Descriptions of Malayan Plants. 



43 



tellae or pustules. Corolla yellow, ventricose. Anthers two- 

 lobed. Ovary 4-sporous. Drupe with a two-seeded nut. 



SPHENODESME. rw^. 



Didynamia Angiospermia, 

 Vitices Juss, 



Calyx tubulosus 5-dentatus. Corolla 5-loba subirregularis. 

 Stamina 4 — 5 exserta. Ovarium 4 loculare 4 sporum. Bacca 

 monosperma. 



Flores fasciculati, involucrati . 



SPHENODESME PENTANDRA. (W.J.) 



Foliis oblongo ovatis glabris, involucris 5-6 phyllis, fasci- 

 culis 6 — 7 floris, floribus pentandris. 



Roscoea pentandra. Roxb. Cat. Hort. Beng. p. 46. 

 Native of Pulo Pinang. Malacca. 



A climbing shrub with 4-sided, somewhat pilose branches. 

 Leaves opposite, petiolate, oblong ovate, subcordate at the 

 base, acuminate, (sometimes with a retuse acumen), very 

 entire, very smooth. Petioles short, pilose. Fascicles 6 or 

 7 flowered, peduncled, disposed in panicles, at the extremi- 

 ty of the branches and in the upper axils. Involucres con- 

 sisting of 5 or 6 oblong, obtuse, membranaceous, reticulated 

 leaflets, which are longer than the sessile flowers. Calyx 

 companulate, 5-plicate, 5-dentate. Corolla infundibuliform, 

 faux villous, limb 5-lobed nearly regular. Stamina, 5, long, 



* This genus is distinct from Congea of Roxburgh by the leaves of 

 the involucre being all distinct ; the nearly regular corolla, and the five 

 nearly equal stamina. Minor differences exist in the " villi" about the 

 faux of the corolla, the direction of the anthers, and the stigma. 



In Congea, besides the decidedly bilabiate corolla, the upper lip of 

 which, moreover, is the largest, two of the leaves of the involucre are 

 united into one, which is also very generally the smallest of the three, 

 so that at first sight there is not the same correspondence between 

 the number of flowers and involucral leaves, as in Sphenodesme and 

 probably Symphorema.— W. G. 



