoyle has mentioned it as 

 being common at Saharanpur. The Eohilkhand plant was found by the 

 writer growing apparently wild on the banks of the Gumpti river near 

 Indalpur. Eegarding the other specimens there is no indication of their 

 being other than of cultivated plants, or escapes from cultivation. 

 DiSTBiB.: Punjab, at Thanesar (Edgew,), Lahore (T.T.). Dr. Watt is of 

 opinion that it may ha\'^e been introduced into India as a cultivated plant 

 from China or Cochin-China. The dried leaves are used medicinally in 

 India as a remedy for dysentery, and this mayiaccountfor its wide distri- 

 bution in this country as a garden crop, or frequently an escape. For 

 its fibre it is eu.ltivated most extensively in E. Bengal. 



2 C olitorius, Linn. Sp. PI. 529 ; Roxh. Fl. Ind. ii, 581; W. & A. 

 Prod 73 ; Bmjle III. 103 ; D. S^ G. Boml. Fl. 25 ; F. B. I. i, 897 ; DC. 

 L'Orig.Pl. Cult. 103; Wait E. D. C. decemangularis, Boxh. I.e. 582,. 

 — Jute, or Jew's Mallow. 



Annual or perennial. This differs from the preceding chiefly by its 

 elongated 3-6-valved capsules, the valves having transverse partitions 

 between the seeds. 



In the Saharanpur herbarium there are specimens from Dehra Dun' 

 Moradabad, Eahraich District (Oudh), Agra, and Bundelkhand. It ia 

 probable that in every instance they were escapes from cultivation, aa 

 this plant is largely grown as a potherb all over India ; so also in regard 

 to Punjab specimens collected by Thomson, Edgeworth, Stewart and 

 Aitchison. Dr. Watt has suggested the possibility of its having originated 

 as a cultivated race derived from C. trilocularis or C. acutangulus. DeCan- 

 dolle, however, believed it to be wild in the moderately warm regions 

 of W. India, of Kordofan, and probably of some intermediate countries.. 

 In India lb is cultivated for its fibre (jute) chiefly in the Burdwan 

 district of Bengal. 



3. C. trilocularis, Linn. Blant. 77 ; W. Sf A. Prod. 72 ; Roxh. Fl, Ind. 

 ii, 582 ',D.}g. Bomb. Fl. 25 ; F. B. I. i, 397 ; Watt E. D. 



Annual or perennial. Leaves 1-4 in. long, elliptic-oblong or oblong- 

 lanceolate, crenate-serrate, with or without basal lobes ; petiole very short, 

 pilose. Peduncles very short, leaf-opposed. Capsule 2-3 in., straight or 

 eurved, S-i-valved ; valves 3-4-angled, with transverse partitions, scabrous; 

 heaJc short, erect. Seeds obliquely truncate at the ends. 



