Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 1/Ampelideae
XLI.—AMPELIDEAE.
This small, but from including the Grape-vine, very important order, for the most par£ consists of diffuse or scandent plants, climbing by means of tendrils, and is with few exceptions confined to the tropics or the warm countries bordering on them, but within these limits its species abound.
In most modern systems of Botany it is divided into two suborders, Viniferae and Leeaceae, the former characterized by their sarmentose scandent habit, and by being furnished with ten- drils (sterile peduncles) opposite the leaves, by the petals and stamens being distinct to the base, and by the ocillatory anthers : the latter by the plants not being scandent and without tendrils, by the petals, usually, united at the base, by the stamens being monadelphous and by the an- thers not ocillating.
Calyx small, nearly entire. Petals 4-5, inserted on the outside of a disk surrounding the ovary, inflexed on the margin : aestivation valvate, often somewhat hooked in and cohering at the point. Stamens equal in number, and opposite the petals, inserted upon the disk, some- times sterile by abortion; filaments distinct, or, in Leea, cohering at the base, and forming a thick fleshy urceolus, anthers ovate, versatile, or in Leea fixed, by the cohesion of their mar- gins. Ovary superior, 2-3 celled, with the ovules erect in pairs, or 6-celled,with solitary ovules. Berry round, often by abortion, 1-celled, pulpy : seeds 4-5 or fewer, erect, bony; albumen hard. Embryo erect, about half the length of the albumen, radicle tapering, cotyledons plano-convex, or subfoliaceous. Shrubs with tumid separable joints. Leaves furnished with stipules at the base, often very variable in form on the same plant being simple and entire, or variously lobed ; affording very unsatisfactory specific characters. Peduncles racemose, or cymose, sometimes changing to tendrils opposite the leaves ; flowers small, greenish or purple.
Affinities. These appear to be very imperfectly understood at least if we may judge from the different positions in which different authors place the order, which however is not a good criterion. Jussieu placed it between Meliacece and Geraniaceae — DeCandolle retains it in the same situation, Bartling (Ord. Naturalis) forms a class of this and Meliaceae, but still retains it beside Geraniaceae, Lindley in the first edition of his Introduction places it between Mal- pighiaceae and Meliaceae, but far removed from Geraniaceae and Pittosporeae, and still fur- ther from Berberideae, while in the second edition it is placed between Berberideae on the one side and Pittospoieae on the other, but still far from Geraniaceae. Meisner retains it nearly in the old place between Meliaceae and his class Malpighinae, (see page 137) which last is fol- lowed by his class Geraniodeae. To decide between such authorities is more than I dare at- tempt, but upon the whole feel disposed to adopt in preference the Jussieuian arrangement, though it places the order in a situation where, so far as I can see, it has no very close relation- ship with those on either side, nor indeed do I think its affinities well made out any where. In the artificial arrangement of the orders adopted by Jussieu it is very conveniently placed at the end of a series of orders, having some well marked affinities, and separates another set, forming the Gijnobasious group of Lindley, at the head of which the Geraniodeae may be, and is by most authors, placed ; though in Lindley's arrangement, they form the second of the four Alliances into which he divides that group. As a strictly natural arrangement Lindley's perhaps approaches the nearest to perfection, but with this evident disadvantage that the group in which he places the order (Albumenosae) is distinguished by a character not always easily made out, and subject to some striking exceptions, such as excluding many genera in which albumen abounds, and including at least one order (JVelumbiaceae) in which it is wanting. One half of Meliaceae and of Cedrelaceae, have each, with many others, albuminous seed, but in smaller proportion, yet do not find a place in this group. From this, and innumerable similar instances which may be cited of irregularities in this part of the structure of seed I do not see, even taking pro- portion into consideration, how any arrangement made to depend on it, can be good in practice, as applied to orders until a higher value is assigned to it, though perhaps it may occasionally be em- ployed as a useful generic character, though even that is doubtful. The genus Cassia, for example, as now constituted has at least two species C. fistula and C. Roxburgii, having very copious albumen while most of the others are exalbuminous. In such cases the presence of albumen may be advantageously employed to aid in removing badly associated species from an otherwise natural genus, and in this instance confirms the judgment of those who had previously separated the genus Cathartocarpus, on account of the irregular structure of its legumes. But while we meet with similar irregularities of structure, in so far as this organ is concerned, in almost every family, it is surely a questionable arrangement which brings together a series of upwards of twenty orders, many of them, so far as I can see, having scarcely any other mark of relation- ship, merely because they agree generally, but not universally, in having seed with a copious albumen and small embryo. For these reasons I am not yet prepared to adopt Dr. Lindley's arrangement in that particular group, though far from thinking t hat we ought to lose sight of the idea which led to its formation, since, if thoroughly investigated some important relations may be found to exist between albuminous seed and vegetable structure generally, which has not yet been discovered, but which may ultimately tend to modify our whole system, much in the same way as the discovery of Exogenous and Endogynous structure, being connected with the struc- ture of the seed, has given stability to the classification of the whole vegetable kingdom accord- ing to that structure. Upon the whoie then I think we may safely conclude that our knowledge of vegetable structure is not yet sufficiently advanced to admit of our constructing a system on such principles, and that therefore, for the present the safe course to pursue is to arrange our natural orders according to some convenient artificial system suited to f-tcilitate the investiga- tion of new plants, though we ought never to forget for a moment, that such is not the object of our studies, but the discovery of a truly natural system throughout. Here I leave the sub- ject merely observing that Araiiaceae is the order to which this seems most nearly to approxi- mate, though abundantly distinct, and in the structure of the seed, even to Rabiaceae.
Geographical Distribution. Principally confined to the tropics and warmer countries of the temperate zones, very numerous in India, less so in America and Africa, but found in both. According to Wallich's list there are 53 species of Vitis including Cissus, in India, while ( in the Peninsula we enumerate 25. He again has 13 species of Leea, while we have only three.
DeCandle has of these genera 107 for the whole world. How far these numhers will require to be modified by future experience it is not easy to say, but I suspect when all the species are well examined, and with sufficient specimens, many will be reduced, and leave the numbers, when many new ones are added, nearly the same as they now stand. This I think will prove the case because the leaves, from which specific characters are usually taken, of no set of plants I have ever examined, afford specific characters less to be depended upon than those of the genus Vitis, unless perhaps Bryonia the forms of the leaves of some of the species of which are to the full as variable.
Java according to Blume has 34 species of the order, and 5 genera. India has 4 genera in- cluding Cissus and Ampelopsis. The former of these however only differing from Vitis in having a quaternary in place of a quinary order of parts, with some difference of habit, and the latter being similarly situated, agreeing with Vitis in having a quinary order, but with the habit of Cissus, cannot be kept distinct.
Properties and Uses. The properties of the Grape whether recent or dried, not less than the products of its fermented juices, the various kinds of wine, are too well known to require to be dwelt upon here. The leaves of some, or perhaps most, of the species are acid, and some astringent, while the fruit of several are intensely acrid. The berries of the Cissus quadrangulari s , the young shoots and leaves of which are used by the native as a pot herb, are so exceedingly acrid, that it is sufficient to taste one, to cause in a short time the most insufferable sense of burning all over the mouth and fauces of several hours duration. How many more produce similar effects I confess I have not had the courage to try, having suffered so severely in that instance. Generally speaking, however, I believe it may be safely assumed, that with the exception of the Grape-viae, none of the species possess valuable properties. I have heard that the fruit of one or more species is used in this country for making vinegar, but as this product of fermentation can be procured from so many vegetable juices this application can scarcely be viewed an exception to the general rule.
Remarks on Genura and Species. The genera of this order, which are few in number, divide themselves as already observed into two tribes or sub-orders, the Leeaceae and Viniferae. Of the former Leeais the type, and indeed only certain genus, two others being placed here with a doubt, but neither natives of India; the latter is represented by Vitis including Cissus and Ampe- lopsis, which are undistinguishable by any set of marks on which even good sectional differences in any other order would be established. These therefore, Mr. Brown has very justly proposed to unite, though in this, he has not been followed by the generality of writers. Cissus has a 4-lobed calyx, with 4 petals, 4 stamens, and a 4-angled disk. Vitis and Ampelopsis have each 5 petals and stamens, with some slight differences of habit which may enable a person conversant with either to distinguish the other, but a Cissus with pentandrous flowers would at once become an Ampelopsis or Vitis according as it retained the habit of Cissus, or approached that of Vitis, and a tetrandrous specimen of either of the others, would become a Cissus. Characters so entirely dependent on number not being admitted in other families, neither ought they to be in this. The only other genus therefore referable to this section is Blume's Pterisanthes, a Java plant, with quaternary flowers, but otherwise well distinguished by a foliaceous lobately winged involucrum, with which they are furnished. Blume considers it intermediate between Cissus and Ampelopsis which it may be, if both are retained.
The discrimination of the species of this order is unquestionably difficult, and if the char- acters by which this is attempted, be taken from the foliage, the species so formed will rarely prove permanent, as there is no end to the variations of form to be met with in the same species ; nor is it easy to say which set of organs afford better characters, hence, to succeed, all must be laid under contribution as much so as in defining a genus in any other order. On this principle the specific characters of our Prodromus were constructed, and are I believe the most perfect so far as they extend (the Peninsular species) yet extant, but even with these, the discrimination of species from varieties is not always attainable. Subsequent experience, since preparing that Monagraph of the Peninsular Vitices, has not enabled me to add either new species or new marks for their more certain determination, on which account, I beg to refer to that work for all the information I myself possess respecting the species of this order appertaining to the Flora of southern India. The plates exhibit a species of each section. This was necessary as the Leeaceae are by some very eminent Botanists viewed as a totally distinct order from Viniferae, and it must be confessed not without good reason, or at all events as good, or better than those for separating Malvaceae from Bombaceae. or Rytlneriaceae, and Elaeocarpeae from Tiliaceue, and many others. Between Viniferae and Leeaceae there is difference of habit, great difference in the structure of the flowers, especially as regards the stamens, and in the number of cells and ovules of the ovary. There are no doubt affinities sufficiently marked to render their union desirable but on the same principles, so should the others be separated by sectional divisions only. I have alluded above to the difficulties of distinguishing the species of Vitis, with respect to Leea, these are not much diminished, and as in the former case, I beg again to refer to the Prodromus for characters, since I have not been able, after much consideration, to improve those given in that work, though I have examined many speci- mens of every form.
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 57.
1. Vitis tomentosa, natural size.
2. An expanded flower, petals not adherent at the apex.
3. The same, the petals removed, showing the cup-shaped torus and ovary.
4. Stamens back and front views.
5. Ovary cut transversely, 3-celled, with 5 ovules.
6. The same cut vertically, showing the ovules erect.
7. B ick and front views of the seed — natural size. 8 The same magnified.
9-9. Seed and fruit cut transversely, showing the large confenuminate albumen.
10. A seed cut vertically, to show the embryo at the base of the albumen, but not well represented.
11. The embryo removed — all with the exceptions mentioned more or less magnified.
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 58.
1. Leea Staphylea, natural size.
2. An expanded flower, with the stamen tube in situ.
3. The stamen tube removed and split open, to show the position of the anthers.
4. Front and side views of the anthers.
5. Calyx and ovary, with the style and stigma.
6. Ovary cut vertically.
7. The same cut transversely, in this instance 4-celled, with one ovule in each.
8. A full grown fruit.
9. The same cut transversely, in this instance G-celled, with one seed in each.
10. A seed.
11. The same cut transversely, showing the large albumen.
12 Another cut vertically, showing the position of the embryo and its relative size to the albumen.
13. The embryo removed.
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VITIS TOMENTOSA. (HEYNE)
AMPELIDÆ.jpg)
LEEA STAPHYLEA. (ROXB.)