386 FICOIDHM. [Mollugo. 



Floicers solitary or in pairs in the axils. Calyx-tube hertaceous, with 

 many ribs, not sheathed hy the hase of the petiole ; lobes triangular, 

 cuspidate Stamens 5, Style 1, Caiosule -^'^ in, 2-seeded ; beak a 

 - circular corky flat disk, depressed in the centre and open below. Seeds 

 discoid, dull black, marked with raised lines. 



Common within the area. Distrib. Throug-hout India and in Ceylon, 

 but not extending to Bengal : also in Africa, 



3. T. pentandra, Ximi. ; F. B. I. ii, 660; Watt E. D. Papillose or 

 nearly glabrous. Leaves l-l^ in., oblong or elliptic ; petiole 5 in. Flou:ers 

 in sessile clusters, calyx-lobes ovate, often scarious on the margins. 

 Stamens 5. Styles 2. Capsule ^ in. : beak mitriform, separating into 2 

 lanceolar 1 seeded parts, coriaceous, closely adnate to the included seed ; 

 lower portion of capsule 2-seeded. ^etdsiblack, dull, puberulous, obscurely 

 ineate. 



Eohilkhand, Etawah and Agra districts and in Merwara. Distkib. 

 Punjab and Sind; also in Africa. The plant is medicinal, and is also 

 eaten as a potherb in times of scarcity. 



2. MOLLUGO, Linn. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. ii, 662. 



Herbs, branched, often cllchotomous. Leaves often falsely 

 whorled, or alternate, or all radical, from linear to obovate, entire ; 

 strjjules quickly disappeaiing. Flowers axillary, sessile or pedicelled, 

 clustered or in cymes or racemes, small, greenish ; hracts inconspicu- 

 ous. 4S'e^:'a?5 5, persistent. Petals 0. Stamens 5-3, rarely many; 

 stamhivdes (? petals) or small in the same species. Ovary free, 

 globose or ellipsoid, 3-5-celled ; styles 3-5 linear or very small ; 

 vviiles va'dxc^, axile. Capsule membranous, sheathed by the sepals, 

 3-5-celled, dehiscing dorsally. Seeds usually several in each cell, 

 reniform, appendaged or not at the hilum, embryo annular. — Species 

 about 18, in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. 



Flowers axillary, seeds appendaged at the hilum. 

 Densely stellate -hairy 1. M.liirta. 



Glabrous 2. M. oppositifolia. 



Flowers in terminal cymes, seeds not or 

 very minutely appendaged. 



Leaves in whorls at the nodes. 



Seeds with raised tabercles . . .5. M. pentaphylla. 



Seeds smooth or nearly so . . . 4. M. Gerviana. 

 Leaves all radical 5. Jl. nudicaulis. 



1. M. hirta, Th anb. ; F. B. I. ii, 662 ; Watt E. D. Glinus lotoides, Linn.; 

 W. 4' A. trod, 362 ; U. Sf G. Bomb. Fl. 16. G. dictamnoides, Linn. ; 

 W. ^ A. I.e. Pharnaceum pentagonum, Boxb. ; Fl. Lid. ii, 103. 



