S7 
The nearest ally of this is no doubt P. accrijolium, Willi!., to which 
it has been reduced by Dr. Masters. But (having had living trees of 
both under observation in the Botanic Garden, Calcutta, for many years) 
1 nave no hesitation in saying that the two species are quite distinct. 
P. aceroides has entire, not lobed, leaves ; much smaller flowers (less than 
2 in. long) which expand during December and January : while those 
of P. acerifolium measure "6 in. length and open in March or April. The 
capsule of P. aceroides is moreover only 2 to 2'5 in. long and quite 
glabrous; while that of P. acerifolium is 4 to 6 in. long, with a rough 
densely stellate tomentose exterior. 
7. MELOcniA, Linn. 
Herbs or undershrubs, more or less downy. Leaves simple. Flowers 
small, clustered or loosely panicled. Sepals 5, connate below. Petals 5, 
spathulato, mai'cescout. Stamens 5, opposite to the petals, connate 
below into a tube; anthers extrorse, 2-iobed, lobes parallel. Ovary 
Bessile, 5-celled ; cells opposite the petals, 2-ovuled ; styles 5, free or 
connate at the base. Capsule loculicidally 5-valved. Seeds ascending, 
albuminous; embryo straight, cotyledons "flat, radicle next the hilum. — 
Distrib. Species about 50, natives of the warmer regions of both 
hemispheres. 
1. M. couchorifolia, Linn. sp. 944. A pubescent, branching herb 
or undershrub. Leaves membranous, variable, broadly ovato, to ovate- 
oblong or lanceolate, acute, serrate or obscurely lobed ; the base rounded, 
truncate or sub-hastate, 5-norved, often plaited ; petiole from '4 to 1 in. ; 
stipules linear, minute. Flowers 2 in. in diain., in crowded terminal or 
axillary heads with many villous bracteolcs intermixed. Sepals lanceo- 
late, acuminate, ascending. Petals obovate. Ovary villous ; stylos 
glabrous. Oapsule pisiform, pubescent, exceeding the calyx. Willd. 
Sp. PI. iii. 604; Roxb. PI. lnd. iii. 139; Wall. Cat. 1196, in part; 
Mast, in Hook. PI. Br. Ind. i. 374. M. truncate, Willd. Sp. PL iii. 601. 
M. BUpiha, L. Sp. PI. 944. M. ajfinis, Wall. Cat. 1198. M. paucijloraj 
Wall, Cat. 1199. Riedleia corchorifolia, DC. Prodr. i. 491 ; W. & A. 
Prodr. i, 66 ; Miq. PL Ind. Bat i. pt. 2, 188. R. truncate, W. & A. 1. c. 
G6. 12. supitui, DC. Prodr. i. 491. II. concatenate DC. Prodr. i. 492. 
Yisenia corcJiorifolia, Spreng. Syst. iii. 30. V. concatenana, Spreng. 
Syst. iii. 30. V. supina, Spreng. Syst. iii. 31. Mehchia concatenata, 
Wall. Cat. 1197. Sida cuneifolia, Roxb. Hort. Beng. 50, 
In all the provinces, a common weed. Distrib. The Tropica 
generally. 
1% 
