Flora of the Malayan Peninsula. 
351 
in fruit. Calyx -1 in. long, teeth short. Corolla pure white, -4 in. long. 
L. sessiliflora, Griff. Notul. IV. 99, t. 418, f. 5 ( not of Bl.). L. gratio- 
loides var. myriophylloides, Benth. in DC. Prod. X. 389 partly. Quin- 
quclobus glaher, Benj. in Linnaea XX. 316. Benjaminea glabra, Benj. 
in Linnaea XX. 761. 
Malacca: Griffith! Leman, Cuming! Maingay ! Perak: King’s 
Collector ! 
Griffith’s specimens have slightly larger leaf-segments and shorter pedicels than 
those of Maingay, Cuming, and Kunstler, where the leaf-segments are finely capillary. 
But Griffith’s plant evidently grew on mud, while that of Kunstler was floating in 
water, and the difference of habitat probably sufficiently explains the difference in 
foliage. The flowers of the two forms are the same. 
5. Herpestis, Gaertn. f. 
Herbs, glabrous. Leaves often dotted, entire or toothed, or below 
submerged and multifid. Flowers axillary or racemose ; bracteoles 
small or obsolete. Calyx 5-partite ; lobes imbricate, the upper largest, 
the two lateral inmost often very narrow. Corolla indistinctly 2-lipped; 
upper lip outmost spreading, 2-lobed or only emarginate, lower 3-lobed ; 
tube cylindric. Stamens 4, didynamous, included ; anthers sometimes 
approximate in pairs ; cells contiguous, parallel, not confluent. Ovary 
2-celled ; ovules in each cell numerous ; style dilated at the top ; 
stigma entire or 2-lobed. Fruit a globose or ovoid 2-celled capsule ; 
valves 2 or 4, separating from the placentiferous septum. Seeds many, 
very minute.- — Distrib. Species about 50, throughout the tropics. 
Herpestis Monnieria, H. B. & K. Nov. Gen. and Sp. II. 366. 
A glabrous, rather succulent creeping herb, rooting at the nodes ; 
branches 4 to 10 in. long. Leaves obovate-oblong, spathulate, sessile, 
obtuse, entire, - 5 to -75 in. long. Flowers axillary, peduncles usually 
•75 to 1 in. long ; bracteoles 2. Calyx of 5 nearly free sepals, -2 to 
•3 in. long, the upper sepal ovate. Corolla white, faintly tinged with 
blue, - 4 to '6 in. long, lobes sub-equal. Capsule ovoid, acute, hidden by 
the sepals, '15 to - 25 in. long. Seeds minute, irregular ; testa pale. Benth. 
Scroph. Ind. 30, and in DC. Prod. X. 410 ; Wall. Cat. 3900 ; Dalz. & 
Gibs. Bomb. Flor. 178 ; Miq. Plor. Ind. Bat. II. 685 ; Bot. Mag. t. 2557 ; 
Boiss. Plor. Orient. IV. 426 ; Hook. f. Plor. Brit. Ind. IV. 272. H. 
spathulata, Bl. Bijdr. 748. Gratiola Monnieria, Linn. Cent. PI. II. 
n. 120; Roxb. Cor. PI. II. 41, t. 178, and Plor. Ind. I. 141. Septis 
repens, Lour. Plor. Cochin-Chin. 392. Bramia indica, Lamk Encyc. 
I. 459. Rheede Hort. Malab. X. t. 14. 
Malacca: Hervey ! Johore : Hullett ! Singapore: Kurz ! Bid- 
ley ! — Distrib. Throughout the tropics. 
