H. C, Botanic Gardens, Calcutta, 



245 



sepalis dentiformibus, minutis. Corolla 3 — 4 petala, viridis, 

 petala oblonga, cum sepalis alternantia, JBstivatione valvata, 

 per anthesin revoluta, extus dense pubescentia. Stamina 00, 

 subbiseriata, hypogyna, petalis longiora, sestivatione varie 

 flexa, per anthesin erectiuscula. Filamenta capillaceo-cla- 

 vata, alba. Antherae terminales, ochroleucae, demum brunes- 

 centes, loculi breves, adnati, (dehescentia quasi trans- 

 versa). Ovarium superum, rotundum, dense piloso-pubes- 

 cens, 3-loculare, loculis biovulatis ; ovula erecta, anatropa, 

 collateralia, raphe sub-introrsa. Stylus subulatus, glaber. 

 Stigma obscure 3-dentatum. Fructus sub-turbinatus, apice 

 piano stylum exserente, trilocularis, loculi subossei, dorso 

 apicem versus ala transversa lingulata loculis 3-plo longiore 

 subreticulata aucti. In singulo loculo ovula abortiva 2, erecta. 



This plant is said to have been introduced from Sylhet 

 in 1829. It has not, I believe, ripened seed in the Garden. 



It apears to me to present a curious mixture of characters. 

 With the habit of Hiraea it has a resemblance in the flowers, 

 especially the inner series of the floral envelope, to Rottlera 

 or Trewia ; the anthers again resemble those of Stilagineae, 

 while the pericarpium appears to me to represent in some 

 respects that of Hiptage : the direction of the ovula however 

 is contrary to what occurs in Malpighiaceae or Euphor- 

 biaceae. Dr. Wallich appears to have considered it a doubt- 

 ful Euphorbiaceous plant, a view suggested by the floral en- 

 velopes and male organs, but not by the pistillum or fruit, in 

 which there seems no tendency to the characteristic Euphor- 

 biaceous dehiscence. I am disposed to hazard a conjecture, 

 that it will be found to unite Euphorbiacese and Malpighi- 

 aceae, the probability of a direct relationship between 

 these two families being suggested^ among other things, by 

 their glandular nature. And perhaps the majority of its 

 characters will place it near Malpighiaceae and Sapindaceae, 

 although the want of any correspondence in number between 

 the floral envelopes and the stamina, and their indefinite 



