208 D. Prain — An additional species of Ellipanthus. [No. 2, 



Jarain road about 5| miles from Jowai, Jaintia Hills, 3,500 feet in April 

 1889. The Khasia name " Sampit." 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE VII. 



Microcalamus Prainii, Gamble. 



Fig. 1. flower ; 

 Fig. 2. stem-sheath. 



X. — Novicia? Indicse. II. An additional species of Ellipanthus. — ■ 



By D. Prain. 



[Received and read May 9th, 1890.] 



(With Plate VIII.) 



The Connaraceous genus Ellipanthus Hook, f., founded in 1862 

 (Genera Plantarum i, 434), included five Indian species when the ac- 

 count of it in the Flora of British India (vol. ii, pp. 55, 56) was pub- 

 lished in 1876. Specimens of a sixth species occur in a collection made 

 in Diamond Island by the writer in 1889. Diamond Island is situated 

 off the south coast of Arakan at the mouth of the Bassein riv.er. The 

 genus is rather Malayan than Indian, though one of the species is con- 

 fined to Ceylon and one occurs in Pegu ; the present is the first occa- 

 sion on which the genus has been reported from Arakan. 



In order to admit the Diamond Island plant the generic description 

 requires vei*y slight modification ; unlike the other Indian species this 

 has a glabrous capsule marked externally by a net- work of ridges while 

 its short staminal tube is devoid of hairs. We are thus able, by em- 

 ploying these characters as divisional, to add the species to the Flora of 

 British India without altering the excellent arrangement of the Indian 

 species there adopted. Only one word requires to be omitted from the 

 text as it now stands. The following conspectus of Indian Ellipanthi 

 in which the new species is included, exhibits all the alteration neces- 

 sary. A diagnosis and a description of the species are appended. 



Ellipanthus Hook. f. 

 [Generic description (F. B. I., ii, 55) line 6 ; delete " velvety ".] 

 t Capsule velvety, surface even ; staminal tube hirsute within. 

 * Leaves glabrous beneath or nearly so. (F. B. J.) 



1. E. Thwaitesii Hook. f. — Ceylon. 



2. E. Helferi Hook. f. — Tenasserim or Andamans ; 



Borneo. 



