390 UMBELLIFJEE^. [HrDiiocoTYLE- 



1. HYDROCOTYLE, Linn. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. ii, 667. 



Prostrate herbs, rooting at tlie nodes. Leaves (in the Indian 

 species) cordate or hastate, not peltate, orbicular or reniform, subentire 

 or palmately lobed, long-petioled ; stipules small, scarious. Umbels 

 (in the Indian species) simple, small; bracts small or 0;j?ower5 white, 

 sometimes unisexual. Calyx-teeth or minute. Petals entire, valvate 

 or imbricate. Fruit laterally compressed, commissure narrow ; 

 carpels laterally compressed or subpentagonal ; lateral primary ridges 

 concealed within the commissure, or distant therefrom and prominent ; 

 vittoe or obscure ; carpophore 0. Seed laterally compressed. — 

 Species 70 to 80, growing in wet places in tropical and temperate 

 regions, more numerous in the S. Hemisphere. 



Petals acute, valvate, secondary ridges of 

 fruit 0, pericarp thin. 



Leaves 1-3 in. in diam., peduncles often 



clustered ...... 1. H.javanica. 



Leaves i-1 in. in diam., peduncles solitary 2. H. rotundifolia. 

 Petals obtnse, imbricate, all the ridges of 

 fruit similar and vein-like, pericarp thick- 

 ened . 3. H. asiatica. 



1. H. javanica, Thunb.; F. B. 'l. ii, 667. H. zeylanica, DC; W. Sf A. 

 Trod. 366. H. polycephala, W. Sf A. I. c. 



,.St€ms long, succulent, slightly pabescent, with erect flexuose branches. 

 Leaves 1-3 in. in diam., reniform, cordate, crenate and often lobed, shin- 

 ing on both sides ; stipules large, membranous. Peduncles ^-2 in.; lower 

 ■ solitary, leaf -opposed, upper often clustered. Umbels many-flowered ; 

 bracts minute, scattered among the pedicels. Petals lanceolate, acute, 

 valvate. Fruit ^\i in., orbicular or subquadrate, much compressed, 

 sometimes deformed ; lateral primary ridges commissural, intermediate 

 ones ; pericarp hard, thin, 



Dehra Dun. Disteib. Outer Himalaya from Kashmir to Bhutan and on 

 the Khasia Hills up to 8,000 ft., S.India, Ceylon, Burma, _Malaya, Philip- 

 pines and Australia. The plant is used medicinally. 



2. H. rotundifolia, Boxl. Rort. Beng. 21 ; Fl. Ind. ii, 88 ; F. B. I. ii, 

 668. H. tenella, Don ; W. Sf A. Prod. 366. 



Stems filiform, glabrous. Leaves J-l in. diam., orbicular in outline, cor- 

 date, lobed to or beyond the middle, shining, glabrous or somewhat 

 hairy on both surfaces, teduncles very short ; bracts minute. Umbels 

 8- 1 0-flowered. Ploivers minute, nearly sessile, pink. Petals lanceolate, 

 acute, valvate. Fruit -^^ in., rather broader than long, somewhat com- 

 pressed, 5-gonal, smooth^ sometimes punctate ; pericarp hard, thin. 



:. Sub-Himalayan tract from Dehra Dun to N. Oudh. Distrib. W. Him. up 

 to 7,000 ft., Bengal, Sikkim and Khasia Hills, S. India and Ceylon ; also 

 Trop. Africa. 



