6. VlOLACfi^. 



[Alsodeia, 



many, anatropous, attached to the 3-parietal placentas ; style simple ; 

 stigma capitate, truncate or cup-shaped^ entire or lobed. Fruit 

 a 3-val7ed capsule^ rarely a berry. Albumen fleshy ; embryo small ; 

 cotyledons flat. 



An order of small importance to the forester in the Bombay Pre- 

 sidency. Hitherto only one small tree {Alsodeia zeylanica), has been 

 found in the North Kdnara district. 



ALSODEIA. Thenars. 



Shrubs or small trees. Leaves alternate, distichous ; stipules rigid. 

 Flowers small, axillary or terminal, solitary, fascicled cymose or 

 racemose, regular; peduncles with many bracts. Sepals 5, almost 

 equal. Petals as many, sesbile. Stamens 5, inserted inside or on an 

 annular and lobed disk ; connective produced into a broad membranous 

 appendage beyond the cells. Ovary l-celled ; ovules few or many ; 

 style straight ; stigma terminal. Capsule 3-valvedj few-seeded. 



A. zeylanica, Thwaites Enum. 21 ; Fl. Br. I. 1. 187 ; Bedd. Fl. Syl. 

 t. 229. 



This small tree has been only lately found in evergreen forest near 

 Katgal in the Kumpta taluka of North K^nara and is reported to 

 occur also on the Mulamnne Ghdt. Beddome says it is found in 

 Travancore and in the Wynaad. It also occurs in Ceylon, and apparently 

 flowers and is in fruit at different times throughout the year. A rare 

 species of no economic importance. 



Order 7. CAPPARIDE.a:. 



Herbs, shrubs or trees, erect or climbing. Leaves alternate; 

 simple or palmately 3-9 foliate. Flowers usually bisexual. Sepals 

 4, free or connate. Petals 4, rarely 2 or 0, hypogynous or seated 

 on the disk, imbricate or open in bud. Stamens indefinite, 8, 6, or 4, 

 at the base of or on a long or short gynophore. Disk or tumid or 

 lining the calyx-tube. Ovary sessile or stalked^ l-celled ; style 

 short or 0; stigma depressed; ovules indefinite^ parietal. Fruit 

 capsular or berried. Seeds angled or renif orm, exalbuminous j embryo 

 incurved. 



Climbing, unarmed shrubs. 



Fruit moniliform, a long fleshy berry .. 1. M^atJA, 



Fruit cylindric, dehiscent ... ... 2. Cadaba. 



Mostly climbing shrubs, armed with stipular spines. 



Fruit globose. Leaves simple ... ... 3. Cappaeis. 



An unarmed tree. Leaves digitately trifoliate... 4. Cjiat^va, 



1. MiERUA, Forsk. 



Climbing shrubs. Leaves simple. Flowers corymbose. Calyx- 

 tube lined by a disk ; lobes 4, valvate. Petals 4. Stamens numer- 



