Blastania.] CUCUBBITACJE^. 379 



3. M. maderaspatana. Cogn. in DC. Mon. Phan. in, 623. Bryonia 

 ■scabrella, Linn, f.; Boxh. Fl. Ind. Hi, 724 ; W. ^ A. Prod. 345. Mukia 

 SGa.hve\la,, Am.; i). 4" G. Bomi. Fl. 100; F. B. I. ii, 623; Watt E.D.— 

 Vern. Givdla-Tcakri. 



A scan dent or prostrate annual, with slender angular hispid or scahrous 

 stems. Leaves \-i in., ovate or subdeltoid, entire angled or 3-5-lobed, 

 acute or suhacuminate. dentate or coarsely serrate, very rough. Flowers 

 monoecious, yellow. Male flowers in cluster--. Calyx-tube villous ; teeth 

 subulate. Corolla hairy outside. Connective of stamens produced. 

 Fern, flowers solitary or subfascicled. Fruit small, globose, very shortly 

 stalked, bright red when ripe. Seeds turgid. 



(Co 'imon within the area and throughout India to Ceylon ; also in the 

 Malay Archipel., Formosa and in Australia. The plant is used medioi- 

 .nally. 



12. BLASTANIA, Kotschy & Peyr. 



(under Ctenolepis in Fl. Brit. Ind. ii, 629.) 



' limbinaj or prostrate scabrous herbs, turning black in drying. 

 'Tenlrils simple. Leaves 3«5-lobed, cordate, orbicular ; stipuliform 

 bracts at the axils of the leaves large, round or elliptic, ciliate 

 or dentate. Floioers minute, monoecious. Males in small racemes 

 on inconspicuous axile peduncles. Calyx-hobe short, campanulate ; 

 lobes very small, subulate. Corolla Spartite. Stamens Z, filaments 

 ■very short ; anthers free, one 1-celled, two 2=celled ; cells straight, 

 connective not produced, rudiment of ovary 0. Female flowers 

 solitary, short -peduncled, in the same axils with the males. Calyjc 

 and corolla as in male. Ovary ovoid, dish 0, stigmas 2 or 3 ; ovules 

 ■usually 2, horizontal ; placentas parietal. Fruit small, globose or 

 obliquely subquadrate, indehiseent. Seeds ovoid, compressed, 

 margined, somewhat boat-shaped- — Species 2, one in Trop. & S. 

 Africa extending to Western India and the following. 



B. Garcini, Cogn. in DC. Mon. Phan. Hi, 629. Bryonia Garcini, 

 Willd.; Roxh. Fl. Ind. Hi, 727 ; W. Sf A. Prod. 344. Zehneria Garcini, 

 StocJis; D. Sf G. Bomb. Fl. 99. Ctenolepis Garcini, 0. B. Clarke in F. B. 

 1. ii,629 ; Watt E.D. 



Stem more or less scabrous and punctate, not hairy. Leaves 1-1| in. 

 in diam., deeply 5-lobed, membranous, loosely villous on both sides, at 

 length white and scabrous, lobes about equal, often sinuate or lobulate. 

 Mate pedvMcle very short ; sti'pulijorm bracts 5 in. or more, ovate or 

 round, ciliate. Fruit ^ by j in., narrowly subreniform, red when 

 ripe. 



Etawah dist. (Duthie), Bundelkhand (Edgeworth andDuthie). Distbib, 

 Deccan plateau, Ceylon. The plant is said to be used medicinally. 



