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Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Pun insula. — By Geokge 
King, M. B., LL. D., F. R. F. h. S., Superintendent of the Royal 
Botanic Garden, Calcutta. 
[Received and read July 3rd, 1889.] 
As tho Calcutta Herbarium contains a rich collection of Malayan 
plants, 1 propose to publish, from time to time a systematic account of 
as many of them as are indigenous to British provinces, or to provinces 
mul or British inlluenec. In addition to the states on the mainland of 
the Malayan Peninsula, these provinces include the islands of Singa- 
pore and Pouang, and the Nicobar and Andaman groups. The classi- 
fication which T propose to follow is that of the late Mr. Bentham and 
Sir Joseph Hooker. It is unlikely that, with the scanty leisure at my 
command, I shall be able, under several years, to complete even the 
meagre account of the Flora of which the first instalment is now sub- 
mitted. The orders will bo taken up nearly in the sequence followed 
in the Genera Plantar am of Bentham and Hooker, and in the Flora 
of British India of the latter distinguished botanist. The natural orders 
now submitted are Banunculacea3 t Dilleniaceaj, MagnoUaceoe, Menisper- 
waceoe f Nympkaiacem, Capparidea* t and Violareeo, The order Anonaceco 
should have como between Magnoliacea) and Menispermacea} ; but, on 
account of its extent and diiuculfcy, I have been obliged to postpone its 
elaboration pending the receipt of further herbarium material. It will 
howovcr, it is hoped, soon be taken up. 
Obder I. ItANUNCULACE^i. 
Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs. Leaves alternate or opposite. 
Stipules 0, or adnate to the petiole, rarely free. Floioers regular or 
irregular, 1-2-sexual. Sepals 5 or more, rarely 2 to 4, usually deciduous, 
often petaloid, imbricate or valvate. Petals 0 or 4 or more, hypogynous, 
imbricate, often minute or deformed. Stamens hypogynous ; anthers 
Usually adnate and dehiscing laterally. Carpels usually many, free, 
1-colled; stigma simple ; ovule one or more, on the ventral sufcuro, anafcro- 
pous, erect with a ventral, or pendulous with a dorsal raphe. Fruit of 
numerous 1-seeded achenes, or many-seeded follicles, rarely a berry. 
Seed small, albumen copious ; embryo minute. Distrib. Abundant 
in temperate and cold regions : genera 30 ; known species abottt^SlChj] 
* The above diagnosis of this order (copied from Sir Joseph Hooker's Floru of 
British Indb) covers the entire ordor, which ia usually sab-divided into five sub- 
orders or tribes. Representatives of only one of these tribes (Clematidetv) have 
hitherto been discovered in the region undor review. But, ns exploration of the 
coulral mountain ranges proceeds, plants belonging to one or two of tho othor tribes 
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