apbil — june, 1857.] New Cinghalese Plants. 103 



On two new Plants, Epicaepupus Zeylanica and Doona Zeyla- 

 nica, found in Ceylon ; by G. H. W. Thwaites, Esq., Director 

 of the Botanic Garden of Peradenia, 



Epicarpurus Zeylanica, Thiv. 



Frutex ramosus, foliis subrhombeo-lanceolatis acuminatis glabris 

 remote spinuloso-serratis, floribus masculis dense capitatis, capi- 

 tulis oblongis,fcemineis racemosis,pedicellis apiceincrassatis fruc- 

 tiferis valde elongatis. 



A shrub or small tree, eight or ten feet high, sparingly spinose, 

 much branched ; the extremities of the young branches with a 

 few short scattered hairs. Bark dark brown, somewhat rugose. 

 Leaves smooth, flaccid, lanceolate or rhomboido-lanceolate, serrated, 

 one and a half to two inches and three-quarters long, by three- 

 quarters to one inch wide, tapering towards the slightly hairy very 

 short petiole, with glandular puncta very minute and numerous. 

 Male inflorescence pale yellow ; anthers nearly round, with a 

 green spot on the back ; bracts small, inconspicuous. Sepals mem- 

 branous, obtuse. Female inflorescence : fljwers green, on 

 rather long pedicels ; sepals acute. Stigmas with brown villi on 

 their inner face. 



The male of the species just described bears a considerable re- 

 semblance to Morus, and might easily be mistaken for a member 

 of that genus, but it will be seen that the structure of the female 

 plant differs essentially from that of Moras. 



The ovule in this plant, which at first merely causes a slight 

 protuberance on one side of the ovary during its development forces 

 itself out of it, as it were, and at last occupies the summit of the 

 fxower having pushed the upper part of the ovary with the stigmas 

 on one side. It then has the appearance of a naked seed seated 

 upon an enlarged receptacle. 



The Peradenia Herbarium contains another species of the genus, 

 allied to the above, but differing in its more rigid habit; the 

 branches, which are of a pale ash-colour, all terminating in spines. 

 The young male inflorescence differs too in being enclosed in rather 

 large brown scaly bracts ; and, in the only specimen of the female 



