Ceylon I have specimens of a plant apparently belonging to it, and most probably a species of Xylocarpus, but which, for want of fruit I am unable with certainty to determine. The calyx is cup-shaped, ohtusely 4-lobed, the petals 4, stamens 8, the filaments forked at the apex, with the anther in the division, the ovary 4-celled, with two collateral pendulous ovules in each, stigma truncate. Should it prove a species of that genus it is probably new. The genus Munronia, I have dedicated to my friend Lieut. Munro, the late Secretary to the Mysore Agricultural and Horticultural Society, and a most persevering investigator of the plants of that portion of India. I extract the following generic character from my Icones Plantarum India; Orientalis, No. 91, where a second species is figured.
MUNRONIA, R. W.
Calyx 5, rarely 4-cleft. Petals 5, cohering at the base, with the staminal tube. Anthers 10, attached to the apex of a slender funnel-shaped tube, alternate with its teeth, exserted. A tube .sheathing the ovary and base of the style. Ovary 5-celled, cells 2-ovuled, ranged round a thick central placenta. Ovules superposed. Style filiform, stigma discoid—capitate. Capsule 5-valved, valves septif'erous, loculicidal. Seeds by abortion about 5, attached to a large pyramidal persistent placenta. Embryo enclosed in a thin fleshy albumen. Cotyledons foliaceous, radicle pointed remote from the hilum, projecting. Small erect shrubs, with the leaves congregated near the summit. Leaves pinnate; leaflets one or several pairs opposite, glabrous. Peduncles axillary, one or several flowered, flowers white, sometimes fragrant.
This genus which I have named in honor of my zealous and enterprising friend, Lieut. Munro, H. M. 39th Foot, is most nearly allied to Narejamia, but abundantly distinct and readily distinguished by its 5, not 3-celled ovary, and its superposed not collateral ovules.
M. pumila, (R. W. Icones plant. Ind. Or. No. 91) Leaves trifoliolate, the terminal one much larger than the lateral leaflets.
Melia pumila, Moon! Catalogue of Ceylon plants, p. 35.
Hab.—Ceylon.
Moon's specimens I had an opportunity of examining, and I have specimens collected by Colonel Walker.
M. Neilgherrica, (R. W.) Shrubby, leaves congested towards the summit, unequally pinnate, about 3-paired, leaflets ovate, acute, glabrous: cymes several, axillary and terminal, lobes of the calyx foliaceous, hairy.
Hab.—Neilgherries and Coorg.—Munro.
A charming low shrub, with pure white very fragrant flowers.
M. Wallichii, (R. W.) Shrubby, leaves unequally pinnate, leaflets about 3 pairs, obliquely cordate at the base, tapering towards the point.
Turrasa pinnata, Wall. PL as. rar. 2.21. tab. 119. Hab.—Silhet.
This species I only know from Wallich's plate and description, which, though defective in the analysis, agrees so well in habit as scarcely to leave a doubt of its being a species of this genus. Jussieu in his memoir remarks, that this plant does not belong to the genus Turrtea, and doubts whether it belongs to the tribe Melieee, but thinks there can be no doubt it belongs to the Triehiliew, though he is uncertain to which genus it. ought to be referred. He adds " that it seems to approach most nearly to Hartighsea, by the union of its petals with the base of the staminal tube, and by the little fleshy tube which embraces the ovary and base of the style. Dr. Wallich however, supposes that the ovary has 5 cells, with 5 erect ovules, but these characters he gives with marks of doubt, and does not know the fruit or seed." In all the points here stated, except the solitary erect ovules, a point not very easily ascertained, the plant agrees with my genus and affords additional evidence of its being a species of it and not of Hartighsea, which has a 3, rarely 4-celled ovary. On this supposition, 1 have taken the liberty of referring it here and changing the specific name as all the species have pinnate leaves.
AMOORA.
A. ficiformis, (R. W.) Leaves pinnate, leaflets ovate, oblique at the base, fruit ficiform, axillary, solitary, sub-sessile.
Hab.—In Woods. — On the Shevagherry mountains near Courtallum.
My specimens are too imperfect, being in fruit only, to admit of my giving a more detailed character. From the same locality I have a specimen of a species, also in fruit, with panicled inflorescence, in so far agreeing with Roxburgh's cucullata, which species I presume it is, and now add it also to the Peninsular flora. The three species may be thus briefly distinguished.
A. cucullata, Roxb. female flowers panicled.
A. Rohituka, female flowers spiked.
A. fieformis, female flowers axillary, solitary, or from the scars of fallen leaves, subsessile on the branches.
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 54.
- 1. Munronia Neilgherricn, natural size.
- 2. A detached flower, calyx 5-sepaled.
- 3. Another flower, dissected, the staminal tube split open, showing the sheath of the ovary, style and stigma, calyx in this instance 4-sepaled.
- 4 Back and front views of anthers.
- 5. Ovary cut transversely, showing its 5 cells placed round a thick fleshy axis.
- 6. Ovary cut vertically, showing the ovules superposed.
- 7. A full grown capsule—natural size.
- 8. The same dehiscing, dehiscence loculicidal.
- 9. A single valve detached.
- 10. A seed, not quite mature—natural size.
- 11. The same, the testa removed, sho eing the large as yet soft albumen.
- 12. The same divided, showing the embryo with the radicle next the hilum—with the exceptions mentioned, all more or less mafnified.
- The drawing of the plant is made from a preserved specimen—that of the fruit from a fresh capsule, both communicated by Lieut. Munro.
