-•\

FLORA^OF INDIA

PAPAVERACEA JRYOPHYLLACEAE

Editors

B.D. SHARMA

and

N.P. BALAKRISHNAN

with assistance from

M. Sanjappa

BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA

BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA

CALCUTTA
 © Government of India

Date of Publication : July 12, 1993

Published by The Director, Botanical Survey of India, P-8, Braboume Road,

Calcutta-700 001; composed at Computer Unit, Botanical Survey of India,
Southern Circle, Coimbatore, 641 003 and printed at Deep Printers, 3/26,
Ramesh Nagar, New Delhi-110 015.
 CONTENTS

Preface ;

Contributors and Editors jv

Abbreviations ^

List of illustrations ^

PAPAVERACEAE j

FUMARIACEAE 34

BRASSICACEAE 88

CAPPARACEAE 248

RESEDACEAE 336

VIOLACEAE 342

BIXACEAE 380
FLACOURTIACEAE 386

PITTOSPORACEAE 438

POLYGALACEAE 450

XANTHOPHYLLACEAE 494
FRANKENIACEAE 500

CARYOPHYLLACEAE 502
!ndex to scientific names
597
!ndex to common names
616
 PREFACE

The Flora of India, Volume 1 (Ranunculaceae to Barclayaceae) containing 489

species should be in your hands before this volume. We now take pleasure in continuing
the series with Volume 2 (Papaveraceae to Caryophyllaceae) containing 611 species.
Thus 1100 species of the approximately 17,000 species of Indian flora has been dealt
with by now. The format as in Volume 1 is maintained and the details are repeated
below for quick reference by users of individual volumes.

The Flora of India covering the present political boundaries of India is planned to
be published in 32 volumes dealing with the entire Angiosperms from Ranunculaceae
to Poaceae. An introductory volume to the Flora of India has been planned which will
cover in general various aspects of flora and vegetation and other allied subjects.
Bentham & Hooker's system of classification with delimitation and circumscription
based on Cronquist's system, except for certain families, is followed in the delimitation
of families. Each volume is being demarcated to accommodate 400 to 600 species on an
average.

Family names are followed as per Nomina Familiarum Conservanda of International

Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN). Alternate names, if any, are given in brackets.
Family descriptions are elaborate, so as to reflect the important features on world-wide
basis. General distribution of the family along with total number of genera and species
for the world and India are indicated in the next paragraph. If there are any important
monograph, revision or works on allied subject on the family or genera covering or useful
for Indian region, these are cited in the following paragraph under 'Literature' in
alphabetical sequence of authors. Keys to genera, as well as to lower categories, are
strictly dichotomous and of bracketed type. For large families, viz. Annonaceae, Me-
nispermaceae, Brassicaceae, Rutaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Orchidaceae, Poaceae,
etc., it may be necessary to arrange genera and keys to genera segregated into subdivi-
sions of the family, like subfamilies, tribes, etc.

The genera are arranged serially in alphabetical sequence. Generic descriptions

incorporate important characters of the genus on world-wide basis in a condensed form.
The next paragraph contains distribution followed by total number of species in the
world and in India. Important selected literature on the genus, with full references form
the following paragraph named 'Literature'.

i
 The species are arranged serially and alphabetically. The correct name of the
species appears in bold letters followed by its author's name and full reference to original
publication. Basionyms, if any, are given with full citations. All important synonyms,
connecting to Indian flora and Indian works are given. This is followed by common
names, arranged in alphabetical sequence of abbreviated language names. A detailed
taxonomic description of the species is provided for proper identification of the species.
Phenological data gathered from herbarium specimens and correlated with those avail-
able in literature are indicated as Flowering (F/.) and Fruiting (Fr.). Distribution of the
species is given in two paragraphs. The first paragraph gives distribution in India,
including general ecology and statewise distribution. The second paragraph provides
world distribution, countrywise and/or phytogeographically. Uses of the species, if any,
on economic, medicinal or ethnobotanical aspects are given under 'Notes'. If there are
any nomenclatural, taxonomic or phytogeographic interesting aspects these are also
given under 'Notes' with literature citation, if any.

Plants which are purely cultivated are listed at the end of the family with short
descriptions and notes. Those exotic species which have run wild or get propagated
naturally are included in the general account.

For the sake of uniformity, author's names are mostly abbreviated as given in 'Draft
Index of Author Abbreviations' compiled at Kew.

Acknowledgements

The Editors acknowledge their deep gratitude and appreciation to Dr. T.N. Kho-
shoo, Emeritus Scientist, and Ex-Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt,
of India, who in 1984, initiated the process of the preparation of Flora of India in this
new pattern and gave constant encouragement and facilities during the formative period.
They are thankful to Mr. R. Rajamani, Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests,
Govt, of India, for his consistant encouragement and prompt action in providing all
facilities for continuation of the work. The Editors thank Dr. S.K. Jain, Ex-Director,
Botanical Surrvey of India, who initiated the series 'Fascicles of Flora of India' and
showed keen interest and encouragement during the course of this work. They appreci-
ate the hard efforts put in by Dr. M.P. Nayar, Ex-Director, Botanical Survey of India
for initiating the project and the enthusiasm shown during the preparation of guide-lines
and for encouraging the contributors.

The editors express their appreciation for the hard work put in by various contribu-
tors of the families and family editors for finalisation of the manuscripts on time. They
also express their gratitude to the various Artists and Photographers of the department
for their efficient and prompt preparation of illustrations and photographs.

ii
 The editors record their thanks to Mr. A.R.K. Sastry, Scientist SF, Botanical Survey
of India, Calcutta for his valuable help in various ways during the entire work starting
from preparation of guidelines to the publication.

Special thanks are due to Mr. S.C. Pal, Publication Officer, Botanical Survey of
India, Calcutta for helping us in composing and formatting the volume.

The editors acknowledge the efficient and quick work done by the Computer Unit
of Botanical Survey of India at Southern Circle, Coimbatore, in typing the manuscripts
on Computer and composing them in DTP by Mr. A.K. Pathak, System Analyst, Mr.
N.G.R. Nair, Stenographer, Mrs. P. Sumathi and Miss G. Geethalakshmi, Data Entry
Operators. The Editors express their deep appreciation and gratitude to all the present
and retired staff members of Botanical Survey of India for their hardwork and whole-
hearted cooperation which amply helped us to achieve this goal.

Finally the editors acknowledge the quick production of the books in final form by
Mr. M.L. Jain of Deep Printers, New Delhi.

Calcutta B.D. SHARMA

15.06.1993 and

N . P . BALAKRISHNAN

iii
 CONTRIBUTORS AND EDITORS

BALAKRISHNAN, N.P. 13 -14 BPC Nagar, Thondamuthur Road, Bharatiyar

University P.O., Coimbatore 641046J

BANERJEE, R.N. Botanical Survey of India, Central National Herbarium, P.O.

Botanic Garden, Howrah 711103.

BANERJEE, S.P. 49 Shibtola Street, Uttarpara 712 258, West Bengal.

BASAK, R.K. 15-B, Chidam Mudi Lane, Calcutta 700 006.

BHAUMIK, G.H. Botanical Survey of India, Central National Herbarium, Botanic

Garden, Howrah 711103.

CHOWDHERY, H.J. Botanical Survey of India, Arunachal Pradesh, Field Station,

Itanagar 791110.

DANIEL, P. Botanical Survey of India, Southern Circle, TNAU Campus, Lawley

Road, Coimbatore 641003.

DAS, G.C. Botanical Survey of India, P-8 Brabourne Road, Calcutta 700 001.

DEBNATH, H.S. Botanical Survey of India, Flora Cell, Central National Herba-
rium, Botanic Garden, Howrah 711103.

ELLIS, J.L. 64,4th Main, Gopalappa Layout, Lakhasandra, Bangalore 560 036.

GIRI, G.S. Botanical Survey of India, Flora Cell, Central National Herbarium,
Botanic Garden, Howrah 711103.

HAJRA, P.K. Ministry of Environment & Forests, Paryavaran Bhavan, C.G.O.

Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110 003.

HENRY, A.N. Botanical Survey of India, Southern Circle, TNAU Campus, Lawley
Road, Coimbatore 641003.

JANARTHANAM, M.K. Department of Botany, Goa University, Taleigao Plateau,

Goa 403 203.

MAJUMDAR, N.C. 18/1 A, Chetla Hat Road, Alipore, Calcutta 700 027.

iv
MITRA, R.L. Botanical Survey of India, Industrial Section, Indian Museum, Botani-
cal Survey of India, 1-Sudder Street, Calcutta 700 016.

NAYAR, M.P. TC-19/315, "The Greens", Vattavila, Thirumala, Thiruvananthapu-

ram, 695 006.

PREMANATH, R.K. Botanical Survey of India, National Orchidarium & Ex-

perimental Garden, Yercaud 636 001.

SANJAPPA, M. Botanical Survey of India, Flora Cell, Central National Herbarium,

Botanic Garden, Howrah 711103.

SUNDARARAGHAVAN, R. We regretfully state that he expired on 4 March 1991.

VERMA, D.M. Botanical Survey of India, P-8 Brabourne Road, Calcutta 700 001.

VIVEKANANTHAN, K. Botanical Survey of India, Southern Circle, TNAU Cam-

pus, Lawley Road, Coimbatore 641003.

v
 ABBREVIATIONS
of

INDIAN LANGUAGES

Abhor : Abhor Kum. : Kumaonese

And. : Andaman Lep. : Lepcha

Asm. : Assamese Lus. : Lushai

Bcng. : Bengali Mai. : Malayalam

Bhoj. : Bhojpuri Mani. : Manipuri

Bhut. : Bhutia Mar. : Marathi

Cachar : Cachar Mikir : Mikir

Coorgi : Coorgi Miri : Miri

Eng. : English Naga : Naga

Garo : Garo Nep. : Nepali

Garh. : Garhwali Or. : Oriya

Goa. : Goanese Port. : Portugese

Guj. : Gujarati Punj. : Punjabi

Hindi : Hindi Raj. : Rajasthani

Jain. : Jaintea Sans. : Sanskrit

Jaun. : Jaunsar Sant. : Santal

Kang. : Kangri Sind. : Sindhi

Kan. : Kannada Tam. : Tamil

Kash. : Kashmiri Tel. : Telugu
Kh. : Khasi Tipp. : Tippcra (Tripura)
Kon. : Konkani Urdu : Urdu
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAPAVERACEAE

1. Argemone mexicana L. forma mexicana 4

2. Argemone ochroleuca Sweet 6
3. Eschscholtzia californica Cham. 9
4. Meconopsis aculeata Royle 12
5. Meconopsis discigera Prain 15
6. Meconopsis grandis Prain 16
7.a. Meconopsis horridula Hook. f. & Thomson 18
b. Meconopsis lyrata (Prain) Prain 18
8.a. Meconopsis robusta Hook. f. & Thomson 23
b. Meconopsis simplicifolia (D. Don) Walp. 23
9. Meconopsis villosa (Hook, f.) G. Taylor 26
10. Papaver macrostomum Boiss. 30

FUMARIACEAE

11. Corydalis cornuta Royle 47

12. Corydalis diphylla Wallich 51
13. Corydalis geraniifolia Hook. f. & Thomson 58
14. Corydalis govaniana Wallich 61
15. Dicentra scandens (D. Don) Walp. 80

BRASSICACEAE

16.A. Farsetia hamiltonii Royle 95

B. Farsetia jacquemontii Hook. f. & Thomson 95
17
- Arabis nova Vill. 102
18. Arabis pterosperma Edgew. 104
19
• Cardamine flexuosa Withering 111

vii
20. Cardamine hirsuta L.
21. Cardamine macrophylla Willd. 116
22. Rorippa indica (L.) Hiern 130
23. Brassica rapa L. subsp. campestris (L.) Clapham 139
24. Schouwia purpurea (Forsskal) Schweinf. 148
25. Sinapis alba L. 150
26. Draba gracillima Hook. f. & Thomson 160
27. Draba oreades Schrenk. 165
28. Neslia apiculata Fischer, C. Meyer & Ave-Lall. 175
29. Tauscheria lasiocarpa Fischer ex DC 177
30. Erysimum altaicum C. Meyer 181
31. Erysimum hieracifolium L. 183
32. Dilophila salsa Thomson 194
33. Isatis tinctoria L. 200
34. Lepidium latifolium L. 204
35. Lepidium virginicum L. 208
36. Matthiola flavida Boiss. 218
37. Matthiola incana (L.) R. Br. 220
38. Arabidiopsis stricta (Cambess.) N. Bausch 230
39. Arcyosperma primulifolium (Thomson) O. Schulz 233
40. Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl 238

CAPPARACEAE

41. Cadaba trifoliolata (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. 251

42. Capparis assamica Hook. f. & Thomson 259
43. Capparis brevispina DC. 261
44. Capparis cleghornii Dunn 264
45. Capparis diversifolia Wight & Arn. 268
46. Capparis floribunda Wight 270
47. Capparis fusifera Dunn 272
48. Capparis micrantha DC. 276

viii
 49. Capparis moonii Wight 278
50. Capparis multiflora Hook. f. & Thomson 280
51. Capparis nilgiriensis Subbarao et al. 282
52. Capparis pachyphylla Jacobs 284
53. Capparis rheedii DC. 286
54. Capparis shevaroyensis Sund.-Ragh. 291
55. Capparis sikkimensis Kurz 293
56. Capsules and seeds of Cleome L. 300
57. Cleome burmanii Wight & Arn. 305
58. Cleome chelidonii L. f. 307
59. Cleome gynandra L. var. gynandra 311
60. Cleome viscosa L. var. nagarjunakondensis Sund.-Ragh. 319
61. Dipterygium glaucum Decsne 328
62. Maerua apetala (Roxb.) Jacobs 330
63. Stixis suaveolens (Roxb.) Pierre 334

VIOLACEAE

64. Hybanthus enneaspermus (L.) F. Muell. 344

65. Hybanthus travancoricus (Beddome) Melchior 346
66. Rinorea bengalensis (Wallich) O. Ktze 349
67. Style and stigma of Indian Violas 352
68. Viola betonicifolia J. Smith subsp. jaunsarensis (W. Becker) Hara 356
69. Viola sikkimensis W. Becker 375

BIXACEAE

70. Bixa orellana L. 382

71. Cochlospermum religiiosum (L.) Alston 384

FLACOURTIACEAE

'2. Casearia andamanica King 392

'3. Flacourtia jangomas (Lour.) Raeusch. 404
 74. Gyncardia odorata R. Br. 408
75. Homalium travancoricum Beddome 416
76. Hydnocarpus alpina Wight (male) 419
77. Hydnocarpus alpina Wight (female) 420
78. Scolopia acuminata Clos 429
79. Scolopia spinosa (Roxb.) Warb. 432
80. Xylosma controversum Clos 435
81. Xylosma longifolium Clos 437

PITTOSPORACEAE

82. Pittosporum anamallayense Nayar & Giri 440

83. Pittosporum dasycaulon Miq. 443
84. Pittosporum viridulum Nayar et al. 448

POLYGALACEAE

85. Epirixanthes elongata Blume 452

86. Polygala arillata D. Don 458
87. Polygala arvensis Willd. 461
88. Polygala chinensis L. 465
89. Polygala erioptera DC. 468
90. Polygala globulifera Dunn 471
91. Polygala karensium Kurz 475
92. Polygala linarifolia Willd 477
93. Polygala mariesii Hemsley 479
94. Polygala sibirica L. 482
95. Polygala tartarinowii Regel. 484
96. Polygala tricholopha Chodat 486
97. Salomonia ciliata (L.) DC. 491
98. Securidaca inappendiculata Hassk 493

X
XANTHOPHYLLACEAE

99. Xanthophyllum andamanicum King 496

100. Xanthophyllum flavescens Roxb. var. flavescens 498

CARYOPHYLLACEAE

101. Arenaria curviflora Majumdar 508

102. Arenaria serpyllifoha L. 516
103. Arenaria thangoensis W. Smith 518
104. Brachystemma calycinum d. Don 520
105. Cerastium cerastoides (L.) Britton 522
106. Cucubalus baccifer L. 526
107. Dianthus chinensis L. 529
108. Drymaria diandra Blume 534
109. Gypsophila cerastioides D. Don 536
110. Lepyrodiclis holosteoides (C. Meyer) Fischer & C. Meyer 541
111. Lychnis coronaria (L.) Desr. 543
112. Minuartia ebracteolata Majumdar & Giri 546
113. Petrorhagia alpina (Habl.) Ball & Heywood 550
114. Polycarpon prostratum (Forsskal) Aschers. & Schweinf. 554
115. Pseudostellaria heterantha (Maxim.) Pax var. himalaica Ohwi 556
116. Silene songarica (Fischer, C. Meyer & Ave-Lall.) Bocq. 575
117. Spergula arvensis L. 579
118. Vaccaria pyramidata Medikus 594

xi
•S'4 * :
> -

r
j k

3PKTV *

1. Argemone mexicana L. (BSI,W.C, Pune)

2. . fika orellana L. (BSI, W.C, Pune)

3. Cadaba trifoliata (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. - Mundanthurai,
Tirunelveli Distr., Tamil Nadu. Photo : K. Ravikumar (MH)

4. Capparis decidua (Forsskal) Edgew. Tree with orange-red

flowers (BSI, W.C., Pune)
5. Capparis decidua (Forsskal) Edgew. - with pink red flowers
(BSI, W.C, Pune)

6. Capparis divaricata Lam. - flowers (BSI, W.C, Pune)

 7. Capparis divaricata Lam. - fruits (BSI, W.C, Pune)

IHft

• J ^^_^^S M i ?jp

8. Capparis grandis L. (BSI, W.C, Pune)

 9. Capparis zeylanica L. (BSI, W.C., Pune)

10. Casearia graveolens Dalz. - Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh,

N. Rama Rao (BSI, S.C, Coimbatore)
11. Casearia grewiaefolia Vent. var. gelonoides (Blume) Sleumer
Andaman & Nicobar Islands (BSI, A.N.C., Port Blair)

12. Cleome viscosa L. (BSI, W.C., Pune)

13. Cochlospermum religiosum (L.) Alston - Bodi hills, Madurai
Dist., Tamil Nadu. Photo : K. Ravikumar (MH)

14. Hydnocarpus pentandra (Buch.-Ham.) Oken - High Wavy's

Mountains, Madurai Dist., Tamil Nadu. Photo : K. Ravikumar
(MH)
 15. Maerua oblongifolla (Forsskal) A. Rich. (BSI, W.C, Pune)

16. Polygala arillata D. Don - High Wavy's Mountains, Madurai

Dist., Tamil Nadu. Photo : K. Ravikumar (MH)
 PAPAVERACEAE
(H. S. Debnath and M. P. Nayar)

Herbs or shrubs with milky latex or yellowish juice, annual, biennial or perennial;
hairs simple, barbellate or stellate. Leaves cxstipulate, mostly basal in a rosette, simple,
pinnatifid, pinnatisect or palmately lobed; stem leaves usually few, alternate, rarely
opposite.. Flowers on leafless scapes or in leafy racemes or panicles, bisexual, actino-
morphic, nodding in bud, showy. Sepals 2 (-3), free or rarely united at base, imbricate,
caducous. Petals 4 - 6 (rarely 8 -12 or absent), in 1 - 2 (-3) whorls, free, imbricate, often
crumpled at first. Stamens many, free; anthers longitudinally dehiscing; filaments
filiform or winged. Ovary superior, 1-loculed or apparently 2 -10 -loculed by intrusive
placentae; ovules many on parietal placentae, rarely solitary and basal; style usually 1
or absent; stigmas of different forms, usually connate, capitate, rarely free or sessile on
ovary as lobed disc. Fruit a capsule, dehiscing by 2 - 10 pores or valves; seeds small,
numerous.

Temperate and subtropical N. America, Europe, Asia and a few in Australia and
South Africa; 26 genera and about 200 species; 5 genera and 27 species in India.

Literature. DEBNATH, II. S. & M. P. NAYAR (1984) Papaveraceae & Ilypccoaccac. In: Fasc.
Fl. India 17: 1 - 48, ff. 1 - 18. DEBNATH, II. S. & M. P. NAYAR (198(5) The Poppies of Indian Region,
pp. 1 - 192, ff. 1 - 42. FEDDE, F. (1909) Papaveraceae, Hypecoideae & Papaveroideae. In: Engler,
Pflanzenr. 40 (IV. 104): 1 - 430, ff. 1 - 43. JAFFRI, S. M. II. & M. QAISER (1974) Papaveraceae. In: Fl.
W. Pakistan 61: 1 - 32, ff. 1 - 6. STEENIS, C. G. G. J. van (1954) Papaveraceae. In: Fl. Males. I, 5: 114 -
117, ff. 1 - 2.

KEY TO THE GENERA

la- Stigmatic lobes alternate to placentae; capsules opening throughout its length 2
atigmatic lobes opposite to placentae; capsules usually opening by pores or by short valves, rarely
throughout its length 3
Leaves ternately dissected into narrow segments: sepals forming a hood or calyptra-like cap; stigmas
3. Eschscliolzia
aves pinnatifid or pinnatipartite; sepals not forming any hood or calyptra-like cap; stigmas bifurcate
2. Dicranosligma
es present or inconspicuous; stigmas not discoid; capsules opening usually by short valves 4
b.
-s absent; stigmas sessile, discoid; capsules opening by pores or by short valves, rarely throughout
its length
5. Papaver

**• N. P. Balakrishnan
2 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

4a. Styles distinct, conspicuously broad and large; stigmas forming a globular mass over ovary
4. Meconopsis
b. Styles inconspicuous (rarely very short); stigmas not forming a globular mass over ovary
I. Argemone
1. Argemone L.

Herbs, erect, prickly or often glabrous, annual or perennial, with yellowish juice.
Leaves sessile, pinnatifid or sinuate-lobulate, glaucous; middle and upper ones elliptic-
oblong; lower obovate or oblanceolatc, toothed along margins, each tooth ending in a
prickle. Flowers solitary, terminal or axillary, pedunculate, white, yellow or orange;
flower-buds spherical, elliptic or oblong. Sepals 3, caducous, bearing a horn below apex.
Petals 6 in 2 whorls, obovate. Stamens many, 2-loculed; filaments filiform; anthers linear,
basifixed. Ovary ovate-oblong or subfusiform, unilocular; placentae 3 - 5, parietal;
ovules numerous; styles very short or obsolete; stigmas sessile, radiating, 3 - 7-lobed;
lobes opposite to placental strands. Capsules ellipsoid to oblong, 4 - 6-ribbcd, prickly
or not, dehiscing along sutures by 3 - 6 short valves in upper part; seeds numerous,
subspherical or spherical, pitted.

American genus; ca 22 species, 3 species in India, introduced as weeds.

Literature. KSHETRAPAL, S., JAIN, U. & T. C. TANWAR (1984) Anatomical studies in the
genus Argemone. Bull. Bot. Surv. India 26: 164 - 166. LAYKA, S. (1976) Le polymorphisme pollinique
dans le genre Argemone (Papaveraceae). Pollen et Spores 18(3): 351 - 375. MARY, T. N., GROVER, I.
S. & C. P. MALICK (1974) The genus Argemone: 3. Cytological studies in some autotctraploids.
Chromosome Inform. Serv. No. 16: 11-12. OWNBLY, G. B. (1958) Monograph of the genus Argemone
for North America and the West Indies. Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 21(1): 1 -149.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Flowers bright yellow; stigmatic lobes closely crowded together and appressed to styles at anthesis;
styles inconspicuous, up to 1 mm long in fruit 1. A. mcxicana
b. Flowers white, turning to pale yellowish with age; stigmatic lobes divergent and not appressed; styles
conspicuous in fruits. 1 - 3 mm long 2
2a. Capsules lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate; sepal horns 6 - 8 mm long; leaves whitish green with
prominent whitish tinge along midribs and veins 2. A. ochroleuca
b. Capsules subellipsoid to subfusiform; sepal horns 10 - 14 mm long; leaves pale green
3. A. subfusiformis

1. Argemone mexicana L., Sp. PI. 508.1753; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India
1: 117. 1872.

Annuals, 30-125 cm high, divaricately branched, spinescent or devoid of spines (in

Lleiocarpa), with yellow latex. Leaves sessile, elliptic-obovate, cordate or semi-amplex-
icaul at base, pinnatifid, sinuate-lobulate, 3 - 22 x 2 - 8 cm; segments inciso-dentate, acute
 PAPAVERACEAE 3
1993]

or spiny along margins, glaucous-green with pale markings on veins, often prickly on
lower surface, smooth above or on both surfaces (in f. leiocarpa). Flower buds 9 - 24 x
6 - 1 2 mm, sparingly or totally smooth (in f. leiocarpa); flowers bright yellow, 4 - 7 cm
in diam. sessile, subtended by 2 - 3 foliaceous bracts. Sepals elliptic, 8 -15 x 5 -10 mm,
each with 6-9 mm long acute terete horn, sparsely prickly outside. Petals 4 - 6, imbricate,
obovate, cuneiform, crumpled in aestivation, 2 - 3 x 1.5 - 2.5 cm. Stamens many 8-10
mm long; filaments yellow; anthers ca 2 mm long, yellow. Ovary ovoid, 8 -15 x 3 - 6 mm.
Capsules ellipsoid to oblong, 10 - 38 x 8 - 21 mm, larger spines 4 - 9 mm long or the
surface totally smooth (in f. leiocarpa); seeds many, 1.6 - 2 mm long, deeply reticulate,
suborbiculate, blackish brown to deep brown.

KEY TO THE FORMA

la. Plants glabrous, devoid of any spines, except leaf margins 1.1. forma leiocarpa
b. Plants spinescent 1.2. forma mexicana

1.1. forma leiocarpa (E. Greene) Ownbey in Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 21(1): 37.
1958. A. leiocarpa E. Greene in Pittonia 3: 345.1898.

Distrib. India: Rajasthan (Udaipur).

USA (Southern Florida), Brazil and West Africa.

Notes. Reported by Malik & Grover (in Indian For. 95(2): 123 - 124. 1969) from
Udaipur.

Chromosome no. = n = 14, 28 (Mary et al., 1. a ) .

1.2. forma mexicana Fig. 1.

Beng.: Barosial-kanta,Sial-kanta; Guj.: Danidi; Hindi: Bhar-bhand, Farangi-dhu-

tun>,Pila-dlxuhira, Shial-kanta; Ladakhi: Gailshe; Mai.: Brahmadanti; Or.: Kantuku-
sam; Punj.: Bhat-kateya, Bhatmil, Bher-bhandi, Kandiari, Katei, Satyanasa, Sial-kanta;
Sans.: Brahma-dandi, Srigala-kanta; Tarn.: Binna-dandu, Kurukkwn-chedi; Tel.:
Br
ahma-dandi-chettu; Urdu.: Brama-dandi.

Fl-&Fr. Feb.-May

distrib. India: Throughout, from sea level to 1500 m.

Native of Tropical America.

€S
cut • yellow juice of-the plant is used as a medicine for dropsy, jaundice and
I s ln
'ections. It is also used as diuretic, to relieve blisters and ulcers. The seed
4 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

mm
i^m.

* • • :

cm

Fig. 1. Argemone mexicana L. forma mexicana

 PAPAVERACEAE .5
1993]

oil is used as a medicine for ulcers and eruptions and also for burning in lamps. In
Ladakh an aqueous extract of the powdered leaves is used externally to treat eczema
and eye diseases.

Chromosome no. n = 28 (Kaul in Sci. & Cult. 462 - 463.1966); n = 14, 28 (Msry et
al., 1. c ) .

2. Argemone ochroleuca Sweet, Brit. Fl. Gard. 3: t. 242. 1829; Nair in Rcc. Rot.
Surv. India 21(1): 7 - 8.1978. Fi;-. 2.

Shrubs, annual or perennial, up to 1 m tall; young stems whitish purple or violaceous.

Leaves oblanccolate, semi-amplexicaul, sessile at base, sinuate to pinnatifid, basal leaves
deeply lobed; lobes oblong, glaucous. Flower buds oblong, 8 - 15 x 4 - 9 mm; flowers
whitish or pale lemon yellow, 2.5 - 3.5 cm across, sessile, subtended by 2 - 3 foliaccous
2 - 5 cm long, ca 5 mm broad bracts. Sepals 3, 8 -12 x 5 - 7 mm. Petals 6, obcuneate-
obovate, 28 - 30 x 16 - 19 mm. Stamens many, 8 - 1 0 mm long; filaments pale yellow;
anthers oblong, recurved, dark yellow. Ovary 8 -10 x ca 5 mm; stigmas 5-lobed, deeply
dissected, dark red. Capsules ovoid or lanceolate-ovoid, 1 - 4 cm long excluding style,
4 -17 mm thick, with 12 - 26 erecto-patent spines per valve, the largest spine up to 10
mm long; seeds 1.5 - 2 mm in diam., finely reticulate, black.

Fl. & Fr. Feb. - June.

Distrib. India. A common weed in cultivated fields and embankments. Punjab,

Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

Native of Mexico.

Notes. Chromosome no. n = 14 (Ernst in Contr. Dudley Herb. 5,5:137-139.1959);

2n = 28, 56 (Ownbey, 1. c. 1958).

3. Argemone subfusif'ormis Ownbey in Brittonia 13: 102, ff. 12 - 14. 1961.

Herbs or shrubs, annual or subperennial, prickly, 40 -100 cm high, with perpendicu-

>r reflexed prickles on stems. Leaves glaucous, lobed, with equal sinuses, dentate
g margins with acute teeth, prickly on lower surface, smooth on upper surface
Wer buds
14° oblong, 15 - 20 x 8 - 12 mm, prickly; flowers 2.8 - 4.6 cm across. Sepals 10 -
8 W th t e r e t e norns
25 ^ ' ' - P e t a l s cuneate, suborbicular, lemon-yellow. Stamens
St ma
Ca 1 " ' g s 2 - 3 mm broad, 1.5-2 mm long, purple; lobes narrow, spreading.
0 5PS3 S u b e l l i P s o i d or subfusiform, 29 - 45 x 14 - 15 mm, 3 - 4 (-5)-carpcllatc; styles
io -,<- m on§> armed with patent subequal spines; seeds many, more or less rounded,
' - ^ mm l o n & b l a c k i s h b r o w n _

'&Fr- April-Nov.
 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2
6

cm

Fig. 2. Argemone ochroleuca Sweet

1993] PAPAVERACEAE 7

Distrib. India: Rajasthan (Udaipur).

Native of S. America.

Notes. Malik & Grovcr (in Indian For. 95(7): 480 - 481.1969 & in Sci. & Cult. 41(5):
220 - 223. 1975) report this for India from Udaipur. It is distinguishable by the larger
flowers and subcllipsoid to subfusiform capsules.

Chromosome no. n = 14, 28 (Mary et al., 1. a ) .

2. Dicranostigma Hook. f. & Thomson

Herbs, annual or perennial, glaucous, with yellow juice and stout woody taproot;
stems many, leafless and branched at lower part with alternate leafy bracts above.
Leaves mainly radical, petioled, pinnatifid or pinnately partite, with distant rhomboid
acute sharply cut segments and trifid terminal segments; stem leaves few, sessile,
alternate. Flowers few on slender ebracteate pedicel, terminal and in axils of stem
leaves. Sepals 2, ovate, 2-horned at apex, early caducous. Petals 4, in 2 whorls, orange
or yellow. Stamens many. Ovary narrowly ellipsoid, 1-loculed with 2 parietal placentae;
style stout, erect; stigmatic lobes alternate to placentae, ascending. Capsules narrowly
cylindrical or linear, acute, dehiscing up to base by 2 valves, softly hairy or glabrous;
seeds not cristate.

Himalayas and W. China; 3 species, one in India.

Dicranostigma lactucoides Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 255.1855. Stylopodium

lactucoides (Hook. f. & Thomson) Benth. & Hook, f., Gen. PI. 1: 53. 1862 & Fl. Brit.
India 1: 119.1872.

Herbs decumbent, 20 - 60 cm long, puberulous; flowering stems 3 - 4, slender,

subglabrous, erect, branched above, each branch with a terminal flower. Leaves pin-
natitid or partite with 4 - 6 pairs of segments; basal leaves elliptic-oblanceolate, irregu-
ar
'y dentate along margins, deeply pinnatifid with 4 - 7 pairs of oblong squarish lobes,
- 25 x 3 - 7 cm; petioles 1 - 6 cm long, winged; cauline leaves sessile, smaller, ca 2 cm
ong, with 1 - 3 pairs of lobes. Pedicels 5 - 7.5 cm long, slender. Sepals broadly elliptic,
• - 2 cm long with stout blunt horns, acute, puberulous. Petals obovate, 1.5 - 2.5 x -
n or
' ange. Stamens many; anthers linear or linear-oblong. Ovary narrowly ovate, ca
cm long; puberluous; styles distinct, ca 5 mm long; stigmas mitriform, crowned.
a
Psules slightly curved, on up to 20 cm long pedicels, 5 - 6 x 0.5 cm, hairy; seeds
numerous, small, punctate.

'•&Fr. June-Oct.
8 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Distrib. India: W. Himalayas, 2700 - 4700 m. Uttar Pradesh (Garhwal).

Nepal.

3. Eschscholzia Cham.

Herbs, annual or perennial, glaucous, with watery sap. Leaves alternate, radical or
cauline, ternately dissected into narrow segments, petioled. Flowers solitary, terminal
or axillary, long-pedicelled, large, showy. Torus turbinate with a broad, flat or recurved
border surrounding the base of pistil and on inner edge of which the calyx, corolla and
stamens are inserted showing a perigynous appearance. Sepals 2, oblong, deciduous,
connate, forming a hood or calyptra-like cap, which is pushed off by the expanding petals.
Petals 4, free, whitish or yellowish. Stamens many, inserted at base of petals; anthers
linear-lanceolate or oblong, basifixed, dithecous; filaments shorter than anthers, dilated
at base. Ovary linear, ribbed; styles very short; stigmas 4 - 6 , filiform, unequal. Capsules
linear, with a narrow base, dehiscing by 2 valves from base to apex, ribbed; seeds
numerous, globose, reticulate.

Native to North America; ca 10 species, one introduced into India as a garden plant.

Eschscholzia californica Cham, in Nees, Horae Phys. Berol. 74,1.15.1820; Nair in

Rec. Bot. Surv. India 21(1): 8.1978. Fig. 3.

Perennial, erect to diffuse herbs; stems 30 - 50 cm high, quadrangular, scapose to

leafy, dichotomously branched, glabrous or subglabrous. Leaves 10 - 30 cm long,
ternately dissected into narrow ca 1 mm broad acute or subobtuse segments; petioles
5 - 2 0 cm long, becoming shorter in upper leaves. Flower-buds ovate, 2 - 2.5 x 1 -1.5
cm; pedicels 6 - 20 cm long; flowers 4 - 8 cm in diam., showy. Sepals united into a calyptra,
caducous, leaving 2 rims at base of ovary, conical, ca 2 cm long; outer rim spreading,
3 - ^ mm broad, with parallel striations; inner rim erect, short. Petals broadly obovate,
5 - 6 x 1 - 4 cm, yellow, shortly clawed. Anthers linear-lanceolate, 4 - 6 mm long; filaments
short, 3 - 5 mm long. Ovary ca 8 - 10 mm long; styles short; stigmas 4, 3 - 4 mm long.
Capsules 7 -10 cm long, 3 - 4 mm broad, straight, longitudinally ribbed, glabrous; seeds
globose, reticulate, ca 2 mm in diam., black.

Fl. & Fr. Feb. - Aug.

Distrib. India: Cultivated in gardens as ornamental plant and often runs wild in W.
Himalayan region.

Native of North America.

1993] PAPAVERACEAE

Fig. 3. Eschscholzia californica Cham.

10 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

4. Meconopsis Viguier

Herbs, erect, biennial or perennial, monocarpic or polycarpic, with yellow juice,

often woody at base; stems scapose or leafy, usually simple, often branched; indumentum
often of barbellate bristles or hairs. Leaves mostly radical, some cauline, entire to
bipinnatifid or partite, rarely palmatifid. Flowers solitary, terminal on leafless scapose
stems or on pedicels arising all along the central flowering axis forming leafy racemes
or in axillary cymules forming leafy panicles. Sepals 2, ovate, elliptic, early caducous.
Petals 4, more often 5 - 9 (-10), obovatc or suborbicular, variously coloured, showy.
Stamens many; filaments filiform, linear, mostly coloured like petals. Ovary sessile,
ellipsoid to oblong-ellipsoid, ovoid, obovoid or rarely subglobose, often bristly; style
conspicuous, elongate; stigmas 2 -12, free or united with more or less decurrent lobes.
Capsules cylindrical to subglobose or ellipsoid-oblong or obovoid, 4 - 10-valved, usually
dehiscing by interplacental subapical pores or long slits at apex only or rarely to the base;
seeds many, subreniform or ellipsoid-oblong, smooth or rugose, often papillose.

Himalayas and south-central Asia; ca 47 species, 16 species in India.

Literature. HENDERSON, D. M. (1965) Pollen morphology of Meconopsis. Grana Palynologia

6(2): 191 - 209. TAYLOR, G. & E. H. M. COX (1934) An account of the genus Meconopsis. pp. 1 -130,
tt. 1 - 29.

Notes. Cathcartia Hook. f. treated as an independent genus by Hook, f. & Thomson

(in Fl. Brit. India 1:119.1872) is included here in this genus.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la Ovary and capsule flat-topped, bearing a lobed epigynous disc formed by expanded disc of stylar base
4. M. discigera
b. Ovary and capsule tapering at apex into a long style without expanded epigynous disc of stylar base 2

2a Indumentum of prickly rigid bristles 3

b. Indumentum of soft hairs, if present 8
3a. Flowering stems scapose or leafy at base only 4
b. Flowering stems leafy throughout 5
4a. Leaves deeply pinnatifid; style ca 1 cm long 10. M. neglecta
b. Leaves entire to sinuate-toothed; styles 2 - 5 mm long 6. M. horridula
5a. Leaves imperfectly 1 - 2 pinnatipartite 1. M. aculeata
b. Leaves entire or sinuate-lobed 6
6a. Polycarpic herbs; stem leaves ovate-cordate; flowers solitary or in 1 - 7-flowered lax leafless racemes,
yellow, ovary glabrous 16. M. villosa
b. Monocarpic herbs; stem leaves narrowly oblanceolate or oblong-lanceolate or ovate-oblong; flowers
in dense leafy racemes, blue, purple, violet or white; ovary bristly 7
1993] PAPAVERACEAE 11

7a. Stem leaves oblong to ovate or broadly lanceolate, 2 - 6 cm broad; upper flowers ebracteate; petals
pale blue or white; ovary glabrous; capsules 1 -1.5 cm long (excl. beak) 7. M. latifolia
b. Stem leaves narrowly oblanceolate or oblong, 1 - 3 cm broad; upper flowers bracteate; petals blue,
purple or violet; ovary bristly; capsules 4 - 5 cm long (excl. beak) 14. M. sinuala
8a. Plants softly golden yellowish villous, mixed with minute stellate hairs throughout; petals yellowish
11. M. paniculata
b. Plants brownish yellow villous, without stellate hairs; flowers blue, purple, pink, red or white, never
yellow 9
9a. Hairs, if present, non-barbellate 10
b. Hairs, if present, barbellate 11
10a. Flowering stems leafy; leaves entire to lyrato-pinnatifid; flowers borne in axils of upper cauline leaves;
petals 7 - 20 mm long; capsules oblong 8. M. lyrata
b. Flowering stems scapose; leaves 2-pinnatifid or partite; flowers borne singly on leafless scapes in axils
of basal leaves; petals 20 - 30 mm long; capsules obovoid, pear-shaped 2. M. bella
11a. Indumentum of long hairs mixed with short much branched hairs 12
b. Indumentum of only long hairs 13
12a. Leaves shallowly serrate; flowers white, petals 4 - 6 cm long; styles 3 - 5 mm long IS. M. superba
b. Leaves deeply pinnatifid or partite; flowers red purple or blue; petals 2 - 4 cm long; styles 2 -10 mm
long 9. M. napaulensis
13a. Leaves imperfectly 1 - 2 pinnatifid or partite; plants of Western Himalayas 12. M. robusta
b. Leaves entire to sinuate-dentate; plants of Eastern Himalayas 14
14a. Flowers on leafless scapes; petals (2-) 3 - 5 cm long 13. M. simplicifolia
b. Flowers on leafy stems; petals (4-) 5 - 9 cm long 15
15a. Stems 1 -1.5 m long; lower cauline leaves truncate or cordate at base 3. M. belonicifolia
b. Stems 0.5 - 1 m long; lower cauline leaves cuneate or attenuate at base 5. M. grandis

1. Meconopsis aculeata Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 67, t.15, 183. 1834; Hook. f. &
Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 118. 1872. M. bikramii Aswal in Indian J. For. 8(1): 84.
1985. Fig. 4.

Herbs, monocarpic, prickly; stems up to 60 cm high, leafy throughout, covered with

2 - 7 mm long bristles; taproots ca 12 cm long, narrowly elongated, fusiform. Leaves
oblong, imperfectly irregularly pinnatipartite, rarely bipinnati-partite, up to 30 cm long
Unci, petiole); upper cauline leaves sessile, smaller; segments oblong or obovate or
ovate-triangular, obtuse or rounded at apex, bristly on both sides; petioles 3 - 10 (-15)
c m on
' g , expanded at base; higher leaves sessile, smaller. Flowers on long spiny 1 -15
cm long pedicels. Sepals broadly oblong-orbicular, 1 - 2 cm long. Petals 4, rarely 6,
ue, purplish blue or red, obovate to suborbicular, ca 3.5,x 3.5 cm. Filaments 5 -10 mm
0n
g; anthers 1-1.5 mm long, golden yellow. Ovary subglobose or ellipsoid, densely
s
Pjny; styles 2 -10 mm long. Capsules dehiscing by 4 - 6 valves, 10 -15 mm long; seeds
subreniform, ca 1 mm long.

Fi&Fr. July-Oct.
 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2
12

Fig. 4. Meconopsis aculeata Royle

1993 ] PAPAVERACEAE 13

Distrib. India: W. Himalayas, 2400 - 4700 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal

Pradesh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan.

Notes. This species is very variable in habit, size, dissection of leaves, nature of
inflorescence and size and colour of petals. It is closedly allied to M. horridula, but can
be easily recognised by leafy stems, globose flower buds and pinnatifid or pinnatipartite
leaves.

The roots are used as narcotic in Kashmir.

Chromosome no. n = 28 (Ratter in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 28:191 - 200.1967).

Pollen grains 3-colpate, spheroidal, 20 - 24 u in diam. included in Horridula type

(Henderson in Grana Palynol. 6(2): 196, 200.1965)

2. Meconopsis bella Prainin J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 63(2): 82.1894.

Herbs, polycarpic, with up to 17 cm long stout narrow elongated perennial taproot;

caudex ca 2.5 cm long, covered by a rosette of numerous withered petiole-bases. Leaves
numerous, crowded, 1.5 - 6 cm long, all basal, variable, simple, elliptic-lanceolate or
oblong, attenuate at base, obtuse at apex, deeply pinnatisect or bipinnatisect, 1.5 - 6 x
0.5 - 1 cm, glabrous or sparsely bristly; ultimate segments usually 3-fid, obovate or
obovate-oblong; petioles 2.5 - 10 cm long, slender, glabrous or sparsely bristly with
expanded persistent bases. Flowers solitary on leafless 4 - 15 cm long bristly erect
scapose stems; scapes 1 - 25, recurved and up to 20 cm long in fruits. Sepals 2, oblong,
7 - 1 0 mm long, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Petals 4, rarely 5 - 6 , pale blue or purple,
obovate-suborbicular, entire or denticulate, 2 - 3 x 2.5 cm. Filaments 5 - 7 mm long,
dark purple; anthers ca 2 mm long, golden yellow. Ovary ellipsoid, glabrous or sparsely
bristly; styles 2 - 5 mm long, stout, swollen at base. Capsules narrowly obovoid,
pear-shaped, 15 - 20 x 6 - 8 mm, dehiscing by 4 - 7 valves only near apex; seeds ellipsoid,
c
a 1.3 mm long, ribbed.

Fl- & Fr. June - Oct.

c-i .Dlstrib- !ndia: Eastern Himalayas, on alpine steep grassy slopes, 3700 - 4800 m.
^ikkim.

Bhutan and Nepal.

• 3. Meconopsis betonicifolia Franchet, PI. Uelav. 1:42,1.12.1889; Debnath & Nayar

lnp
a s c . F l . India 17: 14, f.3.1984.
14 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Herbs, monocarpic or polycarpic; stems glabrous or scattered rufous hairy, 1 -1.5

m tall; rootstocks short, clothed with dark brown bristly membranous leaf-sheaths.
Leaves oblong to elongate, truncate or auriculate at base, subacute, obtuse or rounded
at apex, incised or crenate along margins, sometimes coarsely or irregularly serrate or
even lobed, 10 - 15 x 5 - 7 cm; basal cauline leaves on ca 20 cm long sheathed petiole;
upper cauline leaves sessile. Flowers ca 6 cm in diam., on 25 - 30 cm long axillary
pedicels. Petals 4 - 6, blue-violet, purple, broadly ovate, slightly sinuate-lobed, ca 5 x 5
cm. Filaments white, anthers deep yellow. Ovary ellipsoid, oblong, covered by rufous
bristles; styles green, ca 1 cm long; stigmas green, 4 - 7-lobed. Capsules oblong to
oblong-ellipsoid, splitting by 4 - 7 valves; seeds reniform with longitudinal rows of shallow
pits.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: E. Himalayas from 3000 - 4000 m. Arunachal Pradesh.

Myanmar and China.

4. Meconopsis discigera Prain in Ann. Bot. 20: 356, t. 24, f. 12.1906. Fig. 5.

Monocarpic herbs with slender taproot; stems 30 - 70 cm high, stout, sulcate, clothed
with golden brown barbellate patent or deflexed bristles or their persistent bases.
Leaves entire or 3-lobed, oblanceolate or elliptic-oblanceolate, subacute or rounded at
apex; basal leaves ca 15 cm long (incl. petiole); upper ones sessile. Flowering stem
solitary, ribbed, forming leafy 10 - 15-flowered racemes; pedicels 2 - 5 cm long, hairy,
decurrent on stem, swollen at apex. Petals 4, obovate, 4 - 5 x 3 - 4 cm, red, purple or pale
blue. Filaments filiform, dark coloured. Ovary oblong, truncate, densely yellow bristly;
styles slender, elongate, 5 - 6 mm long, bearing 6 -10 linear erect lobes. Capsules oblong,
6-ribbed, 2 - 3 cm long, appressed bristly, dehiscing by 6 -10 valves, crowned with ovate
laciniate reflexed 5 - 7 mm long persistent stylar disc; seeds reniform, ribbed and
reticulate.

Fl. & Fr. June - Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine cliffs and rocky ravines, 3400 - 4800 m. Sikkim.

Bhutan, Nepal, China (Tibet).

Notes. Chromosome no. n = 40 (Ernst in Madrono 18:122 -126.1965; n = 41, c.

40 (Ratter in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 28:191 - 200.1967).
1993] PAPAVERACEAE 15

[
cm

Fig. 5. Meconopsis discigera Prain

16 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Fig. 6. Meconopsis grandis Prain

1993] PAPAVERACEAE 17

5. Meconopsis grandis Prainin J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 64(2): 320.1895. Fig. 6.

Herbs, polycarpic, up to 1.5 m high; roots short, fibrous; stems covered with
appressed 5-8 mm long bristles. Leaves all basal, oblanceolate or elliptic-oblong, acute
at apex, cuneate at base, 10 - 25 x2 - 8 cm, with several shallowbroad teeth alongmargins;
basal leaves sessile, becoming bract-like at top, sometimes cordate; petioles 10 - 30 cm
long, bristly, sheathing at base. Flowers 1 - 4 per stem, on 10 - 15 cm long pedicels,
becoming elongated up to 60 cm in fruit. Sepals broadly oblong-ovate, obtuse, 3 - 3.5
cm long, appressed bristly. Petals 4 - 5 (-9), purple or blue tinged with purple, 4 - 7 cm
long. Filaments filiform, 1 - 1.5 cm long, white; anthers ca 2 mm long, yellow. Ovary
oblong or ellipsoid, patently or appressed bristly; styles 5 -15 mm long; stigmas globose,
4 - 6-lobed. Capsules ellipsoid-oblong, dehiscing by 4 - 6 valves, 3.5 - 4.5 cm long,
glabrous or patently bristly; seeds reniforrrr.

Fl.&Fr. June-Sept.

Distrib. India: E. Himalayas, between 3400 - 4600 m. Sikkim.

Bhutan, Nepal and China (Tibet).

Notes. Chromosome no. n = 28,2n = 56 (Ratter & Milne in Notes R. Bot. Gard.
Edinb. 32: 429 - 438.1973).

6. Meconopsis horridula Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 252.1855 & Fl. Brit. India
1:118.1872. M. racemosa Maxim, in Bull. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Petersb. 23: 310.1877.
Fig. 7 a.

Herbs, monocarpic, with up to 25 cm long slender taproot; stems subscapose, 15 -

30 (-80) cm long, with dense pale, spreading or deflexed, 3 - 7 mm long prickles
throughout. Leaves mostly basal, rosetted, oblanceolate, obovate-elliptic, decurrent at
base, acute or rounded at apex, entire to sinuate-lobed, 5 - 15 x 1 - 4 cm; petioles 2 - 6
c m on
' g; stem leaves absent or a few only. Flowers 3 - 10, on 2 - 15 cm long pedicels,
°rne l n a raceme on stout erect stem, often surrounded by 3 -15 single-flowered leafless
" c m long scapes, arising from axils of basal leaves. Sepals oblong, obtuse, 1 - 2 cm
"8> bristly. Petals 4 - 8, obovate, denticulate at top, 2 - 3 cm long, usually blue, rarely
e
- Ovary ellipsoid, densely prickly, bearing 2 - 5 mm long style; stigma capitate or
ate. Capsules broadly ellipsoid, oblong, 1 - 2 x 1 cm, prickly, 5 - 6-valved, dehiscing
y near apex; seeds subreniform, ca 8 mm long.
Fl
&Fr. July-Sept.

Sikk" ' W "k In(

*' a : Eastern
Himalayas, alpine cliffs and meadows, 3800 - 4700 m.
 [ VOL. 2
FLORA OF INDIA
18

Fig. 7. a. Meconopsis horridula Hook. f. & Thomson; b. Meconopsis lyrata

(Prain) Prain
1993] PAPAVERACEAE 19

Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and China (Tibet).

Notes. Chromosome no. n = 28 (Ratter in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 28: 191 -
200.1967).

7. Meconopsis latifolia (Prain) Prain in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1915: 146.1915. M.
sinuata Prain var. latifolia Prain in Curtis, Bot. Mag. 134: t. 8223.1908.

Herbs, monocarpic, with stout elongated taproots; stems 30 - 100 cm high, simple,
leafy, covered with yellowish brown or golden brown 2 - 8 mm long bristles. Leaves
oblong or ovate-lanceolate, acute or obtuse, sinuate-lobed or deeply incised-serrate,
rarely pinnatilobed; basal leaves 6 - 22 x 2 - 6 cm, on 2 - 8 cm long bristly petioles; upper
ones sessile. Flowers axillary or terminal, forming leafy racemes; uppermost flowers
usually ebracteate; pedicels 2 - 8 cm long, hairy as on stems. Sepals broadly oblong, 1 -
1.5 cm long. Petals 4, pale blue or white, obovate or suborbicular, 2 - 3 cm long.
Filaments 8 -10 mm long. Ovary ovoid, bristly; styles 1.5-3 mm long. Capsules ellipsoid,
oblong, bristly, dehiscing by 4 - 7 valves, 1 - 1.5 cm long (excl. stylar beak); seeds
subreniform and plano-convex.

Fl.&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: N.W. Himalayas, 2100 - 4600 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

Endemic.

Notes. Chromosome no. n = 28 (Ratter in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 28: 191 -
200.1967).

8. Meconopsis lyrata (Prain) Prain in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1915: 142. 1915.
Cathcartia lyrata Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 64(2): 325.1896. M. polygonoides Prain,
1. c. 326.1896. M. compta Prain in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1918: 212.1918. Fig. 7 b.

Herbs, monocarpic, with stout swollen up to 6.5 cm long napiform often elongated
taproots; stems 5 - 30 cm high, slender, leafy, simple or often branched at base, clothed
• persistent glabrous membranous leafy sheaths at base, glabrous or sparsely bristly
golden-brown hairs. Leaves ovate, oblong, spathulate or oblanceolate with a
s a e or subcordate rounded base, acute or rounded at apex, entire or lyrate-
theii- 311 ^ 3 l ° n g m a r g i n s ; b a s a l l e a v e s o n 5 " 5 0 m m l o n g petioles, often with bulbils in
than t ' S ° ° n w i t n e r i n § ' u s u a l ' y pinnatifid or partite; lateral lobes 2 - 4, elliptic, smaller
ermi nal l o b e ; s t e m l e a v e s 2 5
and"i , - > distant, uppermost sessile. Flowers up to 5, terminal
obov"!^ 1 5 ° f U P P C r l e a V C S ° n s l e n d e r c u r v e d 3 - 8 cm long pedicels. Sepals oblong-
p i n ^ ^ 8 " 1 0 m m l 0 n g ' P e t a l s 4 (" 6 )' o b o v a t e - s u b o r b i c u l a r . 7 - 20 x 10 - 20 mm, pale
flue or white. Stamens 12 - 36; filaments filiform, 4 - 5 mm long; anthers ca 2 mm
> go den yellow. Ovary narrowly oblong or oblong-ellipsoid, glabrous; styles 2 - 4
20 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

mm long; stigmas 2 - 4-lobed. Capsules narrowly oblong or obovoid, glabrous, dehiscing

by 3 - 4 valves, ca 2.5 cm long (incl. beak); seeds falcate-ellipsoid, pitted.

Fl.&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: Eastern Himalayas, on rocky alpine slopes and cliffs, 2800 - 4500 m.
West Bengal and Sikkim.

Nepal and China.

Notes. Very variable in leaf and petal shapes and number of stamens. Based on
these variable characters Prain recognised M. polygonoides Prain (in J. Asiat. Soc.
Bengal 64, 2: 326.1896) a n d M compta Prain (in Bull, Misc. Inf. Kew 1918: 212.1918),
which cannot be maintained as distinct from M. lyrata.

The presence of bulbils in leaf axils is characteristic of this species, a character also
reported by Taylor & Cox (1. c.) in M. chelidonifolia.

9. Meconopsis napaulensis D C , Prodr. 1:121.1824. M. wallichii Hook. f. in Curtis,

Bot. Mag. 78: t. 4668.1852; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:119.1872.

Herbs, monocarpic; stems 0.5 - 2 m high, covered with ca 7 mm long stiff brownish
bristles throughout. Leaves elliptic-oblong, imperfectly 1 - 2 pinnatisect or partite;
segments ovate-oblong, sinuate-pinnatilobed; basal leaves ca 45 cm long, on 5 - 20 cm
long petioles, often more strongly pinnatisect; segments oblong with large rounded teeth;
upper most ones often entire. Flowers axillary on 2.5 - 6 (-10) cm long brownish bristly
pedicels. Sepals ovate-oblong, obtuse, 1.5 - 2 cm long. Petals 4, obovate-suborbicular,
2 - 4 cm long, red to purple or blue, often white with yellow nerves. Filaments filiform,
8 - 1 0 mm long; anthers ca 2 mm long. Ovary ellipsoid-oblong or ovoid, clothed with
same hairs as on stem; styles distinct, 2 -10 mm long, becoming slightly swollen at base
in fruit; stigmas capitate or subclavate, 5 - 8-lobed. Capsules oblong-ellipsoid, 15 - 35 x
10 mm, hairy, dehiscing by 5 - 8 valves; seeds ovoid, oblong, 1 -1.2 mm long, papillose.

Fl.&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: C. & E. Himalayas, common in fir forests and near mountain
streams, 2700 - 4300 m. Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Nepal, Bhutan and China.

Notes. Very variable in colour of flowers, degree and density of indumentum and
size and shape of leaves.

Chromosme no. n = 28 (Ratter in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 28: 191 - 200.1967).
1993] PAPAVERACEAE 21

The specific epithet is often spelled as 'nepalensis' and 'nipalensis', but the original
spelling is 'napaulensis'.

10. Meconopsis neglecta G. Taylor, Ace. Meconopsis 102.1934; Dhar & Kachroo
in Geobios, New Rep. 2:132.1983.

Herbs, monocarpic, 15 - 20 cm high; taproots dauciform, up to 14 cm long, ca 1 cm

broad, passing upwards into short stem, covered with persistent leaf-bases. Leaves
radical, ca 3.5 x 1 cm, on 3 - 3.5 cm long petioles, deeply pinnatifid, densely covered on
both surfaces with pungent spines; lobes oblong, rounded at apex. Scapes up to 12,
sparsely spiny, up to 15 cm long. Petals 4, broadly obovate or suborbicular, 1.5 - 2 cm
across. Stamens many; filaments filiform; anthers yellow. Ovary ellipsoid, densely
covered with pungent spines; styles distinct, ca 1 cm long; stigma capitate.

Fl. & Fr. not known.

Distrib. India: N.W. Himalayas, 3350 - 4000 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan.

Notes. The roots are medicinal, used as a narcotic in Kashmir.

11. Meconopsis paniculata Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 64(2): 316. 1896. M.
nipalensis sensu Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:118.1872 (non DC. 1824).

Herbs, monocarpic, with stout elongated taproots, often split into several rootlets;
stems up to 2.5 m long, leafy, stout, fistular, sparsely or densely clothed with patent or
deflexed golden yellow soft hairs, mixed with minute stellate hairs throughout. Leaves
linear-oblong in outline, often entire or deeply pinnatifid, or sometimes pinnatisect near
base, 30 - 60 x 8 - 20 cm; lobes ovate or oblong, acute or obtuse, coarsely crenate or
serrate; basal leaves in rosette, larger, petiolate; stem leaves smaller, becoming sessile;
petioles 15 - 25 cm long. Flowering stems solitary, shortly branched; flowers numerous,
pendulous, borne singly in upper part and in 2 - 6-flowered lateral cymes in lower part;
pedicels 2 - 15 cm long, pendulous, hairy as on stem. Sepals ovate-oblong, obtuse-
rounded, golden yellowish hairy. Petals 4 (-5), obovate to suborbicular, entire or
subentire, rarely denticulate, 3 - 5 cm long, yellow. Filaments filiform, 7 -15 mm lor ,;
er
s ca 2 mm long. Ovary subglobose, ellipsoid or ovoid, densely covered with
appressed golden-yellow hairs; styles 5 -15 mm long, with capitate 6 - 12-lobed stigmas.
Capsules oblong-ellipsoid, 1.5 - 3.5 x 1.2 - 1.5 cm, hairy as on stems, 6 - 10-valved,
iscmg only near apex, borne on elongated up to 15 cm long pedicels; seeds subreni-
torm, ca 1 mm long, minutely papillose.

Fl-&Fr. June-Oct.
22 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Distrib. India: Central and Eastern Himalayas, in grassy and rocky alpine hillsides
and temperate forests, between 2200 - 4500 m. Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal (Darjeel-
ing), Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

Notes. Giri & Lai (in J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 12:365 - 366.1988) report it from Arunachal
Pradesh.

Very similar to and was previously confused with M. napaulensis D C , but is easily
recognised by their yellow flowers, pinnatifid to pinnatipartite leaves and minute papil-
lose seeds.

The rootstock has sweet taste and is used as salad by sherpas in E. Nepal. The root
has narcotic properties (Banerjee in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 53:153.1955-56).

Chromosome no. n = 28 (Ratter in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 28: 200.1967).

12. Meconopsis robusta Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 253. 1855 & in Fl. Brit.
India 1:119.1872. Fig. 8 a.

Herbs, monocarpic; stems 1 - 2 m long, leafy, stout, fistular, sparsely clothed with
patent ferruginous or yellowish-brown 5 - 6 mm long bristles or with their persistent
bases. Leaves imperfectly 1 - 2-pinnatifid to pinnatipartite, often uppermost entire,
sparsely bristly; segments ovate or ovate-oblong, acute or obtuse at apex; basal leaves
on 10 - 15 mm long petioles; upper ones sessile. Flowers solitary on 5 - 20 cm long
pedicels, in axillary or terminal leafy racemes. Sepals broadly ovate-oblong, 1.5 - 2 cm
long, bristly. Petals 4, obovate, yellow to sulphur yellow. Filaments 10 - 15 mm long,
filiform. Ovary ellipsoid or oblong, bristly; styles 2 -10 mm long; stigmas capitate, 6 -
9-lobed. Capsules obovoid-oblong or ellipsoid, dehiscing by 6 - 9 valves, 2 - 3 cm long;
seeds subreniform, papillose.

Fl&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: N.W. Himalayas, 2400 - 4000 m. Uttar Pradesh.

Endemic to Garhwal Himalayas.

Notes. Chromosome no. 2n = 28 (Sugiura in Cytologia 13: 352 - 359.1944).

13. Meconopsis simplicifoHa (D. Don) Walp., Repert. Bot. Syst. 1: 110. 1842;
Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:118.1872. Papaversimplicifolium D. Don, Prodr.
Fl. Nepal. 197.1825. Fig. 8 b.
 PAPAVERACEAE 23
1993]

Fl
8- 8. a. Meconopsis robusta Hook. f. & Thomson; b. Meconopsis simplicifolia (D.
Don) Walp.
24 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Herbs, polycarpic or sometimes monocarpic, 30 - 70 cm high, brownish bristly

throughout; stem bases clothed with rufous-bristly persistent leaf sheaths; taproots
slender, elongated. Leaves all basal, oblanceolate, spathulate, or elliptic-lanceolate,
long-attentuate at base, obtuse or subacute at apex, 4 -15 x 1 - 3 cm, entire or with a few
teeth or shallow rounded lobes on margins; petioles 0.5 - 25 cm long. Flowers solitary,
nodding on 5 - 70 cm long, 1 - 5 scapes arising from rosette leaves; pedicels densely
bristly. Sepals broadly oblong, obtuse, 20 - 25 x 10 -12 mm, rufous bristly. Petals 5 - 9,
obovate, 25 - 50 x 15 - 30 mm, blue or purple. Filaments 8 - 20 mm long, coloured as
petals; anthers ca 2 mm long. Ovary ellipsoid or oblong; styles slender with stout capitate
stigmas. Capsules oblong-ellipsoid, 3 - 7 x 1 -1.5 cm, slightly constricted above base,
thinly bristly, with 4 - 9 valves dehiscing in upper one-third; seeds ovoid-ellipsoid, ca 3
mm long, densely papillose.

Fl.&Fr. May-Oct.

Distrib. India: E. Himalayas, on rocky alpine hillsides, 3000 - 4800 m. Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet only).

Notes. Chromosome no. n = 41 or 42 (Ratter in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 28:

191 - 200.1967).

14. Meconopsis sinuata Prainin J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 64(2): 314.1896.

Herbs, monocarpic, with stout elongated taproots; stems slender, single, elongate,
leafy, 15 - 50 cm high, covered with 2 - 5 (-7) mm long prickly bristles. Basal leaves few;
stem leaves numerous, obovate, oblanceolate, often linear, strongly crenate sinuate-
lobed along margins or sometimes entire, 4 -12 x 1 - 3 cm, glaucous beneath, bristly on
both surfaces; petioles 2 - 5 cm long, often absent on upper leaves. Flowers 4 - 8 , axillary
or terminal, forming leafy racemes; pedicels all bracteate, 2 - 5 cm long, elongating up
to 15 cm in fruit. Sepals broadly oblong, acute, ca 1.5 cm long, bristly. Petals 4, obovate,
suborbicular, rounded at apex, slightly irregularly notched, 1.5 - 3 cm long, blue, purple
or violet. Filaments 8 - 10 mm long; anthers ca 3.5 mm long. Ovary ellipsoid, bristly;
styles slender, 1.5 - 3 mm long; stigmas capitate. Capsules narrowly obovoid, 4 - 5 x
0.7 - 0.9 cm, 3 - 4-valved; seeds falcate-oblong with longitudinal rows of shallow pits.

Fl.&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: E. Himalayas, rocky alpine hillsides and Rhododendron forests,

3600-4500 m. Sikkim.

Nepal and Bhutan.

1993] PAPAVERACEAE 25

15. Meconopsis superba Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 64 (2): 317.1896.

Herbs, monocarpic, with stout elongated taproots; stems up to 1.5 m tall, stout, leafy,
tomentose with appressed golden-brown, 5 - 8 mm long bristly hairs, mixed with short
much-branched hairs. Basal leaves simple, unlobed, obovate, ca 40 x 8.5 cm, shallowly
serrate, on ca 5 cm long petioles, densely sericeous; stem leaves sessile, oblanceolate,
elliptic-oblong, semiamplexicaul at base, acute at apex, incised-serrate along margins,
smaller than basal leaves. Flowers borne singly at axils of uppermost leaves, forming
leafy racemes of 6 - 20 flowers; pedicels stout, clothed with golden-brown hairs. Sepals
broadly ovate-oblong, obtuse, 4 - 6 cm long, tomentose. Petals 4, ovate-orbicular, 3.5 - 5
cm across, white. Filaments 12 - 15 mm long; anthers ca 2 mm long. Ovary globose or
ovoid-ellipsoid, tomentose; styles distinct and stout, 3-5 mm long; stigmas capitate with
12 -16 distinct lobes. Capsules ellipsoid, 4 - 5 x 1.5 - 2 cm, borne on very stout elongated
12 - 25 cm long pedicels, dehiscing by 7 -11 valves; seeds subreniform, papillose.

Fl.&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: E. Himalayas, among shrubs on alpine slopes, 3900 - 4200 m.

Sikkim.

Bhutan and China (Tibet).

16. Meconopsis villosa (Hook, f.) G. Taylor, Ace. Meconopsis 28.1934. Cathcartia
villosa Hook, in Curtis, Bot. Mag. 77: t. 4596.1851; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India
1:119.1872. Fig. 9.

Herbs, polycarpic, perennial; rootstock stout, short, clothed with rufous bristly
membranous persistent leaf sheaths; stems up to 60 cm long, erect, usually unbranched,
patently bristly with rufous barbellate 3 - 5 mm long bristles. Leaves broadly ovate-cord-
ate or orbicular, cuneate or cordate at base, palmately 3 - 5-lobed with palmatilobed
segments, 4 - 12 x 6 - 15 cm, appressed hairy, 3 - 5-veined; lobes coarsely or bluntly
toothed; basal leaves shorter, petioled or sessile, passing into bracts. Flowers solitary,
terminal or axillary, 1 - 7 per stem; pedicels slender, 5 - 12 cm long, hairy. Sepals
ovate-oblong, subacute or obtuse, 1.5 - 2 cm long, appressed bristly, yellow. Petals 4,
obovate, suborbicular, obtuse to rounded at apex, 2.5 - 3.5 x 3.5 - 4 cm, yellow. Filament1
° -10 mm long, filiform, yellow; anthers yellow to dark brown, ca 2 mm long, basifixe
Ovary cylindric or narrowly oblong, 1.5-2 cm, glabrous; stigma sessile, with 4 - 7 radiatii
topes. Capsules narrowly oblong, cylindric, with 4 - 7 prominent ribs alternating with
taint ribs, 4 - 8 x 0.5 - 0.7 cm, dehiscing by 4 - 7 valves to more than half way down its
length; seeds subreniform, dark.

Fl.&Fr. May-Sept.
 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2
26

Fig. 9. Meconopsis villosa (Hook, f.) G. Taylor

1993] PAPAVERACEAE 27

Distrib. India: Endemic to Eastern Himalayas, rocky streamsides and forests,

2700 - 4200 m. West Bengal (Darjeeling) and Sikkim.

Nepal and Bhutan. f

Notes. Horticulturally valued as an ornamental woodland garden plant for tem-

perate regions.

Chromosome no. n = 16 (Ratter in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 28:191 - 200.1967).

5. Papaver L.

Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial, with milky, yellowish or orange-coloured juice;

stems erect, ascending, mostly bristly, rarely glabrous. Leaves mostly on stems, some-
times in a rosette at base, mostly pinnatifid or pinnatilobed or pinnatipartite, entire or
mostly incised, dentate or serrate; segments variously incised; lower leaves petioled,
upper sessile. Flowers solitary, terminal and axillary on long leafless scapes, ebracteate,
sometimes paniculate, mostly patent or appressed-setose; flower buds ovate or subglo-
bose. Sepals 2 (-3), free, early caducous, ovate-orbicular, minutely setose. Petals 4 (-6),
in 2 whorls, obovate-orbicular with little or no claw, mostly red, yellow, orange, lilac or
white. Stamens many; filaments filiform or dilated; anthers small, orbicular to linear.
Ovary mostly ovoid, rarely cylindrical-oblong, glabrous, or setose; ovules many on
parietal placentae; stigmas sessile, 4 - 20, radiating on a lobed disc. Capsules oblong,
globular, obovate or subcylindrical, dehiscing by subapical pores under lobes of per-
sistent disc; seeds very small, kidney-shaped, alveolate-reticulate, brown, black, dark-
grey or white, without appendage.

Temperate Europe, Africa and Asia; about 50 species, 6 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Stems very short; leaves all radical: flowers borne on leafless scapes 4. P. nudicaule
o. Stems long or rarely short; leaves both radical and cauline; flowers on leafy scapes 2
2a- Plants glabrous, glaucous; cauline leaves sessile, amplexicaul, unlobed or shallowly pinnatifid; flowers
one or few 6. P. somnifcrum
b- Plants usually densely hispid or stiff hairy; cauline leaves shortly petioled, not amplexicaul, deeply
pinnatisect; flowers many 3
Ja
- Stigmatic segments keeled, with deeply dissected marginal lobes; disc of capsules hemispherical
3. P. macrostomum
"• Stigmatic segments not keeled, with shallow marginal lobes; disc of capsules flat 4
a
- Terminal segments of leaves narrow, linear, awned; capsules subglobose, hispid-setose, with 4 - 8
stigmatic rays 2. P. hybridum
ierminal segments of leaves broader, not awncd; capsules campanulate, oblong-ovoid or clavate-
cylindrical, glabrous, with 6 -15 stigmatic rays 5
28 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

5a. Terminal segments of leaves almost equal to lateral segments; capsules oblong-ovate or clavate-cylind-
rical; number of rays of stigmatic disc 6 - 8 (-9) 1. P. dubium
b. Terminal segments of leaves much longer than the lateral segments; capsules campanulate; number of
rays of stigmatic disc 9 - 1 3 (-15) 5. P. rhoeas

1. Papaver dubium L , Sp. PI. 1196.1753; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit India 1:
117.1872.

Herbs, annual, caulescent or subscapose, hispid or bristly, 14 - 40 cm high. Leaves

pinnatisect, sometimes pinnatifid, oblong-ovate, entire or often dentate, obtuse or acute,
2 -10 x 2 - 3 cm; upper leaves pinnatifid into linear or oblong-linear or lanceolate 4-10
mm broad, entire or dentate with bristly acute segments. Peduncles 5 - 33 cm long,
erect, large, with enlarged summit, hairy; flower buds ovoid, tapering to a more acute
apex, hornless, 8 -16 x 4 - 8 mm, roughly tubercular, white and silky hairy; flowers 3 - 7
cm across, terminal. Sepals 2, ovate, caducous, glabrous or bristly. Petals ovate, 2.4 -
2.8 x 3 - 3.6 cm, brick red to red in colour, not overlapping, caducous. Stamens few, as
long as ovary; filaments slender, up to 9 mm long; anthers broad-elliptic, ca 1 mm long.
Rays of stigmatic disc yellow in colour, 6 - 8 in number. Capsules sessile, oblong, ovate,
clavate, cylindrical, 10 - 20 x 3 - 9 mm, glabrous; stigmatic rays 6 - 8 (-9); seeds reniform,
ca 0.6 mm in diam., purplish black.

Fl. & Fr. April - Aug.

Distrib. India: N.W. Himalayas, 1000 - 3000 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran to Europe.

Notes. A very variable and complex species, and as a result several varieties have
been recognised, which are collectively referred under the single polymorphic species
P. dubium.

Chromosome no. n = 14 (Koul et al. in Nucleus 15: 117 - 123. 1972); 2n = 28, 42
(Koopmans in New Phytol. 69:1121 -1130.1970).

Bahl & Tyagi (in Curr. Sci. 58: 1384 - 1385. 1989) analysed the karyotype of this
species.

2. Papaver hybridum L., Sp. PI. 506.1753; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India
1:117.1872.

Annual, sparingly branched, hispid herbs, 19 - 40 cm high; hairs on branches and

stems appressed and with bulbous bases, caducous with age. Radical leaves long
petioled, 3 - 30 cm long; cauline leaves alternate, subsessile to sessile, pinnatifid to
1 9 93] PAPAVERACEAE 29

pinnatisect, 3 - 5.5 cm long; terminal segments linear-lanceolate, awned at apex. Flowers

2.5 - 4 cm across, scarlet with a blackish blotch at base; pedicels 8 -13 cm long. Sepals
2, caducous, obtuse, sparingly hispid. Petals 4, overlapping and crumpled in bud,
obovate, 1 - 1.3 cm long. Stamens numerous; filaments dilated upwards. Capsules
subglobose, 8 - 13 mm long, bristly hispid; stigma convex; stigmatic rays 4 - 8 , reaching
the edge of disc.

Fl.&Fr. March-May.

Distrib. India: Naturalised weed in wheat fields and wastelands. Jammu & Kash-
mir (Poonch and Rajouri Districts).

Pakistan, Afghanistan, West Asia, N. Africa and Europe.

3. Papaver macrostomum Boiss., Fl. Orient. 1: 115. 1867; Singh & Kachroo, For.
Fl. Srinagar 25, 27.1976. Fig. 10.

Herbs, annual, erect; stems 20 - 40 cm long, with soft scattered spreading bristles
except peduncles which are appressed-hairy. Basal leaves 1 - 2-pinnatisect or deeply
incised, 5 - 10 cm long; segments linear-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, entire or
coarsely dentate, acute, terminating in a bristle, 1 - 4 cm long, hairy on both surfaces or
glabrous above; lower leaves petioled; upper ones usually sessile or subsessile, becoming
smaller upwards. Peduncles 10 - 22 cm long, stout, often flexuous, appressed bristly;
flower buds ovoid-oblong, rounded at apex, 10 - 25 x 6 - 11 mm, with spreading hairs;
flowers up to 6 cm in diam. Sepals caducous. Petals broadly obovate-orbicular, 2 - 3 cm
long, bright red or crimson with or without a basal black blotch. Stamens numerous;
filaments almost black, slender; anthers broadly ellipsoid, 1 -1.5 mm long; connective
bearing a small orange capitate apical appendage. Capsules oblong-ellipsoid, narrow
at base, broad at apex, 9 - 20 x 4 -10 mm, glabrous, smooth or faintly ribbed; stigmatic
rays 5 -10, keeled with disc teeth ascending and recurved at edges; seeds reniform, up
to 1 mm long, dark brown, reticulate.

Fl. & Fr. April - Aug.

Distrib. India: N.W. Himalayas, open fields and grasslands, 1500 - 3000 m. Jammu
& Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey and Russia.

Notes. Chromosome no. n = 7 (Koul et al. in Nucleus 15:117 -123.1972); 2n = 14

(Kawatani & Ohno in Bull Nat. Inst. Hyg. Sci. 83:127 -133.1965).
 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2
30

Fig. 10. Papaver macrostomum Boiss.

1993] PAPAVERACEAE • 31

4. Papaver nudicaule L., Sp. PI. 507.1753; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India
1:117.1872.

Herbs, perennial, with simple somewhat stiff setose hairs; rootstock scaly, covered
with somewhat sheathing persistent leaf bases; scapes 1 - 5, erect, 10 - 58 cm long,
1-flowered, covered with 1.5 - 3.5 mm long dense hairs. Leaves all basal in rosette,
pinnately 3-lobed, 2 - 6 x 1 - 3 cm, somewhat glaucous, bristly or ciliate; lobes usually
pinnatifid; terminal lobe larger than lateral ones, often 3-lobulate; secondary lobes
oblong-acute, up to 11 mm long and 5 mm broad; petioles 2 - 12 cm long, widened at
base, ending in a leaf-sheath. Flower buds ovoid-orbicular or suborbicular, blunt at
apex, 8 -12 x 5 - 9 mm, appressed hairy, dark brown; flowers 1.5 - 3 cm in diam. Sepals
concave, caducous, hispid with stiff brown hairs. Petals 4, obovate, suborbicular, 10 -18
mm across, yellowish-orange, purple or yellow. Stamens many, linear; filaments as long
as ovary; anthers 1 - 2 mm long. Capsules oblong, obovoid to subglobose, 8 -15 x 5 -10
mm, roughly setose; stigmatic disc as broad as capsule with 7 - 8 ridges, dehiscing by
7 - 8 pores alternating ridges; seeds reniform, ca 0.5 mm in diam.

Fl. & Fr. May - Aug.

Distrib. India: Western Himalayas, between 3000 - 5000 m. Kashmir and Himachal
Pradesh.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Mongolia and China (Tibet).

Notes. Very variable in size and colour of flowers, varying from pale yellowish to
yellow, orange and saffron.

Chromosome no. n = 14(Kouletal. inNucleusl5:117-123.1972);2n = 42(Hanelt

in Kulturpflanze 18: 73 - 88.1970).

5. Papaver rhoeas L., Sp. PI. 507.1753; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:
117.1872.

Beng.: Lalposht; Guj.: Lala, Lalkhaskhas; Hindi: Lalpost, Post, Postekehiya; Mai.:
Chovanna-kashakhasa; Sans.: Rakta-posta-vrikshaka; Tarn.: Siguppu-postaka, Sigap-
Pu-gashagasha; Tel.: Eva-gassa-gassa-la, Eva-postakaya; Urdu: Gulela-kebija, BJias-
khashiyah.

Herbs, annual, erect, caulescent, hispid, 30 - 50 cm high; stems simple or sparsely

branched, covered with rigid horizontally spreading 1 - 3 mm long bristles. Basal leaves
ovate, sinuate, pinnatisect, 6 -18 x 3 - 9 cm; segments linear, acute, dentate, bristly hairy,
Jspid or glabrous; terminal segments much larger than lateral segments; basal and lower
eaves
Petioled, larger, less dissected; upper cauline leaves sessile, smaller, much dis-
sected, with amplexicaul bases. Peduncles erect, dilated at summit, 10 - 25 cm long,
32 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

patently hairy, yellowish; flower buds obovoid, blunt at apex, hornless, 1.5 - 3 x 1 - 2 cm,
coarsely tuberculately hairy; flowers solitary, terminal, ca 7.5 cm in diam., bristly hairy.
Sepals 2, bristly hairy. Petals obovate, suborbicular, 3 - 4 x 3 - 6 cm, red with black basal
blotch. Stamens numerous; filaments linear, filiform; anthers oblong, ca 1 mm long.
Capsules campanulate, 1 - 2 cm long, glabrous; stigmatic rays 9 - 13 (-15); seeds dark
brown.

Fl.&Fr. April-Sept.

Distrib. India: Usually under cultivation, sometimes run wild. Himachal Pradesh,
Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Nepal, Europe and N. Africa.

Notes. The latex from the capsules is narcotic and has slight sedative properties.

Chromosome no. n = 7 (Koul et al. in Nucleus 15 :117 -123.1972); 2n = 14 (Mitra

in Sci & cult. 30(7): 344 - 345.1964).

6. Papaver somniferum L., Sp. PI. 1: 508.1753; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit.
India 1:117.1872.

Beng.: Posto; Hindi: Afim,Afyum,Khas-khas,Postehij; Guj.: Aphina, KJius-khus,

Posta; Mai.: Aveen, Afium, Khasha-khasha; Mar.: Aphu, Khus-khus, Posta; Punj.:
Afun, Doda, Khas-khas, Khishshash; Sans.: Ahifen, Chosa, KJiasa, tOiakasa, Ullasata;
Tam.: Abini, Gasha-gasha, Kasa-kasa, Postaka; Tel.: Abhini, Gasagasala, Gasalu,
KJiasakasa; Urdu: tOiash-khasu-faid.

Herbs, annual, robust, erect, glaucous, glabrous or nearly so, 0.5 - 1 m high, little
branched. Basal leaves ovate-oblong, shallowly pinnatifid, rounded or cordate at base,
acute at apex, 15 - 25 x 8 - 15 cm; lobes triangular, coarsely dentate, glaucous green;
petioles short, 1 - 2 cm long; upper cauline leaves smaller, more shallowly lobed or
unlobed, sessile, cordate-amplexicaul at base. Flower buds ovoid-oblong, obtuse, 1.5 -
3 x 1 - 2 cm; pedicels 3 - 20 cm long, leafless; flowers 2 -10 cm across. Sepals glabrous,
early caducous. Petals obovate, orbicular, wavy-margined, 3 - 9 cm across, white, or pale
purple, sometimes with a dark basal blotch. Stamens as long as ovary; filaments
yellowish, 5 - 10 mm long; anthers oblong, 1 - 1.5 mm long. Ovary globose, with 5 -
12-lobed apical disc bearing sessile stigmas. Capsules globose, subglobose or ovoid,
rounded at base, flat-topped, 2 - 7 x 5 - 6 cm, glabrous; stigmatic disc enlarged, scarious,
with 7 - 1 8 rays; seeds globose, ca 3 mm in diam., white or grey-brown or grey black.

Fl.&Fr. April-Aug.
1993] PAPAVERACEAE 33

Distrib. India: Widely cultivated in several parts of north India, up to 3000 m in

Himalayas, possibly also naturalised. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West
Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan to Europe and Central Asia.

Notes. The latex from fruits yields the narcotic alkaloids (Morphine, Narcotine,
Papaverine, Codeine and Thebaine) widely used in medicine.

Opium is used in diarrhoea, diabetes and rheumatism and also as an antidote to

snake poison and scorpion sting.

Also cultivated for the poppy-seeds used as food and to produce an oil, which is
used for making candles, soap, medicine and as food.

Javeid (in Indian Forester 99: 629.1973), reports this from Srinagar in Kashmir.

Chromosome no. n = 11 (Koul et al. in Nucleus 15:117 -123.1972); 2n = 22 (Mary

& Malik in Chromosome Inf. Serv. 15: 27 - 29.1973).
 FUMARIACEAE
(J. L. Ellis and N. P. Balakrishnan)

Herbs, annual or perennial, erect or ascending, decumbent, or straggling, some-

times scandent, glabrous, often glaucous, containing watery sap; roots often tuberous.
Leaves usually alternate, radical or upper ones sometimes opposite or subopposite,
exstipulate; radical leaves in rosettes, rarely simple or pinnate, 1 - 3 pinnatisect or 1 - 3
ternatisect; cauline leaves much divided or dissected. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic,
hypogynous, generally pedicellate and bracteate, usually in terminal leaf-opposed
racemes or spikes or in dichasial cymes (Hypecoum) or corymbs (Dicentra). Sepals 2,
free, small, scarious, scale-like, caducous. Petals 4, erect, imbricate, biseriate, coherent
in dimorphic pairs; outer pair larger, convex or apically cucullate, one or both saccate
or spurred at base, often crested outside; inner pair smaller, narrower, crested outside,
sometimes apically connate and hooded over stigma; petal-spur enclosing a nectarife-
rous gland. Stamens 4, free and opposite to petal or 6, diadelphous, connate in 2 bundles
(phalanges) opposite to outer petals with filaments connate almost from base to top;
anthers small, linear, bilocular or dimorphic with central anther of each bundle 2-loculed
and two lateral ones 1-loculed, covering stigma. Ovary superior, 1 -loculcd with 2 carpels;
ovules 1 - many on 2 parietal placentae, bitegmic, crassinucellar, anatropous or campy-
lotropous; style 1, slender; stigmas 2, apical, capitate or flattened with 2,4 or 8 stigmatic
surfaces. Fruits usually capsular, 2-valved, often with transverse septa (replum), ellip-
soid or linear, valvately dehiscing or breaking into 1-seeded indehisccnt segments or a
1-seeded indehiscent nutlet. Seeds 1 - many, sometimes with arillate raphe, attached to
style, reniform, orbicular, black or grey, shiny; embryo small, linear, straight or curved;
cotyledons twice as wide as radicle; endosperm copious.

Temperate, alpine and warm regions of northern hemisphere and highlands of S.

Africa and Asia; ca 16 genera and 450 species, 4 genera and 65 species in India.

Literature. JAFRI, S. M. H. (1974) Fumariaceae. In: Nasir, E. & S.I. Ali (ed.) R W. Pakistan
73: 1 - 43. RYDBERG, M. (1960) A morphological study of the Fumariaceae and the taxonomic
significance of the characters examined. Act. Hort. Berg. 19: 121 - 248, tt. 1 -12. WENDELBO, P. (1974)
Fumariaceae. In: K.H. Rechinger (ed.) Flora Iranica 110: 1 - 32, tt. 1 - 22.

Notes. Hypecoum is included in Fumariaceae following the delimitation of the

families as adopted by Cronquist (1981).
1993] FUMARIACEAE ' 35

KEY TO THE GENERA

la Petals not spurred or gibbous; stamens 4, free; fruit breaking into 1-seeded indehiscent segments
4. Hypecoum
h Petals one or both outer ones gibbous or spurred at base; stamens 6, united in two bundles of 3 each;
fruit a dehiscent capsule not breaking into 1-seeded segments or a 1-seeded indehiscent nutlet 2
2a Herbs climbing extensively; leaves often tendrillar; outer petals both gibbous at base 2. Dicentra
b Herbs bushy, diffuse, scrambling, erect or prostrate; leaves never tendrillar, one of outer pair of
petals spurred at base 3
3a. Herbs bushy or scrambling, usually a weedy annual; leaves 2 - 4 pinnatisect; fruits 1-seeded nutlets
3. Fumaria
b. Herbs erect or diffuse, mostly perennials, rarely weeds; leaves usually 2 - 3 ( 4 ) ternate; fruits few to
many-seeded capsules 1. Corydalis

1. Corydalis D C , nom. cons.

Herbs, usually perennial, erect, decumbent or diffuse, glabrous, glaucous or subgla-

brous; rootstock rhizomatous, tuberous or bulbous. Leaves often with a radical whorl
and mostly with many cauline leaves, alternate or often cauline ones opposite, 1 - 3
pinnatisect or (1-) 2 - 3 (-4) ternatisect; basal and lower cauline leaves usually petiolate
and sheathing at base. Inflorescence terminal, simple or branched racemes or some-
times condensed subumbellate, often elongating and becoming lax in fruit. Flowers
bracteate, pedicellate, zygomorphic with upper petal usually spurred, mostly yellow or
purplish, rarely pink, blue or bluish violet, or very rarely white. Sepals 2, small, scarious
or white-membranous, caducous. Petals 4; outer pair dissimilar, with upper (posterior)
one spurred or gibbous at base or below and lower (anterior) one flat or concave at base,
smaller and more or less equalling lamina of upper petal, both often winged at back
and expanded at margins; inner pair clawed, often cohering, narrower than and about
as long as lower petal. Stamens 6 in 2 bundles of 3 each; upper bundle with a basal
tail-like nectariferous gland projecting into and adnate to petal spur; anthers dimor-
phous with midanthers of each bundle dithecous and lateral ones monothecous. Ovary
1-loculed, usually many-ovuled; style filiform with 2, often dilated stigmas, becoming
curved at tip. Capsules ovoid, oblong, elliptic or linear, dehiscing when ripe by somewhat
membranous tumid or inflated valves, falling apart and leaving seed-bearing placentae
attached to style; seeds suborbicular or reniform, sometimes arillate, usually shiny black.

Northern temperate regions, mostly Eurasian; about 300 species, 53 species in India.

Literature. BRUCKNER, C. (1985) Zur Samenmorphologie in Corydalis Vent. (Fumariaceae D C ) .

elditschia 13: 53 - 67. LIDEN, M. (1989) Corydalis (Papaveraceae: Fumarioideae) in Nepal. Bull. Brit.
us. (Nat. Hist.) Botany 18: 479 - 538, ff. 1 - 26. LONG, D.G. (1984) Notes relating to the flora of Bhutan
otes R Bot. Gard. Edinb. 42: 87 -106. LUDLOW, F. & W. T. STERN (1975) New Himalayan and
etan s
P e c 'es of Corydalis. Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Botany 5: 47 - 69, ff. 1 -14, tt. 1 - 15.
36 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Notes. A very complex genus showing a high degree of variability. Species delimi-
tation has always caused considerable hurdles for taxonomists. Only a comprehensive
worldwide revision with sufficient field observations in the entire range of the genus can
produce a satisfactory account.

Corydalis DC. in Lam. & D C , Fl. France ed. 3, 4: 637. 1805 has been conserved
against Medikus 1789 and Ventenant (1803).

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Flowers with blue, pink or purple as main colour 2

b. Flowers with yellow or rarely orange or white as main colour 11
2a. Spur shorter than limb of upper petal 3
b. Spur equal to or longer than limb of upper petal 5
3a. Plants 50 -130 cm high, stiff, erect; capsules linear, 20 - 30 mm long; racemes 8 - 20-flowered, overtop-
ping leaves 25. C. flaccida
b. Plants less than 30 cm high, slender, flexuous; capsules obovoid, 6 - 1 0 mm long; racemes 2 -10-
flowered, not overtopping leaves 4
4a. Plants with greyish-purple hue; ultimate lobes of leaves obovate, obtuse; flowers spongy, spur
1.5 - 3 x 2 - 3.5 mm, broader than long 34. C. latiflora
b. Plants without greyish-purple hue; ultimate lobes of leaves narrow, acute; flowers not spongy; spur
4.5 - 8 x 2 - 3 mm, longer than broad 38. C. nana
5a. Cauline leaves 2 - 4 or more 6
b. Cauline leaves solitaiy or rarely 2 or absent 9
6a. Flowers 22 - 28 mm long; sepals minute, less than 0.5 mm long 7
b. Flowers 15 - 20 mm long; sepals larger, 1-2 mm long 8
7a. Plants decumbent, branched; roots fibrous; leaves biternate with crenately lobed segments; bracts 6 -
10 mm long, lower ones toothed; pedicels 5 - 8 mm long; upper petal distinctly crested; capsules
linear, up to 35 mm long 35. C. leptocarpa
b. Plants erect, scarcely branched; roots tuberous; leaves triternate with entire segments; bracts 3 - 6 mm
long, entire; pedicels 1 - 3 mm long; upper petal narrowly crested at apex; capsules ellipsoid, up to 15
mm long 16. C. dorjii
8a. Radical leaves absent; cauline leaves 2, usually opposite; pedicels ca 10 mm long; petals pink with pur-
plish face 15. C. diphylla
b. Radical leaves present; cauline leaves 2 - 4 , alternate, scattered; pedicels 3 - 5 mm long; petals blue
violet or white 2. C. alpestris
9a. Radical leaves absent; bracts entire 52. C. trifoliata
b. Radical leaves present; bracts divided 10
10a. Roots fibrous; cauline leaf on 5 -10 mm long petioles; lip of lower petal boat-shaped 39. C. oligantha
b. Roots tuberous; cauline leaf sessile; lip of lower petal broad, almost flat 5. C. cashmeriana

Ha. Cauline leaves 1 - 3, verticillate at apex of stem below inflorescence, simple, reniform or
suborbicular, somewhat shortly dissected or dentate, fleshy 12. C. crassifolia
b. Cauline leaves not so, not fleshy 12
 FUMARIACEAE 37
1993]

13
12a. Bracts all entire
b. Bracts at least some, dissected, dentate, laciniate, lobed or leafy 22
14
13a. Stems simple, unbranched
16
b. Stems usually branched
14a. Tuberous storage roots present; cauline leaves alternate, simple 31. C. juncea
b. Tuberous storage roots absent; cauline leaves opposite or subopposite, lobed or pinnate 15
15a Cauline leaves 4, in 2 subopposite pairs; bracts 5 -10 mm broad; flowers yellow without purplish tips
10. C. clarkei
b Cauline leaves 0 - 2, opposite or subopposite; bracts 2 - 5 mm broad; flowers pale yellow with purplish
tj 14. C. crithimifolia
16a. Plants robust, stout, 50 -130 cm high 17
b. Plants slender, up to 50 cm high 20
17a. Capsules strongly undulate-tortuous 40. C. ophiocarpa
b. Capsules not undulate-tortuous 18
18a. Leaves simple pinnate with flabellate-reniform pinnae; spur saccate or gibbous; capsules pendulous,
linear 24. C. flabellata
b. Leaves pinnate, bipinnate or tripinnate; pinnae not flabellate or reniform; spur long slender; capsules
erect, obovoid or narrowly oblanceolate 19
19a. Flowers pale or golden yellow with brownish veins; corolla including spur 16 - 20 mm long; spur 8 - 9
mm long; capsules ellipsoid-obovoid, ca 8 mm long, 2 - 5-seeded 8. C. chaerophylla
b. Flowers orange-brown; corolla including spur 20-25 mm long; spur 14 -15 mm long; capsules narrow-
ly oblanceolate, 9 -13 mm long, 8 - 10-seeded 3. C. borii
20a. Pedicels 5-20 mm long; bracts shorter than pedicels; racemes 3 - 8-flowered 33. C. lathy roidcs
b. Pedicels up to 5 mm long; bracts exceeding pedicels; racemes more than 10-flowered 21
21a. Leaves simply pinnate; pinnae fan-shaped, ovate to suborbicular; capsules sometimes dimorphic
1. C. adiantifolia
b. Leaves 2 - 3 pinnatisect; pinnae elongated, much dissected with ovate to sublinear segments; capsules
never dimorphic 49. C. stricta
22a. Cauline leaves absent, or if present l o r 2 and highly reduced 23
b. Cauline leaves present, well-developed 24
23a. Racemes 10 - 15-flowered, 10 -14 cm long, visible above and exceeding radical leaves
43. C. pseudocrithmifolia
b. Racemes 3 - 10-flowered, 8 -10 cm long, hardly exceeding radical leaves 50. C. tibetica
24a. Plants 60 -130 cm high; upper petal without crest on back 26. C. geraniifolia
b. Plants less than 60 cm high; upper petal usually crested on back, rarely minutely so 25
25a. Stems zig-zag at nodes; leaves 3 - 4 times ternate; ultimate lobes less than 1 mm broad 45. C. sha' -ae
b. Stems not zig-zag at nodes; leaves 2 - 3 times pinnate; ultimate lobes more than 1 mm broad 26
26a. Cauline leaves usually 2, opposite, rarely 1 or 3, opposite or subopposite 27
b. Cauline leaves usually several, alternate 29
Plants small, cushion-forming, less than 8 cm high; racemes 3 - 10-flowered 29. C. hendersonii
Plants not cushion-forming, more than 10 cm high; racemes 10 - 40-flowered 28
racts wedge-shaped or oblong, pectinate-incised, 8 - 20 mm wide; flowers 20 - 25 mm long; spur coni-
cal, straight or slightly curved downwards 28. C. govaniana
38 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

b. Bracts not wedge-shaped, linear-lanceolate, entire or lower ones dissected, 2 - 5 mm wide; flowers 12 -
18 mm long; spur cylindrical, slightly hooked at apex 21. C. falconeri
29a. Leaves primarily ternately divided and subdivided into equal or unequal pinnately or ternately
subdivided leaflets 30
b. Leaves primarily pinnately divided and subdivided into equal or unequal pinnately subdivided
leaflets 41
30a. Erect robust little-branched herbs, up to 60 cm high; roots numerous, densely fascicled 32. C. laelia
b. Diffuse or suberect weak much-branched herbs, mostly less than 50 cm high; rootstock a simple
rhizome, not consisting of fascicled roots 31
31a. Rootstock almost absent or very short, with a taproot and branched roots; capsules subtorulose
47. C. stewartii
b. Rootstock present, long, slender or thickened, fusiform, often branched and covered with sheathing
withered leaf-bases; capsules not torulose 32
32a. Terminal leaflet usually larger than lateral ones; racemes rounded, densely flowered 33
b. Terminal leaflets similar to lateral ones; racemes elongated, laxly flowered 34
33a. Leaf segments obovate, mucronate; racemes 10 - 20-flowered; bracts equal to pedicels; crests of outer
petals not projecting beyond lips 13. C. crispa
b. Leaf segments linear-lanceolate, acute; racemes 6-12 -flowered; upper bracts longer than pedicels;
crests of outer petals projecting beyond lips 17. C. drepanantha
34a. Lower petal not spurred, nor gibbous or pouched at base 35
b. Lower petal with a short broad spur or basal pouch or gibbous at base 38
35a. Tuberous storage roots present on short rhizome; stem leafless towards underground portion; basal
rosette of withered leaf sheaths and scales absent; cauline leaves 1-3; capsules obovoid-oblong, 5 - 8
mm long, 2 - 3 mm thick 42. C. polygalina
b. Tuberous storage roots absent; stem originating from a basal rosette of withered leaf-sheath bases
and scales; cauline leaves usually more than 3; capsules linear, 8 -15 mm long, ca 1 mm thick 36
36a. Racemes 1.5 - 3 cm long; flowers ca 1 cm or less long; sepals less than 1 mm across; nectariferous gland
coherent entirely to spur wall, not upcurved at apex 6. C. casimiriana
b. Racemes 3 - 7 cm long; flowers ca 1.5 cm or more long; sepals ca 2 mm across; nectariferous gland
coherent partially to wall, upcurved at apex 37
37a. Pedicels much longer than bracts; upper petal acute; spur as long as limb 22. C. filicina
b. Pedicels as long as or shorter than bracts; upper petal with a broad blunt crest; spur shorter than limb
7. C. cavei
38a. Densely tufted cushion-forming herbs, 2 - 5 cm high; radical leaves ca 1 cm long; bracts large, exceed-
ing flowers; capsules 2-seeded 37. C. mucronifcra
b. Erect or diffuse herbs, not cushion-forming; radical leaves, if present, longer; bracts not exceeding
flowers, usually smaller than pedicels; capsules 8-18 -seeded 39
39a. Crest of upper petal extending only up to tip of spur; lower petal with a short spur at base; nectarife-
rous gland two-third to three-fourth the length of spur 9. C. changuensis
b. Crest of upper petal extending only up to half the length of spur; lower petal with a short pouch at
base; nectariferous gland up to half the length of spur 40
40a. Plants bluish green; sepals large, deeply fimbriate, 2 - 3 x 1.5-2 mm; spur 9 -10 mm long; nectarife-
rous gland more than 2.5 mm long, partly without a median constriction 23. C. filiformis
1993] FUMARIACEAE 39

b Plants not bluish green; sepals small, minutely divided or entire, ca 1 mm across; spur 5 - 6 mm long;
nectariferous gland less than 1 mm long, not fused with spur; lower petal with a median constriction
44. C. pscudolongipes
41a Pedicels much longer than or almost double the length of bracts 22. C. filicina
b. Pedicels almost equal to or shorter than bracts 42
42a Spur of upper petal shorter or much shorter than limb 43
b. Spur of upper petal equal to or longer than limb 45
43a. Stems ascending, branched; racemes lax; pedicels 2 - 8 mm long; seeds minutely papillate
48. C. stracheyi
b Stems erect, not or slightly branched; pedicels 10 -15 mm long; racemes dense; seeds smooth 44
44a. Robust herbs; basal leaf remnants with persistent fibres; racemes 12 - 35-fiowered; upper petal 12 - 13
mm long; spur 1.5 - 5 mm long 36. C. meifoUa
b. Weak herbs; basal leaf remnants membranous; racemes 5 - 15-flowered; upper petal 15 -19 mm long;
spur 6 - 8 mm long 46. C. sikkimensis
45a. Leaves rather thick, crisped; ultimate segments of leaves linear, less than 1 mm wide; pedicels 10 -13
mm long; seeds minutely papillate 18. C. dubia
b. Leaves thin, not crisped; ultimate segments of leaves oblanceolate to lanceolate, more than 1 mm
wide; pedicels 2-12 mm long 46
46a. Leaves 1-pinnate; leaflets lobed, pinnatisect or ternatisect 47
b. Leaves mainly 2 - 3 pinnate; leaflets lobed, pinnatisect or ternatisect 49
47a. Leaves laciniate; ultimate segments white mucronate at apex; flowers ca 8 mm long; upper petal faintly
crested; capsules up to 5 mm long 4. C. boweri
b. Leaflets deeply lobed; ultimate segments obtuse or acute, not white mucronate; flowers more than 14
mm long; upper petal distinctly crested; capsules 8 -16 mm long 48
48a. Rootstock with a rosette of scales and withered sheathing leaf bases at apex; ultimate segments of lea-
flets obtuse; flowers 20 - 22 mm long; capsules obovoid, 13 -16 mm long 20. C. elegans
b. Rootstock without such scales; ultimate segments of leaflets acute; flowers 14 -16 mm long; capsules
oblong, 8 -10 mm long 30. C. hookeri
49a. Plants tufted, up to 14 cm high; stems absent or very much shortened, unbranched 19. C. duthiei
b. Plants diffuse, 15 - 60 cm high; stems present, elongated, usually branched 50
50a. Rootstock spindle-shaped; plants glaucous, often glandular pilose; branches few, confined to region of
inflorescence only; leaf segments obovate, oblong, suborbicular, obtuse at apex 27. C. gortschakovii
b. Rootstock slender or thickened, not spindle-shaped; plants subglaucous or green; branches several,
scattered; leaf segments linear-oblong, linear-ovate, acute or mucronate at apex 51
a. retiole-bases broadly winged and sheathing at base; inflorescence simple racemes; unbranched 52
etiole-bases sometimes very narrowly winged not sheathing at base; inflorescence thyrsoid, often
branched below 53
ootstock almost absent; stems angular; pedicels 2 - 5 mm long; flowers yellow with purplish tips on
nner petals; crest of upper petal entire; seeds opaque, mucronulate or punctulate 11. C. cornuta
ootstock present; stems not angular; pedicels 4 -10 mm long; flowers yellow with brownish veins,
purple-tipped; crest of upper petal dentate or denticulate; seeds shiny, smooth 53. C. vaginans
Cemes
3° • 40-flowered, 5 -12 cm long; flowers with purple tips; spur robust, broad, straight;
capsules ellipsoid, 5 - 7 mm long, ca 4 mm broad, 3 - 4-seeded 51. C. thyrsiflora
40 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

b. Racemes 15 - 20-flowered, 3 - 6 cm long; flowers without purple tips; spur slender, down-curved;
capsules oblong, 8-10 mm long, 2.5 - 3 mm broad, 6 - 8-seeded 41. C. pakistanica

1. Corydalis adiantifolia Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 271.1855; Hook, f., PI. Brit.
India 1:127.1872.

Herbs, perennial, stout, 20 - 30 (-40) cm high, glabrous, glaucous, sparsely branched

above or simple, erect, rigid; rootstock thick, woody, often shortly branched above,
densely covered with withered leaf bases. Radical leaves pinnate with (2-) 3 - 6 distant
pairs of lateral and one terminal pinnae, somewhat fleshy; pinnae often kidney-shaped,
broader than long, 1 - 2 cm in diam., often 3 - 5-lobulate along margins; terminal segments
often with 2 lateral segments at base; petioles hardly sheathing at base. Racemes simple,
terminal, 5 -10 cm long, somewhat dense, becoming lax in fruits; bracts much exceeding
the flower buds; lower ones about as long as pedicels; upper ones longer, linear-subu-
late, setaceous, 4 - 5 (-6) mm long, ca 1 mm wide; pedicels 2 - 4 mm long, deflexed in
fruit; flowers yellow, tipped brown, 12 - 18 mm long. Sepals lanceolate, denticulate
below, 3 - 4 mm long, ca 1 mm broad, membranous. Upper petal hooded near apex,
acute, minutely mucronate, slightly membranaceous, subentire; spur saccate or gibbous
and down-curved at base; lower petal similar to upper petal. Capsules usually linear or
rarely dimorphic with linear or broad-elliptic fruits, present on same plant on different
branches, 15 - 22 mm long, 2 - 3 or 6 - 7 mm broad; style straight; seeds 8 -10, biseriate,
ca 2 mm in diam., shiny black.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Capsules always linear, 15 - 22 mm long, 2 - 3 mm broad 1.1. var. adiantifolia

b. Capsules heteromorphic,linear, 15 - 22 mm long and 2 - 3 mm broad on some branches and elliptic, 15 -
20 mm long and 6 - 7 mm broad on some other branches 1.2. var. heterocarpa

1.1. var. adiantifolia

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Alpine and temperate regions in Western Himalayas, 3000 - 5000 m.
Jammu & Kashmir.

China (Tibet).

12. var. heterocarpa Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 73: 36, f. 10 A-B. 1974.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

1993] FUMARIACEAE 41

Distrib. India: Temperate and subalpine regions of Himalayas, 3000 - 3100 m.

Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan.

2. Corydalis alpestris C. Meyer, Verz. Pfl. Cauc. 176.1831; Prain in J. Asiat. Soc.
Bengal II, 65(2): 21.1896.

Herbs, perennial, 5 -16 cm high, glabrous, glaucous; stems simple; rootstock a short
conical scaly tuber, dividing below with 2 - 3 short lanceolate scales between tuber and
last basal leaf; underground part of stem branched. Leaves radical and cauline; radical
leaves 1-2 only at base of stem almost below ground, ternate, suborbicular, similar but
smaller than cauline leaves, 1.5 - 5 cm across; petioles 5 -15 cm long; cauline leaves 2 -
4, scattered and alternate, ternate with sessile deeply 3-partite pinnae; pinnae ca 2 cm
across; leaflets orbicular or obovate, 3 - 5-lobed; lobules oblong, minute, mucronate,
entire or 2 - 3 dentate, 7 - 12 x 2 - 3 mm; petioles 5 - 8 cm long, sheathing at base.
Inflorescence terminal, 4 - 8-flowered, congested, bracteate, umbellate, borne at same
level as leaves; bracts obovate or ovate, acute, entire, 5 -10 x 3 - 6 mm, equal to pedicels.
Flowers 15 -18 mm long, bluish violet, rarely white. Sepals 1 (-2) mm long, squarish or
oblong with short toothed margins; petals 15 - 20 mm long; spur shortly acuminate, 10 -
13 x 3 - 4 mm; upper lip hooded, erect. Capsules ellipsoid or narrowly obovoid, 10 -15
mm long, ca 5 mm thick; style 3 - 4 mm long with dilated curved stigma; seeds ca 1.5 mm
in diam.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Alpine and temperate meadows, 3500 - 4200 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

China (Tibet), Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Central Asia, Caucasus and Turkey.

3. Corydalis borii C. Fischer in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1940: 31.1940.

Herbs, glabrous. Radical leaves not seen. Cauline leaves several, sessile or nearly
so, ovate in outline 4 -14 x 2 -10 cm, pale beneath, pinnatisect; lobes 3 - 4 on each side,
more or less decurrent on midrib, elliptic; terminal lobe lanceolate, lobulate; lobules
unequally 2 - 4 toothed with acute or rounded teeth; uppermost cauline leaves small,
stipule-like. Racemes terminal or terminal and lateral, few-flowered, rarely many-
owered, 4 - 6 cm long in flower, up to 17 cm long in fruit; lateral usually shorter; bracts
anceolate, broad and embracing the pedicel at base, acute at apex, 4 - 5 mm long;
pe icels 2.5 - 3 mm long, elongating in fruit. Sepals suborbicular or broader than long,
mm long, 1 - 1.5 mm wide, erose-denticulate along margins, delicate. Corolla
orange or brownish orange, 2 - 2.5 cm long; outer petal oblanceolate, obtuse, more or
14 1 ° a t " s n a P e c ^' 9" 10 m m long; upper petal cucullate, 8 - 9 mm long, with nearly straight
5 mm long spur; inner petals oblong, obtuse, 5 - 5.5 x 2.5 mm, cohering by their
42 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

apices and joined at base to sides of upper petals, winged on back along mid-nerve and
with a thick broadly conical wing or fold along lower 2/3 of the lateral nerves. Ovary
narrowly fusiform, 4 - 5 mm long; ovules 8 -10. Capsules narrowly oblanceolate, 9 -13
mm long, 8 - 10-seeded.

Fl.&Fr. May-Dec.

Distrib. India: Evergreen forests, 1500 - 2500 m. Nagaland.

Endemic.

4. Corydalis boweri Hemsley in J. Linn. Soc. 30:108.1894.

Herbs, diffuse, up to 10 cm high; branches rather woody, covered at base with scales
and petiole bases; scales ca 15 x 3 mm, scarious near margins; rootstock rather woody.
Leaves up to 8 cm long, pinnately branched with laciniate leaflets; ultimate segments
elliptic-oblong, cuneate at base, abruptly white mucronate, ca 1 mm long, coriaceous;
petioles up to 3 cm long, winged, glabrous. Racemes simple, ca 1.8 cm long; bracts ca
16 mm long, obcuneate, laciniate towards apex with linear ciliate segments; pedicels ca
12 mm long, prominently bent and looped at top; flowers golden yellow, ca 8 mm long.
Sepals laciniate, ca 1.5 mm long, persistent. Petals ca 1 cm long; upper petal faintly
crested; spur linear, ca 5 mm long, equal to limb. Ovary glabrous with expanded faintly
angled stigma. Capsules ellipsoid, ca 5 mm long; seeds about 2, ovoid-orbicular, ca 2
mm across, finely puncticulate, shiny black.

Fl. & Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Uttar Pradesh (Kumaon).

Endemic.

5. Corydalis cashmeriana Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 69 (1834), 1.16, f. 1.1833; Hook,
f., Fl. Brit. India 1:128.1872. C. cashmeriana var. ecristata Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal
II, 65(2): 22. 1896. C. ecristata (Prain) D. Long in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 42: 91.
1984. C. ecristata var. longicalcarata D. Long, 1. c. 93.

Herbs, perennial, erect, 5 - 20 (-30) cm high; stems one to many, simple, arising from
axils of fleshy scales forming small bulbils at top of vertical rhizome; rootstock tuberous,
rather woody, branched below. Radical leaves few, 2 - 3 cm long, stalked, obcuneate,
palmately 3 (-5)-parted or 3 (-5) pinnate, 10 -15 cm long, glaucous; petioles up to 17 cm
long, filiform, sheathing at base; pinnae obovate, deeply ternate; petiolules 1 - 2 cm long;
ultimate leaflets linear or linear-oblanceolate or obovate, 1 - 2.5 cm long, (0.7-) 1 -1.7
(-2.5) mm broad; nerves parallel, prominent. Cauline leaves sometimes absent or 1 - 2,
if 2 then subopposite or alternate, placed at middle of the stem, sessile or subsessile,
1993] FUMARIACEAE 43

elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, more deeply lobed or pinnatisect; lobules linear or oblan-

ceolate, acute and minutely mucronate at apex, ca 1 mm broad. Flowers deeply sky blue
with darker tips, turning pale when dry, 1.5 - 2.2 cm long with spur, in terminal simple
or subumbellate 2 - 3 cm long (1 - 3) 5 - 8 (-9)-flowered racemes; pedicels 1 - 2.5 cm
long; bracts foliaceous, laciniately 2 - 7-lobed, as long as pedicels or up to 1 mm across.
Upper petal concave, broad, clawed at base, acute or minutely acuminate at apex, 11 -
22 mm long including spur, prominently or narrowly winged, glabrous; spur slightly
curved downwards, strongly deflexed at tip, 4 - 16 mm long, 2.5 - 3 mm broad; lower
petal 7 - 14 x 4 - 6 mm, with rhombic-ovate acute or obtuse-truncate limb, distinctly
keeled, shortly crested beyond the upper lip by 1 - 4 mm. Ovary glabrous; style 2 - 4 mm
long, with curved dilated flattened bilobed stigma. Capsules linear-oblong, 11-18 mm
long, 2.5 - 3 mm thick, pendent, on up to 1.5 cm long erect spreading elongated pedicels;
seeds 8 - 20, biseriate, ca 1.5 mm in diam.

Fl.&Fr. April-Sept.

Distrib. India: Temperate and subalpine Himalayas, on grassy slopes and Rho-
dodendron forests, 2800 - 5500 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (E. Tibet).

Notes. Ellis (in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 27: 261 - 263.1985) discusses the status of C.
ecristata and var. longicalcarata and concludes that they all fall within the range of
variation exhibited by C. cashmeriana and hence merges with it.

6. Corydalis casimiriana Duthie & Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal II, 65(2): 27.1896.
C. sibirica auct. non (L. f.) Persoon; Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1:125.1872, p.p. C. prainiana
Kanodia & Mukerjee in Rec. Bot. Surv. India 20(2): 32.1973.

Herbs, erect, decumbent or prostrate, 15 - 45 cm high; branches many, diffuse,

grooved, glabrous; rootstock rather slender. Leaves numerous, mostly cauline, alter-
nate, broadly ovate, deeply and equally biternatisect, 1 - 7 x 1 - 5 cm; ultimate segments
oblong-cuneate or obovate or oblanceolate, 1.5 - 3 mm broad; nerves rather prominent
beneath; petioles channelled above, slightly sheathing at base, 3 - 6 cm long. Racemes
terminal, laxly 4 - 11-flowered, 1.5 - 3 cm long, elongating up to 6 cm in fruits; pedicels
J -10 mm long; bracts 2 - 4 mm long, lower ones ternately lobed, middle and upper ones
entire; flowers yellow, sometimes tinged with purple, ca 1 cm or less long. Sepals
suborbicular, dentate or faintly erose along margins, 0.5 - 1 cm across. Corolla 8 - 10
mm long, slender, narrowly winged; upper petals acute or shortly acuminate at apex,
-12 mm long; spur equal to or longer than inner petals, 5 - 7 mm long, 1 - 1.5 mm
r
oad at base, often curved upwards, obtuse; nectariferous gland 2 - 3 mm long, fused
pur tor one-third to one-half of its length; upper lip with low entire crest not decurrent
pur; lower lip equal to upper lip; lower petal 5 - 6 mm long, not saccate at base,
44 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

constricted at middle; inner petals usually tipped with blackish purple. Style 1.5 - 2 mm
long, expanded; stigma with 4 stalked papillae. Capsules linear, 8 -15 x 1 (-2) mm; seeds
6 -13, uniseriate, ca 1 mm across, shiny.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Open grassy slopes and streamsides in temperate and alpine
Himalayas, 2200 - 4700 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim
and Meghalaya.

Nepal and Bhutan.

7. Corydalis cavei D. Long in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 42(1): 104, f. 5F. 1984.

Herbs, perennial, 15 - 30 cm high; stems diffuse, slender, weak, much-branched from

base; rootstock narrow, slender. Leaves numerous, mostly cauline, alternate, broadly
ovate, 2 - 3 x 1.5 - 2 cm, bipinnate or biternate with deeply divided segments, glaucous
beneath; ultimate segments broadly obovate, obtuse, 1.5-3 mm broad; petioles of lower
leaves 3 - 9 cm long, upper shorter, 1 -1.5 cm long; petiolules 6 -13 mm long. Racemes
8 - 16-flowered, rarely with a basal branch, 4 - 7 cm long, elongate, rather dense at
anthesis; bracts 3 - 6 mm long, leaf-like below, dentate to entire above, usually shorter
than slender 5 - 1 5 mm long pedicels which are downwardly arcuate in fruit; flowers
16 - 20 mm long, yellow to orange with tips of inner petals dark. Sepals suborbicular,
dentate, 1.8 - 2 mm in diam. Upper petal 13 -15 mm long with a broad crest reaching
apex and terminating abruptly, narrowly decurrent on spur; lower petal broadly winged,
not spurred or gibbous, acute-acuminate, shortly cristate; spur 7 - 9 mm long, 2.5 - 3 mm
broad; nectariferous gland 4 - 6 mm long, about one half to two-third the length of spur,
upwardly curved. Nectariferous gland 4 - 6 mm long. Capsules linear, 10 -13 mm long;
style ca 2.5 mm long; seeds 5 - 7 , uniseriate.

Fl.&Fr. June-Oct.

Distrib. India: Grassy meadows, 2700 - 4300 m. Sikkim.

Endemic.

Notes. Related to C. crispa, but has less branched stems, larger flowers, broader
spurs and more seeded fruits.

8. Corydalis chaerophylla D C , Prodr. 1:128.1824; Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1:126.
1872.

Herbs, erect, robust, 50 -130 cm high; stems grooved, glabrous to crispate pubescent
below; rootstock woody, stout, rather elongated, up to 30 cm long, with persistent stem
1993] FUMARIACEAE 45

and petiole bases. Radical leaves few, broadly ovate, 9 -15 x 7 -14 cm, pale beneath,
long-petiolate; primary divisions ternate into 3 petiolulate bipinnatisect major divisions;
pinnae of each major division sessile, decurrent; ultimate segments oblong, obtuse;
nerves raised and prominent below; cauline leaves confined to upper part of stem, similar
but smaller, becoming sessile upwards; petiolules 15 - 25 cm long, sheathing at base.
Racemes terminal, simple and few-flowered or dichotomously branched panicles, elong-
ating in fruits, iO - 20 cm long; flowers 6 - 40, golden yellow; pedicels 2 - 3 mm long;
bracts linear to narrowly ovate or lanceolate, entire, 3 - 4 mm long, equalling pedicels.
Sepals ovate-orbicular, faintly serrulate, ca 1 mm long. Outer pair of petals apiculate,
very narrowly crested; upper petal 11-13 mm long; spur slender, usually straight, 8 - 9
mm long; nectariferous gland up to three-fourth the spur; lower petal without a promi-
nent basal pouch. Ovary glabrous; style rather flattened and grooved. Capsules obovoid
or ellipsoid, ca 8 mm long, ca 3 mm thick, spreading; seeds 2 - 5, ca 1 mm across, black,
shiny.

Fl.&Fr. May-Nov.

Distrib. India: Himalayas from Kumaon to Bhutan, clearings in forests, mostly near
streams, 2100 - 4200 m. Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and Nagaland.

Nepal and Bhutan.

Notes. The leaves somewhat resemble a fern frond. A very variable species.

9. Corydalis changuensis D. Long in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 42(1): 102, f. 4E.
1984.

Herbs, diffuse, much-branched, 15 - 30 cm high; rootstock slender, woody. Leaves

many, mostly cauline, alternate, broadly ovate in outline, 1.5 - 2.5 x 1.7 - 3 cm, deeply and
equally biternatisect; ultimate segments subequal, ovate, obovate to oblanceolate, cu-
neate at base, 1.5-3 mm broad; petioles 3 - 9 cm long; lateral petiolules 3 - 5 mm long,
terminal ones up to 11 mm long. Racemes lax, few-flowered, 1.5 - 3 cm long; flowers
yellow; lower bracts deeply lobed into 3 linear segments; upper bracts smaller, lanceo-
late, entire. Sepals suborbicular, dentate, less than 1 mm across. Petals yellow, tipped
black; upper petal 13 -15 mm long including spur, slightly curved upwards; spur 7 - 9 x
- 3.5 mm, with crest extending almost to tip of spur; lower petal equalling upper, near
insertion with pedicel bearing short obtuse 1.2 -1.4 mm long spur; nectariferous gland
•5 - 5.5 mm long, extending up to two-third to three-fourth the length of spur. Capsules
(immature) ellipsoid, 6 - 7 mm long.

Fl.&Fr. Sept.

'• India: Gravelly moist slopes, 3600 - 3900 m. Sikkim (Changu district).
46 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Endemic.

Notes. The most striking feature of this species is that in addition to the upper petal
bearing a long spur, the lower petal also bears a short spur at base.

10. Corydalis clarkei Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal II, 65(2): 34. 1896. C.
moorcroftiana Wallich ex Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 266.1855, p. p.; Hook, f., Fl. Brit.
India 1:125.1872, p. p. C. elegans sensu Hook, f., 1. c. 124, p. p., non Wallich ex Hook,
f. & Thomson, 1. c.

Herbs, perennial, tufted and diffuse, robust, 15 - 30 cm high; branches terete, striate,
glabrous, subglaucous; rootstock thick, densely covered with 2 - 5 cm long sheathing
bases of leaves, branched below with elongated and intertwined branches. Radical
leaves 4 - 7-jugately pinnate, up to 6 cm long, petiolate; pinnae sessile to shortly
petiolulate, ovate, often deeply 3-lobed, 15 - 30 mm long; lobes elliptic-ovate, deeply to
shallowly 1-3 lobuled; ultimate segments oblong to lanceolate, often decurrent, acute,
apiculate, 3 - 2 0 mm long, 3 - 5 mm broad. Cauline leaves 4 in 2 subopposite pairs
(sometimes alternate or opposite), similar to radical leaves but smaller, less lobed,
shortly petioled to sessile; nerves prominent below. Racemes densely 20 - 30-flowered,
simple or branched below, 6 - 8 cm long; bracts conspicuous, lanceolate to linear-elliptic,
acute, entire, 15 - 30 x 5 - 10 mm, distinctly veined; pedicels 10 - 15 mm long, stout,
deflexed in fruit; flowers yellow, ca 2.2 cm long. Sepals suborbicular, ovate, erose or
much-dissected at margins, ca 2 mm in diam. Upper petal with broad dorsal wing and
blunt apex; spur robust, straight or slightly falcate, blunt, 7 - 12 mm long; lower petal
saccate at base. Style 3 - 5 mm long, curved at apex with broad faintly dentate stigma.
Capsules obovate or broadly ellipsoid, 6 - 10 mm long, ca 4 mm broad; seeds 6 - 8 ,
biseriate, 1.5 - 2 mm across, faintly striate, shiny black.

Fl.&Fr. Oct.-Nov.

Distrib. India: Alpine and subalpine regions, 3500 - 4500 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan and China (Tibet).

11. Corydalis cornuta Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 69.1834; Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1:
126.1872. Fig. 11.

Herbs, annual or biennial, sometimes perennial; stems stout, erect or decumbent,

densely branched from base, 15 - 60 cm long, angular, grooved, usually straggling; roots
fusiform, up to 10 cm long. Leaves mostly cauline, triangular-oblong, subternate or
bipinnate with opposite pinnae, 6 -16 cm long, 3 - 5 cm broad, glaucous beneath; petioles
(3-) 5 - 8 (-10) cm long, grooved above, sheathed and winged at base; pinnae oblong,
orbicular, ca 1.2 cm long, variously lobed; ultimate segments oblong, obovate, cuneate
at base, broadly obtuse-apiculate at apex, ca 6 mm wide. Racemes terminal, simple or
1993] FUMARIACEAE 47

cm

Fig. 11. Corydalis cornuta Rpyle

48 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

branched at base 7 - 20 cm long, 10 - 15-flowered; pedicels 2 - 6 mm long; bracts 2 - 8

cm long, usually divided or uppermost entire; flowers yellow with blackish purple tips
on inner petals, 14 -16 mm long, slender. Sepals minute, serrate or erose along margins.
Corolla (10-) 12 -18 mm long; upper petals with entire crests; spur straight or curved,
obtuse, ca 8 mm long; lower petal with a conspicuous basal pouch. Capsules on deflexed
pedicels, oblong, narrowly obovoid or linear-ellipsoid, 8-14 mm long, 2 - 3.5 mm thick,
recurved, pointing downwards; style 2 - 3 mm long; seeds 8 -16, minutely muriculate or
punctulate, ca 1 mm across, dull, black.

Fl.&Fr. April-Oct.

Distrib. India: Hillsides and streamsides in forests, 2300 - 4000 m. Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

12. Corydalis crassifolia Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 68.1834; Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India
1:127.1872.

Herbs, erect, robust, perennial, 10 - 30 cm high; stems simple, thick, glabrous,

glaucous, grooved; rootstock rather stout, prostrate, covered above with withered leaf
bases. Radical leaves ternate, fan-shaped or reniform, cuneate at base, deeply divided
into 3 - 5 lobes, 5 -10 cm in diam., fleshy; lobes suborbicular, narrowed below, crenulate
to shortly lobulate; petioles 7 -12 cm long, weak. Cauline leaves 1 - 3-verticillate, sessile
or shortly up to 15 mm long, petiolate, otherwise similar to radical leaves. Racemes
simple or rarely branched below, densely 20 - 25 -flowered, 3 - 5 cm long, slightly
elongating to 8 cm in fruits; pedicels spreading, 5 - 10 mm long, stout, elongated and
deflexed in fruits; bracts spathulate, oblancolate to obovate-lanceolate, cuneate at base,
entire or lower ones often lobed, 10 - 15 mm long, 4 - 6 mm broad, becoming smaller
upwards, green or leafy; flowers white or yellowish with purple spots, 18 - 25 mm long.
Sepals slightly peltate, ovate, cordate at base, acute or acuminate at apex, erose along
margins, ca 2 mm long. Upper petal broad, obtuse, slightly expanded at margins with
short narrow, entire or 1 - 2-denticulate dorsal keel; lower petal slightly saccate at base,
narrow, as long as upper petal, slightly deflexed. Capsules ellipsoid or subglobular,
inflated, 15 - 35 mm long, 10 - 25 mm thick, with papery valves; seeds 7 - 9, ca 1 mm
across, with small aril, shiny.

Fl.&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: W. & N.W. Himalayas, 3000 - 5500 m. Jammu & Kashmir and
Himachal Pradesh.

Pakistan and China (Tibet).

1993] FUMARIACEAE 49

Notes. Wendelbo (in Bot. Notis. 119:243 - 248.1966) treats C. crassissima Cambess.
as distinct from C. crassifolia. More field studies are required to test this assessment.

13. Corydalis crispa Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal II, 65: 30.1896. C. stacheyoides
Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov. 18: 29.1922.

Herbs, diffusely much branched, decumbent, 10 - 22 cm high; branches grooved,

glabrous; rootstock woody, robust. Leaves numerous, all cauline, alternate, ovate, 3 - 6
x 2 - 2.5 cm, finely biternatisect; petioles 1 - 2.5 cm long, winged along margins and
sheathed at base; terminal leaflet larger than laterals and leaf appearing somewhat
pinnate, ca 1 cm long; ultimate segments oblong, obovate, apiculate, 1 - 2 mm broad,
glabrous; nerves rather prominent below. Racemes rounded, densely 10 - 20-flowered,
2 - 4 cm long; pedicels slender, 4 -10 mm long; lower bracts pinnatisect, 4 - 7 mm long;
upper ones linear, entire, 2 - 4 mm long; flowers yellow or white, ca 1 mm long. Sepals
suborbicular, erose along margins, ca 1 mm across; upper petal prominently winged,
10 - 14 mm long; spur ca 7 mm long, upwardly curved; nectariferous gland about
three-fourth the length of spur. Filaments expanded at base. Ovary glabrous with a
star-shaped stigma. Capsules ovoid, ca 7 mm long; seeds 3 - 4, dull black, smooth.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: E. Himalayas, 3500 - 4600 m. Sikkim.

W. Bhutan.

Notes. Closely similar to C. filicina and C. cavei in habit.

14. Corydalis crithmifolia Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 68.1834; Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India
1:123.1872.

Herbs, erect or suberect, perennial, 10 - 25 cm high, glabrous, subglaucous, simple

or unbranched; rootstock thick, covered with withered sheathing leaf bases. Radical
leaves 2 - 3-ternate, long-stalked, 10 -18 cm long; leaflets dichotomously pectinate, 1 -
2 cm in diam., each with 2 deeply dissected lobes; each lobe again deeply 3 - 4 lobed to
the base; ultimate segments linear to elliptic-oblong, acute-mucronate at apex, 8 -15 x
2 - 3 mm. Cauline leaves absent or often 2, opposite or subopposite, few-lobed or
pinnatisect to almost entire. Racemes 10 - 20-flowered, lax in fruits, 6 -10 cm long, not
exceeding radical leaves; peduncles up to 8 cm long, grooved; pedicels 1 - 2 cm long,
deflexed in fruit; bracts sessile, entire, linear-elliptic, 1.5 - 3 cm long, 2 - 5 mm wide;
flowers pale yellow with purplish tips, 1.8 - 2.3 cm long. Sepals ca 1 mm across, irregularly
serrate along margins. Upper petal winged above behind the acute crested apex; spur
slender, subfalcate, down-curved below, ca 1 cm long; lower petal similarly winged,
somewhat serrate at base. Ovary glabrous, 2 - 3 mm long; stigma orbicular, curved
50 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

downwards. Capsules linear-ellipsoid, 1 -1.5 cm long, 2 - 2.5 mm thick, with 3 - 3.5 mm

long persistent style; seeds 6 - 8, sub-biseriate, ca 1.5 mm in diam.

Fl.&Fr. June-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine and subalpine regions of W. Himalayas, 4000 - 6000 m.

Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh (Garhwal).

Pakistan and China (W. Tibet).

Notes. Easily recognisable by its long linear bracts and long slender spur about twice
as long as lamina.

15. Corydalis diphylla Wallich, Tent. Fl. Nap. 54.1826. C. rutifolia auct. non Sibth.
& Smith; Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1:122.1872 (as rutaefolia). Fig.12.

Herbs, perennial, erect or slightly decumbent, 10 - 30 (-40) cm high, glabrous or

subglaucous; rootstock deeply underground with 2 - 5 cm long irregularly rounded
tubers; stems slender, simple, grooved, becoming thinner and tapering towards base.
Radical leaves absent. Cauline leaves 2, usually opposite or 3 whorled, 2-3 times ternate,
10 - 20 (-25) cm long; petioles 1 - 5 cm long; leaflets oblong or ovate, 2 - 3 cm long, entire
or pedately lobed; ultimate segments usually elliptic-oblong or obovate, obtuse, entire
or subentire, subfleshy, unequal to subequal in size; middle lobe of each group consisting
of 3 (-5) lobes, the largest (10-) 15 - 40 (-45) mm long and 5 -10 mm broad, sometimes
almost sessile, with 3 - 5 parallel inconspicuous veins; petiolules longer than petioles.
Racemes laxly 3 - 8-flowered, axillary and terminal, 10 -15 cm long, longer than leaves;
pedicels 8 - 1 8 mm long, slender, spreading, elongating to 15 - 30 mm and deflexed in
fruits; bracts sessile with broad base, leaf-like, ovate-lanceolate, acute, 6 -14 mm long,
3 - 5 mm wide, entire or subentire; flowers showy, purple or bright orange-red with
violet-pink or darker tips, 15 - 20 mm long. Sepals suborbicular, denticulate, erose-mar-
gined, 1-1.5 mm in diam. Corolla 18 -19 mm long; upper petal broad, upcurved, with
winged margins, emarginate at apex, 7 - 1 0 mm wide; spur subcylindric to infundibuli-
form, usually upcurved, obtuse, ca 12 mm long, as long as or a little longer than lamina
of upper petal; lower petal similar to upper petal, ca 1 cm long. Capsules ellipsoid or
oblong-ovoid, abruptly narrowed at apex into 3 - 5 mm long curved persistent style, 10
-15 mm long, 4 - 5 mm thick; valves tumid, parallel-veined, slightly brownish; seeds 5 -
8, biseriate, orbicular, flattened, ca 2 mm in diam., shiny black.

Fl. & Fr. March - July.

Distrib. India: N.W. and W.Himalayas in temperate forests, 2500 -3200 m. Jammu
& Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan, Nepal and Afghanistan.

 FUMARIACEAE 51
1993]

Fig. 12. Corydalis diphylla Wallich

52 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

16. Corydalte dorjii D. Long in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 42: 93 - 96, f. 3A. 1984.

Herbs, slender, erect, 30 - 50 cm long, arising from a cluster of spindle-shaped

1.5 - 2 cm long tuberous roots; stems with 1-3 short axillary branches. Basal leaves 2 -
3, sometimes absent or early withering, triternate, broadly triangular in outline, 7 - 1 1
cm long and broad; ultimate segments elliptic-obovate, attenuate at base, obtuse at apex,
entire, 12 - 22 x 5 -13 mm, glabrous, whitish beneath; petioles of basal leaves 10 -14 cm
long; primary petiolules 2.5 - 4.5 cm long; secondary petiolules 0.5 - 2 cm long. Cauline
leaves 2 - 3 , alternate, distant, 2 - 6 cm long, similar to basal leaves but with shorter
petioles. Flowers 2 - 4 in short terminal 2 - 4 cm long racemes; peduncles 3 - 20 cm long;
bracts elliptic, acute, 3 - 6 x 1 - 3 mm, entire; pedicels 1.5 - 3 mm long. Sepals minute,
rim-like, ca 0.1 mm long, subentire. Petals pale blue, lilac or pale mauve; outer pair
with a short low crest in apical 3 - 3.5 mm length; upper petal 25 - 28 mm long, including
the slender deflexed 16 - 18 mm long spur; lower lip equalling upper, boat-shaped,
gibbous near insertion with pedicel. Nectariferous gland 7 - 8 mm long, less than half
the length of spur. Capsules narrowly compressed-ellipsoid, ca 15 x 3 mm, becoming
torulose.

Fl. & Fr. April - May.

Distrib. India: Subtropical and temperate forests, 1600 - 2500 m. Manipur.

Bhutan and China (S.E. Tibet).

Notes. The report from Manipur is based on a sterile collection by George Watt
(Ching Sow, 2560 m, April 1882, Watt 6537 in K & E). No further collection seen. The
disjunct distribution needs confirmation with fresh fertile specimens from Manipur.

17. Corydalis drepanantha D. Long in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 42(1): 101, f.
4D. 1984.

Herbs, erect, 12 - 30 cm high; stems branched at base on slender rootstock. Lower

cauline leaves broadly ovate, ternatisect, 3.5 - 5 x 4 - 5.5 cm; secondary divisions ovate,
ternately dissected; ultimate segments and teeth linear-oblanceolate, acute, 0.5 -1.5 mm
broad; petioles 5 - 9 cm long; upper leaves smaller and shortly petiolate. Racemes 3 - 5
cm long, 6 - 12-flowered; pedicels 3-10 mm long; lower bracts leaf-like, 1 - 2 cm long;
upper bracts linear, 4 - 6 mm long, longer than pedicels; flowers yellow, sickle-shaped,
secund. Sepals ovate, broadly crested, with apex of crest irregularly dentate and
projecting forwards beyond lips; upper petal 10 -13 mm long, including upcurved 6 - 9
mm long spur; nectariferous gland about half as long as spur; lower lip boat-shaped,
equalling upper, not gibbous at base. Capsules obovate-elliptic, obtuse, ca 9 mm long,
ca 3 mm thick.

Fl.&Fr. April-July.
 FUMARIACEAE S3
1993]

Distrib. India: Streamsides on damp grassy banks, in cool broad leaved forests,
2000 - 2300 m. Arunachal Pradesh (Kameng Dist.).

Bhutan.

18. Corydalis dubia Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal II, 65(2): 36.1896.

Herbs, weakly much-branched, 10 - 20 cm high. Radical leaves few; lower cauline

leaves oblong, pinnately divided into 5 or more equal or unequal pinnately dissected
leaflets, 3 - 7 x 2 - 2.5 cm, finely dissected; ultimate segments linear, acute, 2 - 5 x 0.5 -
1 mm. Racemes terminal, 2 - 5 cm long, few to many-flowered; lower bracts 10 - 12 x
5 - 7 mm, deeply pinnatisect; upper bracts shorter with fewer teeth; pedicels 10 -13 mm
long; flowers yellow. Upper petal 15 -18 mm long, with a low crest; spur 7 - 9 mm long,
equal to limb. Capsules narrowly obovoid, 7 - 10 mm long, ca 3 mm thick; seeds glossy
but minutely papillate.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayan slopes, 3800 - 4800 m. Sikkim.

Bhutan.

19. Corydalis duthiei Maxim., Fl. Tangut. 49 (in obs.), t. 25, ff. 12 -17.1889.

Herbs, tufted, ca 14 cm high, glabrous; stems absent or very much shortened; roots
rather thick. Radical leaves ca 14 cm long; petioles ca 4 cm long, broadly winged and
clasping stems to form a column, prominently nerved. Cauline leaves ca 2 cm long;
leaflets 7 - 10 mm long, alternate, laciniate; ultimate segments ca 5 mm long, linear,
elhptic-obovate with inconspicuous nerves. Racemes 4 - 5 cm long; peduncles ca 3 cm
long; bracts ovate to elliptic-ovate, entire and shortly laciniate along margins at top, ca
15 x 8 mm; flowers yellow, 15 -17 mm long. Sepals small, dentatcly erose along margins.
Outer petals prominently crested, ventral petal generally bent downwards; spur straight
or slightly falcate. Ovary glabrous with flattened and slightly basally spurred stigma.
Capsules not seen.

Fl- Aug.-Sept.

Distrib. India: W. Himalayas, 3000 - 4000 m. Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Endemic.

20. Corydalis elegans Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 265. 1855; Hook, f., Fl. Brit,
•ndia 1:124.1872.
54 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Herbs, erect or decumbent, 10 - 30 cm high; stems slender, grooved, glabrous;

rootstock thick, woody, elongated, crowned by glumaceous scales and withered leaf
bases; roots rather thick. Leaves mostly basal, 6 - 20 cm long, 1-pinnate with deeply
divided leaflets, very glaucous; petioles 6 -16 cm long, expanded and sheathed at base;
leaflets up to 3.5 x 1 cm, deeply ternately lobed; ultimate lobules broadly obovate,
oblong, even orbicular, attenuate at base, obtuse at apex, with rather parallel and
prominent reticulations below; petioles short. Racemes densely 10 - 16-flowered, 5 - 8
cm long, elongating in fruit; bracts broadly lanceolate to ovate-elliptic, acute, ca 2 x 1
cm, parallel-nerved, glabrous; the lower ones longer, somewhat divided; upper ones
shorter; pedicels arcuate, reaching 3 - 5 cm long in fruit; flowers 2 - 2.2 cm long, yellow
with red spots. Sepals ca 1 x 1 mm, deeply dentate. Upper petal ca 2 cm long,
prominently winged from about the middle to top; inner petals tipped dark purplish
brown; lower petal divergent, conspicuously saccate at base, winged on back. Ovary
glabrous; style 3 - 4 mm long, bent near flattened stigma. Capsules ovoid or obovoid,
ca 15 mm long, ca 5 mm thick; seeds many, shiny, dark brown.

Fl. & Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Open slopes, 3600 - 4600 m. Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal.

21. Corydalis falconeri Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:124.1872.

Ladakh: Ralchat.

Herbs, perennial, erect, 15 - 40 cm high; rootstock slender, tuberous, fusiform at

end of narrow curved underground portion of stem; stems simple with scale leaves and
withered sheathing petiole-bases at base. Radical leaves 10 - 20 cm long, ternate,
bipinnatisect with 1-2 pairs of lateral pinnae and a terminal one; petioles usually 2 - 3
times as long as lamina; pinnae ternately deeply dissected, oblong or narrowly obovate,
acute and mucronate at apex, 10 - 20 x 2 - 4 mm, 3-nerved. Cauline leaves 2, usually
opposite, a little below the inflorescence or above middle of stem, sessile or subsessile,
similar to radical leaves. Racemes 15 - 30-flowered, 3 - 10 cm long, much exceeding
radical leaves; bracts linear-lanceolate, tapering at apex, entire, rarely lower ones
dissected, 10 - 25 x 2 - 5 mm; pedicels up to 1.5 cm long and deflexed in fruit; flowers
yellow with purple tips and reddish brown streaks, 12 - 18 mm long. Sepals obscure.
Upper petal vaulted, slightly winged at back, acute; spur cylindrical, slightly hooked at
apex, half as long as flower; lower petal winged, somewhat gibbous at base, slightly longer
than other petals. Capsules oblong, narrowed at base, with 3 - 4 mm long curved style,
12 - 20 mm long, 2.5 - 3.5 mm thick; seeds 5-8, biseriate, ca 2 mm in diam., shiny black.

Fl.&Fr. June-Sept.
 FUMARIACEAE 55
1993]

Distrib. India: Western Himalayas, 3000 - 4000 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh (Tunganath).

China (W. Tibet).

Notes. In Ladakh powdered shoots are eaten for fever and colds.

22. Corydalis filicina Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal II, 65(2): 30.1896.

Herbs, slender, erect or decumbent, 10 - 18 cm high; branches diffuse, terete,

grooved; rootstock elongate, thin, wiry. Leaves cauline, alternate, triangular, bipinnate
to usually bi- or triternate, ca 8 cm long; petioles ca 8 cm long; leaflets much divided,
5 - 8 cm across, often smaller; ultimate segments linear-lanceolate or broadly obovate,
apiculate or not; nerves not prominent. Racemes laxly 3 - 10(-15)-flowered, 3 - 5 cm
long; bracts divided into linear segments or oblanceolate, dentate or entire; pedicels
10 - 20 mm long, winged at base, much longer than bracts; flowers yellow with darker
veins, rarely white, 16 - 20 mm long. Sepals ca 1.5 mm across, erose or irregularly
serrulate along margins. Outer petals broadly auriculate, acute at apex, ca 18 mm long,
crested on back; spur ca 6 mm long, straight or faintly falcate; nectariferous gland about
half the length of spur. Ovary glabrous; stigma expanded, sagittate at base. Capsules
(immature ones) linear, 8-15 mm long, ca 1 mm thick, 10-seedcd; style ca 3.5 mm long.
Seeds not seen.

Fl.&Fr. April-Sept.

Distrib. India: Grasslands, pastures, 3000 - 4500 m. Sikkim.

Nepal and Bhutan.

23. Corydalis filiformis Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. PI. 65.1834. C. longipes auct. non
D C ; Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal II, 65(2): 35.1896.

Herbs, annual or short perennials, glabrous, bluish green, almost glaucous; stems
weak, slender, trailing, branched; rootstock thin, often branched. Leaves all cauline,
ternate or biternate, thin, submembranous; lower petioles long, upper ones shorter:
pinnae ovate to suborbicular, deeply lobed; lobes narrowly oblong, obovate, obtuse, 4
15 x 1 - 4 mm; petiolules up to 1 cm long. Racemes subcorymbose, 3 - 11-flowered, lax,
- - 5 cm long, elongating in fruit; lower bracts leaf-like, upper ones often clavate, entire;
pedicels slender, 1 - 2 cm long, elongating in fruit; flowers pale yellow, 10-12 mm long,
erect. Sepals large, ovate-orbicular, deeply fimbriate, 2 - 3 x 1.5 - 2 mm, reddish tinted.
PPer petal cristate, long-acuminate, hooded and often long-aristate at apex, without
sal WlnS'» s Pur short, conical, upcurved or straight, 9 - 10 mm long; lower petal with
a prominent basal pouch, without median constriction, 8-10 mm long; inner petals with
rsal wings, often tipped with blackish purple; nectariferous gland half as long as spur,
56 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

partially fused to it. Style ca 3 mm long; stigma with 6 apical papillae, of which the 4
central ones are longer than others. Capsules oblong, 8 - 10 mm long; seeds 8 - 18,
biseriate, ca 1.2 mm across, shiny black.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Alpine meadows of N.W. Himalayas, 2500 - 4000 m. Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal.

24. Corydalis flabellata Edgew. in Trans. Linn. Soc, Bot. 20: 30. 1851; Hook, f.,
Fl. Brit. India 1:127.1872.

Herbs, perennial, erect, rigid, much-branched, (15-) 20 - 60 (-90) cm high, glabrous,

glaucous; rootstock thick, stout, woody, slender, simple or branched, ca 6 cm long,
covered at base by ca 8 mm long glumaceous scales. Radical leaves pinnate with 2 - 6
distant pairs of lateral flabellate pinnae and a terminal one, fleshy, glaucous, 10 -15 cm
long; pinnae sessile or subsessile, fan-shaped or obovate-suborbicular, cuneate below,
1 - 3 cm across, often 3-pinnuled or deeply lobed; lobules denticulate above, coriaceous.
Cauline leaves distant, similar, but gradually becoming smaller above. Racemes usually
simple, spicate, terminal on branches, 5 -18 cm long, 10 - 30-flowered, somewhat dense,
but becoming lax and elongated in fruit; bracts linear, ca 4 mm long, not longer than
flower buds, about half as long as pedicel in fruit, curved downwards; pedicels 2 - 4 mm
long in flower, 7 - 9 mm long in fruit; flowers yellow, 12 - 18 mm long. Sepals ovate or
suborbicular, often caudate at apex, lacerate with hair-like projections at basal margins,
3 - 4 mm across. Upper petal hooded or cucullate near the apex, acute, subacuminate
or mucronate at apex, membranous along margins; spur saccate or gibbous, curved
downwards; lower petal similar to upper petal. Capsules pendent, linear, 12 - 25 mm
long, ca 2.5 mm wide, somewhat deflexed, glabrous, with a distinct midvein on valves;
style 3 - 5 mm long, curved at apex with broad stigma; seeds 5 - 9, biseriate with a short
beak, ca 1.3 mm in diam., shiny black or dark brown.

Fl.&Fr. May-Sept.

Distrib. India: N.W. Himalayas, usually on dry gravelly soil, 2500 - 3500 m. Jammu
& Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan, Nepal and China (S.W. Tibet).

Notes. The plants are self-fertile.

25. Corydalis flaccida Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 260. 1855; Hook, f., Fl. Brit.
India 1: 122. 1872.
1993] FUMARIACEAE 57

Herbs, robust, 65 - 130 cm high; stems stiff, erect, leafy throughout; branches
grooved, glabrous; rootstock robust, long, stout, with elongate fibrous roots. Radical
leaves few, up to 40 cm long, 3 - 4 pinnatisect with opposite pinnae; leaflets ca 2 cm long,
deeply incised; ultimate segments ovate, rounded, crenate, mucronate, thin, green
above, glaucous beneath; terminal segments the largest; petioles 5 -15 cm long. Cauline
leaves many, sessile or shortly petiolate, similar to radical leaves, becoming smaller, less
divided and sessile upwards. Racemes terminal, densely 8 - 20-flowered, 3 - 8 cm long;
lower bracts pinnatifid, usually similar to upper leaves but smaller, 20 - 25 mm long;
upper bracts linear to lanceolate, 5 - 15 mm long, often with a distinct stalk, entire to
dentate; pedicels slender, equal to bracts, up to 25 mm long; upper ones 5 -15 mm long;
flowers red, mauve, purple or bluish purple, 17 - 18 mm long. Sepals ovate-orbicular,
cordate at base, acute at apex, 1.5 - 2.5 mm across, slightly erose or irregularly serrulate
along margins. Outer petals broadly crested, with narrow base and broad blunt apex,
14 - 16 mm long; spur 6 - 7 mm long, ca 2 mm broad at base, attenuate towards apex,
slightly upcurved. Ovary glabrous; stigma stellately expanded. Capsules linear, flat-
tened dorso-ventrally, 20 - 30 cm long, ca 2 mm wide; seeds 8 - 15, uniseriate, finely
wrinkled with elaisomes, 1.9 - 2 cm long.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Clearings in Rhododendron forests, 3100 - 5700 m. Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and S.W. China.

26. Corydalis geraniifolia Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 269. 1855; Hook, f., Fl.
Brit. India 1: 126. 1972, p. p. C. chaerophylla var; geraniifolia (Hook. f. & Thomson)
Hara, Fl. E. Himalaya 103.1966. Fig. 13.

Herbs, 60 -100 (-130) cm high, glabrous to crispate puberulent below; stems solitary
or few, naked below, leafy and branched above; rootstock stout, rather woody, covered
with persistent petiole bases, reddish when dry. Radical leaves few, rather large, broadly
ovate to triangular in outline, 10 - 15 x 6 - 12 cm, primarily ternately divided into 3
petiolulate bipinnatisect divisions; petioles 15 - 25 cm long; pinnae sessile or decurrent
on rachis, up to 3 cm long, attenuate along rachis forming wings; ultimate segments
oblong, acuminate, rather sharply pointed, glabrous, pale beneath; nerves raised and
prominent. Cauline leaves smaller, becoming sessile upwards, confined to middle and
upper parts of stem. Racemes simple to frequently branched below, terminal, lax, 10 -
15-flowered, 6 -13 cm long; bracts obovate, 8 -10 (-15) mm long, usually deeply 3 - 5-fid
or
upper ovate and entire; pedicels 3 - 5 mm long; flowers golden yellow, usually with
rownish veins, 22 - 23 mm long. Sepals orbicular, cordate, ca 1 mm across. Upper
petal 14 -17 mm long, ecristate, apiculate; spur 9-11 mm long, apically recurved; lower
petal with prominent basal pouch. Capsules cylindric, linear, ca 10 mm long, ca 2 mm
th
'ck; style ca 2 mm long; seeds 6 - 7, 0.9 - 1.4 mm in diam., dark brown or black, shiny.
58 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

cm

Fig. 13. Corydalis geraniifolia Hook. f. & Thomson

1993] FUMARIACEAE 59

Fl.&Fr. Aug.-Nov.

Distrib. India: Margins of clearings in forests, 2400 - 3350 m. Sikkim.

Nepal and Bhutan.

Notes. Closely allied to C. chaerophylla D C , but differing in lax 10 - 15-flowered,

sometimes basally branched racemes, usually deeply 3 - 5 times divided lower bracts and
ovate entire upper bracts which are larger, 7 -10 (-15) mm long, the larger (22 - 23 mm
long) flowers, ecristate corolla, apically curved spur and linear-cylindric capsules.

27. Corydalis gortschakovii Schrenk, Enum. PI. Nov. 1:100.1841. C. moorcroftiana

Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 266.1855; Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1:125.1872, p. p.

Herbs, perennial, erect to diffuse, 15 - 35 (-60) cm high; stems tufted, simple to

sparingly branched, angular, ridged, glaucous, often minutely or obscurely glandular-
pilose; rootstock spindle-shaped, often stout, woody, branched, densely crowned with
withered brown sheathing leaf bases. Radical leaves bi- or subtripinnatisect, sometimes
4 - 5-jugate with terminal lobe often larger and densely lobulate, lower or lateral pinnae
distant and smaller; pinnae ovate to suborbicular, 10 - 25 mm long, lobed into many
lobules, often in threes; ultimate segments oblong-obovate to suborbicular, 4 -10 x
1.5 - 4 mm, obtuse and minutely mucronate at apex, scabrid-pilose. Cauline leaves
reduced, subsessile, pinnatisect with narrow lobules. Racemes often dense and con-
gested, but becoming lax in fruit, 3 -10 cm long, 15 - 30-flowered, rarely branched below;
peduncles scabrid papillose; bracts entire to segmented, oblong-elliptic; bovate-cuneate
to broad-lanceolate, 10 -15 x 2 - 8 mm, often covering flower buds; pedicels (5-) 10 -15
mm long in fruit and deflexed; flowers yellow, usually with dark purple tips, 15-20 mm
long. Sepals 1 - 2 mm in diam., denticulate along margins, white, membranaceous.
Corolla 18 - 25 mm long; upper petal conspicuously dorsally broad-winged, obtuse,
expanded and membranaceous along margins; wings sparsely denticulate to entire; spur
straight or slightly downcurved at apex, blunt, 8 - 1 0 mm long; lower petal similar to
upper, saccate at base. Capsules oblong, cuneate below, obtuse at apex, 12-15 mm long,
2.5 - 3 mm broad, on elongated recurved pedicels; style 2 - 4 mm long, curved at apex;
seeds 8 -10, subbiseriate, ca 1.5 mm in diam., shiny black.

Fl. & Fr. June - Sept.

Distrib. India: N.W. Himalayas, 3600 - 5500 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan and Afghanistan to Central Asia.

60 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

28. Corydalis govaniana Wallich, Tent. Fl. Nap. 55. 1826; Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India
1:124.1872. Fig-14.

Ladakh: Ralchatnakpo.

Herbs, perennial, erect, tufted, 15 - 60 cm high; rootstock thick, fibrous, densely

crowned with remnants of sheathing leaf-bases and cataphylls, slender, elongated, often
a few twisted together; stems stout, woody, simple, rarely branched, 15 - 35 cm long,
subglaucous, glabrous. Radical leaves few to many, ovate to triangular-ovate, ca 30 cin
long, bi- (or tri-) pinnate, nearly as long as stem; petioles ca 15 cm long, as long as lamina,
4.5 x 1 cm, sheathed at base; pinnae ovate, oblong-ovate to suborbicular, 1 - 6 cm long,
3 - 5-pinnuled; petiolules very short; pinnules shortly stalked to sessile, up to 3 cm long,
deeply dissected and variously cut into narrow segments; ultimate segments oblong-
ovate, attenuate at base, rounded at apex, minutely mucronate, prominently nerved.
Cauline leaves usually 2, opposite or subopposite at or below middle of stem, up to 20
cm long, smaller than radical leaves, dentate to almost entire and lanceolate; petioles
up to 15 cm long, simple, often dense, 5 - 15 cm long; peduncles up to 25 cm long,
grooved; bracts wedge-shaped or oblong and pectinate-incised, 1 - 3 (-5) x 0.8 - 2 cm,
upper ones subentire and lower ones dissected; pedicels arcuate, 5 - 2 0 mm long,
elongated to 30 cm and deflexed in fruits; flowers bright yellow, 2 - 2.5 cm long. Sepals
ca 1 mm in diam., dentate, whitish. Upper petal dorsally crested; spur conical, straight
or somewhat down-curved, subobtuse, ca 1 cm long, equal to limb; lower petal subsac-
cate at base. Style curved at apex, 2 - 4 mm long; stigma broad, usually with basal papillae.
Capsules oblong or obovoid, narrowed at base, subobtuse at apex, 10 - 15 mm long, 3 -
4 mm wide; seeds 4 - 8, biseriate, 1.5-2 mm in diam., shiny black, covered at base with
persistent raphe.

Fl. & Fr. April - Aug.

Distrib. India: N.W. Himalayas, usually above the tree-line on moist open slopes,
3200 - 5600 m. Jammu &Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan and Nepal.

Notes. In Ladakh roots and seeds are eaten as carminative.

29. Corydalis hendersonii Hemsley in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 30: 108.1894.

Herbs, perennial, short, cushion plants, densely tufted, 5 - 8 cm high; rootstock stout,
cylindrical, densely crowned by withered sheathing leaf bases; stems 3 - 5 cm long,
somewhat fleshy, glaucous, glabrous. Radical leaves tufted, 2.5 - 5 cm long, bi- or
tripinnatisect, fleshy; petioles broadly sheathing, minutely glandular pilose along mar-
gins of sheaths, 1.5 - 3 cm long; pinnae usually bipinnatisect, 1.5 - 3 cm long; ultimate
segments many, narrowly linear or lanceolate, acute to subobtuse and mucronulate at
1993] FUMARIACEAE 61

Fig. 14. Corydalis govaniana Wallich

62 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

apex, 1 - 3 x 1 - 1.5 mm. Cauline leaves 1-2 (-3), similar to radical ones, but smaller.
Racemes condensed, corymbose, hardly exceeding leaves, 3 - 10-flowered; bracts leafy,
much divided, becoming shorter above; pedicels 12 -18 mm long, erect, apically deflexed
in fruit; flowers yellow, 16 - 20 mm long, almost erect with only apices visible above
leaves and bracts. Sepals narrowly linear. Upper petal rhombic, acute or subobtuse,
with expanded margins, dorsally cristate, not winged; spur slender, ca 1 cm long; lower
petal slightly saccate at base, similar to lamina of upper petal. Capsules hidden among
bracts, oblong, 5 - 1 1 mm long; style 5 - 6 mm long; seeds 1 - 9, ca 1.8 mm long, shiny
black.

Fl. & Fr. June - Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine areas ofN.W. Himalayas, 3800-6000 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Nepal and China (Tibet).

30. Corydalis hookeri Prain in J. Asiat. Soc, Bengal II, 65(2): 34. 1896. C.
denticulato-bracteata Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov. 25: 219.1928.

Herbs, perennial, 10 - 50 cm high, much-branched; rootstock slender, woody.

Leaves somewhat fleshy, very glaucous, scabrid on nerves beneath, oblong in outline,
1-pinnate; leaflets coarsely pinnatisect to ternatisect; ultimate segments often imbricate,
obovate to lanceolate, acuminate and shortly mucronate, 3-5 mm broad; lowermost pair
of leaflets often smaller; basal petioles 5 - 10 cm long, winged, upper ones smaller.
Racemes dense, branched, 10 - 30-flowered, 5 - 8 cm long; pedicels 3 - 8 mm long,
deflexed in fruit; bracts narrowly linear, entire or lower ones smaller and divided, faintly
denticulate-glandular along margins, 2-8 mm long, slightly glandular on midrib beneath;
flowers 14-16 mm long, yellow, tinged brown with dark purple tips. Outer petals broadly
crested up to tip, along margin. Upper petal 18 - 20 mm long, acute to short-acuminate
at apex; spur 7 - 1 0 mm long with rather broad crests which reach the tips, strongly
recurved at apex; inner petals pale, rarely tipped with brownish purple. Ovary flattened
at top, elongated at base. Capsules linear-ovoid, 8 - 10 mm long, with 3 - 4 mm long
persistent style; seeds 2 - 4, ca 1.8 mm across, shiny.

Fl.&Fr. May-Sept.

Distrib. India: Roadsides, hillsides and edges of fields in temperate and alpine
Central Himalayas, 3000 - 5000 m. Sikkim.

Nepal and China (S. Tibet).

Notes. The plants are self-fertile.

 FUMARIACEAE 63
1993]

31. Corydalis juncea Wallich, Tent. Fl. Nap. 54, t. 42, f. dextra. 1826; Hook, f., Fl.
Brit. India 1:123.1872.

Herbs, erect or decumbent; stems simple, 8 - 50 cm high; branches terete, striate,

glabrous; rootstock woody with a dense cluster of tuberous fusiform unbranched up to
3.5 cm long storage roots. Radical leaves usually solitary, biternate or rarely triternate
with deeply cut leaflets; petioles very long, slender, sheathed at base, up to 20 cm long;
leaflets simple or often pedately divided, ovate-oblong to elliptic, oblanceolate, cuneate
at base, acute at apex, 20 - 30 x 6 - 8 mm, glabrous, with prominent nerves; petiolules
1 - 3 cm long. Cauline leaves absent or up to 2, entire, linear-lanceolate, 3 - 5-nerved
from base, 1 - 6 x 0.2 - 1 cm, rarely ternate. Racemes spicate, 10 - 30 (-40)-flowered, 5 -
25 cm long; bracts linear to broadly lanceolate, 5 - 20 (-40) mm long; pedicels 5 - 15
(-20) mm long; flowers yellow with black spots, up to 1.5 cm long. Sepals minute, erose
along margins. Upper petal broadly crested, 9 -10 (-12) mm long; spur straight or slightly
upcurved, ca 3.5 x 2 mm long; lower petal crested, similar to upper; inner petals almost
always tipped with blackish purple. Stamens with prominently expanded filaments.
Ovary ovoid, glabrous; stigma expanded, sharply angled. Capsules obovoid or ellipsoid,
ca 13 mm long with up to 3 mm long style; seeds ca 10, ca 1 mm in diam., shiny.

Fl&Fr. April-Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine meadows, grasslands and almost low scrubs, 2600 - 5100 m.
Sikkim.

Nepal and Bhutan.

32. Corydalis laelia Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal II, 65(2): 25.1896.

Herbs, robust, erect, 30 - 50 (-60) cm high; stems stout, shiny, grooved, little-bran-
ched, arising from a dense cluster of slender fibrous fascicled roots; stem base sur-
rounded by old petiole remains and scales. Radical leaves ovate in outline, biternatisect,
10 - 14 x 8 - 14 cm, glaucous beneath, glabrous; petioles 15 - 25 cm long, winged and
sheathing at base; leaflets up to 4 cm long, deeply divided into linear or elliptic, acute
or subacute segments or 2 - 5 mm broad teeth; nerves prominent below; petioles ca 5
mm long. Cauline leaves on shorter 1 - 3 cm long petioles. Racemes stout, many-
lowered, forming branched panicles; lower bracts ovate, deeply pinnatisect into linear
eeth, 1 - 2 cm long; upper shorter, linear-ovate, entire; flowers yellow, ca 1.8 cm long,
epals ca 2 mm across, faintly laciniate along margins. Outer pair of petals with very
broad dorsal crests projecting forwards beyond lips; upper petal 20 - 25 mm long,
ac uding 8 -11 nun long straight spur with somewhat deflexed tip. Capsules cylindric
o obovoid-cylindric, ca 12 mm long, ca 2 mm thick.

FL&Fr. May-Sept.
64 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Distrib. India: Streamsides in temperate forests, 2600 - 4000 m. Sikkim.

Pakistan, Bhutan and China (S. Tibet - Chumbi Valley).

33. Corydalis lathyroides Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal II, 65(2): 23.1896.

Herbs, erect, delicate, branched from base, sparingly leafy, 10 - 20 cm high.

Rootstock and radical leaves unknown. Cauline leaves narrowly oblong, 3 - 6 x 1 - 2 cm,
once pinnate; lower pinnae with 1 - 3 cm long petioles; upper ones sessile, purplish
beneath; leaflets in 3 - 5 pairs, if entire broadly ovate or suborbicular, obtuse and
mucronate or if divided, as usual, then 2 - 5-segmented, which are obovate-obtuse.
Racemes terminal and from upper leaf axils, 3 - 8-flowered, lax on slender peduncles,
1.5 - 7 cm long; bracts linear or 3-fid, 3 - 6 mm long; pedicels erecto-patent, 5 - 1 5 mm
in flower, 15 - 20 mm in fruit; flowers yellow, 8-10 mm long. Sepals shallowly dentate,
1 -1.5 mm long. Upper petal acute, 10 -15 mm long, not or very narrowly cristate; spur
3.5 - 7 mm long, slightly curved upwards; lower petal spathulate, acute, ca 7 mm long,
exserted beyond upper petal, without a basal pouch; nectariferous gland very slender,
about two-third as long as spur. Style ca 2 mm long; stigma with 4 stalked papillae.
Capsules narrowly obovoid, 6 - 8 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide; seeds biseriate, ca 15, with
very long elaiosomes, ca 0.7 mm across, glossy.

Fl. & Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Cliff edges, amidst moss on dripping rocks, 3000 - 4100 m. Hima-
chal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal and Bhutan.

34. Corydalis latiflora Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 270.1855; Hook, f., Fl. Brit.
India 1:126.1872. C. gerdae Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov. 18: 30.1922.

Herbs, erect, 7 - 15 cm high with a greyish purple hue; stems surrounded by

persistent petiole bases, diffusely branched; young branches striate, glabrous, older ones
robust with scales at base; rootstock slender, long, scaly, woody, often very long. Radical
leaves 2 - 5 x 1.5 - 2 cm, biternate or bipinnate with ternately finely divided leaflets;
petioles 4 - 8 cm long, sheathed at base; leaflets broadly ovate or orbicular, deeply
dissected into obovate obtuse teeth, ca 1.5 cm long; ultimate lobules linear to oblong-
obovate, obtuse or acute at apex, rather chartaceous, glabrous. Cauline leaves subop-
posite, similar to radical leaves, or sometimes smaller, rarely absent, often with 2
opposite leaves below inflorescence. Racemes 2 - 8-flowered, corymbose or s u b -
umbellate with 3 - 6 horizontal flowers, sometimes scarcely exserted above bracts, 2 -
2.5 cm long; bracts linear-ovate to broadly flabellately divided, 6 - 25 cm long; lower ones
2 - 3-fid; pedicels 5 - 20 mm long, slightly shorter than bracts, erect, apically hooked in
fruit; flowers 14 - 20 mm long, greyish blue or pale violet with yellow tips, scented. Sepals
 FUMARIACEAE 65
1993]

minute, slightly laciniate. Upper petal 13 -19 mm long including spur, notched behind
hooded apex, broadly cristate, often with crest decurrent to apex of spur, making the
profile of flower very broad; spur 1.5 - 6 x 2 - 3.5 mm, downwardly curved; inner petals
tipped dark green or blackish; lower petal almost straight, often with deflexed tip.
Capsules ellipsoid or obovoid, 6 -10 mm long, 2 - 4 mm thick, pendent on erect apically
hooked pedicels; style ca 3 mm long; seeds 3 - 5, ca 1.5 mm, smooth or minutely papillose,
dull.

Fl.&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: Rocky slopes and streamsides, often forming cushions between
boulders, 4200 - 5500 m. Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (S.W. Tibet).

35. Corydalis leptocarpa Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 260.1855; Hook, f., Fl. Brit.
India 1:122.1872.

Herbs, annual or perennial, 10 - 30 cm high, diffuse, decumbent; stems several,

branched, delicate, arising from a cluster of slender fibrous roots; branches dense,
slender, striate, glabrous; roots simple with a main root and lateral fibrous ones. Radical
leaves biternate, oblong-triangular, 5 - 8 x 3 - 5 cm; petioles 5 - 9 cm long, slightly sheathed
at base; leaflets ternate, broad, obtuse, often trilobed, glaucous beneath; terminal and
lateral segments ovate-elliptic, oblong-obovate, crenately dentate along margins or
deeply lobed, finely attenuate at base, ca 2 x 1 cm, glabrous; nerves prominent; petioles
short. Cauline leaves 2 or more, alternate. Racemes axillary or terminal, 2 - 6 cm long,
laxly (2-) 4 - 8-flowered; bracts obovate, narrowly ovate-lanceolate, 6 -12 mm long, lower
ones toothed or lobed, upper ones narrow, entire; pedicels 5 - 8 mm long, deflexed in
fruit; flowers pink or purple or sometimes white, 2.2 - 2.8 cm long. Sepals minute,
orbicular, slightly lacerate along margin. Outer pair crested; upper petal 25 - 30 mm
long, winged on dorsal and ventral lobes; spur slightly falcate, 13 - 15 x 3 - 3.5 mm;
nectariferous gland 6 - 7 mm long. Capsules linear, (2-) 2.5 - 3 (-3.5) cm long, 1.5 - 2 mm
thick, torulose; style alternate, ca 4 mm long; seeds 16 - 20, ca 1.2 mm across, black,
shiny.

Fl. & Fr. March - Aug.

Distrib. India: Damp streamsides or cliffs, in temperate and subtropical forests,

1900 - 2800 m. Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur.

Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and S.E. China (Yunnan).

66 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

36. Corydalis meifolia Wallich, Tent. Fl. Nap. 55, t. 41. 1826; Hook, f., Fl. Brit.
India 1: 126.1872. C. meifolia var. sikkimensis Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal II, 65(2):
40.1896. C meifolia var. violacea Prain, 1. c.

Herbs, erect, often robust, showy, 10 - 45 cm high; stems tufted, stout, striate,
glabrous, covered at base by up to 10 cm long persistent leaf bases and cataphylls;
rootstock with several thick twisted subfusiform rope-like, ca 14 cm long strands.
Radical leaves large, deeply finely bipinnatisect, 8 - 35 x 6 - 15 cm, as long as stems;
petioles 8 - 15 cm long, flattened, sheathing at base; lamina triangular to oblong,
tripinnate with numerous oblong or filiform, 5 - 10 mm long and 0.5 - 1 mm wide
segments. Cauline leaves several, subopposite, 15 -18 cm long; lowermost one situated
near middle of stem, becoming shorter and subsessile upwards; petioles winged and
sheathed at base, 10 - 18 cm long; leaflets ca 3 cm long, both alternate and opposite,
finely laciniate; ultimate segments linear, capillary, often circinnate, glabrous, rather
coriaceous. Racemes terminal, corymbose, densely 12 - 30-flowered, rounded, up to 8
cm long, elongating in fruit; pedicels erecto-patent, 1 - 3 cm long, apically arcuate in
fruit; lower bracts leaf-like, oblong or flabellate, 1.5 - 3 cm long, with flattened linear
bases and deeply divided linear segments; flowers yellow with purple tips, rarely orange,
sometimes marked with purplish brown at base, ca 1.8 cm long. Sepals oblong, ovate,
irregularly serrate-laciniate, 1.5 - 3 x 1 -1.5 mm. Upper petal with prominent rounded
crest at tip, 12 - 16 mm long, with up to 2.5 mm long slightly curved spur; lower petals
broadly 3 - 4 mm long; stigma flattened, bifid, projecting at base. Capsules narrowly
obovoid, broadly elliptic, clavate, 6 - 8 x 3.5 - 4 mm; seeds ca 10, smooth or faintly
foveolate, ca 1.5 mm across, shiny black.

Fl.&Fr. June-Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, on damp streamsides and moist slopes, 3900 -
5200 m. Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (S.E. Tibet).

37. Corydalis mucronifera Maxim., Fl. Tangut. 1: 51, t. 24, ff. 19-21.1889.

Herbs, stunted, diffusely branched, erect, 3 - 6 cm high; main stem rather woody,
grooved, branching from base, often covered with triangular scales just below branches;
rootstock rather thick with fibrous roots. Basal leaves ternatisect, 1 - 4cm long; petioles
1 - 3 cm long, winged and sparsely pectinate-hirsute along margins, sheathed at base;
leaflets 3 at ends of petioles, entire or often lobed or laciniate; ultimate segments linear
to linear-spathulate, denticulate along margins, bluntly 3-fid. Cauline leaves smaller.
Flowers yellow, in simple few-flowered bracteate racemes; bracts obovate, laciniate, ca
12x8 mm, exceeding and hiding flowers. Sepals reniform, shortly laciniate along margin,
ca 1 mm across. Upper petal 6 - 8 mm long; including ca 3 mm long spur, denticulate
along margin from halfway down, not crested; spur of lower petal ca 4 mm long; outer
 FUMARIACEAE 67
1993]

etals keeled or narrowly crested. Ovary with style bent near ridged stigma. Capsules
blong ca 3 mm long; seeds 2, ca 2 mm across, blackish-brown, reticulate.

Fl.&Fr. July-Aug.

Distrib. India: Sikkim.

China (S. Tibet).

38. Corydalis nana Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 68. 1834. C. ramosa Hook. f. &
Thomson var. nana Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1:125.1872.

Herbs, erect, dwarf, 5 - 15 cm high; stems simple or branched above, ascending,

glabrous; rootstock stout, often slender. Leaves spongy. Radical leaves bipinnate, ca 5
cm long; petioles 8 - 10 mm long, winged along margins; leaflets subopposite, ca 2 cm
long, variously lobed; ultimate lobules obovate, linear-oblong or lanceolate, acute,
glabrous. Cauline leaves 3 - 4 , the lower often subopposite, situated near middle of
stem. Racemes corymbose, densely 5 - 10-flowered, not overtopping leaves, ca 4 cm
long; bracts broadly flabellate, much dissected into linear segments, 14 - 25 mm long,
glabrous; pedicels 12 - 23 mm long, apically thickened and hooked in fruit; flowers
greyish or bluish grey, tipped green, ca 13 mm long. Sepals broadly ovate, ca 13 mm
long. Sepals broadly ovate, apically dentate, ca 1 mm across. Upper petals cristate,
15 -16 mm long; spur 4.5 - 6 mm long, somewhat down-curved; lower petal boat-shaped
except for cristate deflexed apex; inner petals dark tipped. Ovary placed at an angle to
the top of slightly thickened pedicel, ovoid or obovoid; stigma flattened, slightly bilobed,
each simply papillate at top. Capsules narrowly obovoid, ca 6 mm long; style 3 - 3.5 mm
long, sharply bent below stigma; seeds up to 10, ca 0.8 mm in diam., smooth, shiny.

Fl. & Fr. Aug. - Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine N.W. and W. Himalayas, 4200 - 6000 m. Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal.

39. Corydalis oligantha Ludlow in Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Botany 5: 60, t. 9,
V
f. 8.1975. '

R ,. e r ' s ' e n der, 8 -12 cm high; stems simple, arising from a cluster of fibrous roots.
adical leaves several, ovate, bipinnatisect, 1 - 2 cm long, deeply divided into oblong or
° P et i°les 1.5 - 3 cm long. Cauline leaves solitary, similar, bipinnatisect
with toothed segments; petioles smaller, 5 -10 mm long, subtending small axillary bulbils.
wers 2 - 3, subtended by sessile leaf-like bracts, blue or white. Upper petals 14 -15
68 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

mm long, including the slender 8 - 10 mm long spur; lower lip boat-shaped, acute.
Capsules not seen.

Fl. May.

Distrib. India: Temperate forest clearings, 2800 - 3100 m. Arunachal Pradesh.

N.E. Bhutan.

40. Corydalis ophiocarpa Hook. f. & Thomson, F t Ind. 259. 1855; Hook, f., Fl.
Brit. India 1:122.1872.

Herbs, robust, erect, 50 -110 cm high; stems grooved, glabrous; rootstock woody.
Radical leaves numerous, ovate-triangular, 10 - 25 x 7 - 12 cm, bipinnatisect; petioles
prominently flattened and winged along margins, 6 - 1 5 cm long; pinnae ca 6 cm long;
leaflets alternate, up to 3.5 cm long; terminal one the largest, deeply lobed; ultimate
segments oblong, apiculate, glabrous; nerves rather prominent below. Cauline leaves
numerous, smaller, on 1 - 2 cm long petioles. Racemes terminal, 5 - 15 cm long,
many-flowered; bracts entire, lanceolate to linear-acuminate, finely pointed, 2 - 5 mm
long; flowers yellow, slender, 10 -12 mm long, ca 2 mm wide. Sepals ovate, erose along
margins, ca 1 mm long, scarious. Petals uncrested; upper petal 10 - 12 mm long,
including short rounded ca 2.5 mm long spur; lip winged, but not crested; lower up equal
to upper. Ovary glabrous, tortuous; style glabrous; stigma reversely bifid. Capsules
strongly undulate, linear-tortuous, 20 - 25 mm long, ca 2 mm thick; seeds ca 1 mm across,
finely foveolate, black, shiny.

Fl.&Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Temperate forests, 3000 - 3300 m. Sikkim.

Bhutan and China (S.E. Tibet).

41. Corydalis pakistanica Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 73: 26, ff. 8 D-F. 1974.

Herbs, perennial, diffuse or ascending, (15-) 20 - 40 cm high, glabrous, green or

subglaucous, branched above; rootstock slender, covered with withered sheathing leaf
bases. Radical leaves reaching base of inflorescence, 10 - 20 (-25) cm long, 2 - 3-pin-
natisect; pinnae (3-) 4 - 5 , subopposite or in alternate pairs and a terminal one, (10-)
15 - 30 (-40) mm long, 10 -20 (-25) mm broad with 3 - 5 lobes as pinnules; pinnules
subsessile or very shortly petioluled, 6 -12 (-15) mm in diam., deeply 4 - 5-lobuled; lobules
oblong-ovate, acute, minutely mucronate, 3 - 10 (-15) mm long, 2 - 4 (-7) mm broad.
Lower cauline leaves similar to radical leaves but somewhat smaller; upper cauline
leaves small, sessile, deeply dissected with a few contiguous lobes or lobules. Racemes
short, dense, terminal, subthyrsiform, usually on short branches, 3 - 6 cm long, densely
 FUMARIACEAE 69
1993]

15 - 20-flowered, becoming lax later on; bracts linear-lanceolate to foliaceous, 1 - 3 cm

1 ne lower dissected and similar to upper cauline leaves; upper ones entire, acute,
lightly exceeding pedicels; flowers yellow, 1.5 -1.7 cm long. Sepals ca 1 mm in diam.,
denticulate, white, membranaceous. Upper petal dorsally winged with the wing reach-
ing lamina base and tips of spur, rounded or obtuse at apex; spur slightly down-curved,
slender; lower petal similarly winged, slightly saccate at base. Capsules oblong, 8 -10
mm long, 2.5 - 3 mm thick, acute or subobtuse, deflexed on elongated pedicels; style 2 -
3 mm long, curved above with broad stigmas; seeds 6 - 8, biseriate, ca 1.5 mm in diam.,
shiny black. t

Fl.&Fr. June-Sept.

Distrib. India: N.W. Himalayas, 3500 - 4500 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan.

42. Corydalis polygalina Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 263.1855; Hook, f., Fl. Brit.
India 1:123.1872. C. graminea Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal II, 65(2): 23.1896.

Herbs, erect or decumbent, 12 - 25 cm high; branches diffuse, obscurely quadran-

gular, grooved, glabrous; rootstock rather woody with long attenuate and often branched
tuberous roots. Radical leaves ternate to biternate or subpinnate, up to 18 cm long, with
narrowly lanceolate segments; petioles up to 15 cm long, channelled above; leaflets
dissected or linear-ovate, obtuse or acute and apiculate at apex, ca 2 x 0.4 cm, glabrous,
obscurely 3-nerved from base. Cauline leaves 1 - 3 (-5)-pinnate with 2 - 3 pairs of
linear-lanceolate leaflets, ca 4 cm long, upper leaves less divided; petioles ca 1.5 cm long.
Racemes terminal, 5 - 15-flowered, 3 - 5 cm long; bracts ca 7 mm long, dissected; lower
ones leaf-like, upper ones shorter and entire, 6 -12 mm long; pedicels 1.5 - 2.2 cm long,
deflexed in fruit; flowers yellow, 14 - 19 mm long. Sepals orbicular, ca 1 mm across,
irregularly serrulate along margins. Upper petal ca 16 mm long, crests on back almost
to the entire length of spur, winged along margins; spur up to 8 mm long, straight; lower
petal without a spur or pouch at base, acute, woody at margins; inner petals dark
brownish purple at tip. Ovary ovoid, glabrous; stigma ovate, expanded and slightly
hastate at base. Capsules obovoid to linear-oblong, 5 - 8 mm long; seeds 6 - 9, shiny
black.

Fl.&Fr. June-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine grasslands, 3600 - 4900 m. Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (S.E. Tibet).

70 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

43. Corydalis pseudocrithmifolia Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 73: 12, f. 3 D-F. 1974.

Herbs, perennial, glaucous or pilose; rootstock thick, divided at apex. Radical

leaves 6 - 15 cm long, equal to stem, often unifoliolate, bipinnatisect, 3 - 5-paired,
long-petiolate; pinnae ovate-orbicular, shortly petiolulate, 1 - 2 cm diam,, often 3-lobu-
late; lobules sessile or subsessile, often further 1 - 3-lobulate; ultimate segments ovate-
oblong, rounded-mucronate at apex, 2 - 5 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, glaucous, thin; cauline
leaves absent. Racemes laxly 10 - 15-flowered, 10 -13 cm long; pedicels 1 - 2.5 cm long,
deflexed and filiform in fruits; bracts 1 - 2 cm long, entire or much dissected into linear
1.5 - 3 mm long segments; flowers greenish yellow, purple at apex, ca 2 cm long. Sepals
very minute. Upper petal keeled at back, minutely mucronate at apex, irregularly
dentate; spur cylindric, curved at base, 1.2 -1.5 cm long; lower petal keeled behind, not
saccate at base. Capsules deflexed, oblong, cuneate at base, rounded at apex, 1.2 -1.5
cm long, 2 - 2.5 mm thick, with 3 - 3.5 mm long persistent style bearing dilated stigma at
apex; valves minutely pilose with distinct midnerve; seeds biseriate, ca 1.5 mm in diam.

Fl. & Fr. May - Aug.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, in dry pastures, 4000 - 5500 m. Jammu &
Kashmir.

Pakistan.

44. Corydalis pseudolongipes Liden in Bull. Brit. Mus.(Nat. Hist.) Botany 18:532,
ff. 22D & 23D. 1989. C. longipes auct. non D C ; D. Long in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb.
42:87 -106.1984. C. longipes vars. burkillii, phallutiana and smithii Fedde, Repert. Spec.
Nov. 16: 314 - 315.1920. C. sibirica auct. non (L. f.) Persoon; Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1:
125.1872, p. p.

Herbs, decumbent, 15 - 25 cm high; stems slender, much branched, weak, glabrous;

rootstock thinly fibrous. Leaves cauline, ca 3 cm long, ternate; each segment cuneately
2-3 lobate; lobules narrowly obovate, obtuse, 1-4 mm broad. Racemes terminal, simple,
4 - 8 cm long, 3 -10-flowered; bracts linear, deeply dissected along margins, rarely upper
ones entire, ca 2.5 mm long; pedicels 5 - 1 0 (-15) mm long; flowers yellow, 8 - 12 mm
long. Sepals broadly ovate, often deeply divided or lacerate along margins, rarely entire,
minute, ca 1 mm long. Upper petal concave, hooded, acute or shortly acuminate, with
broad often crenately toothed dorsal crest, decurrent along spur; nectariferous gland
prominent, not fused with spur, ca 1 mm long; spur 5 - 6 mm long, curved upwards,
slender, longer than short inner petals which are blackish purple-tipped; nectariferous
gland 0.7 -1.4 mm long, one-sixth to one-fifth of the length of spur; lower petal 5 - 6 mm,
with rounded basal pouch and a constriction in the middle. Ovary glabrous, with
incurved style; stigma slightly flattened, with stalked papillae. Capsules deflexed,
obovoid, 5 - 7 x 2 - 3 mm, minutely papillose all over surface; seeds ca 10, biseriate, ca
1.2 mm across, shiny.
 FUMARIACEAE 71
1993]

Fl. & FT. June - Oct.

Distrib. India: Streamsides, sometimes as weed of cultivation, 2800 - 4000 m.

Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Nepal and Bhutan.

Notes. According to Liden (1. a ) , C. longipes DC. is endemic to Central Nepal.

Eastern Himalayan plants, so far known as C. longipes are C. pseudolongipes Liden and
Western Himalayan plants, so far known as C. longipes, are either C. filiformis Royle or
C. casimiriana Prain. C. pseudolongipes Liden is distinguishable from these by acute
outer petals, blackish purple-tipped inner petals, lower petal lacking a pouch and stigma
with 4 stalked apical papillae.

45. Corydalis shakyae Liden in Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Botany 18: 519, ff. 11
C-D, 12 C-D. 1989.

Herbs, up to 40 cm high; stems somewhat flexuous, leafy, zig-zag branched. Leaves

3 - 4 times ternate to subpinnate with divided leaflets; lower petiole often longer than
lamina; upper much shorter; ultimate segments narrowly oblanceolate to oblong with
acuminate apices. Racemes 5 - 14-flowered, 2 - 6 cm long with usually short peduncles;
bracts deeply divided with narrow irregularly divided or dentate segments, progressively
smaller upwards, glabrous; pedicels 7 - 1 0 mm long, about as long as bracts, arcuate,
more recurved in fruit; flowers 18 - 22 mm long, yellow with brownish green keel on the
upper petal and dark apices to inner petals. Sepals reniform, dentate, ca 1.5 mm long.
Outer petals with broad eroded crests; spur of upper petal 10 - 11 mm long, tapering,
slightly down-curved; nectariferous gland about two-fifth as long as spur. Stigma with
distinct horns. Capsules obovoid, abruptly narrowed into 3.5 - 4 mm long style; seeds
2 - 6, glossy, 1.5 - 2 mm in diam.

Fl.&Fr. July-Aug.

Distrib. India: Open subalpine slopes on rock crevices, 3600 - 3900 m. Uttar
Pradesh (Kumaon).

Nepal.

Notes. Closely allied to C. thyrsiflora Prain and C. pakistanica Jafri.

46. Corydalis sikkimensis (Prain) Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov. 17: 201. 1921. C
uthiei Maxim, var. sikkimensis Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal II, 65(2): 33.1896.

, i s ' e r e c t o r diffuse with numerous decumbent stems, 10 - 25 cm high, glabrous

g abrous; rootstock slender, thicker towards apex, crowned with withered mem-
72 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

branous sheathing leaf bases and cataphylls, often branched. Radical leaves 8 - 20 x
1.5 - 4 cm, 2 - 3-pinnatisect with 4 - 5 pairs of lateral and one terminal pinnae; petioles
7 - 15 cm long; pinnae sessile or subsessile, deeply 3-lobed with each lobe again 2 -
3-lobuled; ultimate segments linear to oblong or obovate, acute, pointed or rounded at
apex, 3 - 5 mm long, 1 -1.5 mm wide. Cauline leaves 2 - 4, rarely 1, often in subopposite
pairs, similar but smaller than radical leaves. Racemes simple, (5-) 10 - 15-flowered,
short, dense, subcorymbose, 3 - 5 cm long, slightly lax, elongating in fruit; pedicels 5-12
mm long; bracts 1 - 2 cm long, 5 - 1 2 mm broad; lower ones broadly ovate, laciniately
linear-lobed; upper ones becoming smaller, less divided and ultimately entire, lanceo-
late to elliptic; flowers yellow, 15 -18 mm long, crowded, suberect to horizontal, lower
ones becoming subvertical. Upper petal 15 - 19 mm long, including spur, dorsally
winged up to base of lamina or tips of spur, obtuse or rounded at apex; spur straight to
subfalcate, conical with crest decurrent almost to tip, 5 - 8 mm long, yellow; lower petal
similarly broadly winged and crested, subsaccate at base. Ovary oblong-obovoid, ca 4
mm long, ca 1.5 mm thick, with 3-4 mm long style and apically curved broad bifid stigma.
Capsules narrowly obovoid to oblong, ca 15 mm long, ca 5 mm thick; seeds 3 - 8, ca 1
mm across, shiny, smooth.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Moist rocky places, near streamsides in Himalayas, 3800 - 4500 m.
Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and China (S. Tibet).

47. Corydalis stewartii Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov. 19:119.1923.

Herbs, annual or biennial, weakly branched, sparsely leafy, 10 - 30 (-50) cm long,

glabrous, subglaucous, sometimes slightly succulent; rootstock usually absent, rarely
present and very stout. Leaves ternate, 10 - 15 x 3 - 5 cm, lower and basal ones
long-petioled; pinnae suborbicular, ovate, cuneate, 5 - 10 (-15) mm long, 3-lobulate,
with slender petioles; lobules obovate-oblong, cuneate at base, somewhat rounded and
obscurely mucronate at apex, 3 -10 mm long. Racemes many, simple, terminating the
branches, laxly 5 - 10-flowered, 3 - 5 cm long; bracts foliaceous, small, upper ones
gradually becoming entire, linear and much smaller; pedicels 2 - 5 mm long and deflexed
in fruit; flowers pale yellow with dark tips, 6 -10 mm long. Sepals minute. Upper petal
narrow, acute to subacuminate at apex, sometimes with an obscure dorsal wing; spur
slender, slightly curved and blunt at apex; lower petal not saccate at base, simple.
Capsules linear, 12 - 15 mm long, 1.5 - 2 mm thick, subtorulose, narrowed and seedless
at base, slightly rounded at apex; style slightly curved at apex with broad stigma, 2 - 3
mm long; seeds 6 - 8 , uni- or biseriate, ca 1.5 mm in diam., minutely tubercled, black.

Fl.&Fr. May-Sept.
1993] FUMARIACEAE 73

Distrib. India: Damp places in temperate and subalpine areas of N.W. Himalayas,
2800-3800 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan.

Notes. Wendelbo (Fl. Iranica 110:4 - 5.1974) reduces this to a synonym of C. cornuta
Royle but here leaves are primarily ternate and not pinnate as in C. cornuta.

48. Corydalis stracheyi Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal II, 65(2): 37.1896. C. nana
var. jacquemontii Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov. 18: 29.1922.

Herbs, weak, diffuse, ascending, (10-) 15 - 40 cm high, glaucous; stems leafy,

branched, grooved, glabrous; rootstock very long, rather robust, split into several firm
fibrous strands, crowned by withered remnants of leaf-sheaths and scales. Radical
leaves few or absent. Cauline leaves oblong in outline, bipinnate, 5 - 7 cm long; leaflets
laciniate, ca 1.5 cm long; lobules lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, oblanceolate or nar-
rowly obovate, acute and shortly apiculate, 2 - 5 x 0.5 - 1 mm, glabrous with midrib
prominent beneath; petioles 3 - 6 cm long, sheathing at base, winged along margins;
upper leaves with shorter petioles. Racemes terminal and axillary, 2 - 10-flowered;
upper bracts narrowly oblanceolate, ca 4 mm long, entire; lower bracts linear-spathu-
late, 7 -10 x 5 - 7 mm, longer and often much divided; pedicels (2-) 7 -15 (-18) mm long,
recurved in fruit; flowers often solitary, ca 13 mm long, yellow, sometimes orange with
purplish brown and green markings on keel and sometimes also on spur. Sepals
orbicular, ca 1.5 mm across, erose along margins. Upper petal winged on back, 12 -14
mm long; spur ca 5 mm long, rather straight; inner petals clawed at base. Ovary glabrous;
stigma expanded, pointed at base. Capsules broadly ovoid or narrowly obovoid, 6 -10
mm long, ca 3 mm thick; seeds 5 -10, biseriate, 1 -1.2 mm across, minutely papillose,
dull or subglossy.

Fl.&Fr. June-Oct.

Distrib. India: Deeply rooted among boulders in alpine slopes, 3800-5000 m. Uttar
Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal and China (S. Tibet).

49. Corydalis stricta D C , Syst. Nat. 2: 123.1821; Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 126.
1872. C. astragalina Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 270.1855.

Herbs, erect or decumbent at base, tufted, perennial, (15-) 20 - 50 (-60) cm high;

stems stout, fleshy, simple or sparsely branched, striated, much exceeding radical leaves,
glabrous, glaucous; rootstock thick, spindle-shaped, simple or shortly branched, dark
brown, densely crowned with rigid often shiny sheathing leaf bases and scales. Leaves
e
shy, thick; radical leaves many, congested, pinnate or bipinnate or 2 - 3-pinnatisect,
74 FLORA OH INDIA [VOL. 2

7 - 15 x (1.5-) 2 - 4 cm; petiole as long as lamina; pinnae shortly petioled, or sessile with
3 - 5 lateral pinnae and a terminal one, 1.5 - 3 x 1 - 1.5 cm, 3 - 4-lobed with each lobe
again ternately divided; ultimate lobules ovate, triangular-ovate to linear-oblong or
oblanceolate, acute or minutely acuminate and shortly mucronate at apex, (l-)3 - 6
(-8) x 1 - 3 mm. Cauline leaves alternate, subopposite, few to many, becoming smaller
and subsessile upwards; petioles absent or short, with or without sheathing bases.
Racemes terminal, simple, rarely branched below, densely 20 - 60-flowered, oblong, 3 -
5 cm long, 2 - 4 cm broad; bracts hyaline, membranaceous, subulate, linear or elliptic,
entire or rarely minutely denticulate, acute to acuminate, 5 - 9 mm long, scarious along
margins; pedicels 3 - 6 mm long; flowers yellow, 12 - 17 mm long. Sepals ovate,
lanceolate, dentate, fimbriate at base, 2 - 4 x 1.5 mm. Upper petals slender, abruptly
subglobose near apex, somewhat upcurved, sharply acuminate or mucronate at tip,
dorsally very narrowly winged, slightly expanded and fimbriate at margins; spur subglo-
bose or gibbous at base, 2.5 - 4 mm long; lower petal similar to the lamina of upper petal,
slender, narrow below, hardly saccate at base. Capsules linear, straight, often pendulous
on somewhat thickened pedicel, (15-) 20 - 30 mm long, 2.5 - 3.5 mm thick; style 3 - 5 mm
long, upcurved at apex; seeds 6 - 9 , uniseriate, ca 2 mm in diam., shiny black.

Fl. & Fr. May - Aug.

Distrib. India: Among dry rocks in N.W. Himalayas, 3500 - 5400 m. Jammu &
Kashmir.

Nepal, China (W. Tibet), Pakistan to Central Asia.

Notes. A very polymorphic species in habit, leaf segmentation and flower size, but
constant in its long linear fruits.

50. Corydalis tibetica Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 265. 1855; Hook, f., Fl. Brit.
India 1:124.1872.

Herbs, perennial, slender, diffuse, 5-16 (-20) cm long, glabrous or subpilose-glan-

dular, glaucous; stems usually leafless, rarely 1-leaved, often developing a shoot in its
axil. Radical leaves (5-) 8 - 20 cm long, including petiole, bi- or sub-tripinnatisect,
sometimes 4 - 5-jugate with terminal lobe often slightly larger and densely lobulate;
petioles 3 - 4 cm long; pinnae ovate to suborbicular, 1 - 2.5 cm long; sessile or subsessile,
shallowly to deeply dissected into pinnules or lobes; each pinnule or lobe again divided
in threes; ultimate segments narrowly oblanceolate or oblong-linear, (2-) 4-10 mm long,
1 -1.5 (-2) mm broad. Cauline leaves, if present, smaller and reduced. Racemes simple,
hardly exceeding radical leaves, laxly 3 - lQ-flowered; flowers yellow with brown or green
tips, 1.5 - 2 cm long. Sepals minute, denticulate. Upper petal with dorsal wing reaching
up to tip of spur and slightly denticulate, expanded and cristate or entire along margins,
acute or acuminate at apex; spur slender, straight or slightly down curved, 8 - 10 mm
long; lower petal winged as in upper petal, subsaccate at base. Capsules oblong-ovoid,
1993] FUMARIACEAE 75

7 - 9 mm long, ca 2.5 mm thick; style 4 - 5 mm long, curved at apex; seeds 4 - 6, biseriate,

1.5 - 2 mm in diam., shiny black.

Fl.&Fr. June-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine N.W. Himalayas, 4000 - 5000 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

China (W. Tibet).

51. Corydalis thyrsiflora Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal II, 65(2): 35. 1896. C
gortschakovii auct. non Schrenk.; Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1:125.1872.

Herbs, erect or ascending, diffuse, perennial, (10-) 15 - 40 (-60) cm high; stems

usually branched above, striate, subsucculent, glabrous, subglaucous; rootstock woody,
thickened. Radical leaves 2 - 3-pinnatisect, often reaching up to base of inflorescence,
glaucous; petioles long, slightly sheathing at base; pinnae 5 - 10 on each side and a
terminal one, alternate or subopposile, 1 - 3 (-4) cm long, 1 - 2 cm broad, shortly
petioluled to subsessile, 3 - 7-pinnuled; each pinnule deeply 3 - 5-lobuled, 5 - 1 0 (-15)
mm across; ultimate segments obovate, oblong to linear, acute, acuminate, minutely
mucronulate, (3-) 5 -10 x 1 - 3 mm. Cauline leaves many, similar, gradually becoming
smaller upwards, petiolate to subsessile, alternate to subopposite. Racemes terminal or
on short apical branches, densly 20 - 40-flowered, thyrsiform, tapering above, (3-) 5 -12
cm long; upper bracts linear, entire, 8 -12 (-15) mm long; lower bracts pinnatisect with
ca 1 mm broad lobes; pedicels up to 10 mm long, shorter than bracts, deflexed and up
to 12 mm long in fruits; flowers yellow or orange-yellow, with purple tips, 13 - 18 mm
long, 3 - 5 mm broad, lower ones usually inverted. Sepals minute, orbicular, much
dissected along margins, ca 1.5 mm in diam., membranaceous. Corolla 15 -18 mm long;
upper petal with broad dorsal wing near apex, obtuse; spur broad, obtuse, straight or
slightly downcurved, 6-7 mm long; lower petal saccate at base, winged like upper petal.
Capsules ellipsoid, 5 - 10 mm long, 3 - 3.5 mm broad, on recurved elongated pedicels;
valves 3 - 4-veined; style 3 - 3.5 mm long, curved at apex; seeds 3 - 6, biseriate, ca 2 mm
in diam., shiny, black.

Fl.&Fr. June-Sept.

Distrib. India: N.W. Himalayas, 3500 - 5000 m. Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar
Pradesh (Nanda Devi sanctuary).

Pakistan.

52. Corydalis trifoliata Franchet in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 33: 392.1886; D. Long
m Grierson & Long, Fl. Bhutan 1(2): 392.1984. C. trifoliolata auct.plur.
76 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Herbs, 8 - 25 cm high; stems simple, grooved, glabrous; flowering stems leafless

below, arising from axils of fleshy scales forming small bulbils; tubers napiform, sessile,
simple, fibrous. Radical leaves small or absent. Cauline leaves solitary or rarely few,
trifoliolate, up to 8 cm long; petioles 5 - 1 5 mm long, sheathed at base; leaflets sessile,
elliptic, broadly obovate, acute, entire, 1.5 - 2 cm long, ca 1 cm wide, chartaceous, with
obscure nerves. Racemes densely 2 - 5-flowered; bracts broadly ovate to elliptic or
oblong, acute, entire, 1 - 2 x 0.5 - 1 cm; pedicels 5 - 8 mm long; flowers light purple or
blue, rarely white, 11 -16 mm long. Sepals ovate, laciniate, ca 1 mm long. Upper petal
10 -15 ii m long, not crested; spur narrowly cristate, 4 - 8 mm long, rather thick; lower
petal boat-shaped, shortly exserted beyond upper petal. Stigma expanded, angled.
Capsules linear-oblong.

Fl. June - July.

Distrib. India: Damp ground in temperate forests, 3500 - 4300 m. Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan, S. & S.E. China (Tibet and Yunnan).

53. Corydalis vaginans Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 69. 1834. C. ramosa Hook. f. &
Thomson, Fl. Ind. 267.1855. C. ramosa var. vaginans Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1:125.1872.

Kash.: Mamiran, Mamiri.

Herbs, perennial, procumbent, weak, (10-) 20 - 60 cm high; stems simple or much

branched, leafy, glabrous, subglaucous; branches often long and straggling; rootstock
slender, simple or branched, often short-noded. Leaves usually tripinnate or bipinnate,
7 - 12 x 3 - 4 cm; petioles sheathing at base, becoming smaller upwards; pinnae and
pinnules petioled; pinnules deeply lobed into a number of ultimate lobules, ovate to
suborbicular in outline, 1 - 2 cm in diam., ultimate lobules variable, lanceolate, linear-
oblong to obovate-oblong, acute or rounded at apex, 2 -12 x 1 - 4 mm. Racemes simple,
many, terminal on branches, 3 - 12 cm long, 8 - 20-flowered, lax in fruit; bracts usually
deeply dissected, upper ones linear, subentire or entire, lower ones trisect, leafy, 1 - 2
cm long, shortly stalked or sessile, often papillose-scabrid on nerves beneath; flowers
yellow, often with brownish veins, 1 - 1.5 cm long. Sepals minutely dissected along
margins, 1 -1.5 mm long. Upper petal hooded, dorsally winged with lacerate, denticulate
or subentire crest; spur straight, obtuse, 6 - 8 mm long; lower petal winged like upper
one, saccate at base. Capsules obovoid or oblong-ovoid, 7 - 12 mm long, 3.5 - 5 mm
thick, on 6 -13 mm long deflexed pedicels, explosively dehiscent; valves finely striated;
style curved at apex, 1.5 - 2 mm long; seeds 6 -11, biseriate, 1.5 - 2 mm in diam., smooth,
shiny black.

Fl.&Fr. May-Oct.
1993] FUMARIACEAE 77

Distrib. India: W. & N.W. Himalayas, in open slopes, 2800 - 4500 m. Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

2. Dicentra Bernhardi, nom. cons.

Herbs, climbing or erect; stems grooved, glabrous; rootstock stout, often tuberous,
perennial. Leaves alternate, repeatedly ternate, petiolate, exstipulate; leaflets entire,
ovate, spathulate, sometimes orbicular, equally or unequally acute or rounded, some-
times cordate at base, petiolulate; terminal leaflets often replaced by a branched tendril;
nerves 3 - 4 from or slightly above base. Flowers in lateral leaf-opposed pendulous
corymbs or umbels, pedicellate, bracteate. Sepals 2, small, caducous. Petals 4; outer
pair coherent and keeled, forming a compressed tube, spurred or gibbous at base,
hooded and divergent at tip; inner pair rather linear, crested, unguiculate, exposed at
mouth, with long slender claw and connivent hooded limb enclosing anthers and stigma.
Stamens 6, in 2 bundles of 3 each; filaments adherent to outer petals, middle anthers of
each bundle 2-loculed; lateral anthers 1-loculed; each bundle expanded at base into 1 -
2 nectar glands, enclosed by swollen base of outer petal. Ovary elongate, 1-loculed, few
to many-ovuled; style slender, stigmas flattened with 2 apical horns. Fruits capsular,
linear, cylindric, ellipsoid, ovoid, rotund, dehiscing by 2 valves, leaving placentae at-
tached to persistent style. Seeds reniform, rather flattened, papillate, beaked on one
side, often bulged on either side at beak, arillate or not.

Western to Eastern Himalayas, Meghalaya, China, Siberia, Japan and N. America;

ca 20 species, 6 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Racemes mostly 2 - 8-flowered; bracts and sepals fimbriate or toothed at base; fruits linear, more than
3.5 cm long, less than 5 mm long 2
b. Racemes mostly 8 - 14-flowered; bracts and sepals entire at base; fruits ovoid, less than 3.5 cm long,
more than 5 mm thick 3
2a. Stout herbs, up to 3 m high; leaflets up to 4 x 1 cm; racemes 6 - 8-flowered; fruits torulose; seeds
1-seriate, opaque 5. D. torulosa
b. Slender herbs, up to 1.5 cm high; leaflets about 1.5 x 05 cm; racemes 2 - 4-flowered; fruits not torulose;
seeds 2-seriate, shiny 3. D. roylei
3a. Leaflets broadly ovate, 2.5 - 6 x 2 - 3 cm, prominently 3 - 6-nerved from base; nectar glands short, thick,
up to 1.7 mm thick, not hooked at apex 2. D. paucinervia
b- Leaflets ovate-elliptic or lanceolate, up to 3 3 x 25 cm, not prominently 5 - 7-nerved from base; nectar
gland long, slender, less than 1 mm thick, hooked or not at apex 4
Leaves ovate-elliptic; nectar glands 4 - 5 mm long, deflexed and strongly hooked at apex; fruits ovoid,
ellipsoid with long persistent style 4. D. scandens
78 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

b. Leaves narrowly ovate-lanceolate; nectar glands ca 3.5 mm long, deflexed but not hooked at apex;
fruits narrowly ellipsoid, acute at both ends, rather elongated 5
5a. Leaflets greyish when dry, about 1.5 - 3 x 0.6 -1.4 cm; petals ca 6 mm long; capsules generally rounded
at base 6. D. ventii
b. Leaflets greenish when dry, about 3 - 3.5 x 1 - 2 cm; petals ca 22 mm long; capsules acute at both ends
1. D. macrocapnos

1. Dicentra macrocapnos Prain in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 65: 12. 1896. Dicentra
scandens auct. non (D. Don) Walp.; Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 273.1855, p. p.; Hook,
f. Fl. Brit. India 1: 121.1872, p. p. Dactylicapnos macrocapnos (Prain) Hutch, in Bull.
Misc. Inf. Kew 1921:104.1921.

Herbs, climbing, ca 1 m long; stems grooved, glabrous. Leaves decompound,

exstipulate, ca 8 cm long; petioles ca 3 cm long; basal leaves often modified into branched
tendrils; lateral leaflets slightly smaller, broadly ovate, entire, equally or unequally acute,
rounded or truncate at base, obtuse, apiculate at apex, glabrous; main nerves 3 from
base; lateral nerves further branched to form 4-5 nerves, eachjoining at margin; terminal
petioles longest, ca 1.6 cm long; lateral petioles shorter. Flowers yellow, ca 2.2 cm long,
in leaf-opposed racemes, ca 6 cm long, bracteate; pedicels ca 2 cm long; peduncles ca 8
cm long. Sepals 2, ca 2 mm long. Petals ca 22 mm long, crested at back. Stamen bundles
connate at top. Stigma slightly flattened. Capsules linear-ovoid, acute at base, attenuate
at apex; seeds several, bulged at base, papillate above, not papillate near hilum, black.

Fl.&Fr. Jan.-Dec.

Dislrib. India: Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh (Garhwal Himalayas).

Nepal and Myanmar.

2. Dicentra paucinervia K. Stern in Brittonia 13: 45.1961.

Herbs, scandent or climbing, 4 - 5 m long; stems 5-angular, grooved, glabrous;

rootstock stout. Leaves trifoliate, exstipulate, ca 8 cm long; petioles ca 3 cm long, angled,
slightly vaginate at base; leaflets broadly ovate, acute or acuminate, 2.5 - 6 x 2 - 3 cm;
terminal leaflet ovate, rounded or acute at base; laterals slightly unequally cordate at
base, entire, glabrous; nerves 3 - 6 from base, lowest pair comparatively inconspicuous;
petiolules grooved above, terminal ones up to 8 mm long; terminal leaflets often
tendrillar. Flowers orange, ca 2 cm long, in leaf-opposed 7 - 14-flowered ca 22 cm long
racemes; pedicels up to 2.5 cm long; bracteoles ca 3 mm long. Sepals ovate-acuminate,
ca 2 mm long. Petals yellow, ca 2 cm long, faintly reflexed, slightly spurred; inner with
filiform ca 1.5 cm long claw, crested; filaments connate up to anthers; nectariferous
glands short, 4 - 5 mm long, ca 1.7 mm wide, not hooked, often producing a waxy
secretion. Style filiform, ca 8 mm long. Capsules ovoid, 12 - 20 mm long, 4 - 8 mm thick;
seeds many, reniform, papillate, arillate.
1993] FUMARIACEAE 79

Fl. & Fr. May - Nov.

Distrib. India: Warm broad-leaved forests, 900 -1500 m. Sikkim and West Bengal
(Darjeeling District).

Bhutan.

Notes. Stern (1. c.) speaks of the similarity of D. grandifoliolata Merrill and D.
paucinervia to an extent, but the leaflets of the former are membranaceous, veins not
prominent beneath and spur shorter.

3. Dicentra roylei Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 273.1855; Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India
1:121.1872. Dactylicapnos roylei (Hook. f. & Thomson) Hutch, in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew
1921:104.1921.

Herbs, slender, climbing, ca 1 m long; stems sulcate, glabrous. Leaves biternate,

exstipulate; petioles ca 2 cm long; leaflets ovate-spathulate, rounded or acute, often
unequally so at base, obtuse or acute at apex, 8 -14 x 4 - 7 mm; lateral leaflets smaller;
nerves 3 - 5 from base, rather inconspicuous; terminal leaflets modified into tendrils.
Flowers yellow, often tinged purple, ca 1.5 cm long, in leaf-opposed, ca 3 cm long 2 -
3-flowered corymbs; pedicels ca 1.2 cm long; bracts linear, 8 - 1 2 mm long, ca 2 mm
wide. Sepals similar to bracts, but smaller, linear to linear-lanceolate, 7 - 9 mm long, ca
2 mm wide. Petals 15 -18 cm long; outer petals broadly shortly spurred, 14 -18 mm long,
2 - 4 mm broad at insertion, auricled at base, acuminate at apex; inner petals broadly
spathuate-orbicular, narrowly clawed at base, bifid at apex. Nectariferous glands slen-
der, curved, 2 - 3 mm long. Ovary with stigma half-moon shaped. Capsules linear-
cylindric, tapering upwards with persistent quadrangular stigmas, 3.5 - 5 cm; seeds ca
10 -12, biseriate, orbicular, compressed, striate, shiny, arillate at back.

Fl.&Fr. June-Sept.

Distrib. India: 1200 -1600 m. Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Meghalaya.

Bhutan.

4. Dicentra scandens (D. Don) Walp., Repert. 1:118.1842; Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India
1: 121.1872, p. p. Diefytra scandens D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep. 198.1825. Dactylicapnos
thalictrifolia Wallich, Tent. Fl. Nep. 51, t. 89.1826. Dicentra thalictrifolia (Wallich) Hook,
f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 272.1855; Hook, f., 1. c. Fig. 15.

Herbs, climbing, ca 3 m long; stems grooved. Leaves 2-3 times ternately compound,
exstipulate, ca 5 cm long; petioles ca 3 cm long; leaflets ovate-elliptic or ovate-spathulate,
obtuse, apiculate, abruptly acute or cuneate at base, sometimes unequally so, 1 - 3.5 x
cm; veins 5 - 7 from base; terminal petiolules ca 1 cm long. Flowers yellow or
 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2
80

Fig. 15. Dicentra scandens (D. Don) Walp.

1993] FUMARIACEAE 81

rarely purple, ca 2 cm long, in leaf-opposed 7 - 10-flowered 2 - 7 cm long racemes; bracts

lanceolate, 4 -10 mm long, entire; pedicels filiform, up to 2.5 cm long. Sepals triangular,
ovate, acuminate, entire, 2 - 3 mm long, glabrous, caducous. Petals yellow, acute,
spurred; outer pair 1.8 - 2 cm long; inner pair unguiculate with crested lower lobe;
nectariferous glands 4 - 5 x 0.8 - 1 mm, strongly hooked at apex. Ovary oblong, with
slender style and quadrangular flattened stigma. Capsules ovoid-ellipsoid with persist-
ent style and stigma, 14 - 20 x 6 - 8 mm, more or less fleshy; seeds numerous, in 4 rows,
reniform, papillate, black, often with a small white aril.

Fl.&Fr. June-Dec.

Distrib. India: Climbing on shrubs in forests, 2000 - 2750 m. West Bengal, Sikkim
and Meghalaya.

Bhutan.

5. Dicentra torulosa Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 272. 1855; Hook, f., Fl. Brit.
India 1:121.1872. Dactylicapnos torulosa (Hook. f. & Thomson) Hutch.in Bull. Misc.
Inf. Kew 1921: 104.1921.

Herbs, slender, trailing or climbing, glabrous; stems sulcate, 2 - 3 m long, whitish or

yellowish. Leaves biternately decompound, 4 - 10 cm long, exstipulate; petioles 4 - 1 2
cm long, ending in a branched tendril; leaflets ovate, obovate or elliptic to linear-lan-
ceolate, cuneate at base, acute at apex, 10 - 20 x 6 -10 mm, membranous; terminal leaflets
ovate, ovate-spathulate, elliptic-ovate, acute at base, apiculate at apex, 1.5 x 0.8 cm,
sometimes up to 2.5 x 1.2 cm; nerves palmately 3-5, rather indistinct; terminal petiolules
longer than lateral ones. Flowers golden yellow, cylindrical, ca 6 - 8 mm long, in
leaf-opposed ca 4 cm long corymbose racemes or subumbels; peduncles 1 - 2 cm long;
pedicels slender, ca 8 mm long; bracts linear, fimbriate, 6 - 8 mm long. Sepals linear-
subulate, scale-like, ca 2 mm long, lacerate along margins. Petals connivent, ca 8 mm
long; outer two oblong, concave, saccate at base, acute at apex; inner two keeled, briefly
clawed at base, cohering at apex. Stamens diadelphous from base; filaments with short
basal spurs. Ovary linear, style slender; stigma quadrately bilobed. Capsules pod-like,
linear, curved, torulose with persistent narrowed style, 2 - 5 cm long, 2 - 4 mm thick,
dehiscing by 2 membranous longitudinal valves; seeds many, uniseriate, strophiolate at
base, striated, beaked with 2-lobed aril, 1 -1.5 mm broad, granulate, opaque, brownish.

Fl. June - Aug.; Fr. Sept. - Nov.

Distrib. India: Meghalaya.

Endemic.
82 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

6. Dicentra ventii Khanh in Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov. 83: 540. 1972 (1973). D.
scandens (D. Don) Walp, Repert. 1: 118. 1842, p. p.

Herbs, climbing, ca 45 cm long; stems slender, grooved, glabrous. Leaves alternate,

biternate, exstipulate, ca 8 cm long; leaflets ovate, elliptic, narrowly lanceolate, spathu-
late, unequally acute or obtuse at base, 2.2 - 4 x 1 - 1.5 cm, drying grey, 3-nerved from
base; ultimate leaflets tendrillar; petiolules slender, 1.5 - 2 cm long. Flowers yellow, ca
2 cm long, in 6 - 8-flowered leaf-opposed ca 8 cm long racemes, bracteate; peduncles ca
5 cm long; pedicels ca 3 cm long, slender, increasing in length in fruits. Sepals minute,
ca 2 mm long. Petals unequal, ca 6 mm long; inner unguiculate, obcordate, panduriform,
appendiculate at apex, dorsally cristate; spur ca 3 mm long, incurved; nectar glands 3 -
5 x 0.8 - 1 mm, deflexed but not hooked at apex. Ovary with slender style and
quadrangular flattened stigma. Capsules linear-oblong or narrowly ellipsoid, attenuate
at apex, abruptly rounded at base, 17 - 20 x 4 - 5 mm; style and stigma persistent; seeds
numerous, papillate.

Fl.&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: Among scrubs, 1500 - 2700 m. West Bengal (Darjeeling) and Sikkim.

Endemic.

Notes. This species is quite distinct from D. scandens, especially in the shape of
leaflets and capsules and in the greyish colour when dry.

3. Fumaria L.

Herbs, usually annuals, rarely perennials, erect, or diffuse, scrambling or sometimes

scandent, usually with long stems, glabrous or subglabrous. Leaves cauline, irregularly
2 - 4-pinnatisect; segments usually narrow. Flowers small, white or pink, short pedicel-
late, in terminal or leaf-opposed bracteate racemes; bracts linear, short, rarely as long
as pedicels. Sepals 2, lateral, small or obsolete. Corolla zygomorphic; petals erect or
connivent, outer pair dissimilar, upper one gibbous or spurred at base and hooded at
apex, lower one shorter, not spurred, flat or concave; inner pair clawed, keeled, free
or coherent at tip. Stamens 6, in 2 bundles, upper bundle produced into a basal
nectariferous gland enclosed in spur of petal; anthers dimorphic. Ovary subglobose,
1-loculed; ovules 1 (-2); style filiform, articulate at base; stigma entire or shortly 2-lobed.
Fruit a 1-seeded nutlet, indehiscent, subglobose, rugulose or smooth when dry with 2
apical pits due to clefts in the mesocarp; seeds not arillate, brownish.

Europe, extratropical Africa, Central Asia, Himalayas, plains of N. India, up to

Myanmar; ca 50 species, 4 species in India.
 FUMARIACEAE 83
1993 ]

Notes. The species of this genus show high amount of variability. There is much
d'scord among various authors on the delimitation of species. The variability largely
deoends on light and shade conditions. The genus needs a careful revision on its whole
range coupled with field observations. Cleistogamous flowers are known in plants
growing under shade. Often they grow as weeds in cultivated fields.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la Peduncles 2 - 6 cm long; sepals more than 1.5 mm long; corolla more than 7 mm long 2
b Peduncles 0.5 -1.5 cm long; sepals 1 mm or less long; corolla less than 7 mm long 3
2a Pedicels erect in fruit; sepals 1.5 - 3.5 mm long; corolla 7 - 9 mm long, dark purple; wings of upper
petal not prominently upturned; nutlets rugose when dry 3. F. officinalis
b. Pedicels recurved-arcuate in fruit; sepals 4 - 6 mm long; corolla 10 -14 mm long, creamy-white or light
pink; wings of upper petal prominently upturned; nutlets smooth when dry 1. F. capreolala
3a. Bracts equal or slightly longer than fruiting pedicels; corolla pale pink or white, 6 - 7 mm long; leaf
segments obscurely channelled or not; nutlets obtuse at apex 2. F. indica
b. Bracts shorter than fruiting pedicels; petals pinkish violet or purple, 5 - 6 mm long; leaf segments
flat; nutlets minutely apiculate at apex 4. F. vaillantii

1. Fumaria capreolata L.,Sp.P1.701.1753; D.Long in Grierson& Long, FI. Bhutan

1(2): 384.1984.

Extensive scramblers, up to 1 m long. Leaves much dissected; lobes elliptic to

oblong, 2 - 4 mm broad. Racemes up to 20-flowered; peduncles 2 - 5 cm long, shorter
than racemes; pedicels often rigidly arcuate-recurved in fruits; bracts equal to or shorter
than fruiting pedicels. Sepals more or less dentate, obtuse, 4 - 6 x 2 - 3 mm. Petals
10 -14 mm long, creamy white or pinkish, rarely deeply red, often with blackish red tips
on wings of upper petal and on apex of inner petal; upper petal narrow, laterally
compressed, with upturned wings; lower petal with very narrow erect margin. Nutlets
subglobose, obtuse, obscurely keeled, ca 2 x 2 mm, smooth when dry.

Fl. Sept.

Distnb. India: Introduced from Europe and run wild, as a weed in cultivation, 4000
to 4500 m. Sikkim.

Europe.

Notes. Inclusion of this species is based on the report by D. Long (1. c.) from Sikkim.

Chromosome number reported from Europe is 2n = 56.

84 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

2. Fumaria indica (Haussk.) PugsleyinJ. Linn. Soc.,Bot. 44:313.1919. F.vaillantii

Loisel. var. indica Haussk. in Flora 56: 443. 1873. F. parviflora Lam. subsp. vaillantii
(Loisel) Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 128. 1872, p. p.

Beng.: Ban-saaphla; Hindi: Pit-papra; Mar.: Pitpada.

Herbs, erect or decu nbent, diffuse, 15 - 60 cm long; stems glabrous or faintly

puberulous, much-branched, grooved. Leaves multifid, decompound, ca 6 cm long,
glaucous; pinnae ca 3 x 2.4 cm, laciniate; ultimate lobules flat, narrowly linear-lanceolate,
entire, acute-mucronate, ca 5 x 1 mm. Flowers whitish or pinkish-red, ca 8 -15 mm long,
in ca 2 cm long 15 - 20-flowered racemes; bracts lanceolate, acuminate, equal, generally
longer than fruiting pedicels, membranous; pedicels ca 3 mm long. Sepals lanceolate,
minute, ca 1 mm long, caducous. Petals ca 7 mm long, crested at back with ascending
spur; upper petal emarginate. Filaments of each bundle connate up to top. Ovary
glabrous; style slender; stigma rather small. Nutlets globose, slightly pointed or not, ca
3 mm across, pale brown, polished, verrucose or rugose and with 2 pits at top when dry.

Fl. & Fr. Dec. - Mar.

Distrib. India: Weed in cultivated fields, up to 2000 m. Jammu & Kashmir,

Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal,
Orissa, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (above 1500 m only).

Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan, extending to West Asia.

Notes. Used as fodder.

The differences between F. parviflora Lam., F. vaillantii Loisel. and F. indica

(Haussk.) Pugsley are rather obscure and not clear-cut. There is difference of opinion
among authors of various floras. Probably they are varieties of a complex widespread
species. This needs detailed investigation.

3. Fumaria officinale L., Sp. PI. 700. 1753; Sharma etal. in Biol. Mem. 2(1 & 2):
13.1977.

Herbs, erect or decumbent; ca 45 cm long; stems glabrous, very faintly grooved;

roots rather thick. Leaves laciniately dissected, ca 5 cm long; each segment slightly
obovate, apiculate; nerves rather inconspicuous. Flowers purplish pink, ca 5 mm long,
in terminal or lateral ca 11 cm long racemes; peduncles shorter than racemes; bracts
linear-ovate, ca 1.5 mm long, scarious; pedicels as long as bracts in flower or longer, up
to 3 mm long and erect in fruits. Sepals ovate, faintly serrulate, ca 2 mm long, scarious.
Petals linear-ovate, 7 - 8 mm long, dark purple; upper petal rather thickened at top with
lateral scarious blackish red wings, spurred at base; lower petal spathulate, with patent
margins. Stamen bundles as long as petals; filaments dilated at base. Ovary glabrous;
 FUMARIACEAE 85
1993]

le slightly falcate; stigma small. Nutlets globose to obreniform in profile, obscurely

keeled or slightly emarginate at apex, 2 - 3 mm across, faintly rugulose when dry; seed
single, purplish brown, striate.

Fl. & Fr. June - Oct.

Distrib. India: Tamil Nadu (Yercaud and Niligiri hills), above 1200 m. Introduced
and run wild.

Europe, Africa and USA.

4. Fumaria vaillantii Loisel. in Desv. J. Bot. 2: 358.1809. F. pan'iflora Lam. subsp.

vailiantii (Loisel.) Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1:128.1872, p. p.

Herbs, small, delicate, much-branched, diffuse, 10 - 20 (-30) cm high. Leaves

subsessile or petiolate, much dissected, 2 - 3-pinnatisect, 3 - 9 x 1.5 - 5 cm; segments flat,
up to 2 cm broad, often finely lobed. Racemes short, generally 6- to 12-flowered;
peduncles shorter than racemes; pedicels erect, up to 3 mm in fruit; bracts about half to
three-fourth as long as the fruiting pedicels. Sepals lanceolate to obovate, laciniate-den-
tate, minute, 0.8 - 1 x 0.4 - 0.5 mm. Petals 5 - 6 mm, pinkish violet or pale pink, often
tinted with black red at apex of inner petals and wings of upper petal; lower petal with
patent margins, spathulate. Nutlets subglobose, obscurely keeled at one side, obtuse
and apiculate at apex, ca 2 x 2 mm, granular-rugose when dry.

Fl. & Fr. April - June.

Distrib. India: Weed in cultivated fields. Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim.

Nepal, Pakistan to Europe and N. Africa.

Notes. Chromosome number reported from Europe is 2n = 32.

4. Hypecoum L.

Herbs, annual, erect, ascending or prostrate, glabrous, often glaucous, with watery
sap, with several stems and scapes. Leaves short-petiolate, exstipulate, 2 - 4 pinnal ;ect
into linear to narrowly obovate lobules. Inflorescences dichasial cymes, spreading; floral
leaves much reduced and thinly dissected. Sepals 2, free, ovate-triangular or oblong,
much smaller than petals, deciduous. Petals 4, in 2 whorls; outer pair not gibbous or
spurred, obovate, entire; inner pair 3-lobed. Stamens 4, free, opposite to petals; fila-
ments winged or dilated, scarious, sometimes with a stipitate gland at the base; anthers
ar
, bilocular. Ovary superior, bicarpellary, syncarpous, unilocular, linear; ovules
numerous on two parietal placentae; style short, stigmas bipartite, glandular at tip, often
vc
a. Capsules linear, siliquiform, many-seeded, transversely septate, lomentoid,
86 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

fragmenting into 1-seeded segments, rarely dehiscent by 2 valves; seeds small, grey,
compound, without aril, rough or smooth.

Temperate and alpine Himalayas, eastwards to N. China and Japan and westwards
to West Asia, N. Africa and Central Europe; ca 15 species, 2 in India.

Notes. In India the genus occurs in cultivated land, fallow fields, weed infested
places, rocky foothills and intermountain terrains, up to 5000 m.

Literature. DEBNATH, II. S. & M. P. NAYAR (1984) Papaveraceae and Hypecoaceae. In Fasc.
Fl. India 17:42 - 46, f. 1. DEBNATH, H. S. & M. P. NAYAR (1985) A reappraisal of I Iypccoum pendulum
and H. parviflorum (Hypecoaceae). Bull. Bot. Surv. India 27: 109 - 112, ff. 1-4.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

Flowers white or slightly pinkish violet; middle lobe of inner petals not fringed; siliquas erect, with
erect or horizontal pedicels 1. II. leptocarpum
Flowers yellow; middle lobe of inner petals with fringed margins: siliquas pendulous on incurved
pedicels 2. II.pendulum

1. Hypecoum leptocarpum Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 1: 276.1855; Hook, f., Fl.
Brit. India 1:120.1872.

Ladakh: Parpapata.

Herbs, 15 - 35 cm high. Leaves rosulate, 2 - 3 pinnatisect; upper leaves sessile or

subsessile; basal leaves 7 - 1 7 x 1 - 2 cm; pinnae 4 - 8 pairs, sessile, distant, deeply divided
into elliptic acute lobes; petiole base winged. Flowering stems slender, 15 - 35 cm long,
branched; pedicels slender, ascending; bracteoles filiform; flowers purple, pinkish or
white with purple streaks, often yellow inside, 0.8 -1.5 cm across. Sepals entire, 2.5 -
3 x 1.5 - 2 mm. Outer 2 petals entire, not lobed, obtuse, keeled at apex, 9-10 x 5 - 6 mm;
inner 2 deeply 3-lobed, 5 - 6 x 4 - 4.5 mm; middle lobes spathulate, hooded; outer lobes
obtuse. Stamens 5 - 6 mm long; filaments ca 3.5 mm long, ca 1 mm thick; anthers ca 1.5
mm long, basifixed, linear-oblong, each locule with a minute apical projection and with
2 glands at base of filament. Ovary ca 8 mm long; style very short; stigmas 2, slender,
recurved, ca 1.5 mm long. Capsules narrowly linear, fragmenting into 8 - 18 segments,
2.5 - 3.5 cm long, 2 - 3 mm thick; seeds brown, oblong.

Fl.&Fr. June-Oct.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine Himalayas, hillsides and riverbanks, 2700 -
5000 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Japan and Afghanistan to Russia.

 FUMAR1ACEAE 87
1993]

Notes. The latex contains the alkaloid protopine which has narcotic action. The
ecies varies much in size and form, those growing at low elevations are usually taller
than those at higher elevations.

2. Hypecoum pendulum L., Sp. PI. 124.1753. H. procumbens auct. non L.; Hook,
f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 276.1855; Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 120.1872.

Herbs, 5 - 25 cm high, slender, procumbent; stems many, slender. Leaves 2 -

3-pinnatisect with linear segments; cauline leaves palmatisect, subopposite, 5 - 10 cm
long. Flowers yellow, 8 - 12 mm across, few, pedicellate. Sepals entire or shallowly
incised along margin. Outer petals entire or obscurely 3-lobed, 7 - 1 0 x 4 - 6 mm, the
two lateral lobes a little broader than median lobe and projecting laterally like teeth;
inner 2 deeply 3-lobed, dentate or fimbriate, obtuse, 4 - 7 mm long; middle lobe shorter
or longer than lateral lobes, emarginate and recurved, spathulate. Stamens 5 - 6 mm
long; filaments ca 4.5 mm long; glands 2 at the base of filaments; anthers ca 2 mm long,
basifixed, linear with 2 projections at apex on locules. Ovary ca 5 mm long; style slender,
ca 3.5 mm long; stigmas 2, divergent, ca 1.5 mm long. Capsules pendulous, terete,
subcylindical, 3 - 7.5 x 1.5 - 3 mm, indehiscent or pseudodehiscent and breaking into
1-seeded segments. Seeds obliquely semicircular, ca 2 x 1.5 mm, grey.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Capsules disarticulating; epidermis not peeling off 2.1. var. parviflorum
b. Capsules not disarticulating; epidermis peeling off 2.2. var. pendulum

2.1. var. parviflorum (Karelin & Kir.) Cullen in Rech. f., Fl. Iran. 34: 25, t. 7, f. 1.
& 2.1966. H. parviflorum Karelin & Kir. in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 15:141.1842.

Fl.&Fr. Mar.-July.

Distrib. India: N.W.Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey and Russia.

2.2. var. pendulum

Fl & Fr. Jan. - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan (Ganganagar). Rare.

Pakistan, West Asia to Europe.

 BRASSICACEAE
(Cruciferae, nora. alt.)

Herbs or rarely shrubs with pungent watery juice, terrestrial or aquatic, glabrous or
with simple or variously branched unicellular trichomes or rarely with multicellular,
glandular trichomes. Leaves alternate or sometimes confined to a basal rosette, exstipu-
late, simple or very rarely pinnate or palmate, rarely reduced to scales. Inflorescence
terminal or axillary, racemose, corymbose or paniculate, rarely flowers solitary, usually
ebracteate. Flowers bisexual, hypogynous, mostly actinomorphic, rarely zygomorphic.
Sepals 4, usually free, in decussate pairs, erect or spreading, usually caducous, the
laterals often saccate at base. Petals 4, decussate, cruciform, alternating with the sepals,
usually clawed, entire or rarely lobed, rarely absent. Stamens 6, sometimes 2,4 or rarely
more than 6, tetradynamous in 2 rows or 2-dynamous, rarely all of equal length; filaments
filiform, sometimes winged or appendaged at base, free or the median pair connate;
anthers mostly sagittate, 2 (-l)-loculed, longitudinally dehiscent. Nectar glands recep-
tacular, subtending or surrounding the bases of some or all filaments. Ovary superior,
bicarpellate, syncarpous, 2-locular by a false septum connecting the 2-parietal placentae;
style distinct, persistent or obsolete; stigma entire or 2-lobed, capitate or discoid; ovules
1-many, anatropous or campylotropous. Fruit a dry bivalvately dehiscent siliqua, schi-
zocarp or indehiscent and becoming lomentaceous or achene-like or samaroid, usually
beakless or rarely with seedless or 1 - few-seeded beak; replum persistent; septum
complete or incomplete, usually membranaceous. Seeds uniseriate or biseriate, usually
wingless, often mucilaginous when wet; endosperm absent; embryo large, usually strong-
ly curved or folded; germination epigeal.

Throughout the world, primarily in temperate regions; ca 340 genera and 3350
species, 64 genera and 207 species in India.

Literature. AL-SHEHBAZ, ISHAN A. (1984) The tribes of Cruciferae (Brassicaceae) in South-

eastern United States. J. Arn. Arb. 65: 343 - 374. JAFRI, S. M. H. (1973) Brassicaceae. In: Nasir & Ali,
Fl. W. Pakistan 55: 1 - 308. JONSELL, B. (1988) Cruciferae. In: Fl. Males. I, 10: 541 - 560, ff. 1 - 5.
SARKAR, A. K. & J. N. MITRA (1969) The order Rhoedales in Eastern India, I. Cruciferae. Bull. Bot.
Soc. Bengal 23: 93 - 107. SCHULZ, O. E. (1919) Cruciferae-Brassiceae. Pars prima. In: Engler, A.
Pflanzenreich 70 (IV-105): 1 - 290. SCHULZ, O. E. (1923) Cruciferae-Brassiceae. Pars secunda. In: Engler,
A., I. c. 84: 1 - 100. SCHULZ, O. E. (1927) Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Cruciferen des nordwestlichen
Himalayan Gebriges. Notizbl. 9: 1057 -1095. SCHULZ, O. E. (1936) Brassicaceae in Engler & Prantl, Nat.
Pflanzenfam., ed. 2, 17b: 227 - 658.

Fam. ed. A. N. Henry and M. K. Janarthanam

1993] BRASSICACEAE 89

KEY TO THE TRIBES

la Fruits beaked, beak one or few-seeded; sometimes transversely jointed; cotyledons conduplicate
3. Brassiceae
b Fruits not beaked or rarely with a seedless stylar beak; never jointed; cotyledons accumbent or incum-
2
bent
2a Fruits compressed at right angles to the septum; replum much narrower than the width of fruit
7. Lepidieae
b. Fruits terete, angular, inflated or compressed parallel to septum; replum equalling the width
of fruit 3
3a. Fruits indehiscent, nut-like; valves generally thick or spongy 5. Euclidieae
b. Fruits dehiscent or transversely breaking into seed-bearing segments; valves generally thin and not
spongy 4
4a. Fruits usually less than 3 times longer than broad (except a few Draba and Farsetia spp.) 5
b. Fruits usually more than 8 times longer than broad (sometimes short in Rorippa) 6
5a. Septal cells with parallel walls 4. Drabeae
b. Septal cells with polygonal walls 1. Alysseae
6a. Calyx closed at anthesis, sepals erect; multicellular glandular trichomes commonly present; fruits
tardily dehiscent or sometimes breaking transversely 7
b. Calyx open at anthesis, sepals spreading or ascending; multicellular glands always absent; fruits readily
dehiscent 8
7a. Cotyledons usually accumbent 8. Matthioleae
b. Cotyledons usually incumbent 6. Hesperideae
8a. Cotyledons mostly accumbent 2. Arabideae
b. Cotyledons mostly incumbent 9. Sisymbrieae

KEY TO THE GENERA IN TRIBES

Tribe 1. ALYSSEAE

la. Wings absent on seeds 4. Ptilotrichum

b. Wings present on seeds 2
2a. Seeds broadly winged 2. Farsetia
b. Seeds narrowly winged 3
3a. Hairs uniformly bipartite, medifixed, sessile, appressed 3. Lobularia
b.
Hairs stellate or branched, stalked or sessile, subappressed or appressed when stellate 1. Alyssum

Tribe 2. ARABIDEAE

la. Flowers usually yellow (sometimes turning white when old) 2

°. Flowers usually purple or white 4
2a. Petals twice as long as sepals 6. Barbaraea
b
- Petals almost equalling sepals 3
3
a. Leaves usually simple; flowers in leafless scapes 10. Drabopsis
90 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

b. Leaves usually pinnate or pinnatifid; flowers in leafy scapes 15. Rorippa

4a. Scapes 1-flowered 13. Pegaeophyton
b. Racemes few to many-flowered 5
5a. Filaments often dentate-appendaged 9. Dontostemon
b. Filaments not dentate-appendaged 6
6a. Herbs glabrous or very sparsely hairy; hairs simple 7
b. Herbs usually densely hairy; hairs forked or stellate 10
7a. Cauline leaves sagittate-amplexicaul 16. Turrilis
b. Cauline leaves not sagittate-amplexicaul 8
8a. Plants aquatic, rooting below nodes 12. Nasturtium
b. Plants terrestrial, not rooting at nodes 9
9a. Racemes few-flowered; filaments broadened and toothed above 11. Loxostemon
b. Racemes many-flowered; filaments not toothed above 7. Cardamine
10a. Basal leaves short, spathulate to obovate, usually toothed above 8. Christolca
b. Basal leaves elongated, oblanceolate or oblong-obovate, entire, dentate or sinuate-dentate 11
11a. Fruits densely covered with hairs 14. Phaeonychium
b. Fruits usually glabrous 5. Arahis

Tribe 3. BRASSICEAE

la. Fruits ovate or suborbicular, less than 2 times as long as wide, up to 3 cm across 2
b. Fruits elongated, linear, cylindrical or oblong-ovoid, more than 2 times as long as wide, usually
3 -10 cm long 3
2a. Leaves shortly petioled, not amplexicaul at base; flowers white or golden yellow; fruits narrowed at
base forming a stalk with gynophore; seed 1, pendulous 19. Crambe
b. Leaves sessile and amplexicaul at base; flowers violet or rose-purple; fruits cordate at base; seeds
many, biseriate 23. Schouwia
3a. Seeds in 2 rows in each loculus 4
b. Seeds in 1 row in each loculus 5
4a. Sepals erect (calyx closed); pedicels elongated and pendulous in fruit; upper part of fruit with a short
beak 20. Diplotaxis
b. Sepals erecto-patent (calyx spreading); pedicels short and erect in fruit; upper part of fruit with
long ensiform beak 21. Eruca
5a. Leaves simple; sepals erect (calyx closed); fruits compressed or acutely tetragonal with obscure beak
18. Coringia
b. Leaves pinnatisect; sepals erecto-patent (calyx spreading); fruits subcylindrical with distinct beak 6
6a. Fruit a lomentum, transversely articulate with 2 or more 1-seeded segments; upper part with 2 - 3 cm
long beak 22. Raphanus
b. Fruit a sliqua-capsule, dehiscent along two longitudinal sutures having a persistent partition (rcplum)
inside; upper part with 1 - 2 cm long beak 7
7a. Lateral nectaries of flowers prismatic, intense green; valves of fruits one-nerved 17. Brassica
b. Lateral nectaries of flowers not prismatic; valves of fruits 3 - 7-nerved 24. Sinapis
1993] BRASSICACEAE 91

Tribe 4. DRABEAE

la. Petals usually entire or subemerginate 25. Draba

b. Petals deeply bifid to almost half their length 26. Erophila

Tribe 5. EUCLIDIEAE

la. Pods 1-loculed 2

b. Pods 2 - 3-loculed 3
2a. Stems glabrous; pods winged 30. Tauscheria
b. Stems pubescent; pods not winged 29. Neslia
3a. Fruits obliquely ovate-globose, 2-loculed 27. Euclidiutn
b. Fruits obpyramidate-sublyrate, 3-loculed 28. Myagrum

Tribe 6. HESPERIDEAE

la. Racemes usually 1 - 5-flowered 2

b. Racemes 10 - 50-flowered 3
2a. Aerial stem usually 3 - 8 cm high; racemes 2 - 6-flowered 31. Alelanthcra
b. Aerial stem absent; scapes 1-flowered 36. Pycnnplinlhus
3a. Flowers white, pale-pink or purple 4
b. Flowers yellow or orange 5
4a. Sepals 4 - 5 mm long; mature pods up to 8 cm long 35. Malcolmia
b. Sepals ca 2 mm long; mature pods up to 1 cm long 34. Goldbachia
5a. Flowers large; sepals 10 -15 mm long; middle nectar glands absent 32. Chciranthus
b. Flowers small; sepals usually 4 - 8 mm long; middle nectar glands present 33. Erysimum

Tribe 7. LEPIDIEAE

la. Racemes condensed, subumbellate or corymbose in fruit 2

b. Racemes elongated in fruit 3
2a. Plants glabrous; valves of pod gibbous, double-crested at the back 41. Dilophila
b. Plants pubescent; valves of pod neither gibbous nor double-crested 42. 11 id in in
3a. Fruits indehiscent or breaking into 1-seeded halves 4
b. Fruits dehiscent, liberating the seeds free 7
4a. Fruits unilocular, pendent 45. Isatis
b. Fruits bilocular, erect or spreading 5
5a Valves of the pod reticulately pitted or tubercled 40. Coronopus
b. Valves of the pod neither pitted nor tubercled 6
6a. Stamens 6 38. Cardaria
b Stamens more than 6, up to 16 47. Megacarpaea
7a. Seeds 1 in each locule
t>. Seeds 2-many in each locule
92 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

8a. Petals when present, usually equal in size; style short or inconspicuous or absent; cotyledons
incumbent 46. Lepidium
b. Petals unequal in size, outer larger than inner; style prominent; cotyledons accumbent 44. Iberis
9a. Valves of fruits winged or shortly keeled 48. Thlaspi
b. Valves of fruits neither winged, nor keeled 10
10a. Fruits triangular-obcordate 37. Capsella
b. Fruits ellipsoid to globose 11
11a. Valves of fruits convex, not strongly compressed 39. Cochlearia
b. Valves of fruits flat, strongly compressed 43. Hymenolobus

Tribe 8. MATTHIOLEAE

la. Pods with 2 apical appendages 51. Noloceras

b. Pods without appendages 2
2a. Scapes usually leafless 52. Parrya
b. Scapes usually with leaves 3
3a. Pods usually transversely breaking into several 2-seeded parts; seeds not winged 49. Chorispura
b. Pods usually not breaking into 2-seeded parts; seeds often narrowly winged 50. Matlhiola

Tribe 9. SISYMBRIEAE

la. Leaves usually bipinnatisect 2

b. Leaves simple or lyrate-pinnatifid 3
2a. Fruits 6 - 8 mm long 63. Smelowskia
b. Fruits 15 - 30 mm long 59. Descurainia
3a. Seeds not mucilaginous when wet 4
b. Seeds mucilaginous when wet 11
4a. Seeds large, longitudinally striated; basal leaves more or less cordate 53. Alliaria
b. Seeds small, granulated or reticulate; basal leaves not cordate 5
5a. Lateral nectar glands annular; middle glands joining laterals 6
b. Lateral nectar glands in pairs; middle glands absent 10
6a. Fruits elongated, linear 7
b. Fruits small, oblong, terete or elliptic-oblong 8
7a. Flowers white or pink; valves 1-veined 60. Guillcnia
b. Flowers yellow; valves 3-veined 62. Sisymbrium
8a. Fruits oblong, terete, 15 - 20 mm long 56. Arcyosperma
b. Fruits elliptic-oblong, flattened, 5 -10 mm long 9
9a. Sepals not saccate at base 54. Aphragmus
b. Sepals saccate at base 61. Lignariella
10a. Sepals caducous; seeds uniseriate 64. Torularia
b. Sepals persistent; seeds usually biseriate 57. Braya
11a. Seeds uniseriate 55. Arahidinpsis
b. Seeds biseriate 58. Camelina
1993] BRASSICACEAE 93

Tribe 1. A L Y S S E A E Grenier & Godron

(H. S. Debnath)

Annual or perennial herbs or undershrubs; hairs appressed or subappressed,

forked, branched or stellate. Lateral nectar glands in pairs or rarely one; middle ones
absent. Staminal filaments toothed, appendaged or entire and linear. Ovary sessile or
rarely on a short gynophore; stigma usually shortly bilobed. Fruit a silicula or sometimes
a siliqua, broadly septate, 2 or 1-locular, generally dehiscent.

Four genera and 7 species in India.

Literature. AL-SHEHBAS, T. A. (1987) The genera of Alysseae (Cruciferae, Brassicaceae) in

Southeastern United States. J. Am. Arb. 68: 185 - 240.

1. Alyssum L.

Herbs, or often suffrutescent, annual or perennial, often decumbent, branched,

clothed with short stellate hairs, sometimes heterotrichous. Leaves linear, entire. In-
florescence racemose, ebracteate, simple or branched, elongating in fruit. Flowers
small, generally yellow, often dull white. Sepals free, erect, not saccate at base. Petals
spathulate-oblong, clawed at base, emarginate at apex, about twice as long as sepals.
Stamens 6, free; filaments filiform or sometimes winged at base; anthers blunt at apex.
Lateral nectar glands in pairs. Ovary suborbicular to elliptic, bilocular, 1 - 8-ovuled in
each locule; style short; stigma slightly bilobed. Fruit a silicula, suborbicular, broadly
ovate or elliptic, discoid, bilocular, dehiscent, rarely subdehisccnt or indehiscent, slightly
emarginate or entire at apex; septum membranous, broad. Seeds 1 - 2 or more in each
cell, suborbicular, more or less compressed.

S.E. Europe, N. Africa, C. & W. Asia, Pakistan and N.W. Himalayas; ca 100 species,
1 in India.

Alyssum desertorum Stapf in Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wicn, Math.- Nat. Kl. (Wein)
51: 302.1886. A. minimum auct. non L. 1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India
1:141.1872.

Herbs, greyish green, annual, erect, spreading or ascending, branched from base,
4 - 20 cm high, densely covered with stellate hairs. Leaves oblanceolate or linear-lan-
ceolate, sessile, 10 - 25 x 1 - 5 mm. Racemes 30 - 40-fiowcred, ebracteate. Flowers pale
yellow or dull white, 1.8 - 2 mm across; pedicels up to 3 mm long in fruit. Sepals ca 1.5
mm long, caducous. Petals broad at middle, entire or obscurely emarginate at apex, ca
2.5 mm long, sparsely hairy outside. Stamens 1.5 - 2 mm long; filaments smaller and
scale-like in outer two stamens. Style ca 0.5 mm long. Fruiting racemes long, dense;
pedicels 2 - 5 mm long; fruits more or less orbicular, emarginate, 2.5 - 3.5 mm in diam.,
94 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

glabrous; valves uniformly tumid with flat, narrow margin; seeds 2 in each locule,
ovate-orbicular, brown, ca 1 mm long.

Fl.&Fr. March-Sept.

Distrib. India. N.W. Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

S.E. Europe, N. Africa, C. & S.W. Asia.

2. Farsetia Turra

Herbs or undershrubs, open with woody base, erect or spreading, much-branched,

annual or perennial, hoary with stiff bipartite, appressed white hairs. Leaves linear-
oblong, tapering to base, sessile. Racemes lax, ebracteate. Flowers small or large, pale
yellow, orange or whitish; pedicels short. Sepals erect, linear-oblong, more or less equal
at base. Petals oblong-linear, clawed, often crimplcd along margins, rounded at apex,
slightly longer to about twice as long as sepals. Stamens 6; filaments linear; anthers
oblong-linear. Ovary oblong, 10-40 -ovuled, hairy; style short and thick; stigma capitate.
Fruits linear-oblong, erect, compressed, bilocular, nearly rounded at both ends, covered
with bipartite appressed hairs; valves with distinct midvein, often slightly torulose;
septum membranous. Seeds uniseriate to biseriate, orbicular, winged.

S.W. Asia, Central and North America; about 10 species, 4 in India.

Literature. JAFRI, S. M. H. (1957) The genus Farsetia in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. Notes
R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22: 209 - 216.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Seeds uniseriate 2

b. Seeds biseriate 3
2a. Flowers 3 - 5 mm in diam.; sepals usually less than 5 mm (3 - 4 mm) long; petals slightly exceeding the
sepals 1. F. hamiltonii
b. Flowers 10 -12 mm in diam.; sepals usually more than 5 mm (6 - 9 mm) long; petals much exceeding
the sepals 2. F. heliophila
3a. Leaves linear-oblong or linear, 3 - 40 x 2 - 8 mm, sessile; flowers 5 -10 mm across; petals oblong-linear
3. F. jacquemontii
b. Leaves lanceolate, 40 - 70 x 15 - 22 mm, petiolate; flowers 12 -15 mm across; petals spathulate
4. F. macrantha

1. Farsetia hamiltonii Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 1:71.1834; Hook. f. & T. Anderson
in Fl. Brit. India 1:140.1872. Fig. 16 A.

Hindi: Hiram-chabba.
 BRASSICACEAE 95
1993]

F«g. 16 A. Farsetia hamiltonii Royle : a. habit; b. flower; c. petal.

Fig. 16 B. Farsetia jacquemontii Hook. f. & Thomson : a. flowering branch;

b. flower; c. petal.
96 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Undershrubs, annual or perennial, erect or spreading, 10 - 50 cm high, often woody

at base, densely hoary with bipartite appressed white hairs. Leaves narrowly linear,
entire, sessile, 1 0 - 4 0 (-80) x 1 - 3 (-8) mm, strigose. Racemes 5 - 20-flowcred, lax,
ebracteate. Flowers white or pale pink, 2.5 - 4 mm across; pedicels 1-3 mm long, up to
6 mm long in fruit. Sepals oblong, subobtuse at apex, 3.5 - 4 x 1 mm, strigose. Petals
oblong, cuneate, rounded at apex, 5 - 6 mm long. Stamens 3 - 4 mm long; anthers obtuse
at apex, ca 1 mm long. Style thin, ca 1.5 (-2.5) mm long; stigma bilobed. Fruit
linear-oblong, compressed, nearly rounded at both ends, 10 - 47 x 2 - 4.5 mm, covered
with bipartite appressed hairs; valves often slightly torulose; seeds uniseriate, orbicular,
ca 3 mm in diam. (including ca 1 mm wide wing).

Fl.&Fr. Feb.-Nov.

Distrib. India: Throughout the Indian desert to the western banks of Jamuna (the
type locality) in the east.

Pakistan.

2. Farsetia heliophila Bunge ex Cosson, Comp. Fl. Alt. 2: 227. 1884; Parmar in J.
Econ. Tax. Bot. 4: 639.1983.

Undershrubs, perennial, erect; branches rigid, wiry. Leaves linear to linear-lanceo-

late, attenuate at base, rotundate or obtuse at apex, sessile, ca 20 x 2 mm. Racemes few
flowered, lax. Sepals 6 - 9 mm long. Petals light violet, 10 -12 mm long. Fruits narrow,
erect, compressed, 25 - 30 x 2 - 3 mm; seeds uniseriate, nearly orbicular, winged, 2 - 2.5
mm in diam.

Fl.&Fr. Oct.-Jan.

Distrib. India: Rajasthan.

Pakistan and Iran.

3. Farsetia jacquemontii Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 5: 148.1861;

Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 140.1872.

Shrubs, erect or spreading, 15 - 45 cm high, woody at base, hoary with bipartite

appressed hairs. Leaves linear-oblong or linear, acute or subobtuse at apex, sessile,
10 - 60 x 1 - 7 (-12) mm. Petals oblong-linear, often clawed, rounded at apex, 10 - 15
(-20) x 1.5 - 2.5 mm. Stamens 7 - 8 mm long; anthers ca 3 mm long. Style 0.7 - 1 mm
long, slightly thickened; stigma conical, bilobed. Fruits oblong, compressed, 15 - 48 x
2.5 - 7 mm; valves membranous; seeds 1 - 2-seriate, orbicular, winged, 2.5 - 3 mm in diam.;
wing 0.7 - 0.9 mm wide.
 BRASSICACEAE 97
1993]

KEY TO THE SUBSPECIES

la. Fruitsbroadlyoblong,15-21x5-7mm 3.1. subsp. edgeworthii

b. Fruits narrowly oblong, 17 - 48 x 2.5 - 4.5 mm 3.2. subsp. jacquemontii

3.1. subsp. edgeworthii (Hook. f. & Thomson) Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb.
22- 213.1957- F. edgeworthii Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:147.1861. F.
aegyptiaca auct. non Turra 1765; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:140.1872.

Fl.&Fr. Apr.-July.

Distrib. India. Rajasthan.

Pakistan and Afghanistan.

3.2. subsp. jacquemontii Fig. 16 B.

Fl.&Fr. April-Dec.

Distrib. India: W. & N.W. regions.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.

4. Farsetia macrantha Blatter & Hallberg in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 26: 220.
1918.

Raj.: Motio-hiran-chabbo.

Undershrubs, rigid, up to 80 cm high, covered with appressed, medifixed, scabrous

hairs. Leaves alternate, except a lower few which are supopposite, broadly linear-
lanceolate, attenuate at base, acute at apex, 4 - 7 x 1.5 - 2 cm, subcoriaceous; petioles
0.5 - 1 cm long, grooved. Flowers 5 -10 in racemes, white or creamy white, 12 -15 mm
across. Sepals linear, subobtuse at apex, 9 -10 x 1-1.5 mm. Petals spathulate, rounded
at apex, 15 -16 x 5 mm. Stamens ca 6 mm long; anthers linear, ca 4 mm long. Ovary 5 -
6 mm long, densely strigose; style stout, ca 1 mm long; stigma obscurely bilobed. Fruits
oblong, compressed, narrow at both ends, 3 - 3.5 x 0.5 - 0.6 cm, densely strigose; valves
indistinctly 1-ribbed; seeds biseriate, winged, 4 - 6 mm in diam.; wing ca 1 mm wide.

Fl. & Fr. Aug. - Dec.

Distrib. India. Rajasthan.

Endemic.
98 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Notes. Bhandari (in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 72: 604 - 606, ff. 1 - 4. 1975) has
discussed typification of this species.

3. Lobularia Desv.

Herbs, annual or perennial, erect or suberect, branched, clothed with bipartite,

medifixed appressed hairs. Leaves linear or narrowly oblanceolate, sessile, entire or
obscurely toothed along margins, usually acute at apex. Flowers small, white or pinkish
in lax ebracteate racemes; pedicels filiform, spreading. Sepals patent, not saccate at
base. Petals broadly obovate or suborbicular, clawed, white. Stamens 6; filaments
linear, without appendages. Lateral nectar glands in pairs, short, stalk-like, middle ones
rudimentary. Ovary suborbicular or ovate, 2 - 1 0 -ovuled. Fruit a latiseptate silicula,
suborbicular or ovate, bilocular, compressed, dehiscent; valves slightly inflated, with a
distinct midvein; septum obscurely veined; style distinct; seeds suborbicular, com-
pressed, narrowly winged, 1 - 5 in each locule.

Mostly in Mediterranean region; 5 species, 1 in India.

Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv. in J. Bot. Appl. 3:162.1814. Clypeola maritima L.,
Sp. PI. 652.1753.

Herbs, perennial, erect or suberect, 10 - 40 cm high, branched mostly from base,

greyish-white pubescent with bipartite appressed hairs. Leaves sessile, linear or nar-
rowly oblanceolate, entire or obscurely toothed along margins, acute at apex, 20 - 35 x
3 - 8 mm. Racemes 20 - 30 flowered, lax. Flowers white or pinkish, bractcate, ca 5 mm
across; pedicels 8 - 1 0 mm long in fruit. Sepals ca 2 mm long. Petals 3 - 4 x 2.5 mm.
Stamens ca 2 mm long; anthers ca 0.3 mm long. Style ca 1 mm long. Fruits suborbicular,
oblong or obovate, 2.5 - 4 x 2 - 2.5 mm, appressed pubescent to almost glabrous; valves
convex with a distinct midvein; seeds 1 in each locule, suborbicular, reddish-brown, 1 -
1.5 mm in diam.

Fl. & Fr. Mar. - June.

Distrib. Native of Mediterranean and Macronesian regions; widely cultivated for

ornamental purposes.

4. Ptilotrichum C. Meyer

Herbs, perennial often laxly caespitose, somewhat woody at base, clothed with
stellate or branched hairs or indumentum sometimes lepidote. Leaves linear or narrowly
oblanceolate. Inflorescence ebracteate, simple or branched raceme. Flowers small,
white or pinkish; pedicels filiform, flexuous, somewhat erect. Sepals erecto-patent, not
saccate at base, linear to oblong. Petals oblong-linear, entire, white to purple. Stamens
6; filaments usually not toothed. Lateral nectar glands somewhat projected outwards.
 BRASSICACEAE 99
1993]

Ovary ovoid to subglobose, 1 - 2-ovuled in each locule; style short, distinct. Fruit a
1 t'seotate silicula, ovoid to subglobose, dehiscent, rarely subdehiscent or indehiscent;
Ives flat or uniformly turgid or inflated, acute or obtuse at apex; septum broad,
membranous; seeds 1 - 2 in each locule, oblong-ovate.

Mostly in Central Asia; ca 12 species, 1 in India.

Ptilotrichum canescens (DC.) C. Meyer in Ledeb., Fl. Alt. 3: 66. 1831. Alyssum
canescens D C , Syst. Nat. 2: 322.1821; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:141.
1872.

Perennials, suberect, laxly caespitose, 5 - 10 cm high, covered with stellate and

branched appressed dimorphic hairs. Leaves linear, sessile, 5 - 15 x 0.8 - 2.5 mm.
Racemes 10 - 20-flowered, ebracteate. Flowers 4 - 5 mm across, white or pinkish;
pedicels up to 8 mm long in fruit. Sepals linear to oblong, ca 2.5 x 1.5 mm. Petals ca
3.5 x 2.5 mm. Stamens 2 - 3 mm long. Style 1 - 1.5 mm long; stigma capitate. Fruits
ovate-oblong, 3 - 5 x 2 - 3 mm, densely pubescent; valves uniformly inflated, septum not
veined; seeds ovate-oblong, brown, ca 2 mm long.

Fl.&Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, China (Tibet) and Altai.

Tribe 2. A R A B I D E A E DC.

(P. K. Hajra and H. J. Chowdhery)

Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial, glabrous or pubescent; hairs simple, forked or

stellately branched; stem simple or branched. Leaves in basal rosette and cauline.
Flowers in racemes or in scapes, yellow, white or purple. Lateral nectar glands simple
or lobed; middle glands present or absent. Filaments usually without appendages, rarely
toothed. Fruits usually narrow, long, compressed; seeds many, 1 - 2-seriate.

12 genera and 51 species in India.

5. Arabis L.
r s
" > annual, biennial or perennial, glabrous or pubescent; hairs simple, medi-
- , forked or stellately branched; stems erect, often simple. Basal leaves in a rosette,
P ulate, stalked and hairy; cauline sessile, amplexicaul, entire or toothed. Racemes
y lax (in fruit), bracteate or ebracteate. Flowers white, purple or rose-coloured.
epals erect or spreading, short, often slightly saccate at base. Petals obovate-oblong,
100 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

' entire, usually clawed, longer than sepals. Stamens 6; filaments not appendaged; anthers
oblong-linear. Ovary linear, many-ovuled; style distinct; stigma capitate or emarginate.
Fruits linear-oblong, usually compressed; valves veiny with weak midrib; style short;
seeds usually ovate, compressed, more or less winged.

Chiefly in Northern temperate zone and S. America; about 100 species, 9 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Cauline leaves either auricled or amplexicaul to subamplcxicaul at base 2

b. Cauline leaves neither auricled nor amplexicaul at base 7
2a. Seeds either margined or narrowly winged 3
b. Seeds neither margined nor winged 5
3a. Fruits pubescent 3. A. nova
b. Fruits glabrous 4
4a. Flowers ca 10 mm across 2. A bijuga
b. Flowers ca 5 mm across 5. A. plcrosperma
5a. Basal leaves entire 6. A. recta
b. Basal leaves toothed or crenate-serrate 6
6a. Basal leaves 3 - 4 cm long; flowers ca 5 mm across 4. A. pangiensis
b. Basal leaves 5 -15 cm long; flowers ca 9 mm across 1. A. amplcxicauiis
7a. Cauline leaves ca 0.5 cm long, linear or absent 7. A. saxicola
b. Cauline leaves 0.8 - 2 cm long, usually oblong-obovate, toothed or lobulate 8
8a. Fruits ca 8 cm long; style ca 2 mm long 8. A. tenuirostris
b. Fruits ca 6 cm long; style ca 1.5 mm long 9. A. libetica

1. Arabis amplexicaulis Edgew. in Trans. Linn. Soc, Lond. 20: 31.1846; Hook. f.
& T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:136.1872. A. allicola O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart.
Berlin 9: 1062.1927.

Herbs, annual or biennial, subcrect, up to 65 cm high, simple or branched, hispidly

pilose. Basal leaves in rosette, ovate-oblong, oblanceolate, coarsely toothed, attenuate
at base, subacute or rounded at apex, 3.5 - 15 x 1 - 3 cm; cauline leaves sessile,
amplexicaul, rounded or rounded-auricled at base, ovate, oblong, acute or obtuse,
toothed or entire, 1.5 - 6.5 x 0.5 - 3.5 cm. Racemes 10 - 25 cm long, laxly 15 - 35-flowered.
Flowers ca 1 cm across, white; pedicels ca 1.5 cm long, glabrous. Sepals ovate, ca 5 mm
long, 0.5 -1 mm wide, with white margins. Petals ca 1 cm long, white. Stamens ca 5 mm
long. Fruits linear, horizontal or drooping, acute, 3 - 6 cm long, ca 1 mm thick, glabrous;
seeds many in each locule, not winged.

Fl. & Fr. April - May.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
 BRASSICACEAE 101
1993]

Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

2 Arabis bijuga G. Watt in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 18:378.1881. A.pangiensis O. Schulz

in No'tzbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 9: 1063. 1927, p. p.; Chowdhery & Wadhwa, Fl. Himachal
Pradesh 1: 56.1984, non G. Watt 1881.

Herbs, perennial, up to 40 cm high, subglabrous or stellate hairy. Basal leaves

rosulate ovate-oblong or oblanceolate, often dentate with short obtuse teeth, 5 -15 x 1-
2 cm. Cauline leaves oblong, narrow, semiamplexicaul, sessile, 1 - 2.5 x 0.3 - 0.6 cm.
Flowers ca 1 cm across. Petals ca 1.5 cm long. Fruits 3 - 6 cm long, glabrous; seeds many
in each locule.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Pakistan and Iran.

3. Arabis nova Vill., Prosp. PI. Dauph. 39.1779. A. auriculata Lam., Encycl. Meth.
Bot. 1: 219. 1783; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 135. 1872, p. p. A.
montbretiana Boiss. in Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 2,17: 53.1842. Fig. 17.

Herbs, annual or biennial, up to 40 cm high, erect, stellately hairy. Basal leaves

oblong-spathulate or oblong-obovate, sinuate, toothed or subentire, obtuse at apex,
0.5 - 3 x 0.5 - 2 cm, pubescent. Cauline leaves ovate or ovate-oblong, toothed, 0.5 - 2 x
0.2 - 1.5 cm, with obtuse or apiculate basal lobes. Racemes up to 10-flowered, lax.
Flowers ca 4 mm across, white; pedicels up to 5 mm long in fruit. Sepals ca 2 mm long.
Petals ca 4 mm long. Stamens ca 2 mm long. Stigma small. Fruits linear-oblong,
compressed, 2 - 3 cm long, usually minutely pubescent; seeds narrowly winged.

Fl.&Fr. April-June.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, W. Asia and Mediterranean.

4. Arabis pangiensis G. Watt in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 18: 378,1.10.1881.

Herbs, perennial, up to 20 cm high, densely hispid below, with short branched or

s e late hairs. Basal leaves densely rosulate, spathulate-oblong, coarsely 3 - 4-dentate
owards apex, obtuse or acute at apex, 3 - 4 x 0.4 - 1 cm, densely stellate hairy; cauline
eave* usually 1 - 2, oblong-linear, almost entire, 1.5 - 3 x 0.2 - 0.4 cm, sessile. Racemes
- 30-flowered. Flowers ca 5 mm across; pedicels 1 - 2 cm long in fruit. Sepals ca 3
n
g- Petals ca 5 mm long. Stamens ca 4 mm long. Style ca 1 mm long; stigma
102 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 17. Arabis nova Vill. : a. plant, lower portion; b. fruiting branch.
1993] BRASSICACEAE 103

depressed, short. Fruits linear-oblong, 3 - 5 cm long, glabrous; seeds many, oblong.

Fl&Fr. June-July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Pakistan and Nepal.

5. Arabis pterosperma Edgew. in Trans. Linn. Soc, Lond. 20: 33.1846. A. alpina
auct. non L.; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 135. 1872. Arabidiopsis
mollissima auct. non N. Busch.; Hara, Fl. E. Himal. 2: 42.1971. Fig. 18.

Herbs, biennial or rarely perennial, erect, up to 45 cm high, simple or branched,

hoary with forked or stellate hairs. Basal leaves in rosette, oblong-lanceolate to spathu-
late, shallowly crenate-serrate along margins, obtuse or subacute, 2 - 4.5 x 2.5 -1.5 cm,
petioled; cauline leaves oblong, with obtuse basal lobes, 1 - 2 x 0.3 - 0.8 cm, sessile.
Racemes 20 - 30-flowered, up to 12 cm long in fruit. Flowers ca 5 mm across, white;
pedicels slender, 8 - 1 0 mm in fruit. Sepals elliptic-oblong, 3 - 4 mm long, glabrous,
white-margined. Petals spathulate with long claws, 6 - 7 mm long, ca 1.5 mm wide.
Stamens ca 3 mm long. Fruits erect or ascending at first, later spreading, compressed,
3.5 - 6 cm long, glabrous; valves 1-nerved; seeds 25 - 30 in each locule. margined.

Fl&Fr. May-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine grasslands, 3000 - 4000 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan.

6. Arabis recta Vill., Prosp. PI. Dauph. 3: 319.1788. A. auriculata auct. non Lam.
1783; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 135.1872, p. p.

Herbs, annual, up to 30 cm high, simple or branched, pubescent. Basal leaves ovate

or obovate, entire, petiolate; cauline leaves ovate to oblong, auriculate, rounded at apex,
0.6 - 2 cm long, sessile. Racemes flexuous, 7 - 40-flowered; pedicels up to 5 mm long.
Petals ca 3 mm long, white. Fruits 1 - 3.5 cm long, glabrous or pubescent, paient; see s
ca 1 mm long, brown.

Fl. & Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Himachal Pradesh.

Europe.
104 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 18. Arabis pterosperma Edgew. : a. habit.

1993] BRASSICACEAE 105

7. Arabis saxicola Edgew. in Trans. Linn. Soc., Lond. 20: 32.1846; Jafri in Fl. W.
Pakistan 55:173.1973. A. scaposa O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 9:1965.1927.

Herbs, perennial, up to 30 cm high; hairs branched. Basal leaves oblanceolate or

oblong-obovate, entire or toothed at apex, 1.5 - 5 x 0.2 -1.5 cm, sparsely hairy. Cauline
leaves minute, linear, entire. Racemes 5 - 10-flowered, lax, up to 8 cm long in fruit.
Flowers ca 4 mm across, white; pedicels up to 1 cm long in fruit. Sepals ca 3 mm long.
Petals linear, cuneate, ca 6 mm long. Stamens ca 3 mm long. Fruits linear to linear-
oblong, compressed, erect, acute, 2 - 6 cm long, glabrous; valves 1-nerved. Seeds 12 -
15 in each locule, ca 1 cm long.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Herbs up to 30 cm high; pedicels ca 1 cm long 7.1. var. elalior

b. Herbs up to 15 cm high; pedicels ca 5 mm long 7.2. var. saxicola

7.1. var. elatior (O. Schulz) Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22 (2): 100. 1956.
A. scaposa O. Schulz var. elatior O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 9:1066.
1927.

Basal leaves oblong-obovate, 2 - 5 x 1 -1.5 cm. Fruits linear-oblong, 4 - 6 cm long,

ca 2 cm broad.

Fl.&Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan.

7.2. var. saxicola

Fl.&Fr. April-July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan and Afghanistan.

8. Arabis tenuirostris O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 9:1066.1927.

Herbs, biennial up to 30 cm high, much-branched with simple or forked hairs. Basal

leaves obovate-spathulate, narrowed at base, coarsely 2 - 4-dentate or lobate, obtuse at
apex, ca 3.5 cm long; cauline leaves much narrower, linear, obtuse; lower ones remotely
3-dentate, hairy; upper ones entire, glabrous. Racemes 8 - 20-flowered. Flowers ca
m m acr
oss. Sepals oblong, ca 2 mm long. Petals obovate, cuneate, ca 5 mm long, white
106 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

or pale-lilac. Seeds 20 - 30 in each locule.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan.

9. Arabis tibetica Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:143.1861; Hook. f.
& T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:136.1872. A. thomsonii Hook. f. in J. Linn. Soc, Bot.
5:143.1861.

Herbs, perennial, up to 20 cm high, much-branched; stems leafy, stellately hairy.

Basal leaves obovate or spathulate, sinuate-dentate to almost entire, 10 - 40 x3 -10 mm,
usually densely pubescent. Cauline leaves sessile, lanceolate or narrowly spathulate,
coarsely toothed or entire, 8 -18 x 2 - 5 mm. Racemes 10 - 20-flowered, up to 10 cm long
in fruit. Flowers ca 5 mm across, white or pale pink. Sepals ca 4 mm long, acute, sparsely
stellately hairy. Petals 5-6 mm long. Fruits erect, narrow-linear, falcate, 3.5 - 6 cm long,
glabrous; valves veined; midrib distinct; seeds usually ca 16 in each locule.

Fl. &Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir (Ladakh).

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia.

6. Barbaraea R. Br., nom. cons.

Herbs, biennial or perennial; stems erect, branched, angular, glabrous or with sparse
simple hairs. Basal leaves rosulate, lyrately pinnatifid or entire, petiolate; cauline leaves
amplexicaul, entire or irregularly sinuate-dentate to pinnatifid. Racemes lax in fruit.
Flowers yellow, ebracteate. Sepals suberect, often saccate at base; inner sepals not
pouched at base. Petals spathulate, clawed, yellow, longer than sepals. Stamens 6.
Ovary linear to oblong-linear, many-ovuled; style short with subretuse stigma. Fruits
linear, compressed, 4-angled, many-seeded; valves with prominent midribs. Seeds small,
1-seriate, ca 10, ovoid.

Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia; about 15 species, 3 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Cauline leaves deeply 2-5-jugate 2. B. intermedia

b. Cauline leaves entire or sinuate lobed or closely toothed 2
1993] BRASSICACEAE 107

2a. Pedicels 10 -15 mm long; style persistent I. B. elata

b. Pedicels 5 - 9 mm long; style caducous 3. B. vulgaris

1. Barbaraea elata Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 140.1861; Hook,
f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:135.1872.

Herbs, 30 -100 cm high; stems usually simple, striated. Basal leaves with 1 - 3 pairs
of lateral lobes; terminal lobes oblong-obtuse, sinuate. Cauline leaves obovate, auricled
at base, entire or sinuate-lobed or closely toothed, 4 - 7 x 1 - 3 cm. Racemes up to
20-flowered. Flowers bright yellow; pedicels thick, erect, 10 -15 mm long. Fruits 8 - 20
mm long, ca 3 mm thick, turgid, faintly 1-nerved; style persistent, 2 - 3 mm long.

Fl.&Fr. Aug.-Sept.

Distrib. India: Sandy soil, 3000 - 3800 m. Sikkim.

Bhutan.

Notes. Some authors treat this species under the genus Rorippa Scop.

2. Barbaraea intermedia Boreau, Fl. Cent. France 2: 48.1840. B. vulgaris R. Br.

var. sicula Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 134. 1872, non B. sicula Presl
1819.

Herbs, up to 60 cm high, branched. Basal leaves 2 -19 x 1 - 4.5 cm; lateral lobes
3 - 8-paired, elliptic or obovate; terminal lobe rounded. Cauline leaves usually 2 -
5-jugate, 2 - 5 x 1.5 - 3 cm, deeply lobed with linear-oblong or oblanceolate segments.
Racemes up to 18 cm long, 10 - 20-flowered. Flowers ca 5 mm across; pedicels 4 - 5 mm
long in fruit. Sepals ovate-elliptic, ca 3 mm long, ca 1 mm wide. Petals obovate, ca 5
mm long, ca 1.5 mm wide. Stamens ca 4 mm long. Fruits linear-oblong, terete or
terete-compressed, 10 - 30 mm long, ca 1.5 mm thick, glabrous; style not persistent.
Seeds many, ovate.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas, open grassy slopes, 2000 - 5500 m. Jammu
& Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Bhutan, Nepal, C. Asia, Europe and N. Africa.

3. Barbaraea vulgaris R. Br. in Aiton, Hort. Kew. ed. 2, 4:109. 1812. Erysimum
barbaraea L., Sp. PI. 60. 1753. Barbaraea vulgaris R. Br. var. taurica Hook. f. & T.
Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:134.1872, nonB. taurica DC. 1821.
108 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Herbs, up to 50 cm high, branched. Basal leaves 3 - 5-jugate, 4 - 12 x 1.5 - 3.5 cm;

terminal lobes ovate-oblong, cordate at base, 2.5 - 5 x 2 - 3 mm; cauline leaves ovate,
amplexicaul at base, entire or toothed, 1 - 5 x 0.5 - 2.5 cm. Racemes 10 - 35-flowered,
up to 20 cm long in fruit. Flowers ca 6 mm across; pedicels 5 - 9 mm long. Sepals ca 3
mm long. Petals 6 - 8 mm long, clawed. Stamens ca 3 mm long. Fruits 1 - 3 cm long, ca
3 mm thick, glabrous; valves with a distinct midvein; seeds brown, many.

Fl.&Fr. April-June.

Distrib. India: 2000 - 4000 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Pakistan, most of Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia.

7. Cardamine L.

Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial; stems erect, diffuse or flaccid, simple or

branched, glaucous, pubescent or with a few simple hairs. Leaves simple, ternate,
pinnate or pinnatisect, alternate or rarely verticillate. Racemes usually many-flowered,
ebracteate. Flowers white, pale-purple, mauve, pale-violet or pale-yellow; pedicels
filiform, erect or upcurved. Sepals nearly equal at base, oblong or ovate; inner sepals
somewhat pouched at base. Petals 4, clawed, obovate or subspathulate, rounded or
emarginate, rarely absent. Stamens 4 - 6 ; filaments subulate, not broadened at base,
erect; anthers oblong. Ovary cylindrical, 4 - 40-ovulate; ovules uniseriate, oval or
orbicular; style often filiform; stigma simple, more or less bilobed. Fruits laterally
compressed, narrow or broadly linear, tapering at both ends; valves rounded, with
indistinct venation, dehiscing explosively and becoming coiled; style short. Seeds com-
pressed, finely tuberculate, 1-seriate, few to many; cotyledons accumbent.

Cosmopolitan; about 150 species, 14 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves simple or cauline, sometimes 3-foliolate, not deeply lobed or pinnatisect 2
b. Leaves compound 3
2a Leaves sessile, lanceolate, half-amplexicaul; flowers violet 13. C. violacea
b. Leaves petioled, cordate or subcordate; flowers white 2. C. circaeoides
3a. Leaves trifoliolate or bifoliolate, irregularly lobed, minutely or deeply toothed 4
b. Leaves many-jugate, pinnatisect 6
4a. Plants robust, generally up to 100 cm high; leaflets acuminate at apex; flowers pink 10. C. scoriarum
b. Plants not robust, usually up to 45 cm high; leaflets obtuse or acute at apex; flowers dull white or pale-
lilac 5
5a. Flowers dull white or greenish yellow, 2 - 5 mm across 1. C. africana
b. Flowers pale-lilac, ca 8 mm across 12. C. trifoliolala
1993] BRASSICACEAE 109

6a. Plants robust, usually 45 -100 cm high 9. C. macrophylla

b. Plants slender, stems up to 40 cm (rarely 60 cm) high 7
7a. Leaves auricled at base
b. Leaves not auricled at base
8a. Flowers white; sepals ca 1.5 mm long 7. C. impatiens
b. Flowers lilac or purple; sepals 3 - 3.5 mm long 5. C. griffithii
9a. Leaflets irregularly lobed or crenately toothed at margin 10
b. Leaflets entire or irregularly sinuate or lobed at margin 11
10a. Petals oblong, ca 2 mm long or sometimes absent 11. C. trichocarpa
b. Petals obovate-cuneate, ca 4 mm long 14. C. yunnanensis
11a. Flowers usually 7 -13 mm across 8. C. loxotemonoides
b. Flowers usually 3 - 6 mm across 12
12a. Stem flexuose, usually with several branches from below; leaflets 2 - 4 pairs 4. C. flexuosa
b. Stem erect or ascending, usually not branched from below; leaflets 5 -13 pairs 13
13a. Basal leaves many, densely rosetted, hairy on upper surface 6. C. hirsuta
b. Basal leaves few, not rosetted, glabrous on upper surface 3. C. elegantula

1. Cardamine africana L., Sp. PI. 655. 1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit.
India 1:137.1872.

Stems erect or decumbent, up to 60 cm long; stems often rooting at nodes, sparsely

hispid or glabrous. Leaves mostly radical, trifoliolate; petioles 2 - 16 cm long; leaflets
broadly ovate; lateral ones oblique at base, crcnate-serratc along margins, acute or
obtuse at apex, 2 - 7 x 1 - 3 cm, sessile or petiolulate; petiolules up to 2 cm long.
Racemes few-flowered. Flowers dull-white or greenish yellow, 2 - 5 mm across. Sepals
suberect, oblong, ca 3 x 1.5 mm. Petals oblong to obovate, cuneate, ca 5 x 1.5 mm.
Filaments 3 - 5 mm long. Ovary 8 - 16-ovuled; style ca 1 mm long; stigma globose. Fruits
crowded or sublax, erect or ascending, tapering at both ends, 2.5 - 4 cm long. Seeds 8 -
10, flattened-ellipsoid, brownish.

Fl.&Fr. Oct.-Dec.

Distrib. India: Humid localities in open borders or forest floors of evergreen and
semievergreen forests, 1500 - 2500 m. Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Temperate and subtropical Africa, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

2. Cardamine circaeoides Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:144.1861;

Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 137.1872.

Herbs, erect, up to 45 cm high; stems more or less branched, sparsely pubescent or

nearly glabrous. Leaves cordate, sinuate-toothed, obtuse at apex, 1.5 - 4 x 1 - 3.5 cm,
lower lobes rounded; terminal leaflet ovate, acuminate, 2 - 4 x 1 - 2.5 cm; petioles slender,
n u
P P e r leaves ca 1 cm long, in lower ones ca 7 mm long. Racemes subcorymbose.
HO FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

few-flowered. Flowers white, ca 5 mm across; pedicels ca 5 mm long. Sepals oblong, ca

3 mm long. Petals oblanceolate, cuneate, 4 - 5 mm long, white. Inner stamens as long
as or slightly longer than petals. Style equal to or slightly longer than petals; stigma
broad, globose. Fruits linear, 1.5 - 2.5 cm long, ca 1.5 mm thick. Seeds oblong, ca 1 x
0.5 mm, brown.

Fl.&Fr. April-Oct.

Distrib. India: Moist forests, 1500 - 2400 m. Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Bhutan, Upper Myanmar and W. China.

3. Cardamine elegantula Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 146. 1861;
Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:139.1872.

Stems slender, branched, up to 15 cm long. Leaves pinnate, 3 - 4.5 cm long, glabrous;

leaflets 3 - 7 pairs, more or less opposite, ovate, oblong, linear-oblong or lanceolate,
entire, 3 - 7 x 1 - 2 mm, lower petiolate, upper subsessile. Racemes 2 - 9-flowered.
Flowers 5 - 7 mm across, white or rose-coloured. Sepals narrowly ovate, glabrous, ca 2
mm long. Petals obovatc or obovate-cuneate or more or less spathulate, ca 5 mm long,
white or purplish. Stamens 6, inner ca 9 mm long, outer ca 2 mm long. Fruits narrow,
linear, horizontal or recurved, more or less pendulous, 12 -15 x 1 - 2 mm. Seeds ca 0.8
x 0.4 mm.

Fl. & Fr. April - May.

Distrib. India: Moist places, 1000 - 3000 m. West Bengal, Sikkim and Meghalaya.

Nepal and Bhutan.

4. Cardamine flexuosa Withering, Bot. Arr. Brit. PI. ed. 3, 3: 578.1976. C. hirsuta
var. sylvatica auct. non Link; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:138.1872, p. p.
C. scutata Thunb. subsp. flexiiosa (Withering) Hara in J. Fac. Sci. Univ. Tokyo, B. 6: 59.
1952. Fig. 19.

Herbs, annual or biennial, flexuose, simple or sparsely branched, 10 - 40 cm high;

roots fibrous on a short rootstock. Basal leaves 7 - 12, scarcely rosulate, orbicular,
sinuate-dentate to lobed. Cauline leaves 4 -10, ovate to lanceolate, pinnate, 2.5 - 5 cm
long; lateral leaflets 2 - 4 pairs, orbicular-ovate, obtuse or subacute at apex, 3 - 7 x 2 - 5
mm; terminal leaflet obovate, suborbicular, toothed. Racemes 2 - 15 cm long; flowers
few to many, ca 3 mm across. Sepals erccto-patent, oblong to oblong-elliptic, acute, ca
2 mm long. Petals ca 4 mm long, white. Stamens usually 4 or 6 with 2 outer staminodes.
Fruits elliptic-oblong, obtuse, 1.2 - 2.5 cm long, less than 1 mm thick, with elastic valves.
Seeds ovoid-compressed, ca 1 mm long, yellow.
1993] BRASSICACEAE 111

cm

F
«g-19. Cardamine flexuosa Withering : a. plant, lower portion; b. fruiting twig; c.
flower; d. fruit.
112 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fl.&Fr. Jan.-Aug.

Distrib. India: Moist streamsides, 500 - 2500 m. Himachal Pradesh, Jammu &
Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Manipur.

Bhutan, Temperate Eurasia and Canada.

Notes. Leaves and seeds used in skin diseases in Uttar Pradesh.

5. Cardamine griffithii Hook. f& Thomson in J. Linn. Soc.,Bot. 5:146.1861; Hook,

f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 139.1872.

Stems angled or grooved, sparsely branched above, up to 60 cm high, glabrous.

Leaves 2 - 9 cm long; lateral leaflets 3 - 6 pairs, sessile or subsessile, orbicular, ovate,
rounded at base, entire or irregularly sinuate along nargins, 3 -10 x 2 - 8 mm; lowest pair
auriculate; terminal leaflet suborbicular, up to 1.3 cm across. Racemes few-flowered,
somewhat crowded at apex. Flowers lilac or purple, ca 6 mm across. Sepals oblong-
elliptic, obtuse at apex, ca 3 x 2 mm. Petals obovate, 4 -10 x 3 - 5 mm, white or purplish,
Stamens 6, the 4 inner ones larger, ca 6 mm long, the 2 outer ones smaller. Pods 10 -15
mm long.

Fl.&Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Streamsides, along shady places, 2000 - 4000 m. Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China.

6. Cardamine hirsuta L., Sp. PI. 655.1753. C. hirsuta L. var. sylvatica (Link) Hook,
f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 138.1872, p. p. Fig. 20.

Herbs, annual, up to 50 cm high; stems simple, diffuse or much-branched, erect or

creeping at base, glabrous or hairy. Leaves very variable, glabrous or hairy, 3 - 25 x 1 -
20 mm; basal leaves forming a rosette, imparipinnate, petioled; leaflets 5 -13, orbicular
or ovate, irregularly toothed or irregularly lobed, 5 - 1 5 mm across. Cauline leaves
petioled or subsessile; leaflets lanceolate, narrowly oblong or obovate, toothed or
irregularly lobed, obtusely rounded at apex, 5 - 25 x 1 -15 mm. Inflorescence racemose
or subcorymbose, 10 - 20-flowered, up to 20 cm long. Flowers 3 - 5 mm across, white.
Sepals oblong, obtuse at apex, ca 2 mm long. Petals obovate-cuneate, rounded at apex,
2.5 - 5 mm long. Stamens 4 or rarely 6, rarely outer two abortive, 2 - 3 mm long. Ovary
many-ovuled. Fruits cylindric, somewhat compressed, 15 - 25 mm long, ca 1 mm thick.
Seeds 6 -12 on either side of septum, ca 1 mm long.
 BRASSICACEAE
1993]

cm \{b

mm

Fig. 20. Cardamine hirsuta L. : a. plant; b. flower; c. petal; d. stamens adhering

to ovary; e. dehisced fruit; f. seeds attached to septum; g. seed.
114 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

FI. & Fr. March - May (Feb. - Sept.).

Distrib. India: Humid wet localities, 700 - 2500 m. Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal,
Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu.

Cosmopolitan.

7. Cardamine impatiens L., Sp. Pi. 655.1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit.
India 1:138.1872.

Herbs, up to 60 cm high. Leaves crowded at base, alternate above, variable, pinnate,

many-jugate, 5 - 17 or more in each, with narrow sagittate 2 - 3 mm auricles at base,
sparsely hairy or fringed with white bristles; apical leaflets larger; petioles 1.5 - 2.5 cm
long. Leaflets of basal leaves entire, wavy or deeply 2 - 5-lobed, 4-20 mm long; petiolules
up to 10 mm long. Leaflets of upper leaves narrower, elliptic, obovate or obliquely
cuneate, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, entire, incised or irregularly lobed, attenuate
at base, rounded, obtuse or acute at apex, ca 5.5 x 1.5 mm. Inflorescence erect, racemose
or somewhat subcorymbose, many-flowered, 5 - 15 cm long. Flowers white, ca 4 mm
across; pedicels 4 - 7 mm long. Sepals oblong, sometimes pale-purple outside, 1.5 - 3 x
0.5 - 0.8 mm. Petals oblanceolate or oblong-linear, ca 4 x 1 mm, white. Stamens 6, inner
4 longer, outer 2 smaller. Ovary shorter than inner stamens; style very short; stigma
globose. Fruits erect, slender, linear, flat, stalked, 1.5 - 3 cm long, ca 1 mm thick; valves
with distinct midrib. Seeds many, oval or ellipsoid, reddish-brown.

Fl.&Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Moist shaded places, 1500 - 4000 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu.

Asia and Europe.

8. Cardamine loxostemonoides O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 9: 1069.

1927. C. pratensis auct. non L.; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:138.1872.
C.pratensis forma huairiana Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22: 104.1956.

Perennials, up to 30 cm high, glabrous, with a creeping rhizome, bearing several

ovoid 2 - 3 mm long bulbils at ground level. Leaves pinnate, petioled; leaflets of basal
leaves orbicular, 3 - 12 mm across in equidistant pairs; terminal leaflet larger, ovate or
rounded at base, shortly petioluled; leaflets of cauline leaves ovate, oblong-ovate to
lanceolate or linear, 5 - 15 x 1 - 3 mm. Racemes 5 - 15-flowered, elongate, lax,
subcorymbose. Flowers 10 - 20 mm across, lilac or pinkish; pedicels 10 - 20 mm long in
fruit. Sepals ca 3 mm long. Petals obovate-oblong, ca 2 x 1 cm. Stamens ca 5 mm long.
Fruits erect, compressed, 2.5 - 5 cm long. Seeds oblong, brown.
 BRASSICACEAE 115
1993]

Fl.&Fr. June-July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Himacha^Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

9. Cardamine macrophylla Willd., Sp. PI. 3: 484.1800; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in

Fl. Brit. India 1: 138. 1872. C. polyphylla D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep. 201. 1825. C.
macrophylla Willd. subsp.polyphylla (D. Don) O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin
9:1071.1927. F'g-21-

Perennials, rootstock creeping; stems simple, stout, erect, up to 90 cm high, usually

glabrous. Leaves pinnate, petioled; leaflets 2 - 7 pairs, ovate, obovate-cuneate or
lanceolate, crenate-serrate or coarsely irregularly lobed or pinnatifid, acute or acumi-
nate at apex, subsessile, 1.2 - 8 x 0.5 - 4 cm. Racemes erect, many-flowered, subcorym-
bose; pedicels 1 - 2 cm long. Flowers purple, deep violet or white, 8 - 1 5 mm across.
Sepals oblong-elliptic, ca 4 x 2 mm long, glabrous. Petals narrowly obovate, cuneate,
10 -15 x 3 - 5 mm, purplish. Inner stamens ca 6 mm long, outer ca 4 mm long. Ovary ca
5 mm long; style ca 2 mm long; stigma large, globose. Fruits erect, smooth, tapering at
both ends, 2.5 - 5 cm long; pedicels ca 2 cm long. Seeds oblong, brown, ca 2 mm long.

Fl.&Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Damp shaded places, 2400 - 4100 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal, Bhutan, China and Korea.

Notes. A much variable, polymorphic species.

10. Cardamine scoriarum W. Smith in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 11: 203.1920.
C. smithiana Biswas in J. Bot. 46: 22.1938.

Stems up to 1 m long, glabrous. Leaflets elliptic to ovate-elliptic, rounded or

cuneate at base, irregularly crenate-serrate along margins, acuminate at apex, (3.5-) 5 -
x I - 4 cm; petioles 2 - 4 cm long. Flowers many in corymbose racemes. Sepals oblong
e iptic, ca 3 x 2 mm, with 3 - 4 veins converging below the apex. Petals pink, ca 6 x 4
mm. Pods ca 5 mm long.

Fl.&Fr. June-July.

• India: Shaded streamsides, 2300 - 3000 m. Arunachal Pradesh.

116 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 3

cm

Fig. 21. Cardamine macrophylla Willd. : a. twig; b. flower.

 BRASSICACEAE 117
1993]

Bhutan.

11. Cardamine trichocarpa Hochst. ex A. Rich., Tent. Fl-Abyss. 1: 18. 1847.

subumbellata Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:138.1872.

Herbs, perennial or annual, slender, diffuse, up to 30 cm high, young parts with

spreading hairs. Leaves 4 - 7 cm long; petioles 0.6 - 2.2 cm long; leaflets 5 - 7, ovate or
suborbicular, irregularly crenate or lobed, subsessile, 2 - 2.5 x 0.8 -1.2 cm, sparingly hairy.
Inflorescence corymbose, few-flowered. Flowers yellowish white, ca 2 mm across;
pedicels slender, ca 2 mm long. Sepals 4, oblong, obtuse at apex, ca 1.5 mm long,
purplish, with long bristly hairs. Petals oblong, ca 2 mm long, yellowish white. Stamens
4 filaments up to 1.5 mm long. Ovary linear-elongate; style short; stigma globose. Fruits
linear-lanceolate, compressed, 0.8 - 2.5 cm long, pubescent. Seeds 6 -10, suborbicular
to broadly oblong.

Fl. & Fr. (Jan.-) July - Sept.

Distrib. India: Moist shaded places above 1200 m. Maharashtra, Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu.

Sri Lanka.

12. Cardamine trifoliolata Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:145.1861;
Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 138.1872.

Herbs, succulent, up to 45 cm high, simple or branched at base with creeping

rootstocks. Leaves trifoliolate; petioles 0.8 - 8 cm long; leaflets oblanceolate to usually
obovate; terminal ones often 3-lobed; lateral ones narrowly ovate or oblong, bilobed,
rarely entire; lobes rounded or obtusely pointed at apex, sparsely hairy above, glabrous
beneath. Racemes subcorymbose, short, few-flowered. Flowers pale-lilac, ca 8 mm
across; pedicels ca 5 mm long. Sepals oblong, obovate, 2 - 4 mm long. Petals obovate-
cuneate, rarely clawed, subtruncate at apex, 5 - 8 mm long. Inner stamens ca 5 mm long,
outer ca 3 mm long. Ovary 8 - 12-ovuled; style thick; stigma subulate or globose. Fruits
erect, 12 - 20 mm long, ca 1 mm thick. Seeds minute, ovoid, ca 1 mm across.

Fl- & Fr. April - July.

Distrib. India: 2500 - 4000 m. Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim.

Nepal and Bhutan.

13. Cardamine violacea (D.Don) Hook. f. & Thomson in J.Linn. Soc., Bot. 5:144.
1861; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 137. 1872. Erysimum violaceum D.
D
on, Prodr. Fl. Nep. 202. 1825.
118 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Herbs, perennial; stems simple, erect, up to 50 cm high. Leaves narrowly ovate,

lanceolate or oblanceolate, sessile and half-amplexicaul at base with sagittate auricles,
dentate along margins, acuminate at apex, 3 - 15 x 0.8 - 2 cm, sparsely puberulous.
Racemes 5 - 12-flowered. Flowers deep violet, pedicellate, 1.5 - 2.5 cm across; pedicels
8 - 1 2 mm long. Sepals ovate-oblong, subacute, hyaline along margins, ca 8 mm long,
5-nerved. Petals obovate-cuneate, subemarginate at apex, ca 10 x 4 mm, purple. Sta-
mens linear, ca 11 mm long, outer ca 9 mm long; anthers oblong, ca 2 mm long; glands
distinct. Style elongate, ca 6 mm long; stigma broad. Fruits borne on thickened pedicels,
2 - 6 cm long, ca 2 mm thick. Seeds ovate or oblong, 2 - 3 mm long, brown.

Fl. & Fr. May - June.

Distrib. India: Streamsides and open forest edges, 2500 - 3600 m. Sikkim.

Nepal and Bhutan.

14. Cardamineyunnanensis FranchetinBull.Soc. Bot. Fr. 33:398.1886. C.hirsuta

var. oxycarpa Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:138.1872, p. p. C. inayatii O.
Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 9: 1069.1927. C. sikkimensis Hara in J. Jap. Bot.
37: 97.1962.

Stems up to 35 cm long. Leaves (including petiole) 5-9 cm long, sparsely pubescent;

lateral leaflets 2 - 3 pairs, ovate, crenately toothed along margins, obtuse at apex, 1 - 2.5
x 0.75 -1.5 cm; terminal leaflets larger, up to 5.5 x 2.5 cm. Flowers few, white or pink.
Sepals oblong-ovate, 2.5 - 3 x 1.5 mm. Petals obovate, cuneate at base, ca 4 x 2 mm.
Fruits 2.5 - 3 cm long.

Fl.&Fr. May-Sept.

Distrib. India: Moist shaded places, 2000 - 2700 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu.

Nepal, Bhutan and W. China.

8. Christolea Cambess.

Herbs, tufted, perennial, rhizomatous, suberect or procumbent, pilose or rarely

glabrous. Leaves obovate or spathulate, toothed or lobulate above, sessile or subsessile;
radical leaves rosulate. Racemes usually many-flowered; bracts linear. Flowers white
or purplish, rarely mauve or yellowish. Sepals oblong, obtuse, inner pair sometimes
pouched. Petals spathulate or obovate. Stamens 6. Ovary linear or elliptic-ovate, few to
many ovuled; stigma usually depressed. Fruits oblong, cylindric. Seeds 12 - 15, 1 -
2-seriate.
 BRASSICACEAE 119
1993]

Central Asia, China (Tibet) and Himalayas; about-20 species, 7 in India.

KEY TO T H E SPECIES ^ /

la. Racemes ca 3-flowered 5. C. puniila

b. Racemes 6 - 25-flowered 2
2a. Pedicels ca 6 mm long in fruit 3
b. Pedicels 8 -10 mm long in fruit 4
3a. Fruits ca 20 mm long, 5 - 8 mm broad 3. C. lanuginosa
b. Fruits 25 - 35 mm long, 2 - 4 cm broad 7. C. s'.jwartii
4a Leaves spathulate-orbicular to more or less orbicular, usually with 8-10 marginal lobules or blunt
teeth 6. C. scaposa
b. Leaves spathulate-ovate to obovate-oblong or narrowly spathulate, usually up to 3-toothed 5
5a. Fruits linear, ca 1 mm broad; ovules ca 8 in each locule 4. C. parkeri
b. Fruits oblong-obovate or oblong, 2 - 4 mm broad; ovules many in each locule 6
6a. Plants usually more than 15 cm long; leaves broad, up to 2 cm wide 1. C. crassifolia
b. Plants up to 15 cm long; leaves narrow, up to 1 cm wide 2. C. hi malayensis

1. Christolea crassifolia Cambess. in Jacquem. Voy. 4 (Bot.) 17:1.17.1835; Hook,

f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:154.1872.

Herbs, suberect, much-branched, up to 40 cm high, usually densely villous. Leaves

cuneate-obovate, acute or obtuse and deeply toothed towards apex, 1 - 5 x 0.5 - 2 cm.
Racemes 10 - 20-flowered, up to ca 7 cm long in fruit. Flowers white with lilac or purple
base, ca 6 mm across; pedicels ca 1 cm long in fruit. Sepals ca 3 mm long. Petals ca 6
mm long. Stamens ca 3.5 mm long. Stigma depressed, subsessile. Fruits oblong-
obovate, erect, flat, acute at both ends, 1 - 3.5 cm long, ca 4 mm broad, nearly glabrous
or hairy; valves with a distinct midvein. Seeds 5 -10 in each locule, flattened.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, China (Tibet) and C. Asia.

2. Christolea himalayensis (Cambess.) Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22: 3.

f-1, F. 1955. Cheiranthes himalayensis Cambess. in Jacquem., Voy. Bot. 14.1844; Hook.
£ & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:132.1872. C. himalaicus Hook. f. & Thomson in J.
Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 137.1861. Ennania himalayensis (Cambess.) O. Schulz in Notizbl.
Bot. Gart. Berlin 9:1080.1927.

Herbs, densely greyish pilose; rootstock much-divided; stems suberect, leafy, 3-15
cm long. Leaves obovate or spathulate-obovate, subfleshy, cuneate at base, 3 - 5-toothed
above, 7 -15 x 3 - 8 mm. Flowers ca 5 mm across in terminal dense racemose heads,
120 FLORA OF INDIA f VOL- 2

violet or purplish, fragrant; pedicels ca 1 cm long in fruit, pilose. Sepals ca 3 mm long,

usually tinged dark purple. Petals ca 4 mm long, purplish, distinctly veined. Stamens ca
3 mm long. Ovary ca 4 mm long; stigma stout, bilobed. Fruits oblong, compressed, 2 -
3.5 cm long; valves with thickened margins. Seeds many, partially 2-seriate.

Fl.&Fr. June-July.

Distrib. India: 4000 - 5600 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh and Sikkim.

Pakistan, Bhutan, Afghanistan and China (W. Tibet).

3. Christolea lanuginosa (Hook. f. & Thomson) Ovcz. in Sov. Etsk. Bot. 151.1941.
Parrya lanuginosa Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:136.1861; Hook. f. & T.
Anderson in Ft Brit. India 1:132.1872.

Herbs, low, densely woolly. Leaves spathulate, coarsely toothed towards apex,
0.6 - 1.5 x 0.2 - 0.5 cm. Racemes scapose, 8 - 12-flowered, ca 5 mm long. Flowers ca 5
mm across; pedicels ca 5 mm long in fruit. Sepals spreading, ca 3 mm long, woolly. Petals
broadly spathulate, undulate, ca 5 mm long. Stamens ca 4 mm long. Fruits flattened,
acute, ca 1.8 cm long; valves with distinct mid-vein. Seeds not winged, 4 - 6 in each locule.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Himalayas at 5000 m and above. Jammu & Kashmir (Ladakh).

China (S.W. Tibet).

4. Christolea parkeri (O. Schulz) Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22: 52.1955.
Ermaniaparkeri O. Schulz in Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov. 31: 333.1933.

Herbs, erect or subercct, up to 10 cm high, hairy. Basal leaves narrowly spathulate,

rounded or 1 - 3-dentate at apex, 1-1.5 x 0.3 - 0.5 cm; upper leaves oblanceolate to
linear. Racemes 10 - 15-flowered, bracteate. Flowers white with purple tinge at base,
ca 5 mm across; pedicels ca 8 mm long in fruit. Sepals ca 3 mm long. Petals 5 - 8 mm
long. Stamens ca 3 mm long. Stigma depressed, shortly bilobed. Fruits linear, ca 10 x
1 mm, pilose. Seeds ca 8 in each locule.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Nepal.
1993] BRASSICACEAE 121

5. Christolea pumila (Kurz) Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 55: 157.1973. Panyapumila

Kurz in Flora 55,18: 285.1872. Ermania koelzii O. Schulz in^edde, Repert. Spec. Nov.
31- 332.. 1933- Vyedenskiella pumila (Kurz) Botsch. in Nov. Syst. Leningrad 17: 176.
1955.

Leaves spathulate, almost entire or obscurely 1 - 3-toothed above, as long or slightly

exceeding the inflorescence. Racemes ca 3-flowered. Sepals 4 - 5 mm long. Petals ca
9 mm long. Fruits oblong-obovate, short, flattened with pilose margins; style ca 1 mm
long, somewhat broad.

Fl.&Fr. June-July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan.

6. Christolea scaposa Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22:38, f. 2.1955. Ermania
scaposa (Jafri) Botsch. in Bot. J. U.R.S.S. 41: 731.1956.

Herbs, up to 10 cm high, densely pilose, hairs usually simple. Basal leaves orbicular,
with blunt teeth, subcoriaceous, 5 - 15 mm broad, pilose. Racemes ca 20-flowered,
ebracteate, erect-ascending, up to 1 cm long in fruit, pilose. Sepals 3 - 4 mm long. Petals
5 - 6 x 2 mm. Stamens 3.5 - 4.5 cm long. Fruits oblong-linear, compressed, ca 1.2 cm
long, pilose; valves with a distinct mid-vein. Seeds biseriate.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Kashmir.

Endemic.

7. Christolea stewartii (T. Anderson) Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22(1):
53. f. I, E. 1955. Cheiranthus stewartii T. Anderson in Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 132.
1872. Ermania stewartii (T. Anderson) O. Schulz in Bot. Jahrb. 66: 98.1933.

Stems slender, erect, up to 15 cm high. Basal leaves spathulate, subcoriaceous,

toothed at tip, 1.2 - 2.5 x 0.5 - 1 cm, woolly; upper linear, entire, smaller. Racemes 6 -
12-flowered, bracteate, up to 7.5 cm long in fruit. Flowers ca 5 mm across, purple;
pedicels ca 5 mm long in fruit. Sepals oblong, ca 2 mm long. Petals broadly spathulate,
ca 5 mm long. Stamens ca 2 mm long. Stigma sessile. Fruits linear, tapering at both
ends, 2.5 - 3.5 cm long, ca 4 mm broad; valves flat. Seeds small, ovate-oblong, somewhat
2-seriate.

Fl. & Fr. July - Aug.

122 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Distrib. India: Alpine W. Himalayas, 4500 - 5500 m. Jammu & Kashmir and
Himachal Pradesh.

Endemic.

9. Dontostemon Andrz. ex Ledeb., nom. cons.

Herbs, annual, caespitose or subprostrate, branched, with simple or branched

glandular hairs. Leaves linear or spathulate, sinuate-toothed, pinnatifid or entire; lower
stalked; upper sessile or subsessile. Racemes ebracteate. Flowers white to lilac; pedi-
cels flexuous in fruit, glandular. Sepals erect, slightly saccate at base. Petals spathulate,
nearly twice as long as sepals. Stamens 6; filaments often dentate-appendaged; anthers
short, blunt. Lateral nectar glands present in pairs. Ovary cylindrical or linear, many-
ovuled; style short with broad depressed capitate stigma. Fruits linear to cylindrical,
bilocular, dehiscent. Seeds uniseriate.

Mostly in C. Asia; about 10 species, 2 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves narrowly spathulatre or linear; filaments not dentate 1. D. glandulosus

b. Leaves pectinate; filaments dentate 2. D. pectinatus

1. Dontostemon glandulosus (Karelin & Kir.) O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart.

Berlin 10: 554.1929. Arabis glandulosa Karelin & Kir. in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 15:146.
1842; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:136.1872.

Herbs, erect to suberect, spreading or prostrate, up to 15 cm high. Basal leaves

rosulate, elliptic-lanceolate to narrowly spathulate, entire to sinuate-toothed, petioled,
10 - 20 x 3 - 5 mm; segments linear, 2 - 3 mm broad; upper leaves linear, entire, sessile,
5 - 1 0 mm long. Racemes 10 - 30-flowered, up to 7 cm long in fruit. Flowers 2 - 4 mm
across, pinkish-white to white; pedicels up to 7 mm long in fruit, glandular. Sepals
oblong, 2 - 3 mm long, ca 0.5 mm broad, sparsely hairy. Petals subrounded at apex, 3 -
5 x 1 - 2 mm, pink or White. Stamens up to 3 mm long; anthers ca 0.5 mm long. Fruits
linear, subtorulose, glandular, 1.5 - 2.5 cm long, ca 1 mm thick; valves concave, veined,
with faint midrib. Seeds 10 -15 in each locule, oblong-ellipsoid, slightly flattened, brown.

Fl&Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: 3500 - 5500 m. Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim.

Pakistan, Bhutan and W. China.

1993] BRASSICACEAE 123

2. Dontostemon pectinatus (DC.) Ledeb., Fl. Ross. 1: 175. 1841. Sisymbrium

pectinatum D C , Syst. Nat. 2: 485.1821.

Herbs, erect. Leaves pectinate. Flowers white. Staminal filaments dentate.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan, Nepal, China and Russia (E. Siberia).

10. Drabopsis C.Koch

Monotypic; description and distribution as for the species below.

Drabopsis verna C. Koch in Linnaea 15: 253.1841. Arabis nuda Bel. ex Boiss. in
Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 2,17:54.1842; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:137.1872.
Arabis scapigera Boiss., 1. c. Sisymbrium nudum (Bel. ex Boiss.) Boiss., Fl. Orient. 1:
214.1867. Arabidopsis nuda (Bel. ex Boiss.) Bornm. in Beih. Bot. Centrbl. 28(2): 535.
1911.

Herbs, annual, up to 12 cm high. Leaves radical, obovate-oblong, sessile or sub-

sessile, entire or toothed, 0.5 - 1.5 x 0.2 - 0.5 cm, slightly hairy. Scapes several, erect,
rigid, many-flowered, 2.5 -12.5 cm long, glabrous or slightly hairy at base. Flowers ca 3
mm across; pedicels ca 4 mm long in fruit. Sepals equal, obtuse at apex, ca 3 mm long,
green, glabrous. Petals ca 4 mm long. Stamens ca 2 mm long. Middle nectar glands
absent or rudimentary. Stigma minute. Fruits on very short thick pedicels, straight or
curved above, linear, much flattened, obtuse at apex, 2.5 - 3.5 cm long; valves with a
distant midrib and prominent veins. Seeds 7 -12 in each locule; cotyledons incumbent.

Fl. & Fr. April - June.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Turkey and Central Asia.

11. Loxostemon Hook. f. & Thomson

Monotypic; description and distribution as for the species below.

Loxostemon pulchellus Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 147. 1861;
Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:139.1872.
124 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Herbs, annual or perennial, with thin bulbiferous rhizomes; stems slender, filiform,
flexuous, 5 - 25 cm high; bulbils in a cluster, ovoid, ca 2 x 1 mm at base. Leaves 3 - 5 -
foliolate, simple hairy; petioles 3 - 8 mm long; leaflets elliptic, oblanceolate or linear,
acute at apex, entire, ciliate, 4 - 8 x 1 - 3 mm, subsessile. Corymbs 3 - 6-flowered,
ebracteate; flowers small, lilac; pedicels 5 -10 mm long. Sepals spreading, ovate, ca 2 x
1 mm. Petals obovate to broadly spathulate, clawed at base, ca 4x3 mm, pink. Filaments
broad and toothed above. Stigma sessile, 2-lobed. Fruits linear to ovoid, 5 - 6 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Rocky places, 4000 - 4200 m. West Bengal and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China.

12. Nasturtium R. Br., nom. cons.

Herbs, terrestrial or aquatic, branched, glabrous or hairy. Leaves entire, lobed or

pinnate. Racemes lax in fruit, ebracteate. Flowers small, white. Sepals short. Petals
spathulate. Stamens 6. Ovary oblong, many ovuled. Fruits subcylindrical, bilocular,
dehiscent; valves membranous, faintly 1-nerved, glabrous. Seeds 1 - 2-seriate.

Widespread in the Northern Hemisphere; 2 species, both in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Fruits ca 1 mm broad; seeds uniseriate 1. N. microphyllum

b. Fruits ca 2 mm broad; seeds biseriate 2. N. officinale

1. Nasturtium microphyllum Boenn. ex Reichb., Fl. Ger. Exc. 683. 1832; Jafri in
Fl. W. Pakistan 55: 185.1973.

Herbs, procumbent or erect, up to 75 cm high. Leaves lyrate-pinnate, lower stalked

with 5 - 7 leaflets; upper sessile with 5-9 leaflets. Inflorescence up to 23 cm long in fruit.
Flowers ca 5 mm across, white; pedicels spreading, ca 2 cm long. Fruits slender, 1.5 - 2
cm long, ca 1 mm broad; valves smooth, glabrous. Seeds uniseriate, each side with ca
100 depressions.

Fl.&Fr. April-July.

Distrib. India: Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan, C. Europe, W. Asia, Africa and America.

1993] BRASSICACEAE 125

2. Nasturtium officinale R. Br. in Aiton, Hort. Kew. ed. 2,4:110.1812; Hook. f. &
T Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:133.1872. Sisymbrium nasturtium-aguaticum L., Sp. PL
657.1753. Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum (L.) Hayek, Sched. Fl. Stir. Exs. 3-4:22.1905.

Eng.: Water-cress.

Herbs, perennial; stems much-branched, creeping or floating, rooting below at

nodes, usually up to 40 cm long, rarely up to 100 cm long. Leaves lyrate-pinnate, 1 -12
cm long; lower with 1 - 7 leaflets, petioled; upper with 5 - 9 leaflets; terminal leaflets
suborbicular or broadly ovate-cordate, acute or obtuse, 5 - 20 x 5 -15 mm; lateral leaflets
elliptic, entire or sinuate-toothed, 3 - 20 x 2 -10 mm. Racemes 5 - 20-flowered, 4 -10
cm long. Flowers ca 3 mm across, white; pedicels up to 1 cm long in fruit. Sepals oblong,
1 - 2 mm long, ca 1 mm wide. Petals obovate, 3 - 5 mm long, ca 2 mm wide. Stamens 6,
ca 3 mm long. Fruits spreading, slightly upcurved, 0.8 - 2.5 cm long, on 6 -12 mm long
pedicels. Seeds 2-seriate, ovoid-rounded, lenticular, 0.7 - 1 x 0.5 mm, red, muriculate.

Fl.&Fr. March-July.

Distrib. India: Throughout, up to 3000 m, mostly along water courses.

Temperate and subtropical Africa, Asia and Europe.

Notes. Eaten as salad.

13. Pegaeophyton Hayek & Hand.-Mazz.

Herbs, perennial with thick or thin rootstocks, glabrous or with simple hairs. Leaves
rosulate, spathulate, linear-lanceolate, obovate or ovate. Flowers solitary on slender
scapes, variable in size, white or purplish. Sepals spreading, rounded at apex, not
pouched at base. Petals about twice as long as sepals with broad limb. Stamens 6. Ovary
narrowly ovoid, glabrous, ca 10-ovuled; stigma sessile or subsessile. Fruits ovoid,
ellipsoid or suborbicular; valves with faint midrib and veins; septum incomplete. Seeds
biseriate, few.

C. Asia and Himalayas; 3 species, 2 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Rootstock slender, ca 1 mm thick; scapes minutely pubescent on one side 1. P. mi nut urn
t>- Rootstock stout, ca 10 mm thick; scapes glabrous 2. P. scapiflorum

1. Pegaeophyton minutum Hara in J. Jap. Bot. 47:270.1972; Grierson in Grierson

& Long, Fl. Bhutan 1(2): 433.1984.
126 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Rootstock slender, ca 1 mm thick, branching. Leaves obovate, spathulate, ovate or

linear, 1 - 4 x 1 - 2 mm; petioles up to 2 cm long. Scapes minutely pubescent, up to 2.5
cm long. Sepals white or purplish, ca 2 x 1 mm. Fruits ellipsoid, up to 1.5 cm long; style
1-2 mm long.

Fl.&Fr. May-Aug.

Distrib. India: 3900-4900 m. Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (S. Tibet).

2. Pegaeophyton scapiflorum (Hook. f. & Thomson) Marquand & Shaw in J. Linn.

Soc, Bot. 48: 229.1929. Cochlearia scapiflora Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot.
5:154.1861; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:145.1872.

Rootstock branching above, ca 10 mm thick; aerial stem absent. Leaves spathulate

or linear-lanceolate, tapering at base into a long flat petiole, entire or with a few broad
sharp teeth along margins, rounded, obtuse or acute at apex, 1 - 7 x 0.1 - 0.6 cm, glabrous
or sparsely hairy. Flowers ca 5 mm across. Sepals ca 3 x 2 mm. Petals 3 - 6 x 2 - 4 mm.
Stamens ca 3.5 mm long. Fruits ellipsoid-oblong, slightly compressed, unilocular, 6-10
x 3 - 8 mm, glabrous. Seeds small, few.

Fl.&Fr. May-Aug.

Distrib. India: Alpine streamsides, 3900 - 4900 m. Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim.

Nepal and Bhutan.

14. Phaeonychium O. Schulz

Herbs, perennial with woody rootstocks; stems densely hairy. Leaves in basal
rosette, oblong-linear or spathulate-oblong, entire or minutely dentate above, bearing
stellately branched hairs. Flowers several or few, on ebracteate scapes, white or with
lilac tinge. Sepals erect or somewhat spreading. Petals obovate, clawed, about twice
as long as sepals. Stamens 6. Lateral nectar glands horse-shoe shaped. Ovary oblong-
linear, 3 - 7-ovuled in each locule, densely hairy. Fruits linear-elliptic, compressed,
bilocular. Seeds 3 - 6, irregularly 1-seriate.

Himalayas, Pamir-Altai and Afghanistan; 3 species, 2 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Basal leaves 1 - 2 cm long 1. P. albiflorum

b. Basal leaves 5 - 8 cm long 2. P. parryoides
1993] BRASSICACEAE 127

1. Phaeonychium albiflorum (T. Anderson) Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 55:162.1973.

Cheiranthus albiflorus T. Anderson in Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 133^1872. Ermania
albiflora (T. Anderson) O. Schulz in Bot. Jahrb. 66: 98.1933. Christolea albiflora (T.
Anderson) Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22: 52.1955.

Herbs, minutely tomentose, hoary, up to 8 cm high. Basal leaves linear-lanceolate

or subspathulate, entire or sub-lobed, 1 - 2 cm long, ca 3 mm broad; cauline ones
linear-lanceolate, entire or rarely toothed. Racemes 10 - 12-flowered. Flowers white,
ca 5 mm across; pedicels ca 5 mm long in fruit. Sepals linear, ca 2 mm long, tomentose.
Petals spathulate, obtuse or slightly retuse at apex, ca 7 mm long. Stamens ca 3 mm long.
Style short, glabrous, with sub-bilobed stigma. Fruits ca 5 mm long when young, densely
pubescent.

Fl.&Fr. June-July.

Distrib. India: 3600 - 5300 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

China (W. Tibet).

2. Phaeonychium parryoides (Hook. f. & T. Anderson) O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot.

Gart. Berlin 9: 1092.1927. Cheiranthesparryoid.es Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Hook, f.,
Fl. Brit. India 1:132.1872.

Herbs, erect or suberect; rootstock up to 15 mm thick, densely covered with

withered petiole bases; stems 5 -15 cm long, white pubescent. Basal leaves linear-oblong
to elliptic, entire, attenuate at base, acute or rounded at apex, 5 - 8 x 0.4 - 2.6 cm, densely
tomentose. Racemes many-flowered, lax, up to 22 cm long in fruit. Flowers white or
mauve with lilac base, ca 6 mm across; pedicels erect, 1.5 - 2.5 cm long in fruit, tomentose.
Sepals elliptic, 3.5 - 4 x 1 -1.5 mm, pubescent. Petals 7 - 8 x 3 - 4 mm, white with dark
purple claw. Stamens ca 5 mm long. Style ca 1 mm long with bilobed stigma. Fruits
linear, flattened, ca 2 cm long, stellately ca 2 mm thick, grey-pubescent; valve with a
distinct midvein.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Rocky cliffs, 3000 - 3700 m. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal
Pradesh.

Pakistan, Bhutan and China (W. Tibet).

15. Rorippa Scop.

Herbs, annual or perennial, erect, branching, glabrous or with simple hairs; taproot
slender. Leaves simple to deeply lyrate-pinnate, glabrous or sparsely pilose. Flowers in
128 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

bracteate or ebracteate racemes, yellow. Sepals scarcely saccate at base; inner sepals
pouched at base. Petals yellow, as long as or longer than sepals or absent. Stamens 6
or sometimes 4. Ovary oblong to suborbicular, many-ovuled; stigma slightly bilobed.
Fruits linear, cylindrical or ellipsoid, bilocular, dehiscent; valves with indistinct midrib;
style short; stigma rounded. Seeds suborbicular, few to numerous, more or less biseriate,
reddish-brown.

Mostly in northern temperate zone; about 90 species, 7 in India.

Notes. Sometimes considered congeneric with Nasturtium R. Br. In that case the
correct name for the combined genus would be Rorippa Scop.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Mature fruits up to 10 mm long, 2 - 2.5 mm broad 6. R. palustris

b. Mature fruits usually 10-35 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad 2
2a. Flowers bracteate 1. R. benghalensis
b. Flowers usually ebracteate 3
3a. Petals much longer than sepals 7. R. sylvestris
b. Petals more or less equalling the sepals or absent 4
4a. Mature fruits 1 - 2 cm long 5
b. Mature fruits 2.5 - 3.5 cm long 6
5a. Pedicels ca 3 mm long in fruit 4. R. madagascariensis
b. Pedicels 5 - 7 mm long in fruit 3. R. indica
6a. Petals always present S. R. montana
b. Petals usually absent 2. R. dubia

1. Rorippa benghalensis (DC.) Hara in J. Jap. Bot. 49: 132. 1974. Nasturtium
benghalensis D C , Syst. Nat. 2:198.1821. N. indicum (L.) DC. var. benghalensis (DC.)
Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 134. 1872. R. indica (L.) Hiern var.
benghalensis (DC.) Deb in Taxon 14: 111. 1965.

Beng.: Bil-rai.

Herbs, 15 - 25 cm high, branched. Lower leaves pinnatifid, petioled; upper coarsely

toothed, sessile. Racemes many-flowered, bracteate; bracts linear-lanceolate, leaf-like,
variously toothed or entire, sessile, 0.5 - 2 cm long. Fruits 1 - 1.5 cm long, 1 -1.5 mm
thick, on 3 - 7 mm long pedicels.

Fl. & Fr. March - May.

Distrib. India: 270 - 600 m. West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and Meghalaya.

Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indo-China and Java.

1993] BRASSICACEAE 129

2. Rorippa dubia (Pers.) Hara in J. Jap. Bot. 30: 196.1955. Sisymbrium dubium
Pers., Synop. Pi. 2:199.1806. Nasturtium indicum auct. non (L.) D C 1 8 2 1 ; Hook. f. &
T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:132.1872, p. p.

Herbs, annual or biennial, slender, up to 20 cm tall, creeping at base, usually

glabrous, young parts hairy. Leaves serrate-dentate, 2 - 7 x 1 - 2.5 cm; basal leaves densely
crowded, lyrate-pinnatifid, long-petioled; upper ones obovate-oblanceolate, entire or
irregularly serrate-dentate, sessile or subsessile. Racemes 6 -10 cm long; pedicels erect
or erecto-patent, ca 2 mm long (3 - 4 mm long in fruit). Sepals erect, ca 2 mm long,
green. Petals often absent. Stamens ca 2 mm long. Stigma subsessile. Pods thin, straight
or slightly curved, 2.5 - 3 cm long, 0.6 - 0.8 mm thick; pedicels 4 - 8 mm long. Seeds
uniseriate.

Fl. & Fr. Nov. - May (-July).

Distrib. India: Humid stony localities, up to 1500 m. Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan, China, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia.

3. Rorippa indica (L.) Hiern, Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. 1:26. add. et corr. 1896 et 2: 481,
errata 1899. Sisymbrium indicum L., Mant. PI. 1: 93. 1767. Nasturtium indicum (L.)
D C , Syst. Nat. 2:199.1821; Hook. f. & T. Anderson inFl. Brit. India 1:134.1872.
Fig. 22.

Tam.: Kattu-kadugu.

Herbs, annual, erect, slender, simple or branched, up to 60 cm high, glabrous or

hairy. Lower leaves deeply lyrate-pinnatifid to pinnatipartite with 1 - 4 segments on
either side, 6 -10 x 2.5 cm; upper ones sessile, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate-oblong,
entire, lyrate-pinnatifid or'dentate above base. Racemes terminal, 7 - 30 cm long,
many-flowered. Flowers bright yellow, ca 2.5 mm across; pedicels 5 - 7 mm long in fruit.
Sepals 2 - 3 mm long. Petals 3 - 4 mm long. Stamens ca 2 mm long. Stigma subsessile.
Fruits on patent or erecto-patent 4 - 8 mm long stalks, slightly curved, beaked, 10 - 20 x
1.5 mm. Seeds biseriate or sub-biseriate, minute, rugose, spherical, red-brown.

Fl. & Fr. April - June (Aug. - Jan.)

Distrib. India: Mostly along agricultural fields, roadsides and streamsides, up to

2000 m. Throughout India.

Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China, S.E. Asia and Africa.

4. Rorippa madagascariensis (DC.) Hara in J. Jap. Bot. 30:198.1955. Nasturtium

madagascariensis D C , Syst. Nat. 2: 192.1821. N. indicum auct. non (L.) D C ; Hook.
130 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

, cri

I I IN

Fig. 22. Rorippa indica (L.) Hiern : a. plant; b. flower; c. flower with perianth
removed; d. stamen; e. ovary; f. fruit; g. seeds attached to septum; h. seed.
 BRASSICACEAE 131
1993]

f & T. Anderson in FL. Brit. India 1: 134. 1872. Rorippa pseudoislandica H. J.

Chowdhery & R. R. Rao in Indian J. For. 8:150.1985.

Herbs, glabrous, up to 35 cm high. Leaves sessile, obovate, oblong, deeply pin-

natifid, auriculate-amplexicaul at base, toothed along margins, 5 -12 cm long, sparsely
hairy. Flowers yellow, small; pedicels up to 3 mm long in fruit. Sepals oblong, 1.5 - 2 x
1 mm. Petals narrowly oblong, 2 - 2.5 x 0.7 - 0.8 mm. Stamens 6; filaments 1.6 - 2 mm
long; anthers ca 0.5 mm long. Ovary ellipsoid, 1.5 x 0.8 mm with a stout style and capitate
stigma. Fruits cylindric, glabrous, upcurved, 7 -14 x 1 - 2 mm, on 2 - 4 mm long pedicels
and up to 1 mm long persistent style. Seeds 2-seriate, lenticular, ca 0.7 mm in diam.

Fl&Fr. Feb.-May.

Distrib. India: 200 - 2400 m. Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Bhutan, Pakistan, tropical Africa and Madagascar.

5. Rorippa montana (Hook. f. & Thomson) Small, Fl. SE. United States, ed. 2:
1336.1913. Nasturtium montanum Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Proc. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:
139.1861; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:134.1872

Herbs, erect, up to 45 cm high, usually glabrous or sometimes slightly villous. Basal

leaves petiolate, obovate-oblong, sinuate-pinnatifid, 4 -10 x 1 - 3 cm; upper leaves very
variable, ovate, entire or minutely toothed, sessile or subsessile, 1 - 6 x 0.5 - 2 cm.
Racemes 8 - 15-flowered, up to 10 cm long. Flowers small; pedicels spreading, ca 5 mm
long. Petals almost equalling sepals. Fruits slender, cylindric, not beaked, 2.5 - 3.5 cm
long. Seeds 60 - 80, uniseriate, pitted, brown.

Fl.&Fr. Dec.-March.

Distrib. India: Weed in wet and shaded places in cultivated fields. Himachal
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya and
Maharashtra.

Pakistan, Myanmar, Java, China and E. Asia.

6. Rorippa palustris (L.) Besser, Enum. PI. Volhyn. 27.1822. Sisymbrium amphi-
bium L. \<a.palustre L., Sp. PI. 657.1753. Rorippa islandica auct. non (Deder) Borbas
1900. Nasturtium palustre (L.) D C , Syst. Nat. 2:191.1821; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in
Fl. Brit. India 1:133.1872.

Herbs, annual or biennial, up to 80 cm high, suberect to ascending, glabrous or with

a few simple hairs. Leaves lyrate-pinnatifid or toothed, 5 -18 x 1 - 5 cm; lateral segments
-jugate, oblong, elliptic; terminal segments ovate, obtuse at apex, crenately sinuate-
132 FLORA O F INDIA [VOL. 2

toothed at margins, glabrous. Racemes ebracteate, 10 - 30-flowered, up to 25 cm long

in fruit. Flowers ca 2 mm across; pedicels horizontal, ca 1 cm long in fruit. Sepals
erecto-patent, ovate, 2 - 2.5 mm long, green or yellowish. Petals spathulate, 2 - 2.5 x
0.5 - 1.5 cm, yellow. Filaments dilated at base, ca 2 mm long. Fruits oblong, slightly
curved when ripe, 5 -10 x 2 - 2.5 mm; valves convex, glabrous. Seeds crowded, 2-seriate,
many, suborbicular, not winged, ca 0.5 mm in diam., pale brown.

Fl&Fr. April-July.

Distrib. India: Humid marshy localities, 2000 - 3300 m. Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam.

Europe and temperate Asia.

Notes. Naqshi & Javeid (in Geobios 3: 165 -166. 1976) discuss the nomenclature
of this species.

7. Rorippa sylvestris (L.) Besser, Enum. PI. Volhyn 27. 1822; Javeid in Indian
For. 99: 629.1973. Sisymbrium sylvestre L., Sp. PI. 657.1753. Nasturtium sylvestre (L.)
R. Br. in Aiton, Hort. Kew. ed.2.4:110.1812.

Herbs, perennial, stoloniferous, erect or decumbent, 15 - 45 cm high, more or less

glabrous. Leaves pinnate or pinnatifid, 3 -10 cm long; lower petiolate, upper subsessile
or sessile; lobes obovate to oblong, cuneate at base, sinuate-toothed or subentire,
rounded at apex. Racemes (10-) 25 - 50-flowered, up to 15 cm long in fruit. Flowers
5 - 8 mm across. Sepals spreading or suberect, ca 2 mm long. Petals ovate, ca 5 mm
long, yellow. Stamens ca 3 mm long. Fruits linear-oblong to cylindrical, slightly curved,
1 -1.6 cm long, glabrous. Seeds many, biseriate.

Fl. & Fr. May - Aug.

Distrib. India: Common in waste places in Srinagar. Jammu & Kashmir.

Eurasia.

16. Turritis L.

Herbs, annual or perennial. Basal leaves in rosette, stalked; cauline many, sagit-
tate-amplexicaul. Racemes many-flowered. Flowers small; pedicels erect, somewhat
appressed in fruit. Fruits long, erect, slender, terete or somewhat quadrangular, com-
pressed, usually with biseriate seeds.

Mostly in Europe, Asia and Africa; introduced in N. America and Australia;

probably 3 species, 1 in India.
 BRASSICACEAE 133
1993]

Turritis glabra L., Sp. PI. 666.1753. Arabis glabra (L.) Bernh., Syst. Verz Erfurt.
1-195.1800; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:135.1872.

Herbs, erect, up to 1 m high, glabrous or slightly hairy at base. Basal leaves

obovate-oblong, spreading, entire or sinuate-toothed or pinnately lobed, 5 - 15 x 1.5 -
3 5 cm, rough on both surfaces; cauline oblong-lanceolate, entire, auricled at base, 2 - 8
x 0.5 - 3 cm, glabrous. Racemes up to 30 cm long in fruit. Flowers ca 5 mm across, white
or straw-coloured. Sepals 3 - 4 mm long. Petals ca 5 mm long. Stamens ca 4 mm long.
Fruits linear, crowded, pedicelled, 5 - 9 cm long; valves flat, 1-nerved; septum with
depressions. Seeds biseriate.

Fl.&Fr. May-Aug.

Distrib. India: 2000 - 3500 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar
Pradesh.

Europe, Asia, introduced elsewhere.

Tribe3. B R A S S I C E A E Hayek

(P. K. Hajra, H. J. Chowdhery and G. H. Bhaumik)

Herbs, glabrous or hispid. Leaves pinnatifid or entire. Filaments of stamens very

rarely appendaged. Lateral nectar glands of different shapes, truncated at apex; middle
glands often long, subglobose or stalk-like. Stigma capitate or bilobed. Fruit siliqua,
silicle or lomentum with distinct closed beak containing a few or no seeds.

8 genera and 15 species in India.

Literature. NAQSHI, A.R. & G.N. JAVEID (1987) Tribe Brassiceae (Brassicaceae) in Kashmir
Himalayas. J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 9: 89 - 96. SCHULZ, O. E. (1919) Cruciferae - Brassiceae I. in Engler,
Pflanzenreich 70 (IV. 105): 1 - 290, ff. 1 - 35. SCHULZ, O. E. (1919) Cruciferae - Brassiceae II. ibid. 84
(IV. 105): 1 -100, ff. 1 - 26.

17. Brassica L.

Herbs, glabrous, sparsely hirsute or hispid; rootstock slender or tuberous. Leaves

alternate, petiolate or sessile, often amplexicaul, lower sometimes rosulate, pinnatifid
or lyrate, rarely entire. Racemes usually short, corymbose. Flowers yellow or white,
pals su bequal, erect or spreading, inner larger, usually pouched. Petals yellow or
white, clawed. Stamens 6. Ovary cylindrical, 5 - 45-ovuled; style dirf"nct; stigma capitate
or 2-lobed. Fruit a siliqua with long or short seedless or 1 - 2-seede i narrow beak, linear
or oblong, terete or angular; valves convex with prominent median vein. Seeds few to
many, uniseriate or rarely biseriate (in some extra-Indian species).
134 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Mostly Mediterranean; about 40 species, 6 in India.

Notes. Most of the species are cultivated, as these include many vegetables and oil
seed plants. There is considerable confusion regarding the identity and nomenclature
of several species and infraspecific taxa.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Upper leaves stalked or narrowed at base 2

b. Upper leaves usually amplexicaul, rounded or deeply cordate at base 4
2a. Beak of fruits 10 -15 mm long 6. B. tournefortii
b. Beak of fruits 4 -10 mm long 3
3a. Beak of fruits 4 mm long 3. B. nigra
b. Beak of fruits 5 -10 mm long 1. B.juncea
4a. All leaves glabrous 4. B. oleracea
b. Lower leaves always bristly or ciliately hairy 5
5a. All leaves glaucous 2. B. napus
b. Lower leaves usually green, not glaucous 5. B. rapa

1. Brassica juncea (L.) Czern., Consp. Fl. Chark. 8.1859; Hook. f. & T. Anderson
in Fl. Brit. India 1:157.1872. Sinapis juncea L., Sp. PI. 668.1753.

Asm.: Lai, Lahi; Beng. & Hindi: Rai.

Herbs, annual, erect, branched, 20 -100 cm high, glabrous, sometimes glaucous or

hispid. Basal leaves oblong-lanceolate, lyrate-pinnatifid, ioothed, petioled, 6 -10 x 2 -
5 cm; middle leaves oblong-ovate, dentate; upper narrow-lanceolate, toothed, subses-
sile. Racemes many-flowered. Flowers ca 7 mm across, bright yellow. Sepals ca 5 mm
long. Petals obovate, clawed, rounded at apex, ca 8 mm long. Stamens ca 5 mm long.
Fruits suberect, torulose, 2 - 5 cm long; beak long, seedless; valves with a prominent
midrib. Seeds globose, reddish-brown, 10 - 20 in each locule.

Fl. & Fr. March - May.

Distrib. India: Cultivated throughout.

C. & E. Asia and Europe.

Notes. A number of infra-specific taxa have been recognised under this species. As
most of them are cultivated forms, they are not easily distinguishable.

Usually cultivated for its oil-yielding seeds. Sometimes leaves are taken as vegetable
•r salad.
 M , BRASSICACEAE 135
1993 J

2. Brassica napus L., Sp. PI. 666.1753. B. campestris L. subsp. napus (L.) Hook. f.
& T. Anderson in Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1:156.1872.

Herbs annual or biennial, erect, 50 - 150 cm high; taproot fusiform, tuberous,

slender or stout. Leaves glaucous; basal leaves petiolate, lyrato-pinnatipartite or not,
5 - 22 x 1 - 70 cm, glabrous or sparingly pubescent; upper leaves sessile, shallowly cordate
at base, clasping the stem, entire or dentate. Racemes 5 - 50 cm long; pedicels 1 - 2 cm
long, up to 3 cm in fruit. Sepals erecto-patent, 6 - 8 mm long. Petals clawed, 10 - 20 mm
long, deep or light yellow. Basal stamens shorter and erecto-patent. Fruits 4 -11 cm
long, 3 - 4 mm thick, suberect, attenuate to a long slender up to 3 cm long beak. Seeds
obscurely dentate.

KEY TO THE SUBSPECIES

la. Roots and stem base tuberous 2.1. subsp. napobrassica

b. Roots and stem base slender 2.2. subsp. napus

2.1. subsp. napobrassica (L.) Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 55:24.1973. B. oleracea L.

var. napobrassica L., Sp. PI. 667.1753.

Roots tuberous; lower leaves lyrate-pinnatipartite, 5 - 22 x 1 - 7 cm.

Distrib. India: N.W. Himalayas.

2.2. subsp. napus

Herbs, annual or biennial, erect, branched, up to 1.5 m high, glabrous, glaucous,

taproot slender. Basal leaves lyrate-pinnatisect, 4 - 20 x 2 - 5 cm; upper leaves cauline,
lanceolate, amplexicaul, more or less entire, sessile. Racemes 10 - 40-flowered. Sepals
erect, ca 6 mm long. Petals obovate, 1 - 1.5 cm long. Stamens ca 8 mm long. Fruits
linear, subtorulose, 4 - 8 cm long. Seeds globose, ca 1.5 mm across, yellowish-brown,
10 - 20 in each locule.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Fruits erect, 4-loculed; beak flattened 2.2.1. var. quadrivalvis

b. Fruits pendulous, 3 - 4-loculed; beak terete 2.2.2. var. trilocularis

2.2.1. subsp. napus var. quadrivalvis (Hook. f. & Thomson) O. Schulz in Engler,
Pflanzenr. 70:42.1919. B. quadrivalvis Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:170.
1861.

Distrib. India: Cultivated fields in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

136 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Nepal.

2. 22. subsp. napus var. trilocularis (Roxb.) O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 70:
42.1919. Sinapis trilocularis Roxb., Fl. Ind. 3: 121.1832. Brassica trilocularis (Roxb.)
Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 170.1861; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl.
Brit. India 1:156.1872.

Distrib. India: Cultivated in Sikkim and Assam.

Throughout the temperate regions of the world.

3. Brassica nigra (L.) Koch in Roehling, Deuts. Fl. ed. 3, 4: 713.1833; Hook. f. &
T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 156. 1872. Sinapis nigra L., Sp. PI. 668. 1753. S.
erysimoides Roxb., Fl. Ind. 3:123.1832.

Beng.: Benarisi-rai; Eng.: Mustard; Hindi: Kali-sarson; Kan.: Sasive; Mai.: Ka-
dugu; Mar.: Mohari; Tarn.: Kadugu; Tel: Avalu.

Herbs, annual, erect, rigid, 4 0 - 9 0 (-120) cm high, branched, more or less hispid.
Lower leaves lyrate, deeply pinnatifid or pinntisect, 6 - 20 x 4 -12 cm; upper smaller,
narrowly elliptic or lanceolate, entire, sessile or shortly stalked. Inflorescence a bran-
ched raceme, densely 40 - 50-flowered, naked. Flowers ca 1.2 cm across, bright yellow;
pedicels 3 - 5 mm long, ebracteate. Sepals erect-spreading, oblong, obtuse at apex, 4 -
5 mm long, glabrous. Petals obovate, long-clawed, 8 - 10 mm long. Stamens ca 4 mm
long. Fruits oblong, 1 - 2 cm long, 1 - 2.5 mm thick; beak 2 - 3 mm long, seedless; valves
keeled, torulose, 3 - 5-seeded in each locule; seeds globular, ca 1 mm in diam., dark-
brown.

Fl. & Fr. March - May.

Distrib. India: Introduced and widely cultivated in northern parts.

Throughout Europe, N. Africa, S.W. Asia and in most temperate parts of the world.

Notes. Cultivated for its seeds which yield Mustard oil.

4. Brassica oleracea L., Sp. Pi. 667.1753.

Herbs, glabrous; stems 30 - 100 cm high. Leaves fleshy; lower leaves petioled,
lyrately pinnatipartite, 15 - 40 cm long; terminal lobe broadly ovate or suborbicular,
cordate at base, broadly dentate or crenate at margins, rounded at apex; lateral lobes
2 - 3 (-5) pairs, smaller than terminal. Upper leaves sessile, simple, lanceolate to
oblong-lanceolate, rounded-cordate or often subamplexicaul at base. Racemes simple
or often panicled, ebracteate, elongating to 30 cm in fruit; pedicels 1.5 - 2 cm long, up
1993] BRASSICACEAE 137

to 2.5 cm in fruit. Sepals erect, oblong, obtuse, 8 -12 x 2 - 3 mm. Petals obovate, clawed,
15 - 20 x 4 - 6 cm. Stamens erect. Fruits erect or on erecto-patent pedicels, 6 -10 cm
long including 1 - 2 cm long often 1-seeded beak. Seeds reticulate.

The following varieties are cultivated for vegetable:

4.1. Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis L., Sp. PI. 667.1753.

Eng.: Cauliflower; Hindi: Phulgobhi.

Stems moderately tall; leaves usually shallowly lobed, the higher leaves usually
enclosing inflorescence; rachises of young inflorescences and pedicels thickened for-
ming a dense yellowish white mass with the flowers and buds.

Extensively cultivated in different parts of India and used as vegetable.

4.2. Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata L., Sp. PI. 667.1753.

Eng.: Cabbage; Asm., Beng., Guj. & Hindi: Bandha-gobhi; Kan.: Kolu-gadde;
Mai. & Tam.: Mootaghos, Muttakhoos.

Stems short until flowering; leaves very densely packed and overlapping into a
subglobose or ellipsoid head with very stout nerves forming the "Cabbage" used as
vegetable.

Abundantly cultivated all over India.

Notes. Apart from being used as vegetable, it is reported to be a remedy for bleeding
piles. Half a cup of fresh juice of leaves is given to the person with bleeding piles daily
in the morning, followed by a glass of water. This is said to cure piles (Goel & Aswal in
J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 14:186.1990).

4.3. Brassica oleracea L. var. gemmifera Zenker, Fl. Thueringen 15: 2.1836.

Stems long with numerous lateral, semi-closed lateral sprouts, callea the "Brussels
sprouts".

Often cultivated in cold hill stations.

4.4. Brassica oleracea L. var. gongylodes L., Sp. PI. 667.1753.

Eng.: Knol-khol; Hindi & Beng.: Ganth-gobi, Ol-gobhi.

138 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Cultivated throughout India, for the swollen and subglobosely thickened fleshy
stem, used as vegetable.

5. Brassica rapa L., Sp. PI. 666. 1753. B. campestris subsp. rapa Hook. f. & T.
Anderson in Hook, f., Ft Brit. India 1:156.1872.

Herbs, annual or biennial; taproot slender, stout or tuberous. Basal leaves short
petioled, lyrate, bright green, hispid or with setiform hairs; upper cauline leaves sessile,
amplexicaul, glaucous and glabrous. Flowers yellow, in terminal racemes, overtopping
buds. Sepals patent. Petals 4,5 -10 mm long. Stamens 6. Fruits glabrous, 3.5 -10.5 cm
long. Seeds small, smooth, pale or dark.

KEY TO THE SUBSPECIES

la. Roots slender 5.1. subsp. campestris

b. Roots tuberous, globose or nearly so 5.2. var. rapa

5.1. subsp. campestris (L.) Clapham in Fl. Brit. Isles, ed. 2:124.1962. B. campestris
L., Sp. PI. 666.1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:156.1872. B. rapa L.
var. campestris (L.) Peterm., Fl. Lips. 491.1838. Fig. 23.

Herbs, annual, simple or branched, 30 - 100 cm high, glabrous or slightly hispid.

Basal leaves pinnatifid or more or less so, often auricled, petioled; upper oblong or
lanceolate. Flowers yellow. Pods up to 10.5 cm long. Seeds ca 1.5 mm across.

Fl. & Fr. Jan. - March.

Distrib. India: Cultivated and found as an escape.

C. Asia and Europe.

5.2. subsp. rapa

B. campestris L. subsp. rapa (L.) Hook. f. & T. Anderson, 1. c.

Eng.: Common Turnip; Hindi: Shalgam.

Biennial; roots tuberous; stems branched, up to 1 m high, hairy below, glabrous

above. Basal leaves 5-jugate, lyrate-pinnatifid, 10 - 30 x 5 - 10 cm; middle and upper
leaves oblong to oblong-lanceolate, clasping stem with cordate base, glabrous, glaucous.
Racemes 30 - 40-flowered. Flowers ca 1 cm across, yellow. Fruits linear, subtorulose,
3.5 - 8 cm long. Seeds 8 -12 in each locule, yellow-brown.

Fl.&Fr. Oct.-Dec.
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140 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Distrib. Cultivated throughout India, especially in hilly regions, as vegetable, for its
tuberous taproot.

6. Brassica tournefortii Gouan, Illus. Obs. Bot. 44. t. 20A. 1773; Hook. f. & T.
Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:156.1872. B. stocksii Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc,
Bot. 5:171.1861.

Herbs, erect, 30 - 70 cm high, branched, hispid or glabrate. Basal leaves crowded,

spreading, runcinate-lyrate, hispid, toothed; cauline leaves linear-lanceolate, entire or
pinnatifid, acute at apex, 1 - 3 x 0.4 - 0.8 cm. Racemes 15 - 20-flowered, lax. Flowers ca
6 mm across, yellow; pedicels 0.5 - 3 cm long. Sepals ca 3 mm long. Petals oblong-obo-
vate, rounded at apex, ca 5 mm long. Stamens ca 4 mm long. Fruits linear-oblong, 4 - 6
cm long. Seeds uniseriate, many, globose, dark brown, finely tuberculated.

Fl. & Fr. May - June.

Distrib. India: Near cultivated fields. Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Native of the Mediterranean region, especially in Spain and Italy.

18. Conringia Fabr.

Herbs, annual, glabrous, glaucous. Leaves oblong, entire, auricled at base; lower
subsessile or shortly petioled; upper sessile, usually cordate-clasping. Racemes lax,
ebracteate. Flowers pale yellow, short-pedicelled. Sepals elongate, equal or lateral ones
saccate at base. Petals obovate-oblong, clawed. Stamens 6. Lateral nectar glands
semi-annular. Fruits dehiscent, terete or tetragonous siliqua, linear, often compressed;
valves 1 - 3-nerved, smooth, torulose; stigma simple or bilobed. Seeds 1 - seriate, oblong,
brown; cotyledons incumbent.

Central Europe, Mediterranean region and central and S.W. Asia; about 8 species,
1 in India.

Conringia planisiliqua Fischer & Meyer in Sem. Hort. Petrop. 3: 32. n. 564.1837;
Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:152.1872. Erysimumplanisiliquum (Fischer
& Meyer) Steudel, Nom. ed. 2.394.1840. Sisymbrium planisiliquum (Fischer & Meyer)
Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:159.1861.

Herbs , erect, 30 - 60 cm high. Leaves oblong-ovate, entire or obscurely toothed,

5 - 8.5 x 1 - 3 cm; basal leaves petiolate; cauline sessile. Racemes many-flowered, up to
15 cm long. Flowers ca 5 mm across; pedicels slender, up to 1 cm long. Sepals ca 4 mm
long. Petals ca 6 mm long. Stamens ca 5 mm long. Fruits linear, 7.5 -10 cm long; valves
convex. Seeds 12 - 20 in each locule.
1993] BRASSICACEAE 141

Fl. & Fr. Apr. - June.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir (Gilgit, Baltistan).

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Anatolia, C. Asia and Trans-Caspian region.

19. Crambe L.

Herbs or undershrubs, annual or perennial, glabrous or with unbranched hairs.

Basal leaves large, entire or pinnatifid, lyrate or toothed, glabrous or simple hairy;
cauline leaves much smaller. Racemes elongate, usually panicled. Flowers conspicuous,
white, rarely golden yellow. Sepals oblong, spreading. Petals obovate, cuneate at base,
longer than sepals. Filaments of the larger stamens frequently toothed at apex. Fruit a
transversely articulate 2-jointed indehiscent silicula; the lower joint short, cylindrical,
sterile or rarely 1-seeded, forming a stalk with gynophore; the upper globose or ovoid,
1-seeded, at first fleshy, later becomes dry and thick, indehiscent; seed pendent, globose,
cotyledons 2-lobed, conduplicate.

Europe, North Atlantic Islands, Tropical Africa, C. & W. Asia; about 25 species, 1
in India.

Crambe cordifolia Steven subsp. kotschyana (Boiss.) Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 55:
37. 1973; Chowdhery & Wadhwa, Fl. Himachal Pradesh 1: 63. 1984. C. kotschyana
Boiss., Diagn. ser. 1,6:19.1845. C. cordifolia Steven var. kotswchyana (Boiss.) O. Schulz
in Engler, Pflanzenr. 70: 236.1919.

Perennials; rootstock thick, fleshy; stems 1 - 2 m high, branched, striated, sparsely

bristly hairy. Radical leaves cordate-reniform, irregularly crenate, 10 - 25 x 15 - 40 cm,
more or less coriaceous, scabrous, hirsute on both surfaces; petioles dilated at base,
10 - 40 cm long, striated, strigose, hairy; cauline leaves much smaller, on shorter petioles,
ovate-elliptic or rhomboid, sharply toothed. Racemes large, ebracteate; pedicels 2 - 4
cm long in fruit. Sepals 3 - 4 mm long with rigid bristles. Petals obovate-oblong, white,
cuneate at base, rounded at apex, 6 - 10 x 3 - 5 mm. Fruits biarticulated; lower part
stalk-like, ca 2 mm long, sterile; upper ovate-suborbicular, 4 - 5 mm in diam., 1-seeded;
valves thick, reticulately veined. Seeds subglobose, 3 - 4 mm in diam., pale brown.

Fl. & Fr. Apr. - June.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

W. Tibet and C. & S.W. Asia.

142 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Notes. Leaves and roots are eaten as vegetable. The plant as a whole is a good
fodder.

Can be distinguished from var. cordifolia by its comparatively thicker and less
incised leaves, and larger and more rounded fruit.

20. Diplotaxis DC.

Annuals, erect, branched, hairy to subglabrous. Leaves lyrate-pinnate, dentate or

rarely pinnatisect, lower shortly stalked, upper subsessile or sessile. Racemes corym-
bose, becoming lax and elongated in fruit. Flowers often large, yellow, purple, or
pink-white; pedicels often elongated and pendulous in fruit. Sepals oblong,
erect,spreading, subequal. Petals broadly obovate, shortly clawed or not, subemarginate
at apex. Stamens 6; filaments free, linear; anthers oblong, subacute, yellow. Ovary
subcylindrical, many-ovuled; style short; stigma more or less 2-lobed. Fruits siliculae,
slender, oblong or linear, compressed, erect or pendulous; shortly beaked. Seeds
numerous, biseriate, ovoid or ellipsoid, light brown.

Mostly in Central Europe, Mediterranean region and Western and Central Asia;
19 species, 2 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Flowers purplish to white 1. D. griffithii

b. Flowers yellow 2. D. muralis

1. Diplotaxis griffithii (Hook. f. & Thomson) Boiss., Fl. Orient. 1:388.1867; Hook,
f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:157.1872. Brassica griffithii Hook. f. & Thomson
in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 171.1861.

Herbs, 30 - 90 cm high. Lower leaves oblong or oblong-lanceolate or lyrate-

pinnatifid, 2 - 15 x 1 - 1.5 cm, lobes short, obtuse, roughly 2 - 3-toothed; upper few,
oblong-elliptic to linear, 1 - 3 x 0.5-1 cm, entire or faintly toothed, sessile. Racemes
corymbose, 15 - 60-flowered, up to 45 cm long in fruit. Sepals oblong, 5 - 7 x 1-2 mm,
hairy. Petals obovate, 10 -15 x 4 - 6 mm. Stamens 8-10 mm long; anthers 2 - 2.5 mm
long, oblong-linear, 25 - 70 x 1 - 3 mm; valves with a distinct midvein, thin; beak up to 1
mm long with a large, bilobed stigma. Seeds numerous, biseriate, ovoid, pale brown.

Fl. & Fr. Apr. - June.

Distrib. India: Punjab (?).

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

1993] BRASSICACEAE 143

Notes. No specimen seen in Indian herbaria; included on the authority of Hook. f.

& T. Anderson (1. a ) .

2. Diplotaxis muralis (L.) D C , Reg. Veg. Syst. Nat. 2:634.1981; Siddique et al. in
Geobios 7:166, ff. 1 - 6.1988. Sisymbrium murale L., Sp. PI. 658.1753. Brassica muralis
(L.) Huds., Fl. Angl. ed. 2.291.1778.

Herbs, stems ascending, 12 - 42 cm high. Basal leaves rosette-forming, spathulate,

lyrate-pinnatifid, ca 35 x 12 mm; petioles 3 - 20 mm long; cauline leaves when present
subsessile, toothed. Racemes lax. Flowers 5 -10 mm across. Sepals ovate-lanceolate,
acute at apex, ca 3 mm long, hirtellous. Petals ovate-obovate, ca 6 mm long, yellow,
fading brownish on drying. Fruits beaked, glabrous; pedicels up to 4 cm long, sparsely
hairy; beak somewhat conical, 2 mm long, seedless. Seeds ovoid, finely reticulate, ca 1.3
x 0.3 mm, yellowish brown.

Fl. June - Sept.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

C. & S. Europe, N.W. Africa.

21. Eruca Miller

Herbs, annual or rhizomatous perennial, with pilose simple spreading or retrorse

trichomes, sometimes glabrous. Leaves lyrate-pinnatisect. Flowers yellow, cream-
coloured or purplish, in elongating bractless racemes; pedicels short, erect in fruit.
Sepals oblong, erect, subequal, lateral ones saccate at base. Petals obovate, long-clawed,
usually yellowish with brown or violet nerves, rarely full violet. Staminal filaments linear;
anthers oblong. Nectar glands minute. Ovary cylindrical, up to 50-ovuled; style as long
as or longer than ovary; stigma small or inconspicuous. Fruits ovoid-oblong, somewhat
turgid, dorsally compressed, beaked; valves concave, 3-nerved; replum hyaline, not
pitted. Seeds many, globose or ovoid, biseriate; cotyledons longitudinally conduplicate.

Chiefly distributed in Mediterranean region and North Africa; 6 species, 1 in India.

Eruca sativa Miller, Gard. Diet., ed. 8, no. 1.1768; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl.
Brit. India 1:158.1872. Brassica eruca L., Sp. PI. 667.1753. B. erucoides Roxb., Fl. Ind.
3:117.1832. Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav. var. sativa (Miller) Thell. in Hegi, Fl. Mittleur.
4(1): 201.1918.

Beng.: Swet-sarisha, Taramoni; Hindi: Duan, Gohawa, Sebuwa, Taranuri; Punj.:

Taramira.
144 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Herbs, annual, erect, 25-90 (-100) cm high, glaucous with slender taproot; stems
simple or branched, stiff, hispid below, glabrous upwards. Basal leaves lyrate-pinnatifid,
7 -15 x 3 - 5 cm, petiolate; upper ones lyrate-pinnatifid with entire to subulate-dentate
segments, sessile or subsessile. Racemes 15 - 40-flowered, up to 30 cm long in fruit.
Flowers yellow with violet veins, turning to white, 1.5 - 2 cm across; pedicels 2 - 4 mm
long. Sepals oblong, often pale violet, ca 1 cm long. Petals obovate-cuneate, with
dark-purplish veins, 1.5 - 2.5 cm long. Stamens 1 -1.5 cm long; anthers ca 3 mm long.
Fruits erect, up to 3 cm long, appressed to axis, setose-hairy; beak flattened, broad,
ensiform, glabrous. Seeds subglobose, flattened, 2-seriate, brownish.

Fl.&Fr. Jan.-Sept.

Distrib. India: Weed of cultivated fields, roadsides and wastelands. Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam,
Orissa, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

Pakistan, S.W. Asia, N. Africa and S. Europe.

Notes. The oil extracted from the seed is used as illuminant, lubricant, hair oil,
vesicant and also used in massage and pickling. The whole plant is considered to be an
aphrodisiac, and electuary preparations have been used to cure indurations of liver.

22. Raphanus L.

Herbs, annual or biennial or rarely short-lived perennial, more or less with stiff
simple hairs; tap roots sometimes fleshy, fusiform; stems erect, branched. Leaves
pinnatisect, lyrate, uppermost often simply toothed. Racemes corymbose, becoming lax
in fruit, ebracteate. Flowers large, ebracteate, pedicellate. Sepals usually erect, oblong,
the outer ones slightly hooded below the tips; inner ones a little broader, somewhat
saccate at base. Petals oblanceolate or obovate, abruptly long-clawed, white, yellow or
violet, reticulately veined. Stamens 6, filaments not appendaged. Ovary awl-shaped,
transversely bipartite; the lower portions shorter than upper, 2 - 12-ovuled; stigma small,
more or less bilobed. Fruits elongated, cylindric lomentum, biarticulated; lower portion
very short, inconspicuous, stalk-like, usually empty, rarely 1 or 2-seeded, persistent;
upper portion 1-many seeded, cylindrical and indehiscent or breaking into 1-seeded
segments, sometimes curved or constricted between the seeds; beak long. Seeds pen-
dulous from short funicle; cotyledons conduplicate.

Chiefly Euro-Siberian, Mediterranean and N.E. African regions; 8 species, 2 in

India.
1993] BRASSICACEAE 145

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la Taproot not tuberous; fruits torulose, markedly constricted between seeds, breaking into 1-seeded parts
1. R. raphiinistrum
b Taproot tuberous; fruits hardly constricted between seeds, not breaking into 1-seeded parts
2. R. sativus

1. Raphanus raphanistrum L., Sp. PI. 669. 1753; Jafri in Fl, W. Pakistan 55: 34.
1973.

Eng.: Wild Radish; Hindi: Jungli-mooli.

Herbs, annual, 20 - 70 cm (-1 m) tall; taproot slender; stems erect, branched or

simple, densely covered with coarse hairs at base, sparsely so above. Lower leaves
lyrately pinnatisect, 15 - 20 x 1 - 2 cm; lateral lobes 4 - 7 pairs, rounded at base and apex,
shallowly toothed along margins, terminal lobes broadly obovate, up to 5.5 cm long;
upper leaves smaller, up to 10 cm long, oblong, pinnately lobed or toothed; uppermost
smaller, simple, elliptic or oblanceolate, hirsute. Racemes many-flowered, up to 30 cm
long in fruit; pedicels up to 2.5 cm long in fruit. Sepals oblong, subequal, 7 - 8 x 1.5 - 2
mm, inner pair somewhat saccate at base. Petals obovate, long-clawed, subemarginate
at apex, 12 - 20 x 5 mm, white or yellow, brown-veined. Fruits cylindric, torulose,
constricted between 3 - 8 seeds, 3 - 8 x 0.3 - 0.4 cm; beak slender, 1 - 3 cm long; valves
hard, strongly veined, breaking into separate 1-seeded joints at maturity. Seeds ovoid
or subglobose, 1.5 - 2.5 mm in diameter.

Fl. & Fr. Jan. - June.

Distrib. India: Weed around cultivated fields, roadsides and wastelands, 2000 - 2300
m. Sikkim.

S.W. Asia, Europe and N. Africa. Introduced elsewhere.

Notes. Roots and leaves are used as vegetable.

2. Raphanus sativus L., Sp. PI. 669.1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India
1:166.1872.

Herbs, annual or biennial; taproot thick, tuberous; stems erect, up to 1 m high,

branched, hispid below and glabrous above. Lower leaves lyrate-pinnatifid, ovate-
oblong in general outline, long-stalked, 3 - 5-jugate, terminal lobes suborbicular,
rounded at apex, crenate along margins; lateral lobes much shorter, oblong-ovate,
obtuse at apex, dentate along margins; upper leaves much smaller, oblong to lanceolate,
entn-e, dentate or few-lobed, sessile or subsessile. Racemes many flowered, up to 40
cm long in fruit; pedicels 1 - 2 cm long in fruit. Sepals oblong, subequal, 5 - 8 x 1.5 - 2
146 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

mm, inner pair somewhat saccate at base. Petals obovate, long-clawed, subemarginate
at apex, 12 - 25 x 5 - 7 mm. Fruits lanceolate-oblong or oblong-ellipsoid, terete, 2 - 6 x
0.4 - 0.5 cm; beak conical, seedless, 1 - 2 cm long; valves spongy, scarsely ribbed, often
obscurely constricted between seeds; lower part of siliqua stalk-like, bilocular with a
complete septum, sterile, 1 - 3.5 mm long. Seeds ovoid to subglobose, 6 -12, uniseriate,
ca 2 mm in diam., brown, reticulated.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Petals ca 2.5 cm long; ovules 15 - 20; siliqua 20 - 60 cm long, including whip-like long beak
2.1. var. caudatus
b. Petals 1.2 - 2 cm long; ovules 10 -12; siliqua 2 - 6 (-8) cm long 2.2. var. sativus

2.1. var. caudatus (L.) Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 166. 1872. R.
caudatus L., Mant. PI. 1: 95.1767.

Hindi: Singri; Punj.: Mougri, Mugra.

Fl. & Fr. Jan. - Apr.

Distrib. India: Cultivated in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Notes. The pods are eaten.

2.2. var. sativus

Beng.: Mula; Hindi: Midi; Tel., Tam., Kan. & Mai.: Mullangi; Eng.: Radish.

Fl. & Fr. Jan. - Apr.

Distrib. Widely cultivated throughout the World.

Notes. The roots, leaves, flower tops and young fruits are eaten as salad. In Eastern
Asia, the roots are preserved by canning, drying and pickling in brine and rice hull. The
seed oil is edible and used in soup-making, illuminating and cryon manufacturing; also
cultivated as fodder. It has also several medicinal properties and used in the treatment
of burns, fevers, pain, coughs, tumours, cholera and paralysis.

The palynology of this species has been described by Premnath & Mehta (in J.
Palynol. 6: 78.1970).
 BRASSICACEAE 147
1993]

23. Schouwia DC.

Herbs annual, glabrous; stems woody, diffusedly branched. Leaves simple, alter-
nate- basal ones shortly pedicelled to sessile; upper ones amplexicaul. Racemes both
terminal and lateral. Flowers violet or rose-purple. Sepals erect; outer 2 linear; inner
2 oblong-ovate, more or less saccate at base. Fruits oval or ovate-suborbicular, laterally
compressed with a cordate base, terminated by a retuse style; valves membranous,
reticulate, broadly winged. Seeds many, 2-seriate; cotyledons conduplicate; radicle
accumbent.

Chiefly distributed in Southwest Asia and Northeast Tropical Africa; 2 species, 1 in

India.

Schouwia purpurea (Forsskal) Schweinf. in Bull. Herb. Boissier 4. App. 2:183. n.

486. 1896; Thombre in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 60: 289. 1963. Subularia purpurea
Forsskal, Fl. Aeg.-Arab. 117. 1775. Thlaspi arabicum Vahl, Symb. Bot. 2: 76. 1791.
Schouwia arabicum (Vahl) D C , Syst. Nat. 2: 644. 1821; A. S. Rao in Bull. Bot. Surv.
India 5:261,1.1.1963. Fig. 24.

Herbs, 25 - 75 cm high. Leaves subfleshy when green, turning membranous to

chartaceous and yellow on drying, 1.5-9x1-4 cm; basal leaves obovate or oblanceolate,
tapering towards base, more or less acute at apex, mostly entire, sometimes crenate or
distantly wavy-dentate along margins; upper ovate or ovate-oblong, deeply cordate to
cordate-auricled at base, acute or obtuse at apex. Inflorescence at first congested,
corymbose, elongating up to 30 cm long in fruit; pedicels 5 - 7 mm long in fruit. Sepals
4 - 5 mm long. Petals unguiculate, 7 - 9 x 2 - 3 mm, purple. Fruits ovate or subelliptic to
ovate-suborbicular, 1.5 - 2 cm across; beak 5 - 7 mm long; replum linear, membranous.
Seeds biseriate, many, globose, reddish-brown, mucilagenous.

Fl. & Fr. Jan. - Nov.

Distrib. India: Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

S.W. Asia, N.E. Tropical Africa.

Notes. Occurs as a weed along the edges of cultivated fields and dry sandy soil, (vide
Bhaumik & Banerjee in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 82: 237 - 238.1985).

24. Sinapis L.

Herbs, annual or rarely perennial, branched, hispid with simple hairs; stems erect,
o ten branched. Leaves pinnatisect, lower shortly petioled, upper sessile or nearly so,
divided or entire. Racemes many-flowered, ebracteate. Flowers yellow. Sepals sub-
equal, erect-spreading. Petals obovate, clawed. Stamens 6, free, without appendages.
148 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

cm

Fig. 24. Schouwia purpurea (Forsskal) Schweinf. : a. plant, upper portion; b. flower;
c. fruit.
 BRASSICACEAE 149
1993]

Ovarv cyhndrical, 15 - 17-ovuled; stigma truncate, somewhat 2-lobed. Fruits subcylind-

• j ' fcW-seeded siliqua, dehiscent by 2 convex distinctly 3 - 7-nerved valves; beak
'ndehiscent, containing 1 - 2 seeds, conical. Seeds subspherical uniseriate, pendulous
or erect; cotyledons conduplicate.

Mediterranean region; 10 species, 1 in India.

Sinapis alba L., Sp. PL 668.1753. Brassica alba (L.) Rabenh., Fl. Lusatica 1:154.
1839; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:157.1872. Fig. 25.

Hindi: Safed-sarson.

Herbs, annual, erect, retrorsely hispid, 25 - 70 m high. Lower leaves lyrate-

pinnatifid, 5 - 20 cm long, petiolate, terminal lobe larger than laterals, coarsely lobed
and toothed. Racemes densely many-flowered, ca 25 cm long in fruit; pedicels 5 - 8 mm
long; flowers conspicuous, aromatic, ca 1 cm across. Sepals ca 5 mm long, spreading.
Petals obovate, short-clawed, 8 -15 mm long, yellow; limb obovate. Stamens 4 - 5, ca 6
mm long. Fruits 2-torulose, on spreading pedicels, 2 - 4 cm long, 3 - 4 mm thick, usually
hirsute; beak long, ca 1-seeded; valves 3 - 5-nerved, hispid with antrorse bristles; beak
1-seeded, compressed, ensiform. Seeds 1 - 4 in each locule, globose, pale brownish.

Fl. & Fr. Aug. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Roadsides and wastelands. Uttar Pradesh.

S.W. Asia, Europe and N. Africa.

Notes. Introduced and often cultivated for its seeds.

Tribe 4. D R A B E A E O. Schulz

(R. K. Basak)

Annual or perennial herbs or dwarf shrubs; stems scapose or leafy, simple, furcate
or stellate hairy or rarely glabrous. Flowers in ebracteate racemes or corymbs. Ovary
sessile, often ellipsoid; style with shortly bilobed or capitate stigma. Fruits usually
ovoid-lanceolate, rarely elongated, broadly septate; valves easily detachable, flat to
subconvex, median vein distinct up to middle; style mostly persistent. Seeds biseriate or
rarely sub-biseriate and slightly winged, pendulous.

Two genera and 34 species in India.

Literature. SCHULZ, O. E. (1927) Cruciferae - Draba et Erophila in Engler, Pflanzenreich 89 (IV.

105): 1 - 396.
150 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

mm

cm
i>v

Fig. 25. Sinapis alba L. : a. plant, upper portion; b. basal leaf; c. flower, petals
removed.
 BRASSICACEAE 151
1993]

25. Draba L.

Annual, perennial or rarely biennial herbs or dwarf shrubs, sometimes with woody
rootstocks; stems scapose or leafy, often elongating after flowering, usually beset with
stellate, furcate or simple hairs, rarely glabrous. Leaves simple, entire or shortly dentate,
ciliate; basal leaves usualy rosulate, sessile or short-stalked; cauline leaves when present
amplexicaul, mostly sessile, rarely shortly petiolate. Flowers in ebracteate racemes or
corymbs, occasionally bracteate, yellow or white, rarely purple, lilac or rose-coloured.
Sepals subequal, erect; inner ones broadly ovate, rarely slightly saccate at base, rounded
or blunt at apex; outer ones longer, elliptic, thin along margins. Petals obovate-cuneate,
entire or subemarginate, rarely absent. Stamens 6, or 4 with 2 outer abortive ones;
filaments linear, often broadened towards base, rarely outer ones 1-dentate; anthers
ovoid or oblong. Nectar glands various, laterals usually 2- or t-lobed, often joining to
form a horse-shoe shaped structure; middle glands mostly absent. Ovary sessile, flat and
ellipsoid or rarely cylindrical; ovules 4 to many; style distinct, persistent; stigma bilobed
or depressed capitate. Fruits ovoid-suborbicular to ellipsoid, rarely siliquiform or
linear, broadly septate, bilocular, straight or twisted, pilose or smooth; valves flat to
subconvex, reticulately nerved with a distinct median vein at base or obscurely veined;
septum of the replum membranous with small irregular polygonal cells. Seeds 2-many
in 2 rows in each locule, ovoid or ellipsoid, rarely slightly winged, pendulous, radicle
accumbent.

In Arctic, temperate and high altitudes of tropical zones; about 300 species, 33 in
India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Flowering stem scapose, rarely 1 - 2-leaved 2

b. Flowering stem leafy 10
2a. Petals absent 30. D. tenerrima
b. Petals present 3
3a. Dried basal leaves usually 3 (-5)-nerved 32. D. trinervis
b. Dried basal leaves mostly 1-nerved 4
4a. Leaves sparsely white tomentose 5
b. Leaves densely white tomentose 9
5a. Fruits oblong-ellipsoid, compressed 26. D. setosr
b. Fruits ovoid, inflated 6
6a. Ovary 24-ovuled; fruits obtuse at apex 14. D. humillima
b. Ovary 4 - 12-ovuled; fruits acute at apex 7
a. Fruits rounded at base; leaves greenish beneath, with simple or branched hairs 8
b. Fruits sub-bisaccate at base; leaves whitish beneath with dense stellate hairs IS. I), korschinskyi
»a. Leaves oblong-linear, 3 - 4 (-5) mm long, rigid, mid-vein prominent; fruits 3 - 4 x 2 - 2.5 mm
5. D. cachcmirii.a
152 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

b. Leaves oblong or elliptic-obovate, 6 -12 (-15) mm long, chartaceous, mid-vein not prominent;
fruits (3-) 4 - 6 x 3 - 5 mm 23. D. oreades
9a. Stems radical, 1 - 5 cm long; ovary 4 - 8-ovuled; style 1-2 mm long 1. D. alTghanica
b. Stems erect, 3 -10 cm long; ovary (8-) 10 - 14-ovuled; style 0.5 - 0.75 mm long 22. D. olgae
10a. Scape with 4 -14 or more leaves, uniformly arranged throughout 11
b. Scape with (1-) 2 - 3 (-5) leaves, usually below the middle 14
11a. Leaves sessile, often semi-amplexicaul 25. D. radicans
b. Leaves shortly petioled 12
12a. Flowers yellow; fruits ovoid to ellipsoid 3. D. amoena
b. Flowers violet; fruits oblong 13
13a. Stem 6 - 8-foliate; fruits slightly acute, pilose 8. D. elata
b. Stem 14-foliate or more; fruits obtuse, glabrous 24. D. polyphylla
14a. Plants annual, rarely perennial; flowers yellow (white in D.ellipsoidea); fruits usually with rudimentary
styles, rarely styliferous 15
b. Plants perennial; petals white (yellowish white or yellow in D. tibetica); fruits styliferous 22
15a. Seeds sub-biseriate, ca 2 mm long; margins slightly winged 4. D. aubrieloides
b. Seeds biseriate, 0.5 - 1 mm long; margins not winged 16
16a. Flowers yellow; petals 2 mm long or more 9. D. ellipsoidea
b. Flowers white; petals ca 1 mm long 17
17a. Plants flaccid, diffuse; racemes lax, few-flowered 18
b. Plants erect or ascending; racemes usually many -flowered 19
18a. Racemes 1-3 (-5)-flowered; petals 7 - 8 mm long; style ca 1.5 mm long 6. D. cholaensis
b. Racemes usually (1-) 3 - 10-flowered; petals ca 3 mm long; style ca 0.5 mm long or obscure
13. D. gracillima
19a. Petals less than 3 mm long 20
b. Petals 3 mm long or more 21
20a. Racemes 25 or more flowered; petals ca 2 mm long; fruits oblong-ellipsoid, 5 - 8 x 2.5 (-3) mm;
pedicels stout, longer than fruits 20. D. nemorosa
b. Racemes (5-) 12 (-16)-flowered; petals ca 2.5 mm long; fruits sublinear or oblong-ellipsoid, 4 - 7 x 1
mm; pedicels slender, equal to or shorter than fruit 19. D. melanopus
21a. Pedicels filiform; fruits linear, slightly obtuse, pilose, 8 - 20 x 2 mm 29. D. slenocarpa
b. Pedicels stout; fruits ovoid or oblong-ovoid, acute, glabrous, 5 - 10x2 - 2.5 mm 10. D. eriopoda
22a. Flowers mostly white 31. D. tibetica
b. Flowers yellowish white or yellow 23
23a. Fruiting scapes 4 - 8 cm long; fruits 3 - 4 x 1.5 (-20) mm 24
b. Fruiting scapes 6 - 20 cm long; fruits 5 -10 x 1.5 (-2) mm 25
24a. Basal leaves largely ciliate with simple or furcate hairs; fruiting scapes ca 4 (-6) cm long; fruits ovoid-
oblong, straight, glabrous; pedicels 4 - 6 mm long 2. D. altaica
b. Basal leaves densely tomentose with short and stellate white hairs; fruiting scapes ca 8 cm long, tomen-
tose; fruits ellipsoid-oblong, often twisted, puberulous; pedicels 2 - 4 mm long 12. D. glomerata
25a. Fruits ovoid or oblong-ellipsoid, mostly twisted 17. D. lasiophylla
b. Fruits linear-oblong or ellipsoid-lanceolate, flattened, rarely twisted 26
26a. Racemes conspicuously bracteate 16. D. lanceolala
b. Racemes rarely bracteate below 27
1993] BRASSICACEAE 153

27a. Leaves densely white tomentose 28

b. Leaves not as above 30
28a. Basal leaves petioled 33. D. winterbottomii
b. Basal leaves sessile or subsessile 29
29a Leaves 5 -10 mm long; racemes 6 - 12-flowered; fruits tomentose 27. D. sikkimensis
b. Leaves 2 - 3 mm long; racemes 2 - 5-flowered; fruits glabrous 7. D. dasyastra
30a. Stems few-leaved, all parts substellately woolly 21. D. oariocarpa
b. Stems many-leaved, all parts not substellately woolly 31
31a. Fruits up to 20 x 3 mm, linear-oblong 11. D. falconeri
b. Fruits up to 5 x 3 mm, oblong-ovoid to ovoid-orbicular 32
32a. Scapes erect, 15 - 20-flowered; fruits glabrous, 6 - 10-seeded 18. D. ludlowiana
b. Scapes serper.tino-flexuous, 30 - 50-flowered; fruits pubescent, 12 - 16-seeded 28. D. stenobotrys

1. Draba affghanica Boiss., Fl. Orient. Suppl. 55.1888. D. rostrata Pohle in Fedde,
Repert. Spec. Nov. 32: 136.1925. D. affghanica Boiss. var. rostrata (Pohle) O. Schulz.
in Engler, Pflanzenr. 89:118.1927. D. alpina auct. non L. 1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson
in Fl. Brit. India 1: 42.1872, p. p.

Herbs, perennial, caespitose; rootstocks often long and branched; stems filiform,
ascending, mostly aphyllous or 1-leaved, with dried leaves persisting at base, up to 5 cm
long, beset with bifurcate and substellate hairs. Basal leaves rosulate, oblanceolate or
lanceolate, entire or obscurely dentate, 5 - 1 5 (-18) x (1.5-) 2.5 - 5 mm, 1-nerved, hairy.
Flowers yellow, 5 -12 in corymbose racemes; pedicels 2 - 5 mm long, erect, becoming
3 -10 mm long in fruit. Sepals oblong-elliptic, rounded at apex, 2 - 2.5 mm long. Petals
obovate, subemarginate at apex, 4 - 5 x 2 mm. Stamens up to 3.5 mm long; anthers ca
0.5 mm long. Ovary ovoid with simple and furcate hairs; style 1 - 2 mm long; stigma
depressed. Fruits ovoid, inflated, 3 - 8 x 2 - 4 mm, hairy or rarely glabrous; septum not
veined. Seeds 2 - 4 in each locule, ovoid-oblong, ca 1 mm long, dull brown.

Fl. & Fr. May - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.

2. Draba altaica (C. Meyer) Bunge in Delect. Sem. Hort. Dorpat. 8. 1841. D.
rupestris R. Br. var. altaica C. Meyer in Ledeb. Fl. Alt. 3: 72.1831. D. fladnitzensis var.
homotricha (Ledeb.) Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:143. 1872, p. p. D.
wahlenbergii Schur. var. homotricha Ledeb., Fl. Ross. 1:150.1841.

Herbs, small, perennial; stems often much branched, erect, 2 - 6 cm high, basally
covered with remains of dried leaves of previous year; hairs simple or forked. Leaves
airy or rarely glabrous, ciliate along margins; basal leaves rosulate, lanceolate or
oblong-elliptic, tapering at base, acute at apex, with 1 - 2-dentate or entire margins, 5 -
154 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

20 x 1 - 2 (-5) mm; cauline leaves oblong-ovate or lanceolate, with 1 - 2-dentate or entire

margins. Flowers white, 4 - 8 (-15) in 2 - 5 cm long racemose corymbs, often bracteate
at base; pedicels spreading, 3 - 6 mm long, glabrous or hairy. Sepals oblong-elliptic, ca
1 mm long, pubescent. Petals 2 - 2.5 x 1 mm, slightly emarginate at apex. Stamens up to
1.5 mm long. Fruits ovoid-oblong or ellitpic, rounded at base, acute at apex, 3 - 4 (-6) x
1.5 - 2 mm, usually glabrous or rarely with short simple hairs along margins of valves;
style short, ca 0.5 mm long; stigma depressed. Seeds 4 - 6 in each locule, ovoid, brown.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim
(ca 5600 m).

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Afghanistan, Central Asia and W. Siberia.

3. Draba amoena O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 89:188, f.2.1927; Hara in Hara

& Williams, Enum. Fl. PI. Nepal 2: 42.1979.

Herbs, perennial; rootstock 4 - 6 cm long; stems erect, fistulose, much-branched,

50 - 60 (-70) cm high, 3 - 4 mm in diam., stellate hairy. Basal leaves rosulate; upper ones
spathulate, acute at apex, dentate along margins, 40 - 70 x 9 -15 mm; petioles 3 - 4 mm
broad; cauline leaves smaller, 3 - 7 in number, oblong-lanceolate, sessile, semi-amplex-
icaul, gradually transformed into linear bracts, 1 -1.5 cm long, stellate or simple hairy.
Flowers pale violet, bracteate, 25 - 40 in lax, corymbose racemes; pedicels 6 - 1 5 mm
long. Sepals oblong-elliptic in outer row, ovate in inner row, saccate at base, obtuse at
apex, ca 4.5 mm long. Petals oblong-elliptic, clawed, cuneate at base, subemarginate at
apex, 8 - 9 mm long. Stamens up to 5 mm long; anthers oblong, ca 1 mm long. Ovary
oblong, pilose; style ca 0.75 mm long; stigma capitate. Fruits oblong, compressed,
twisted, obtuse at base, acute at apex, 12 - 20 x 3 - 3.5 mm; style coronate, contorted or
undulate along margins, 1 -1.5 mm long; valves reticulately nerved, stellate or simple
hairy near margins. Seeds ovoid, biseriate, ca 0.3 mm long.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Uttar Pradesh (Kumaon).

Nepal.

4. Draba aubrietoides Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22: 106. 1956 & in Fl.
W. Pakistan 55:146.1973.

Herbs, perennial or biennial; stem-branches numerous, prostrate to suberect,

filiform, 15 - 20 cm high, with dense minute branched hairs. Leaves many, elliptic-
obovate or oblong-elliptic, subsessile, cuneate at base, acute or obtuse at apex, mostly
1993] BRASSICACEAE 155

entire, rarely 1 - 3-subdentate, pubescent. Flowers yellow, 6 - 10 (-16) in lax racemes;

pedicels suberect, glabrous, 8 -12 mm long, 10 - 20 (-25) mm long in fruit. Petals obovate,
attenuate at base, subemarginate at apex, 5 - 6 x 2 - 3 mm. Stamens up to 2 mm long.
Ovary oblong-ellipsoid, ca 3.5 mm long; style ca 0.5 mm long. Fruits variously curved,
compressed, 12 - 25 x 2.5 mm, glabrous; valves membranous with a mid-vein and obscure
reticulations; style with depressed capitate stigma, ca 1 mm long; septum membranous
with an obscure mid-vein. Seeds usually 4 - 6 in each locule, sub-biseriate, oblong,
compressed, slightly winged, ca 1.5 mm long.

Fl.&Fr. June-July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Endemic.

5. Draba cachemirica Gandoger in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 46:418.1889. D. glacialis

auct. non Adams 1817; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 142.1872, p. p.

Herbs, perennial, densely caespitose; rootstock woody; stems tufted, erect, covered
with dried leaf bases below, aphyllous above, 2 - 5 (-8) cm long. Basal leaves rosulate,
oblong-linear, obtuse at apex, entire and ciliate along margins, prominently 1-veined
beneath, 3 - 4 (-6) x 1 - 1.5 mm, simple or branched hairy. Flowers yellow, 8 - 15 in
congested corymbose racemes; pedicels ascending, 1-5 (-7) mm long in fruit. Sepals
oblong-ovate, 2 - 3 mm long with a few simple hairs below. Petals narrowly obovate,
cuneate at base, subemarginate at apex, 4 - 6 x 2.5 - 3 mm. Stamens up to 3 mm long;
anthers ca 0.5 mm long. Ovary flask-shaped, 4 - 8-ovuled; style 0.5 - 1 mm long, glabrous
with depressed stigma. Fruits ovoid, subinflated to inflated, rounded at base, acute at
apex, (2-) 3 - 4 (-5) x 1 - 3 mm; valves obscurely nerved; septum not veined. Seeds ovoid,
2 - 4 in each locule, ca 1 mm long, brown.

Fl. May - July; Fr. July - Sept.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

China (Tibet).

6. Draba cholaensis W. Smith in Rec. Bot. Surv. India 4(7): 352.1913; Hara in Hara
& Williams, Fl. PI. Nepal 2: 42.1979. D. cholaensis W. Smith var. leiocarpa Hara in J.
Jap. Bot. 49:131.1974.

Herbs, annual or perennial, slender; stem branches numerous, filiform, flexuous,

eary below, 10 - 20 cm long, with simple or bifurcate, white spreading hairs at base,
glabrous above; flowering scapes 5 - 8 cm long, aphyllous above. Basal leaves few;
cauhne leaves obovate to elliptic, acute at apex, entire or dentate along margins,
156 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

subsessile, 8 -11 x3 - 4 mm, with sparse white mostly simple hairs above, intermixed with
furcate or stellate hairs beneath; nerves obscure. Flowers yellow, 1 - 3 in lax racemes;
pedicels filiform, divergent, 5 - 1 5 mm long, becoming 10 - 25 mm long in fruit. Sepals
oblong-ovate, ca 3 mm long, glabrous or subglabrous. Petals oblong, slightly clawed at
base, emarginate at apex, 7 - 8 x 3 mm. Stamens up to 5 mm long; anthers ovoid, ca 0.5
mm long. Ovary ca 8 mm long, with simple hairs; style 1.5 - 2 mm long, with capitate
stigma. Fruits siliquiform, linearly compressed, styllferous, 15 - 22 x 2 mm, white hairy
or glabrous. Seeds ca 20 in number, biseriate, oblong-ellipsoid, ca 0.5 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Sikkim (ca 4300 m).

Nepal and Bhutan.

7. Draba dasyastra O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 89 (IV.105): 265.1927.

Herbs, perennial; stems branched, crowded, suberect, 1 - 2 cm long, aphyllous, with

dried persistent leaf bases below, densely hairy. Basal leaves congested, oblong-elliptic,
obtuse at apex, entire, 2 - 3 x 1 mm, white stellate hairy. Flowers white, 2 - 5 in lax
racemes; pedicels 2 - 5 mm long in fruit. Sepals oblong-elliptic, ca 2 mm long. Petals
obovate, cuneate at base, ca 3.5 mm long. Filaments ciliate at base. Ovary 12-ovuled.
Fruits oblong, suberect, contorted, 6 - 8 x 1.5 mm; style ca 0.4 mm long, glabrous.

Fl. July - Aug.; Fr. Aug. - Sept.

Distrib. India: Sikkim.

China (Tibet, adjoining Sikkim).

8. Draba data Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:150.1861; Hook. f. &
T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:142.1872, p. p.

Herbs, perennial, erect, up to 60 cm high; stems simple or branched, pubescent.

Basal leaves rosulate, oblanceolate or spathulate, attenuate at base, acute at apex;
margins obscurely dentate or entire with stellate forked and simple hairs; cauline leaves
(2-) 6 - 8 (-10), rather remote, similar to basal leaves, oblong-ovate, amplexicaul, often
4-dentate. Flowers yellow, 10 - 30 in subcapitate corymbs, ebracteate or with 1 - 3
narrowly ovate bracts, 5 - 1 0 x 2 - 3 mm; pedicels 4 - 8 mm long, becoming 6-20 mm long
in fruit. Sepals oblong-elliptic, rounded at apex, scarious along margins, 2.5 - 3 x 1.5 mm.
Petals obovate, emarginate at apex, 5 (-7) x 2.5 (-4) mm. Stamens up to 3 mm long.
Ovary flask-shaped, 12 - 16-ovuled, simple hairy; style 0.5 - 2 mm long in fruit, subincras-
sate. Fruits ovoid or ellipsoid, sometimes contorted, erecto-patent or ascending, acute
at apex, 7 -12 (-15) x 2 - 3 mm, pubescent or glabrous. Seeds ovoid, compressed, brown.
1993] BRASSICACEAE 157

FI. July - Aug.; Fr. Aug. - Sept.

Distrib. India: E. Himalayas in moist places, 3300 - 4600 m. Sikkim and Assam.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

9. Draba ellipsoidea Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:153.1861; Hook,
f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:144.1872.

Herbs, annual, prostrate; stems slender, 0.5 - 1 cm long, basally branched, with
stellate hairs. Leaves obovate to oblanceolate, attenuate at base, acute or obtuse at apex,
entire or shallowly 1 - 3-dentate along margins, short stellate hairy. Flowers white, 3 - 8
in a raceme; pedicels filiform, 3 - 8 mm long. Sepals oblong, 1 - 1.5 mm long. Petals
narrowly spathulate, 1-veined, ca 1 x 0.5 mm. Stamens up to 1.5 mm long; filaments thin;
anthers ovoid. Ovary ovoid, densely hirsute, 22-ovuled; style absent or minute. Fruits
ellipsoid, flat, erecto-patent, rounded at apex, (4-) 5 - 8 x 3 - 4 , pubescent with minute,
substellate hairs. Seeds ovoid.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: A weed of cultivation. Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim (ca 4250 m).

Nepal and China.

10. Draba eriopoda Turcz. in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 15:260.1842 & Fl. Baic.-dahur.
1:142.1842; Hara in Hara & Williams, Enum. Fl. PI. Nepal 2: 42.1979.

Herbs, annual to biennial; stems 6 - 3 0 (-50) cm high, stellate hairy. Basal leaves
rosulate, lanceolate, acute at apex, entire, 7 - 20 x 1.5 - 6 mm; cauline leaves longer,
numerous, lower ones oblong-ovate, upper ones shorter, ovate, sessile or amplexicaul,
acute at apex, all leaves hairy. Flowers yellow, 20 - 50 in corymbose racemes; pedicels
2 - 5 mm long, 3 - 10 mm long in fruit, densely hairy. Sepals elliptic with simple and
furcate hairs, 1.5 - 2 mm long. Petals obovate, subemarginate at apex, 3 - 4 mm long.
Stamens ca 2 mm long; filaments dilated at base; anthers ovoid, ca 0.3 mm long. Ovary
ovoid, 12 - 24-ovuled, glabrous; stigma sessile. Fruits ovoid-elliptic or oblong-obovoid,
flattened, erecto-patent, acute at apex, glabrous, 5 -10 x 2 - 2.5 mm; style rudimentary.
Seeds ovoid, 0.3 - 0.75 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. June - Sept.

Distrib. India: E. Himalayas, ca 4100 m. Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China.

158 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

11. Draba fakoneri O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 89: 300. 1927; Jafri in Fl. W.
Pakistan 55:142.1973.

Herbs, perennial; stems simple or sparsely branched, decumbent, up to 60 cm high,

beset with branched and simple hairs. Basal leaves rosulate, oblong-obovate, acute at
apex, entire or 1-dentate, 10 - 20 (-25) x 2 - 6 mm; cauline leaves sessile, oblong-ovate,
acute at apex, 6 - 35 x 5 -10 mm; upper ones 1 - 5-dentate or entire; all leaves with stellate
and simple hairs, ciliate along margins. Flowers white, 15 - 30 (-40) in corymbose
racemes, ebracteate; pedicels 4 - 8 mm long, 6 - 20 mm long in fruit, ascending or
spreading, hairy. Sepals 2 - 3 x 1 mm, simple hairy. Petals obovate, cuneate at base,
subemarginate at apex, 4 - 6 x 1.5 - 2 mm. Stamens up to 2.5 mm long; anthers ca 0.5 mm
long. Ovary linear, densely hirsute. Fruits linear-oblong, contorted, obtuse at apex,
pubescent with rigid, short, branched and stellate hairs; style 0.75 - 1 mm long with
depressed stigma. Seeds 10 -14 in each locule, ovoid, ca 1 mm long.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Kashmir.

Pakistan.

12. Draba glomerata Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 1:71.1834. D. glomerata Royle var.
dasycarpa O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 89: 220. 1927. D. tibetica var. winterbottomii
Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 152. 1861, p. p. D. lasiophylla auct. non
Royle 1834; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:143.1972, p.p.

Herbs, perennial, caespitose; stems erect, 1 - 4-leaved, up to 8 cm high, tomentose

with dense short soft stellate hairs. Basal leaves rosulate, narrowly oblong, narrowed
towards base, obtuse at apex, 5 - 15 x 1 - 2.5 mm, densely hairy; cauline leaves
oblong-ovate, entire or 1-denticulate, sessile, uppermost bract-like. Flowers white, 10 -
15 in corymbose racemes; pedicels 2 - 4 mm long in fruit, tomentose. Sepals ca 1.5 mm
long. Petals obovate, cuneate at base, ca 2 x 1 mm. Stamens up to 1.5 mm long. Fruits
subumbellate, compact, ellipsoid-oblong or oblong-ovoid, flattened, often twisted, 3 -
3.5 (-5) x 1.5 (-2) mm, minute hairy or glabrous; style ca 0.5 mm long, with depressed
stigma. Seeds ovoid-oblong, 3 - 6 in each locule, ca 0.7 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan, Nepal and China (Tibet).

1993] BRASSICACEAE 159

13. Draba gracillima Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:153.1861; Hook,
f & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 144. 1872. D. wardii W. Smith in Notes R. Bot.
Gard. Edinb. 55: 210.1919. Fig. 26.

Herbs, annual or perennial, slender, short-lived; stems filiform, ascending, diffusely

branched, up to 30 cm high, covered with persistent dried leaf bases below, beset with
short, simple and branched hairs, rarely glabrous. Basal leaves rosulate, oblanceolate,
ovate or spathulate, attenuate at base, acute at apex, dentate to entire along margins,
10 -15 x 4 - 5 mm, pubescent with simple hairs; cauline leaves ovate, acute at apex, often
2-dentate, 5 - 8 x 2 - 3 mm, covered with simple hairs above and stellate hairs beneath.
Flowers yellow, 3 -12 in lax racemes; pedicels 5-15 mm long, becoming 6-30 mm long
in fruit. Sepals ovate-elliptic, ca 2 mm long. Petals obovate, cuneate at base, emarginate
at apex, ca 2.5 - 3 x 1 mm. Stamens up to 2 mm long. Ovary oblong or ovoid, glabrous;
stigma subsessile. Fruits often erect, linear-elliptic, elongated, compressed, recurved or
subcontorted, obtuse at apex, 6 - 12 (-15) x 1.5 - 2.5 mm; style ca 0.5 mm long. Seeds
ovoid, 6 -10 in each locule, ca 1 mm long, brown.

Fl.&Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Moist open places, 3000 - 4200 m. Himachal Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and China.

14. Draba humillima O.SchulzinEngler,Pflanzenr. 89:114.1927. D.alpina auct.

non. L. 1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:142.1872, p. p.

Herbs, annual, densely caespitose; stems 1 - 2 cm long, covered with persistent scaly
lanceolate leaves at base; scapes ca 5 mm long with stellate hairs. Basal leaves oblong-
elliptic, cuneate at base, obtuse at apex, entire and ciliate along margins, 5 - 8 x 2.5 - 3
mm, subglabrous or glabrous above and with numerous minute stellate hairs below.
Flowers yellow, 3 - 6 in lax racemes; pedicels 2 - 3 mm long, 3 - 4 (-8) mm long in fruit.
Sepals oblong, ca 2.5 mm long, with simple hairs. Petals obovate, ca 4 x 2 mm. Stamens
up to 3 mm long; anthers obtuse, ca 0.5 mm long. Ovary oblong-obovoid, 24-ovuled;
style ca 0.3 mm long; stigma capitate. Fruits oblong-ellipsoid, inflated, obtuse or
rounded at both ends, 5 - 7 x 3 - 4 mm, glabrous; style short, ca 0.5 mm long, coronate.
Seeds, ca 24.

Fl. & Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: 4500-5000 m. Sikkim.

160 FLORA O F INDIA [VOL. 2

0J
mm

cm

Fig. 26. Draba gracillima Hook. f. & Thomson : a. habit; b. flower.

1993] BRASSICACEAE 161

15. Draba korschinskyi (O. Fedtsch.) Pohle in Act. Hort. Petrop. 31: 484.1914;
Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 55: 132. 1973. D. alpina var. korschinskyi O. Fedtsch. in Act.
Hort. Petrop. 21: 266.1903.

Herbs, perennial, compact, caespitose; rootstock much branched; stems slender,

aphyllous, up to 5 cm long in fruit, covered with minute stellate hairs. Basal leaves
rosulate, oblong, spathulate, obtuse at apex, 3 - 5 x 1 -1.5 mm, often incurved, glabrous
above and hairy beneath. Flowers yellow, 5 - 10 in corymbose racemes; pedicels
spreading, 2 - 5 mm long, glabrous. Sepals oblong-obovate to ovate-oblong, ca 2 x 1 mm.
Petals obovate, subemarginate at apex, 3-3.5 x 1.5 mm. Stamens up to 2.5 mm long;
anthers ca 0.5 mm long. Fruits ovoid to suborbicular, inflated at base, acute at apex, 3
- 4 x 2 - 2.5 mm, usually glabrous, rarely hairy; style ca 0.5 mm long; stigma capitate.
Seeds 4 - 6 in each locule, oblong-ovoid, brown, ca 0.75 mm long.

Fl. June - July; Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Nepal, China, Afghanistan and Russia.

16. Draba lanceolata Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 1: 72.1834. D. lanceolata Royle var.
leiocarpa O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 89: 297.1927. D. incana auct. non L. 1753;
Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:143.1872, p. p.

Herbs, perennial, compact, caespitose; stems much branched, erect, up to 25 cm

high, covered with persistent dried leaves at base, hairy. Basal leaves rosulate, oblan-
ceolate or spathulate, attenuate at base, subacuminate at apex, dentate or entire along
margins, 10 -15 x 1.5 mm, hairy; cauline leaves oblong-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, sessile,
subacuminate at apex, distinctly dentate, rarely entire, 4 - 15 (-20) x 1.5 - 3.5 mm,
pubescent. Flowers white, up to 35 in lax, often bracteate racemes; pedicels erect,
ascending, 4 - 5 mm long in fruit. Sepals narrowly oblong, ca 2 mm long. Petals
oblong-ovate, obtuse or emarginate at apex, 2.5 - 3.5 mm long. Stamens ca 1.5 - 2 mm
long. Style ca 0.7 mm long. Fruits linear-oblong or ellipsoid-lanceolate, flattened, rarely
twisted, 6 -12 (-14) x 1.5 (-2) mm, minutely stellately hairy or rarely glabrous. Seeds
16 - 20 in each locule, ca 0.7 mm long.

Fl. June - July; Fr. July - Sept.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Russia (Siberia) and N. America.

17. Draba lasiophylla Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 1:71.1834; Hook. f. & T. Anderson
m Fl. Brit. India 1:143.1872, p. p. D. nubigena O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 89: 291.
162 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

1927. D. incana auct. non L. 1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson, 1. c , p. p.

Herbs, perennial, small, caespitose; stems erect or ascending, slender, up to 25 cm

high, sparsely leafy, hairy. Basal leaves rosulate, lanceolate or oblong, attenuate at base,
acute at apex, entire or 2-denticulate, 10 - 15 (-20) x 2 - 5 mm, densely covered with
branched hairs mixed with long, simple or forked hairs; cauline leaves ovate-oblong,
sessile, acute at apex, denticulate along margins, 4 -12 x 2 - 5 mm, pubescent. Flowers
white, up to 20 in lax, subcapitate racemes, elongating up to 10 cm long; pedicels (2-)
4 - 6 mm long in fruit, densely covered with short, branched and simple hairs. Sepals
oblong-elliptic, 2 - 2.5 mm long. Petals oblong-obovate, 2.5 - 3 x 1 mm. Stamens up to
2.5 mm long. Ovary 10 - 18-ovuled. Fruits ovoid or oblong-ellipsoid, acute at apex, (4-)
6 - 10 x 1.5 (-2) mm, often pubescent with short, whitish, branched hairs or glabrous;
style ca 0.5 mm long, coronate. Seeds ca 0.7 mm long, brown.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Between 3700 and 5500 m along streamsides. Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal and China.

18. Draba ludlowiana Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22:105.1956.

Herbs, perennial, caespitose; stems erect, up to 18 cm long with 1-3 cauline leaves,
tomentose. Basal leaves densely rosulate, linear-lanceolate, acute at apex, entire, 16 x
1-2 (-3) mm, tomentose; cauline leaves 1 - 4, elliptic or oblong, obovate, amplexicaul at
base, acute at apex, entire, 2 - 8 x 1 - 3 mm. Flowers white, 15 - 20 in lax racemes up to
10 cm long, ebracteate; pedicels ascending, 2.5 - 7 mm long in fruit. Sepals oblong-
elliptic, obtuse at apex, 1 - 1.5 x 0.7 mm, persistent, pubescent. Petals emarginate at
apex, 2.5 - 3 x 1.5 mm. Stamens up to 1.5 mm long. Fruits ovoid-orbicular, compressed,
3 - 4 x 2.5 - 3, glabrous; stigma minute, sessile or subsessile; septum obscurely veined.
Seeds 3 - 5 in each locule, suborbicular, ca 1 mm long, brown.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Kashmir (Ladak).

Endemic.

19. Draba melanopus Komarov in Trav. Soc. Nat. Petersb. Bot. 26: 102. no. 179.
1896; Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 55:143.1973.

Herbs, perennial or biennial; stems much branched at base, aphyllous or rarely

1-leaved, (4-) 5 - 8 (-12) cm long, sparsely hairy below, almost glabrous above. Basal
 BRASS1CACEAE 163
1993]

leaves rosulate, oblong-elliptic or oblong-spathulate, entire, 5 - 10 (-12) x 1.5 - 3 mm,

iliate hairy along margins. Flowers light yellow, 5 -12 (-16) in loose racemes; pedicels
1 - 4 mm long, becoming 3 - 6 mm long in fruit. Sepals 1 -1.5 mm long. Petals spathulate,
subemarginate at apex, 2.5 x 1 mm. Stamens up to 1.5 mm long. Fruits oblong-ellipsoid
or sublinear, 4 - 7 x 1 mm, hairy or glabrous; style minute or obscure. Seeds oblong-ovoid,
6 -12 in each locule, ca 0.5 mm long, brown.

Fl.&Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and C. Asia.

20. Draba nemorosa L., Sp. PI. 643.1753. D. muralis auct. non L. 1753; Hook. f. &
T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:144.1872.

Herbs, slender, annual; stems erect, simple or branched, up to 25 cm high, leafy with
stellate, furcate or simple hairs, glabrescent above. Basal leaves rosulate, oblong-
obovate or elliptic-ovate, subsessile, obtuse at apex, remotely dentate or subentire, 8 -
30 x 3 - 15 mm; cauline leaves few, often remote or absent, clasping, ovate or oblong-
ovate, sessile, cuneate at base, acute at apex, 3 - 6-dentate, 5 - 25 x 2.5 -12 mm; all leaves
covered with rather long furcate or simple hairs. Flowers yellow, 25 or more, in
ebracteate racemes; pedicels filiform, 5 - 1 0 mm long, 10 - 20 mm long in fruit, usually
widely spreading or slightly recurved and ascending. Sepals oblong or ovate, obtuse at
apex, ca 1.5 mm long, glabrous or slightly pubescent. Petals subemarginate at apex, ca
2 mm long. Stamens up to 1.7 mm long. Fruits ellipsoid-oblong, compressed, 5 - 8 x 2 -
2.5 mm, with short, simple and forked hairs, rarely glabrous or sparsely pubescent; stigma
minute, subsessile. Seeds 16 - 20 in each locule, ovoid, ca 0.7 mm long, brown.

Fl.&Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Iran, Turkey, China, Japan, Asia, Europe and N. America.

21. Draba oariocarpa O.SchulzinEngler,Pflanzenr.89: 279.1927. D.lasiophylla

auct. non Royle 1834; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:143.1872, p. p.

Herbs, perennial, caespitose; stems slender, up to 20 cm high, with persistent, dried,

linear-lanceolate, 3 - 4 mm long leaves at base and with rosulate, congested leaves above,
all parts substellate-woolly. Basal leaves densely crowded, oblong-lanceolate, narrowed
towards base, entire, acute at apex, 1 -1.5 x 1 mm; cauline leaves few, remote, oblong-
ovate, sessile, tomentose; hairs furcate and stellate on both sides. Flowers white, 6 -12
m lax racemes; pedicels erecto-patent, filiform, 1 - 3 mm long, 3 - 6 mm long in fruit.
164 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Sepals outer oblong, inner elliptic, obtuse at apex, ca 1.5 mm long. Petals obovate,
cuneate at base, emarginate at apex, ca 2 mm long. Stamens ca 1.8 mm long, filaments
filiform; anthers ovoid, ca 0.25 mm long. Ovary ovoid, pilose, 10-ovuled; style ca 1 mm
long; stigma bilobed. Fruits ovoid, ca 3 x 2 - 2.5 mm; style ca 1 mm long, coronate; valves
simple, hairy.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: 4500 -4700 m. Sikkim.

Bhutan.

22. Draba olgae Regel & Schmalh. in Regel, Descr. PI. Nov. in Fedtsch., Reise
Nach Turkest. Lief. 18: 8.1882; Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 55:134.1973.

Herbs, perennial, caespitose; stems erect, aphyllous, 3 -10 (-15) cm high, glabrous
in upper parts, pubescent below. Basal leaves rosulate, lanceolate, oblong or oblanceo-
late, entire or rarely 1 - 2-dentate along margins, acute at apex, 5 - 1 0 (-15) x 2 - 3 mm,
hairy. Flowers yellow or yellowish white, (10-) 15 - 30 in compact corymbs, elongating
in fruit; pedicels thread-like, erecto-patent, (3-) 5 - 1 0 (-14) mm long in fruit, glabrous.
Sepals oblong-ovate, 2 - 2.5 mm long, hairy or sparsely pilose. Petals obovate, cuneate
at base, subemarginate at apex, 4.5 - 6 (-7) x 1.5 - 4 mm. Stamens up to 2.5 mm long;
anthers ca 0.5 mm long. Ovary ellipsoid, (8-) 10 - 14-ovuled, covered with minute, simple
hairs. Fruits ellipsoid or oblong-ellipsoid, inflated, often incurved, 4 - 6 (-8) x 2 - 2.5 (-3)
mm; style 0.5 - 0.75 mm long. Seeds (4-) 5 - 7 in each locule, ca 0.5 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan and Central Asia.

23. Draba oreades Schrenk in Fischer & Meyer, Enum. PI. Nov. 2: 56. 1842. D.
alpina auct. non L. 1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:142.1872, p . p.
Fig. 27.

Herbs, perennial, caespitose; rootstock thin, covered with dried leaf-bases; stem-
branches and branchlets numerous from the base, compact, 2 - 5 (-8) cm long in fruit,
covered mostly with dense long slender simple or sometimes mixed with short, branched
hairs. Basal leaves rosulate, oblong, oblanceolate or elliptic-obovate, chartaceous,
attenuate at base, entire or obscurely 1-dentate along margins, obtuse or acute at apex.
Flowers yellow to yellowish white, 4 - 12 (-15) in ebracteate, corymbose racemes;
peduncles 1 -10 cm long; pedicels 1-2 mm long, becoming 2 - 4 mm long in fruit. Sepals
oblong, obtuse, 1.5 - 2.5 mm long, persistent, usually glabrous. Petals oblanceolate or
 BRASSICACEAE 165
1993]

Fig. 27. Draba oreades Schrenk : a. flowering twig; b. fruiting twig; c. flower.
166 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

obovate, subemarginate at apex, 3 - 4 x 1 -1.5 mm. Ovary 6 - 12-ovuled. Fruits shortly

ovoid, acute, flattened, inflated below, rounded at base, mostly straight, rarely subcon-
torted, (3-) 4 - 6 (-8) x 3 - 4 (-5) mm, glabrous, rarely sparsely hairy; style 0.5 - 1 mm long.
Seeds 3 - 6 in each locule, ovoid, 1 mm long.

Fl. June - July; Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim
(3900 - 4700 m).

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Central & Western Asia.

24. Draba polyphylla O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 89:^ 180.1927. D. elata auct.
non Hook. f. & Thomson 1861; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 142.1872,
p.p.

Herbs, perennial, robust; stems often simple, 20 - 60 cm in flower, up to 90 cm high

in fruit. Basal leaves oblanceolate, often semiamplexicaul or subsessile, (10-) 15 - 25
(-35) x 3.5 - 8 mm; cauline leaves oblong or oblong-elliptic, semiamplexicaul at base,
dentate along margins, (5-) 15 - 20 (-40) x (-2) 3 - 8 (-12) mm, gradually transformed into
bracts. Flowers yellow, bracteate, 20 - 40 in subcapitate racemes; pedicels 5 - 20 mm
long in fruit. Sepals ovate, 2.5 - 3 x 1.5 - 2 mm. Petals obovate or oblanceolate,
emarginate at apex, 3.5 - 4x 1.5 - 2 mm. Ovary glabrous. Fruits oblong-ellipsoid or ovoid,
often twisted, obtuse at apex, 7 -12 (-14) x 4 - 6 mm, glabrous.

Fl. May - July; Fr. Aug. - Oct.

Distrib. India: 3600-5000 m. Sikkim.

Endemic.

25. Draba radicans Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 1: 71. 1834. D. alpina auct. non L.
1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:142.1872, p. p.

Herbs, perennial; stems branched at base; each branch 4 - 1 2 (-15) leaved, flaccid,
8 - 25 cm high, hairy. Cauline leaves: lower ones obovate, shortly narrowed to petiole at
base, eniire or subdentate along margins, acute at apex, 15 - 35 (-45) x 6 -15 mm; upper
ovate, sessile or shortly petioled, acute at apex; hairs simple, adpressed on upper surface,
stellate or scabrous, dispersed on lower surface. Flowers yellow, ebracteate, 15 - 20 (-32)
in lax racemes; pedicels 4 -15 mm long, 12 - 20 mm long in fruit. Sepals: exterior ones
oblong; interior ones oblong-ovate, obtuse at apex, 2.5 - 3 x 1 - 1.5 mm, pilose. Petals
obovate, cuneate at base, emarginate at apex, 6 - 7 x 1.5 mm. Stamens up to 5 mm long;
 BRASSICACEAE 167
1993]

("laments narrowed; anthers oblong, ca 1 mm long. Ovary narrow, flask-shaped, 18 -

20-ovuled; style ca 2 mm long, slender; stigma depressed, capitate. Fruits oblong, acute
aoex, 10 -15 x 2.5 - 3 mm, glabrous or with simple, dispersed hairs; style coronate, ca
3 mm long.

Fl. May - July; Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal.

26. Drabasetosa Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 1:71.1884. D.pyriformis Pohle in Fedde,
Repert. Spec. Nov. 32: 54. 1925. D. glacialis auct. non Adams 1817; Hook. f. & T.
Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:142.1872, p. p.

Herbs, perennial, caespitose; stems filiform, aphyllous, erect or ascending, 4 - 10

(-15) cm high, ciliately pilose. Basal leaves densely rosulate, linear,narrowed towards
base, entire, 10 -15 x 1 -1.5 mm, rigid with a stout midrib beneath, setose along margins.
Flowers yellow, 5 -10 in corymbose racemes; pedicels 1.5-4 mm long, up to 6 mm long
in fruit. Sepals oblong-obovate to oblong-ovate, ca 2 mm long. Petals narrowly obovate,
cuneate at base, subemarginate at apex, 3.5 - 4 mm long, densely veined. Stamens up to
2.5 mm long; filaments dilated at base; anthers ca 0.3 mm long. Ovary flask-shaped,
16-ovuled; style ca 0.5 mm long; stigma depressed. Fruits oblong-ellipsoid or linear,
compressed, somewhat twisted or straight, acute at apex, 5 -10 x 3 mm, glabrous; style
0.5 - 1 mm long. Seeds 6 - 8 in each locule, oblong-ovoid, brown, ca 1 mm long.

Fl. June-July; Fr. July-Aug.

Distrib. India: In alpine regions. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar
Pradesh.

Pakistan, China, Russia and Arctic Asia.

27. Draba sikkimensis (Hook. f. & Thomson) Pohle in Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov.
32: 144.1925. D. tibetica var. sikkimensis Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:
152.1861; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:144.1872.

Herbs, perennial, densely caespitose; stems simple, ascending, 1 - 2-leaved, rarely

aphyllous, 3 - 20 cm high, hairy. Basal leaves rosulate or laxly imbricate, often forming
columns, spathulate or oblanceolate, attenuate at base, entire or obscurely 1-dentate
along margins, subacute at apex, 5 - 10 (-12) x 2 - 4 mm, hairs often woolly. Flowers
white, 6 -12 in lax corymbose racemes; pedicels suberect, 4 - 6 mm long, up to 12 mm
168 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

long in fruit. Sepals oblong, subsaccate at base, rounded at apex, ca 2.5 x 1 mm. Petals
obovate, 4.5 - 6 x 2.5 - 3 mm. Ovary flask-shaped, densely woolly, 12-ovuled; stigma
peltate. Fruits oblong-ellipsoid, often curved, sometimes twisted, acute at both ends
6 -12 x 2 - 3 mm, glabrous or pubescent; style coronate, 0.75 -1 mm long. Seeds biseriate
ellipsoid, compressed, brown, 1 - 1.5 x 1 mm.

Fl. June - July; Fr. Aug. - Sept.

Distrib. India: Sikkim.

Bhutan.

28. Draba stenobotrys Gilg & O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 89: 291. 1927. D.
stenobotrys Gilg & O. Schulz var. leiocarpa O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 89:291.1927.
D. lasiophylla auct. non Royle 1834; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 143.
1872, p. p.

Herbs, perennial; stems simple or often much-branched with 5 - 1 0 remote leaves,

erect, ascending, flexuous, up to 30 cm high, covered with persistent dried leaves at base.
Basal leaves rosulate, narrowly lanceolate, entire or obscurely 1-dentate, acute at apex,
10 -15 x 1 -1.5 mm, densely tomentose; cauline leaves ovate, broadly sessile, entire or
obscurely denticulate along margins, acute at apex, 5 - 8 x 1 mm. Flowers white, 30 - 50
in elongated racemes, 4 - 6 bracteate below; pedicels 0.5 - 1 mm long, becoming 1 - 3
mm long in fruit. Sepals ca 1.5 mm long. Petals ca 2.5 mm long. Stamens up to 1.8 mm
long. Ovary 12 - 16-ovuled, pilose; style ca 0.5 mm long. Fruits oblong-ovoid, suberect,
acute at apex, 4 - 5 x 1.5 mm with furcate hairs or glabrous; septum prominently nerved.
Seeds ca 0.75 mm long.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Sikkim.

Endemic.

29. Draba stenocarpa Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 153. 1861. D.
linearis auct. non Boiss. 1842; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 144.1872.

Herbs, annual or biennial, rather stout; stems erect, simple or branched from base,
bearing 2 - 5 leaves, rarely aphyllous, up to 30 (-40) cm high in fruit, densely hairy in
lower parts, usually glabrous in upper parts. Basal leaves oblong-elliptic or oblong-obo-
vate, subsessile, entire or subdentate along margins, acute at apex, 15 - 22 (-25) x 3 - 5
mm, strigose on upper surface, stellate or furcate hairy beneath; cauline leaves 2 - 5,
lanceolate or oblong-ovate, obscurely few-denticulate or subentire, 5 - 20 x 2 - 7 mm.
Flowers yellow or white, 20 - 30 (-40) in lax corymbose racemes; pedicels filiform,
1993] BRASSICACEAE 169

spreading, 5 -15 mm long in fruit. Sepals oblong, obtuse at apex, ca 2 mm long. Petals
obcuneate, emarginate at apex, 3 - 4 x 1 mm. Stamens up to 2 mm long. Fruits linear
or ellipsoid-lanceolate, tapering at both ends, flat, compressed, erect on spreading
pedicels, (8-) 10 - 15 (-18) x 2 mm, hairy, rarely glabrous; style very short or obscure.
Seeds biseriate, 14 - 20 in each locule, ca 1 mm long, brown.

Fl. May - July; Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Central Asia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China.

30. Draba tenerrima O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 9: 640.1932 (incl. var.
trichocarpa O. Schulz). Erophila tenerrima (O. Schulz) Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 55:149.
1973.

Herbs, annual, delicate; stems erect simple, filiform, aphyllous, up to 4.5 cm high.
Basal leaves rosulate. obovate or oblong-elliptic, narrowed at base, sessile, 1-denticulate
or subentire, obtuse at apex, 2 - 8 x 1.5 - 4 mm, sparsely hairy. Flowers green, 2 - 6 in lax
racemes; pedicels erect, ascending, filiform, 2 - 4 mm long in fruit, glabrous. Sepals 4,
oblong, obtuse at apex, persistent in young fruits, ca 1 mm long. Petals absent. Stamens
4, ca 1 mm long; filaments slender, very short; anthers minute. Fruits obovate-ellipsoid,
compressed, acute at base, rounded at apex, 2.5 - 4 x 1.5 - 2 mm; valves membranous,
obscurely veined, glabrous or sparsely hairy; septum white. Seeds 3 - 5 (-6) in each
locule, ovoid, compressed, ca 0.75 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Endemic.

31. Draba tibetica Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:152.1861; Hook. f.
& T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:143.1872. (incl. var. thomsonii Hook. f. & T. Anderson
& var. duthiei O. Schulz).

Herbs, perennial, caespitose; stems erect or suberect, slender, simple, 1 - 2-leaved

or leafless, 6 -18 (-22) cm high, floccose. Basal leaves rosulate, oblong, sessile, slightly
narrowed at base, entire, rarely toothed, subacuminate at apex, 8 - 20 x 1.5 - 3 mm; cauline
leaves similar to basal leaves, rather small. Flowers yellowish white or yellow, 5 - 7 (-10)
in lax corymbose racemes, elongating up to 10 cm in fruit; pedicels filiform, erect,
ascending, 8 - 15 mm long in fruit. Sepals ovate-oblong, ca 2.5 mm long. Petals
subemarginate at apex, 4 - 5 x 2 mm, hairy. Stamens up to 2.5 mm long. Fruits
oblong-linear or narrowly lanceolate, flat, often acute at apex, 6 - 18 x (1-) 1.5 - 2 mm,
170 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

pubescent with short, branched hairs, rarely glabrous; style stout, ca 1 mm long; stigma
capitate. Seeds oblong-ovoid, 8 -12 in each locule, ca 1 mm long.

Fl. June - July; Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Nepal, China (W. Tibet), Afghanistan and Central Asia.

32. Draba trinervis O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 89: 131. 1927; Jafri in Fl. W.
Pakistan 55:136.1973.

Herbs, perennial, caespitose; rootstock much-branched; stems slender, ascending,

aphyllous, 1-4 (-6) cm high, glabrous. Basal leaves linear-elliptic or lanceolate, entire,
acute at apex, 3 - 8 x 1.5 - 2.5 mm, membranous, prominently 3 (-5)-nerved, ciliate-hairy.
Flowers yellow, 5 - 10 in loose racemes; pedicels erect, 3 - 6 mm long, elongating up to
10 mm in fruit. Sepals oblong-ovate to ovate, ca 2.5 mm long, glabrous. Petals obovate,
slightly oblique, rounded at apex, 4 - 5 mm long. Stamens 2.5 - 3 mm long; anthers ca
0.5 mm long. Ovary flask-shaped, 10-ovuled; style ca 0.75 -1 mm long; stigma depressed.
Fruits ovoid, 3.5 - 6 x 3 mm, glabrous; valves obscurely veined, subundulate on margins.
Seeds 4 - 5 in each locule, ca 1 mm long.

Fl. May - Oct.; Fr. July - Oct.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan and Afghanistan.

33. Draba winterbottomii (Hook. f. & Thomson) Pohle in Fedde, Repert. Spec.
Nov. Beih. 32: 138.1925. D. tibetica Hook. f. & Thomson var. winterbottomii Hook. f.
& Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 152. 1861. D. incompacta auct. non Steven 1812;
Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:142.1872.

Herbs, perennial, caespitose; rootstock much-branched, covered below with per-

sistent dried leaves and leaf-bases; stem branches decumbent below, suberect above,
aphyllous or 1-leaved, 2 - 6 cm high. Basal leaves numerous, subrosulate, oblong,
spathulate or narrowly obovate, almost sessile, cuneate at base, entire, obtuse at apex,
3 - 5 x 1 - 2 mm, floccose; cauline leaves when present oblong. Flowers white, 6 -10 in
lax racemes; pedicels 2 - 8 mm long in fruit. Sepals oblong-elliptic, ca 2.5 mm long.
Petals obovate-cuneate, subemarginate at apex, ca 4 x 2 mm. Stamens up to 2.5 mm long.
Fruits oblong-ellipsoid or lanceolate, slightly contorted, often recurved, flattened, acute
at apex, 5 - 7 x 1.5 - 2 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy near margins; style 1 -1.5 mm long;
stigma depressed. Seeds 5 - 8 in each locule, ca 1 mm long.
1993] BRASSICACEAE 171

Fl. June - Aug.; Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

China.

26. Erophila D C , nom. cons.

Herbs, annual, small, delicate, loosely tufted; stems scapose, slender, aphyllous;
scapes arising from basal rosette. Basal leaves rosulate, simple, oblong-ovate or elliptic,
broadly petioled, entire, simple or furcate hairy. Flowers white, rarely pinkish, in loose
corymbose racemes. Sepals erect, obovate to ovate. Petals obovate or elliptic, emargi-
nate or deeply bifid. Stamens 6; filaments slender, free. Ovary 10 - 60-ovuled, narrowly
or broadly ellipsoid, sessile, glabrous. Fruit a silicula, oblong-ellipsoid, obovoid or
linear, flattened, dorsally compressed, rounded at apex; valves flat or slightly convex,
1-veined; pedicels filiform; style short or obscure; stigma flat; septum membranous.
Seeds numerous, small, ovoid, biseriate in each locule; funicles filiform.

Chiefly in Mediterranean region and in various parts of Europe, W. Asia, N. Africa

and Temperate N.E. America; 10 species, 1 in India.

Erophila verna (L.) Besser, Enum. PI. Volhyn. 22.1822. Draba verna L., Sp. PL
642.1753. Erophila vulgaris D C , Syst. Nat. 2: 356.1821; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl.
Brit. India 1:145.1872.

Herbs, annual; stems solitary or branched, erect or spreading, aphyllous, rarely

1-leaved, 3 - 1 0 (-20) cm high in fruit, hairy at base with simple or forked hairs and
glabrous above. Leaves basal, in rosette, spathulate or broadly lanceolate or elliptic,
attenuate at base, entire or remotely few dentate along margins, slightly acute at apex,
hairy with simple and forked hairs. Flowers white, rarely pinkish, 10 - 20 in dense
corymbose racemes; pedicels filiform, erect, glabrous, up to 10 mm long in fruit. Sepals
1.5 - 2 mm long, glabrous or pilose, white-margined. Petals deeply bifid at apex, 2.5-3.5
mm long. Stamens up to 2 mm long. Fruits erect-spreading, oblong-ellipsoid to almost
orbicular, with short style at apex, variable, 5 - 8 (-10) x (1.5-) 2 - 3 (-4) mm. Seeds 10 -
20 in each locule, ca 0.5 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. Mar. - June.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, C & W. Asia, Europe, N. Africa and N.E. America.

Notes. A very polymorphic species showing extreme phenotypic plasticity. Several

varieties have been described from Europe, Central and W. Asia.
172 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Tribe5. E U C L I D I E A E DC.

(G. H. Bhaumik)

Herbs, annual, usually pubescent with simple, branched or stellate-appressed hairs

or sometimes sparsely papillose or glabrous. Sepals oblong or narrowly oblong, erect,
not saccate at base. Petals spathulate or oblong, not clawed, yellow or white. Stamens
6, tetradynamous; filaments linear, free or the inner four connate in pairs at base,
appendages absent. Ovary sessile, often subglobose; stigma capitate or slightly bilobed.
Fruit an indehiscent, unilocular to trilocular, short-hemispherical silicula; valves hard,
often variously appendaged; radicle incumbent or accumbent.

4 genera and 5 species in India.

27. Euclidium R. Br., nom. cons.

Herbs, annual, erect or suberect, dichotomously branched, pubescent throughout

with branched and unbranched hairs. Leaves simple, lanceolate to linear, more or less
stalked, sinuate-dentate to almost entire. Inflorescence spicate, often arising opposite
to leaves, lax and elongated in fruit; pedicels very short, erect, appressed in fruit. Sepals
erecto-patent, not saccate, pubescent. Petals narrowly linear-oblong or spathulate, not
clawed, slightly emarginate at apex, white. Fruit an indehiscent silicula, ovoid, 2-seeded,
longitudinally 4-veined, clearly septate, beaked. Seeds one in each locule; cotyledons
accumbent or obliquely incumbent in juvenile state.

Europe, C. & S.W. Asia; 2 species, both in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Cauline leaves petioled; fruits hairy; style subulate, obliquely bent, persistent 1. E. syriacum
b. Cauline leaves sessile; fruits glabrous; style cylindrical, straight, deciduous 2. E. lenuissimum

1. Euclidium syriacum (L.) R. Br. in Aiton, Hort. Kew., ed. 2, 4: 74. 1812; Hook,
f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:165.1872. Anastatica syriaca L., Sp. PI. ed. 2.895.
1763.

Herbs, annual, diffuse, 10 - 20 cm high; stems spreading from base, cineraceous

green, densely grey-pubescent, covered with simple, short and rigid stalked hairs.
Radical leaves pinnatifid; cauline leaves oblong or oblong-lanceolate, gradually tapering
towards base into petiole, sinuate-dentate or irregularly toothed along margins, sub-
acute at apex, hairy along margins and on both surfaces. Racemes lax, up to 10 cm long
in fruit; pedicels ca 1 mm long, thickened and appressed to stem. Sepals ovate-oblong,
spreading, obtuse at apex, ca 1 mm long, pubescent. Petals spathulate, emarginate at
apex, a little longer than sepals. Fruits obliquely ellipsoid or ovoid, tetragonous,
1993] BRASSICACEAE 173

torulose, rugose, 3 - 4 x 2 - 2.5 mm, densely covered with short hairs; style persistent,
conical-subulate, 1.5 - 2 mm long, usually bent or recurved. Seeds ovoid, compressed,
brown, 2 x 1.25 mm.

Fl. & Fr. May - June.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

C. & S.W. Asia and Europe.

2. Euclidium tenuissimum (Pallas) O. Fedtsch. in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 2(4): 915.

1904; Nair in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 64: 133. 1967 & Fl. Bashahr Himal. 28. 1977.
Vella tenuissima Pallas, Reise 5: 506.1793. Bunias tatarica Willd., Sp. PI. 3: 43. 1800.
Euclidium tataricum (Willd.) D C , Syst. Nat. 2: 422.1821.

Herbs, annual, erect, branched, 10 - 40 cm high. Radical leaves more or less

sinuate-dentate to lyrate-pinnatipartite, with small lanceolate lateral lobes and larger
oblong-lanceolate apical lobe, 3 - 10 x 0.5 - 2 cm; cauline leaves linear-oblong to
linear-lanceolate, entire or rarely irregularly toothed, 1 - 6 x 0.5 - 1 cm, simple hairy on
mid-veins below, upper surface usually glabrous, rarely hairy on both surfaces. Inflo-
rescence spicate, up to 25 cm long in fruit; pedicels ca 1 mm long in fruit, ascending or
subappressed. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, cuneate, 1.75 - 2 mm long, glabrous. Petals
2.5 - 4 x 1 mm, pinkish white. Fruits broadly ovate with 6 prominent longitudinal ribs,
1.75 - 2.25 x 2 mm, glabrous, bilocular; style ca 2 mm long. Seeds orbicular, brown, ca
1.25 mm in diameter.

Fl. & Fr. Apr. - May.

Distrib. India: Himachal Pradesh.

C. & S.W. Asia and Europe.

28. Myagrum L.

Monotypic; description and distribution as for the species below.

Myagrum perfoliatum L., Sp. PL 640.1753; Naithani et al. in Indian For. 104:171,
f.l. 1978.

Herbs, erect, annual, 20 - 100 cm high; stems branched from base and above the
middle, glabrous, glaucous. Leaves 2 - 4 cm long, entire; basal leaves oblong-oblanceo-
late, obtuse, sinuate-dentate to pinnatifid, petiolate; cauline leaves oblong to lanceolate,
sessile and sagittate to cordate-amplexicaul at base, entire to denticulate along margins,
acute at apex. Racemes ebracteate, erect. Flowers ca 6 mm long, yellow; fruiting pedicels
174 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

clavately thickened, tightly appressed to stem, 4 - 5.5 mm long, very sturdy, hollow.
Sepals ovate, erect or suberect, slightly saccate at base, ca 2 mm long. Petals oblong,
not clawed, truncate or rounded at apex, 3 - 4.5 x 1.5 mm, yellow or cream-coloured.
Stamens 6, the longer ones sometimes connate at base in pairs. Fruit an indehiscent
silicula, clavate, compressed, more or less tuberculate-rugose, 3-loculed, 5 - 8 x 5 mm;
upper 2 locules sterile, the lower one fertile with one or rarely two seeds; beak small,
conical. Seed solitary, oblong or obovoid, pendulous, ca 3 mm long; cotyledons slightly
incumbent.

Fl. & Fr. April - June.

Distrib. India: Uttar Pradesh.

C. & S. Europe and C. & S.W. Asia.

29. Neslia Desv., nom. cons.

Herbs, annual, erect, branched with simple and branched hairs. Basal leaves
petiolate; cauline leaves sessile, oblong-lanceolate, auricled, amplexicaul, entire to
toothed, pubescent. Racemes corymbose, ebracteate, dense in flower, elongated in
fruit; flowers small, yellow; pedicels filiform, spreading or ascending, elongated in fruit.
Sepals erect, not saccate. Petals entire, spathulate, about twice as long as sepals, yellow.
Stamens edentate. Fruit an indehiscent latiseptate silicula, subglobose, dorsally com-
pressed, bilocular, 1-loculed, 1-seeded, wrinkled; style distinct, jointed; stigma minute,
slightly 2-lobed; seed 1, pendulous, ovoid, suborbicular, brown; cotyledons incumbent.

Europe and Asia; 2 species, 1 in India.

Neslia apiculata Fischer, C. Meyer & Ave-Lall in Ind. Sem. Hort. Petrop. 8: 68.
1842. N.paniculata (L.) Desv. subsp. thracica (Velent.) Bornm. in Ostter Bot. Zeitschr.
44: 125.1894. N. thracia Velent. in Osterr. Bot. Zeitschr. 41:122.1891. N.paniculata
auct. non. Desv. 1814; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:164.1872. Fig. 28.

Herbs, annual, erect, 20 - 80 cm high; stems branched, ascending, pubescent.

Radical leaves subsessile or petiolate, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, entire or dentate,
sagittate at base, acute at apex, 3 - 10 x 1 - 2 cm; cauline leaves sessile, linear to
linear-oblong, sagittate-auricled at base, 1 - 8 x 0.3 - 1.5 cm. Racemes corymbose
paniculate, 30 - 50-flowered, up to 30 cm long in fruit; pedicels up to 1 cm long in fruit,
spreading. Sepals erect-spreading ca 2 mm long, yellowish with membranous margins.
Petals linear-oblong, truncate, tapering at base, 2 - 3 x 1 mm. Fruits lentiform-subspheri-
cal, glabrous, alveolate and finely granular, ca 2 - 5 mm in diam; valves with a distinct
midnerve, reticulately veined; style ca 1 mm long. Seeds brown, ca 1.5 mm in diam.

Fl&Fr. March-Apr.
1993] BRASSICACEAE 175

mm

Fig. 28. Neslia apiculata Fischer, C. Meyer & Ave-Lall. : a. plant, upper portion;
b. fruit.
176 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

C. & S.W. Asia, S. Europe and N.W. Africa.

30. Tauscheria Fischer ex DC.

Monotypic; description and distribution as for the species below.

Tauscheria lasiocarpa Fischer ex DC. Syst. Nat. 2: 563. 1821; Hook. f. & T.
Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:164.1872. Fig. 29.

Herbs, annual, 15 - 30 cm high, erect, branched, glabrous, glaucous. Leaves simple,

entire. Radical leaves cuneate, mostly drying up early. Cauline leaves sessile, amplex-
icaul, ovate-lanceolate, cordate-auricled at base, acute or obtuse at apex, entire, 2 - 6.5
xO.75 - 1 cm, glabrous. Racemes lax, in loose panicles, elongated in fruits; pedicels erect,
afterwards spreading, up to 3.5 mm long and recurved in fruit. Sepals oblong-lanceolate,
more or less concave, acute or obtuse at apex, 1.25 x 0.5 - 0.75 mm, erect. Petals
spathulate, obtuse or subretuse, sinuate along margins, 1.5 - 2 x 0.5 mm, yellow. Fruit
an indehiscent silicula, boat-shaped, concave and deeply grooved with incurved margins
above, convex below, winged, 1-loculed, 5 - 6 x 2.75 - 3 mm (including 2 - 3 mm long
beak), thickly glandular hairy; beak curving upwards. Seeds 2, pendulous from top of
locule, ca 2.25 x 1 mm, blackish brown; cotyledons incumbent.

Fl. & Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

C. & S.W. Asia.

Tribe6. H E S P E R I D E A E Prantl

(P. K. Hajra, H. J. Chowdhery & G. H. Bhaumik)

Herbs, usually with simple or 2 - 3-forked appressed hairs, sometimes glabrous.

Racemes few to many-flowered, sometimes scape 1-flowered. Sepals usually erect, inner
often saccate or subsaccate at base. Petals usually twice as long as sepals. Stamens free
or inner four connate in pairs; anthers usually dithecous. Ovary sessile or shortly
stipitate; stigma bilobed. Fruits long or rarely short, dehiscent or indehiscent.

6 genera and 18 species in India.

31. Atelanthera Hook. f. & Thomson

Monotypic; description and distribution as for the species below.

 BRASSICACEAE 177
1993]

mm

mm

Fig. 29. Tauscheria lasiocarpa Fischer ex DC. : a. plant; b. flower; c. fruit.

178 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Atelanthera perpusilla Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 138. 1861;
Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 133. 1872. A. pentandra Jafri in Notes R.
Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22:101.1956.

Herbs, annual, 3 - 8 cm high, with appressed bipartite rough hairs; stems erect,
simple, filiform. Leaves few, sessile, distant, linear-oblong, entire, 10 - 15 x 1 - 3 mm.
Racemes 2 - 6 - flowered. Flowers white, subsessile, ca 2.5 mm across; pedicels incon-
spicuous, ca 1 mm long in fruit. Sepals ca 2 mm long, erect. Petals narrowly spathulate
or oblong, ca 3 mm long. Stamens 6, dimorphic, ca 2 mm long; anthers with short claw
at tip. Lateral nectar glands in pairs, oblong-terete. Ovary linear-oblong to somewhat
cylindrical, 14 - 24-ovuled; style short, stigma 2-lobed. Fruits linear, compressed,
bilocular, dehiscent, straight or twisted, appressed hairy, ca 2 cm long, ca 1 mm broad.
Seeds 6 -12 in each locule, 1-seriate, oblong.

Fl. & Fr. Apr. - June.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and China.

32. Cheiranthus L.

Herbs, perennial; stems leafy, appressed hairy; hairs branched, medifixed. Leaves
elliptic to linear-oblanceolate; basal rosulate, cauline crowded. Racemes 10 - 30-
flowered. Flowers bright orange-yellow. Sepals erect, inner saccate at base. Petals
long-clawed, yellow; median nectaries absent. Fruit a siliqua, compressed, terete, erect,
appressed hairy; valves with a distinct midvein. Seeds 1 - 2-seriate; radicle accumbent.

Eurasia; about 10 species, 1 cultivated in India.

Cheiranthus cheiri L., Sp. PI. 661.1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India
1:132.1872.

Stems up to 80 cm high, woody at base. Basal leaves oblong-lanceolate, 5 -10 cm

long, entire or minutely denticulate, shortly petioled; cauline smaller, subsessile.
Flowers ca 2 cm across; pedicels 5 -15 mm long in fruit. Sepals ca 1 cm long. Petals ca
2 cm long. Fruits 4 - 7 cm long, 3 - 5 mm broad. Seeds suborbicular, ca 3 mm in diam.

Cultivated in India; native of Europe, called Wall Flower.

33. Erysimum L.

Herbs, often pubescent with 2 - 3-branched medifixed appressed hairs; stems leafy,
branched mostly from base. Leaves simple, linear, elliptic or oblong, attenuate at base,
 BRASSICACEAE 179
1993]

ntire or sinuate-toothed. Flowers in corymbose racemes, usually ebracteate, or brac-

teate only at base, orange, yellow or rarely purple. Sepals erect, inner ones pouched or
accate at base. Petals clawed. Stamens 6; filaments simple; anthers linear-oblong.
Ovary pubescent, many-ovuled; stigma 2-lobed, capitate. Fruit a siliqua, linear, elong-
ate-narrow, compressed, tetragonal or terete; valves 1-nerved, rounded or keeled. Seeds
many, 1-seriate.

Chiefly Eurasian; about 100 species, 11 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Plants usually dwarf, 3 -12 cm high, branches crowded 2

b. Plants usually 15 - 75 cm high; branches not crowded 3
2a. Plants ca 3 cm high; pods 1.5 - 2 cm long; seeds with slender funicle 5. E. funiculosum
i

b. Plants 7 -12 cm high; pods 3.5 - 5 cm long; seeds with short funicle 4. E. deflexum
3a. Plants diffusedly branched; mature pods horizontal 10. K. repandum
b. Plants not diffusedly branched; mature pods usually erect and stout 4
4a. Pods usually 10 -11 cm long 7. E. longisiliquum
b. Pods usually 3 - 8 cm long 5
5a. Flowers ca 6 mm across 11. E. thomsonii
b. Flowers usually 8 -15 mm across 6
6a. Pedicels up to 5 mm long 1. E. aitchisonii
b. Pedicels more than 5 mm long 7
7a. Leaves usually linear, 2 - 3 mm broad 2. E. altaicum
b. Leaves usually oblong-elliptic or lanceolate, 5 -10 mm broad 8
8a. Mature pods usually 1.5 mm broad 9
b. Mature pods usually 2.5 - 3 mm broad 10
9a. Sepals ca 5 mm long 6. E. hieraciifolium
b. Sepals ca 8 mm long 8. E. melicentae
10a. Flowers ca 8 mm across 9 . E. pachycarpum
b. Flowers ca 12 mm 3. E. cachemiricum

1. Erysimum aitchisonii O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 9:1080.1927; Jafri

in Fl. W. Pakistan 55: 239.1973.

Herbs, erect, much-branched, up to 60 cm high. Basal leaves entire or shortly

toothed, acute at apex, petioled, 5 - 8 x 0.5 - 1 cm. Racemes 25 - 45-flowered, up to 25
cm long in fruit. Flowers ca 1 cm across, yellow; pedicels 2 - 3 mm long in fruit. Sepals
lanceolate, ca 5 mm long. Petals ca 1.5 cm long. Pods linear to subcylindrical, 2 - 4 cm
long; valves with distinct midrib. Seeds brown.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

180 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Afghanistan.

2. Erysimum altaicum C. Meyer in Ledeb., Fl. Alt. 3: 153. 1831; Hook. f. & T.
Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:154.1872. Fig. 30.

Herbs, perennial, erect, up to 25 cm high. Radical leaves linear-oblong, entire or

sinuate-toothed, sometimes runcinate, petioled, 3 - 5 x 0.2 - 0.3 cm; cauline leaves smaller,
linear, sessile. Racemes 15 - 45-flowered. Flowers 0.8 -1.2 cm across; pedicels 0.5 - 1
cm long in fruit. Sepals ca 8 mm long. Petals ca 1 cm long. Stamens ca 8 mm long. Fruits
linear-oblong, terete, ca 5 cm long; valves with prominent midrib. Seeds minute,
oblong-ellipsoid.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia.

3. Erysimum cachemiricum O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 9: 1080.1927;

Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 55: 237.1973.

Herbs, erect, robust, up to 50 cm high. Leaves both basal-rosulate and cauline,

oblong-elliptic to lanceolate, sparsely dentate, acute at apex, petioled, 5 - 10 x 0.5 cm.
Racemes 20 - 35-flowered, 15 - 20 cm long in fruit. Flowers ca 1.2 cm across; pedicels
ca 8 mm long in fruit, spreading. Sepals ca 5 mm long. Petals ca 1 cm long. Fruits 3 - 5
cm long; style thickened with capitate subbilobed stigma. Seeds oblong.

Fl.&Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Kashmir.

Endemic.

4. Erysimum deflexum Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 165. 1861;
Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:153.1872.

Herbs, 8 -12 cm high, ascending or decumbent or deflexed in fruit; rootstock thick,

woody, much branched. Leaves linear-spathulate, minutely toothed, 0.8 - 3 cm long,
1.5 - 3 mm wide, appressed-pubescent with 2-branched hairs. Flowers 0.8 - 1 cm across,
orange-yellow; pedicels ca 8 mm long, equalling sepals. Fruits linear, erect, tetragonal,
3.5 - 5 cm long, acute at apex. Seeds with very short funicles, ellipsoid, ca 1.5 mm long,
ca 0.7 mm wide; funicles ca 1 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. July - Aug.

 BRASSICACEAE 181
1993]

Fig. 30. Erysimum altaicum C. Meyer : a. habit; b. flower; c. fruit.

182 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Distrib. India: E. Himalayas, 3950 - 5250 m. Sikkim.

Bhutan.

5. Erysimum funiculosum Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:165.1861;

Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:153.1872.

Rootstock much divided; branches erect, ca 3 cm high. Leaves linear-lanceolate,

oblanceolate, 1 - 2 cm long, 2 - 3 mm wide, entire, bearing 2-branched hairs. Flowers ca
1 cm across; pedicels ca 8 mm long in fruit. Fruits fascicled, erect, linear-lanceolate,
compressed, 1.5 - 2 cm long, 2 - 2.5 mm wide; valves membranous, obscurely keeled;
style short, conical. Seeds ellipsoid, ca 2 x 0.7 mm, with slender, capillary funicle.

Fl. & Fr. Aug.

Distrib. India: Sikkim (4265 - 4570 m).

Endemic.

6. Erysimum hieraciifolium L., Cent. PI. 1:18.1755; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl.
Brit. India 1:153.1872. E. strictum Gaertner f. in Mey. & Schreb., Pi. Wett. 2:451.1800.
E. bhutanicum W. Smith in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 10: 31.1917. Fig. 31.

Herbs, erect, stout or slender, up to 75 cm high, simple or branched; hairs usually

2-forked, appressed. Leaves elliptic-oblong to oblanceolate, attenuate at base bearing
3 - 5 small teeth on either side, acute at apex, 3 -10 x 0.5 - 1.5 cm, sparsely pubescent,
mostly with 2-branched hairs; upper ones sessile or subsessile, basal petioled. Racemes
10 - 50-flowered, up to 40 cm long in fruit. Flowers 0.8 - 1 cm across, yellow; pedicels
up to 1 cm long, upcurved, stout. Sepals narrowly oblong or ovate, ca 5 - 8 mm long.
Petals orange, ca 1 cm long, 5 - 9 mm long, clawed; limb oblong, obovate, rounded or
emarginate. Stamens ca 6 mm long. Fruits slender, erect, narrow, tetragonal, scaberu-
lous, 3 - 8 cm long; style short, stout or slender. Seeds 1.7 - 2 mm across.

Fl. & Fr. May - Aug.

Distrib. India: River banks and hillsides. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal
Pradesh.

Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, China, S.E. Tibet, Temperate Asia and Northern Europe.

7. Erysimum longisiliquum Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:166.1861;

Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:154.1872.

Herbs, robust, erect, up to 80 cm high, glabrous; stems acutely angled. Leaves

 BRASSICACEAE
1993]

Fig. 31. Erysimum hieraciifolium L. : a. habit; b. flower.

184 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

lanceolate or oblanceolate, obscurely toothed. Flowers ca 1 cm across; pedicels 0.5 -1.5

cm long in fruit. Style 2 - 3 mm long, stout. Fruits spreading, linear, 8 -12 x 0.3 cm; valves
with prominent keel.

Fl. & Fr. May - June.

Distrib. India: In Eastern Himalayas, 3050 - 3950 m. Sikkim.

Bhutan.

8. Erysimum melicentae Dunn in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1920:366.1920. E. odoratum

auct. non Ehrh. 1792; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:154.1872. E. parked
O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 9:1083.1927.

Herbs, up to 75 cm high. Leaves oblong to lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, sinuate-

toothed or entire, scaberulous, petioled, 3 -10 x 0.5 - 1 cm. Racemes 20 - 40-flowered.
Flowers 0.8 -1.5 cm across; pedicels ca 1 cm long in fruit. Sepals ca 8 mm long. Petals
1 -1.5 cm long. Stamens ca 1 cm long. Fruits linear-terete, 3 - 7 cm long, densely hairy;
valves with prominent midrib. Seeds oblong-terete.

Fl.&Fr. May-Sept.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan, Nepal and China (Tibet).

9. Erysimum pachycarpum Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:167.1861;

Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:153.1872.

Herbs, robust, branched, up to 60 cm high with scattered hairs. Leaves lanceolate

or oblanceolate, sinuate-toothed, 8 - 9 x 1 cm. Flowers orange-yellow, ca 8 mm across;
pedicels 3 - 6 mm long, minutely hairy. Petals obovate-spathulate. Style ca 2 mm thick;
stigma large, capitate. Fruits 5 - 6.5 x 0.3 cm; valves obtusely keeled. Seeds minute.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Sikkim (3000 - 4000m).

Nepal and Bhutan.

10. Erysimum repandum L., Demonstr. PI. 17. 1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in
Fl. Brit. India 1: 153.1872.

Herbs, annual, erect, diffusely branched, up to 40 cm high, hoary with close

1993] BRASSICACEAE 185

appressed hairs; hairs mostly medifixed, 2-partite or rarely trifid. Leaves lanceolate,
oblanceolate or elliptic-oblong, sinuate-dentate to almost entire along margins, 1 - 6.5 x
0 2 - 1 cm, lower ones petioled, upper sessile. Racemes densely 15 - 25-flowered,
elongating to 25 cm in fruit. Flowers ca 6 mm across, yellow; pedicels up to 5 mm long
in fruit. Sepals 3 - 6 mm long, not or slightly saccate at base. Petals ca 6 mm long,
pubescent on back. Stamens ca 5 mm long. Fruits rigid or flexuous, torulose, obtusely
4-angled, glabrous, 2 - 8 cm long, 1 - 1.5 mm thick; style 2 - 5 mm long. Seeds
oblong-ellipsoid, ca 1.5 mm across.

Fl. & Fr. Apr. - June.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Europe, N. Africa and S.W. Asia.

11. Erysimum thomsonii Hook. f. in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:165.1861; Hook. f. & T.
Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:154.1872.

Herbs, up to 35 cm high,stout, erect, with 3-furcate hairs. Leaves rosulate, linear-

lanceolate, obscurely toothed, acute at apex, 2.5 - 3.5 x 0.4 - 0.2 cm. Flowers ca 6 mm
across; pedicels 8 - 1 2 mm long, stout. Sepals ca 5 mm long. Petals ca 1 cm long, ca 3
mm broad. Fruits 7.5 - 8 cm long, ca 2 mm broad; valves acutely keeled; style long. Seeds
many, ca 3 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Afghanistan and China (Tibet).

34. Goldbachia D C , nom. cons.

Herbs, annual or biennial, glabrous. Leaves oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate, sinu-

ate-dentate to subentire; basal leaves petioled; upper sessile. Racemes few to many
flowered, lax in fruit. Sepals erect, not saccate. Petals white or pink, not clawed.
Stamens 6. Ovary elliptic-ovate, 2 - 4-ovuled; style short, thick; stigma capitate or shortly
2-lobed. Fruits erect or erecto-patent at the end of pendent pedicel, indehiscent,
coriaceous, tetragonous, slightly constricted between seeds, curved, tapering above into
a broad flattened beak; segments (1-) 2 - 3 , superimposed in one row, each 1-seeded.
Seeds oblong, pendulous; cotyledons incumbent.

Europe, Central and S.W. Asia; about 16 species, 1 in India.

Goldbachia laevigata (M. Bieb.) D C , Syst. Nat. 2: 577. 1821; Hook. f. & T.
186 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:166.1872. Raphanus laevigatus M. Bieb., Fl. Taur.-Cauc.
2:129.1808. Goldbachia hispida Blatter & Hallberg in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 1:156.1919.

Herbs, up to 40 cm high. Radical leaves rosulate, oblong or obovate to oblanceolate

or spathulate, obtuse at apex, sinuate-dentate, rarely entire, 2.5 -18 x 0.5 - 3.5 cm; cauline
leaves gradually smaller, lanceolate to linear-oblong, auricled at base, dentate to entire
at margins. Racemes in axils of leaves, elongating up to 25 cm long in fruit. Flowers
faintly purple; pedicels of flowers erect, 7 - 1 2 mm long and recurved in fruit. Sepals
erect, lanceolate, 1.5 - 2 x 0.4 - 0.75 mm. Petals oblanceolate, obtuse at apex, 3 - 4 mm
long. Fruit a silicula, cylindrical, 4-angled, attenuate at base and apex, smooth or
wrinkled, reticulately veined, 10 -12 x 2 - 4 mm; beak conical, compressed. Seeds 2 or
rarely 1 or 3,2.5 - 3 x 1 mm, black.

Fl. & Fr. May - June.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab.

Most of Asia, rare in Europe.

35. Malcolmia R. Br., nom. cons.

Herbs, usually annual, or rarely perennial, branched, pubescent; hairs branched,

rarely unbranched. Leaves entire or pinnatifid. Racemes lax, ebracteate. Flowers white
or purple. Sepals equal, erect; the inner usually saccate at base. Petals linear or narrowly
oblanceolate, long-clawed, white or pink to violet. Stamens usually 6; longer stamens
connate in pairs; filaments free or united below in pairs. Ovary oblong, many-ovuled.
Fruit a siliqua, cylindric; valves 3-nerved, somewhat rigid; style absent; stigma deeply 2
fid. Seeds 1 - 2-seriate, ovoid or oblong, rarely globular.

Asian and Mediterranean regions; about 30 species, 3 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Plants short, few-flowered; siliqua almost glabrous 2. M. intermedia

b. Plants tall, many-flowered; siliqua with strigose or forked hairs 2
2a. Petals white; siliqua with strigose hairs, 2 - 3 cm long 3. M. strigosa
b. Petals violet; siliqua with short forked hairs, 3.5 - 8 cm long 1. M. africana

1. Malcolmia africana (L.) R. Br. in Aiton, Hort. Kew. ed. 2, 4:121.1812; Hook,
f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:146.1872. Hesperis africana L., Sp. PI. 663.1753.

Herbs, 15 - 45 cm high, stout with stiff forked hairs; branches many, long, but shorter
than main stem, spreading. Leaves oblanceolate, oblong or subelliptic, entire or sinu-
ate-dentate, sessile or petioled, 2.5 -15 x 0.5 - 2 cm. Racemes 10 - 20-flowered, lax,
1993] BRASSICACEAE 187

10 - 15 cm long in fruit; pedicels 1 - 2 mm long in fruit. Flowers subsessile, ca 6 mm

across, pink to purple. Sepals ca 5 mm long not saccate. Petals ca 1 cm long, violet.
Stamens ca 5 mm long. Fruits linear, more or less 4-angled, 3.5 - 8 cm long, 1 - 2 mm
wide, patent, rigid, with short forked hairs. Seeds many, oblong.

Fl. & Fr. Jan. - June.

Distrib. India: Weed of cultivated fields. Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab and Rajas-
than.

S.W. Asia, S. Europe and N. Africa.

2. Malcolmia intermedia C. A. Mey., Verz. Pfl. Cauc. 186.1831. M. taraxacifolia

Balbis ex Vass. in Kom., Fl. U.R.S.S. ed. 2, 8: 283.1939; Naqshi & Javeid in J. Bombay
Nat. Hist. Soc. 74: 394.1977.

Herbs, annual, dwarf, spreading or subterete, 5 -10 cm high, glabrous or sparsely

hairy with branched hairs. Leaves variable oblong or oblanceolate, sinuate-dentate to
almost entire; basal leaves stalked, rosulate, 2 - 6 x 0.5 - 1.5 mm broad. Racemes 5 -
8-flowered, lax in fruit; pedicels ca 1 mm long in fruit. Flowers ca 5 mm across, usually
whitish. Sepals 2.5 - 3 mm long, saccate at base. Petals 4 - 5 mm long, pinkish. Stamens
ca 3 mm long. Fruits linear-oblong, quadrangular, 3.5 - 6 cm long, 1 mm wide. Seeds
oblong, brown, up to 35 in each locule.

Fl. & Fr. Feb. - May.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Trans-Caspian region, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

3. Malcolmia strigosa Boiss. in Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 2,17: 70. 1842; Hook. f. & T.
Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:146.1872.

Herbs, annual, suberect or spreading, 10 - 20 cm high, branched from base. Leaves

oblanceolate, oblong or subelliptic, subentire to sinuate toothed, shortly petioled, 1-3
x 0.5 -1.2 cm. Flowers ca 4 mm across, numerous in racemes; pedicels ca 1 mm long in
fruit. Sepals ca 3 mm long. Petals ca 6 mm long, whitish. Stamens ca 3 mm long. Fruits
subquadrate or terete, tapering towards the apex, often slightly curved, spreading
straight, ca 30 mm long, 2 mm wide. Seeds ca 1 mm long, pale brown.

FL & Fr. April - June.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

188 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.

Notes. Aswal et al. (in Indian J. For. 11(2): 172.1988) reports this from Ladakh in
Kashmir.

36. Pycnoplinthus O. Schulz

Monotypic; description and distribution as for the species below.

Pycnoplinthus uniflorus (Hook. f. & Thomson) O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 86:

199.1924. Braya uniflora Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:168.1861; Hook,
f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 155.1872.

Herbs, densely tufted, glabrous; rootstock stout, branched, ca 6 mm thick. Leaves

mostly radical, sessile, linear to linear-spathulate, entire, 1 - 2.5 x 0.2 cm, fleshy. Scapes
many, filiform, ca 2.5 cm long, each 1-flowered. Flowers white, ca 7 mm across. Sepals
suberect, ca 3 mm long; inner ones saccate at base. Petals obovate, short-clawed, ca 5
mm long. Stamens 6, ca 4 mm long. Ovary sessile, oblong. Fruits oblong, 8 - 12 mm
long, glabrous, bilocular, dehiscent; septum 2-nerved; style short. Seeds 5 - 6 in each
locule, 1-seriate, brownish, finely reticulated.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan and China (Tibet).

Tribe 7. L E P I D I E A E DC.

(G. H. Bhaumik)

Herbs, sometimes subshrubs or shrubs, usually pubescent with simple or rarely

branched hairs, or rarely glabrous. Sepals erect or spreading, equal or unequal at base;
lateral ones more or less saccate and sometimes broader at base. Petals equal or
unequal, often slightly differentiated into blade and claw. Stamens 6, tetradynamous or
reduced to 4 or 2, or very rarely 8 - 24; appendages on filaments present or absent. Stigma
capitate, often shortly bilobed. Siliculae usually with a narrowly elliptic septum, laterally
compressed, sometimes inflated, or unilocular without septum, dehiscent, or sometimes
indehiscent and breaking longitudinally into 1-seeded halves. Seeds often mucilaginous
when wet, winged or wingless; cotyledons incumbent or accumbent.

12 genera and 32 species in India.

1993] BRASSICACEAE 189

37. Capsella Medikus, nom. cons.

Herbs, annual or biennial, glabrous or with simple or branched and often stellate
hairs on stems and leaves; stems mostly erect, simple or branched. Basal leaves mostly
rosulate, entire or lobed; cauline leaves subentire, sessile, amplexicaul and sagittate at
base. Inflorescence racemose; pedicels slender. Sepals erect, not saccate, equal at base.
Petals white, pink or yellowish, obovate, rounded or truncate at base. Stamens free;
filaments linear, edentate. Fruit an angusti-septate silicula, obcordate-triangular, lat-
erally compressed; valves boat-shaped, keeled, reticulately veined; septum narrow,
membranous; style short; stigma minute, capitate. Seeds biseriate, many in each locule,
ellipsoid; cotyledons incumbent.

Temperate regions of both hemispheres; about 5 species, 1 in India.

Literature. ALMQUIST, E. (1907-1923) Studies uber die Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus.
Acta Hort. Berg. 4 (6): 3 - 91. 1907; ibid. 7 (2): 41 - 95. 1923.

Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, Pflanzengatt. 1: 85. 1792; Hook, f & T.

Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:159.1872. Thlaspi bursa-pastoris L., Sp. PI. 647.1753.

Eng.: Shepherd's purse; Kash.: Drati, Kral-mund.

Herbs, annual, erect, sparsely branched, up to 45 cm high, glabrous. Basal leaves

rosulate, oblong-lanceolate, pinnati-partite, sometimes runcinate, rarely entire, shortly
stalked, 2 - 14 x 0.5 - 3.5 cm; lobes triangular or oblong-triangular and acute; cauline
leaves ovate-lanceolate to linear, auricled and clasping at base, entire or denticulate,
acute at apex, serrate-dentate or entire, 1-7x0.2-2 cm. Racemes congested at anthesis,
much elongated at maturity reaching up to 30 cm long in fruit; pedicels spreading to
horizontal. Sepals oblong, obtuse at apex, ca 1.5 x 1 mm, usually green, pubescent or
not. Petals white, oblanceolate, 2 - 2.5 x 0.5 - 1 mm. Fruits obcordate to obtriangular, 5
- 9 x 3.5 - 6 mm, scarcely attenuate at base, straight or convex at lateral margins, slightly
emarginate at apex, with wide apical notch; apical lobes subacute. Seeds up to 12 in
each locule, ellipsoid, ca 1 mm long, reddish brown to black.

Fl. & Fr. March - Oct.

Distrib. India: Weed of roadsides and alpine meadows, 1600-4000 m. Throughout

the temperate regions of Himalayas and Nilgiris.

Cosmopolitan except in the tropics.

Notes. Plants used as an astringent in diarrhoea and as a diuretic in dropsy. Fruits

eaten raw. Leaves used as greens.
190 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

38. Cardaria Desv.

Herbs, perennial glabrous to canescent with short simple hairs; stems erect, leafy,
branched. Flowers in corymbose racemes, small, white. Fruiting racemes elongated or
shortened and crowded forming a compact corymb. Sepals diverging, outer oblong,
inner ovate, not saccate. Petals white, with notched limb. Ovary elliptic to suborbicular,
bilocular, 2 - 4-ovuled; style 1 - 2 mm long; stigma capitate. Fruit an indehiscent,
somewhat inflated to subglobose silicula, compressed and rarely emarginate at apex,
2 - 4-seeded, glabrous or pubescent; cotyledons incumbent.

Chiefly distributed in Central and Southeast Asia, Europe and Africa; 5 species, 1
in India.

Cardaria chalepense (L.) Hand.-Mazz., Ann. Nat. Hofmus., Wein 27: 55. 1913.
Lepidium chalepense L., Cent. PI. 2: 23. 1756. L. draba L. subsp. chalepense (L.) O.
Schulz in Engler & Prantl, Pflanzenf. ed.2,17b: 417.1936.

Eng.: Lens-podded hoary cress.

Herbs, erect, up to 60 cm high, mostly branched from base. Basal leaves obovate,
elliptic-oblong or lanceolate, attenuate at base, irregularly toothed to entire along
margins, 3 - 7 x 1 - 2 cm, sparingly to densely pubescent; middle and upper leaves oblong
or oblong-lanceolate, sessile, sagittate-auricled at base, sparsely to densely pubescent
or almost glabrous. Flowers in corymbose panicles; pedicels erect, ascending, 1 -1.5 cm
long in fruit. Sepals obovate or oblong, 2-2.5 mm long, white margined, glabrous. Petals
obovate, 3 - 3.25 mm long. Fruits ovate to broadly obovate, cuneate at base, 4 - 6 x 3.5 -
4.5 mm, glabrous or minutely pubescent when young; valves obscurely veined. Seeds
ovoid, slightly compressed, brown to black, 1.5 - 2 mm long.

Fl.&Fr. April-July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Europe, Central & South-west Asia and Africa.

39. Cochlearia L.

Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial, with slender taproot, erect or prostrate,

subglabrous or with simple hairs; stems simple, leafy, branched from base. Leaves
simple or pinnatifid. Racemes short, corymbose, bracteate or not; flowers small, green-
ish white or yellow. Sepals erecto-patent or spreading. Petals obovate-oblong or oblan-
ceolate, shortly clawed. Stamens 6; filaments linear. Fruit a laterally compressed
silicula, ovoid-oblong or ellipsoid, somewhat inflated, bilocular, dehiscent; valves con-
vex, turgid, not winged. Seeds biseriate, few to many, subcompressed, verrucose or
1993] BRASSICACEAE 191

papillose.

Chiefly distributed in the northern hemisphere; about 25 species, 2 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves lanceolate, pinnatifid; fruits globose 1. C. cochlearioides

b. Leaves ovate, not pinnatifid; fruits ellipsoid 2. C. himalaica

1. Cochlearia cochlearioides (Roth) Santapau & Maheshw. in J. Bombay Nat. Hist.

Soc. 54:804.1957. Afyssum cochlearioides Roth, Nov. PI. Sp. 322.1821. Cochleariaflava
Roxb. ex Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:145.1872.

Herbs, annual, erect, diffusely branched, glabrous. Leaves lanceolate, pinnatifid,

auricled at base, up to 12 cm long. Racemes numerous. Flowers small, yellow. Fruits
globose, smooth; valves membranous, nerveless; style short, thick. Seeds numerous,
rugose, funicles filiform.

Fl. & Fr. Aug. - Oct.

Distrib. India: Upper and lower Gangetic Plains and Gujarat.

2. Cochlearia himalaica Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 154.1861;

Grierson & Long, Fl. Bhutan 1(2): 63.1984.

Herbs, biennial or perennial, subglabrous or with simple hairs. Leaves ovate, obtuse
at apex, rounded at base, irregularly crenate along margins, 5 -12 x 3 - 7 mm; petioles
1 - 2.5 mm long. Flowers up to 3 x 1 mm, greenish white, in corymbose racemes. Sepals
oblong, ca 1.5 x 0.75 mm. Fruits ellipsoid, 3 - 5-seeded, 5 - 6 x 2 - 3 mm; valves slightly
swollen; style ca 1 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: In moist places, 4500 - 4600 m. Sikkim.

Bhutan.

40. Coronopus Zinn., nom. cons.

Herbs, annual or biennial, foetid-scented, glabrous or pubescent with branched

hairs. Leaves entire, irregularly lobed or deeply pinnatifid. Racemes usually short,
apparently leaf-opposed. Sepals short, patent, not saccate. Petals white, minute, scarce-
ly exceeding the calyx or absent. Stamens 6,5,4 or 2, free, edentate. Ovary with 2 ovules;
style very short; stigma capitate. Fruits didymous, more or less laterally compressed
192 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

silicula; valves 2, rugose or tubercled, separating into closed indehiscent 1-seeded

nutlets; style pyramidal; seed globose.

Chiefly Eurasian; about 10 species, one in India.

Coronopus didymus (L.) Smith, Fl. Britain 2: 691.1800. Lepidium didymum L.,
Mant. PL 1: 92.1767. Senebiera pinnatifida DC. in Mem. Soc. Hist. Nat. Paris 144, t. 9.
1799. S. didyma (L.) Pers., Syn. PL 2:185.1807.

Eng.: Lesser-wart cress; Kash.: Taribad; Punj.: Hurwal, Maloone.

Herbs, foetid, annual or biennial, 10 - 40 cm high with slender taproot and diffuse
or procumbent branches; stems angular, sulcate, much-branched from base, spreading
and ascending, clothed with unbranched or 2-fid hairs. Lower leaves oblong in general
outline, long-petioled, deeply pinnatipartite, 7 -10 x 1.5 - 2 cm, often glabrous, segments
usually pinnatifid; lobes with a few teeth; cauline leaves much smaller. Racemes 30 -
60-flowered, dense, 3 - 5 cm long in fruit; pedicels 1.5 - 3 mm in flower, 3 - 5 mm long
and spreading in fruit. Sepals ovate-rounded, 0.5 - 0.75 mm long. Petals linear, ca 0.5
mm long. Stamens 4 - 6, fertile stamens 2. Fruits emarginate at base and notched at
apex, netted rugose, 1.5 - 1.7 x 2 - 2.5 mm, reticulate-pitted, greyish, divided into 2
one-seeded nutlets; style much included within the notch. Seeds reniform, flattened
punctate-striate, ca 1 mm long, light brown.

Fl. & Fr. Almost throughout the year.

Distrib. India: Almost in all the states.

Native of South America, naturalised widely in Western and Central Europe, Africa,
Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Notes. A good fodder. In Kashmir the young fruits are used in salad preparations.

41. Dilophila Thomson

Herbs, small, dwarf, biennial or perennial; branches prostrate. Leaves spathulate;

basal ones densely rosulate; cauline ones often involucrate below the inflorescence.
Racemes condensed, many-flowered, subumbellate, or corymbose. Flowers white,
small; pedicels short, slightly thickened in fruit. Sepals equal, spreading, persistent.
Petals longer than sepals. Stamens 6; filaments linear. Ovary sessile; style thick; stigma
truncate. Fruit a silicula, cordate-orbicular, slightly compressed with persistent style.
Seeds 2 - 4 in each locule, cotyledons incumbent.

Chiefly confined to the high mountainous regions of C. Asia, Himalayas, Nepal,

Bhutan and China (Tibet); 5 species, 1 in India.
 BRASSICACEAE 193

Dilophila salsa Thomson in Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. IV, 5:20.1.12.1853;
Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:161.1872. Fig. 32.

Herbs, procumbent, glabrous; stems 2 - 3 cm high; branches up to 12 cm long.

Leaves oblanceolate or spathulate, entire or sinuate-dentate, 7 - 25 x 1 - 5 mm, fleshy.
Flowers crowded in dense umbellate racemes in axils of leafy bracts. Sepals broadly
elliptic or ovate, 1.5 - 2 mm long. Petals obovate, 2 - 3 mm long, retuse at apex. Fruits
subcordate in outline, ca 2.5 mm across with 2 wing-like crests on valves. Seeds brown,
0.75x0.5 mm.

Fl.&Fr. June-Sept.

Distrib. India: In saline marshes, 3000 - 4400 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Sikkim.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

42. Hedina Ostenf.

Monotypic; description and distribution as for the species below.

Hedinia tibetica (Thomson) Ostenf. in S. Hedin, S. Tibet 6(3): 76. f. 2. 1922.

Hutchinsia tibetica Thomson in Hook, f., Ic. PI. 9: t. 900.1852. Capsella thomsonii Hook,
f. & T. Anderson in Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1:159.1872.

Herbs, perennial, procumbent, prostrate, grey-pubescent with simple and branched

hairs; branches up to 25 cm long, profusely spreading from base. Leaves elliptic to
ovate-lanceolate, pinnatipartite, many-jugate; segments deeply lobed, the terminal lobes
usually ovate; radical leaves shortly stalked; cauline ones sessile. Racemes lax, many-
flowered, corymbose, bracteate, somewhat lax in fruit. Flowers white, small, subsessile,
crowded in axils of deeply lobed leafy bracts; pedicels 3 - 5 mm long in fruit. Sepals
oblong-elliptic, not pouched at base, ca 2 mm long, pilose. Petals obovate, spathulate,
clawed at base, obtuse at apex, ca 3 x 1 mm, white. Style minute, ca 1 mm long. Fruit a
suicula, broadly elliptic or oblong, laterally compressed, retuse at apex, often subcon-
torted, 6 -10 x 3 - 4 mm, glabrous; valves not keeled, nor winged, membranous, glabrous
to sparsely hairy, obscurely veined. Seeds 10 -16 in each locule, elliptic-oblong, ca 1 x
0.5 mm, brown or blackish brown; cotyledons incumbent.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, 4000 - 4800 m. Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China (Tibet) and Central Asia.

 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

mm
mm

Fig. 32. Dilophila salsa Thomson : a. habit; b. leaf; c. flower; d. fruit.

 BRASSICACEAE 195
1993]

43. Hymenolobus Nutt. ex Torrey & Gray

Herbs, annual or biennial, glabrous or rarely sparsely hairy with simple hairs.
Leaves simple, distant, spathulate or elliptic-oblong or oblanceolate, pinnatifid to entire,
shortly stalked to sessile. Inflorescence racemose; pedicels slender. Sepals equal at
base divergent, not saccate. Petals spathulate, white. Fruit a silicula, ellipsoid or
orbicular, rounded or truncate at apex, laterally compressed; valves boat-shaped,
keeled, netted-veined; style very short; stigma capitate, slightly bilobed. Seeds few to
many in each locule; cotyledons incumbent.

Mostly distributed in Europe, N. America, C. & S.W. Asia and Australia; about 5
species, 1 in India.

Hymenolobus procumbens (L.) Nutt. ex Torrey & Gray, Fl. N. America 1: 117.
1838. Lepidium procumbens L., Sp. PI. 2: 643. 1753. Capsella elliptica C. Meyer in
Ledeb., Fl. Ross. 1:199.1841; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:159.1872.

Herbs, dwarf, weak, procumbent, up to 30 cm long; stems simple or profusely

branched from base. Basal leaves usually rosulate, spathulate, deeply lyrate-pinnatifid
to entire, shortly stalked to sessile, 10 - 40 x 2.5 -10 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent;
lobes elliptic or lanceolate, retuse; upper leaves smaller, linear, toothed to entire, sessile,
cuneate at base. Racemes lax, many-flowered, elongating up to 10 cm long in fruit;
flowers minute, ca 1 mm long; pedicels 3 - 8 mm long in fruit, spreading. Petals
spathulate, as long as or slightly longer than oblong, hairy sepals. Fruits ovoid or
ellipsoid, obtuse or slightly emarginate, 3 - 4 mm long; valves translucent, reticulate-
veined. Seeds 2 - 4 in each locule.

Fl.&Fr. April-Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Mostly in N. temperate regions, extremely variable.

44. Iberis L.

Annual or perennial, glabrous or hairy, dwarf herbs or undershrubs with simple or

branched, angular, leafy stems. Leaves simple, somewhat fleshy, linear or broader,
entire or dentate to pinnatifid; radical leaves petioled; cauline sessile. Flowers in
ebracteate corymbs or racemes, elongating in fruits; pedicels filiform, horizontal or
onzontal-ascending. Sepals oblique, erect, with wide membranous margins, not sac-
cate. Petals white, rose, red or violet, outer two larger, obovate, shortly clawed, 2 outer
usually larger than inner. Fruit an angustiseptate silicula, ovate, bilocular, often notched
it apex; valves boat-shaped, netted-veined, keeled, winged at apex; style distinct; stigma
capitate, sometimes bilobed. Seed 1 in each locule, ovate, often winged; cotyledons
196 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

accumbent.

Chiefly in the Mediterranean region; about 40 species, 4 in India, commonly grown

as popular garden plants.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Perennials, usually with non-flowering rosettes; leaves persistent 3. I. sempervirens

b. Annuals, without non-flowering rosettes; leaves mostly deciduous 2
2a. Flowers rose-coloured, in umbellate racemes 4. I. umbellata
b. Flowers white, in elongating racemes 3
3a. Siliculae in racemes; lobes of pod erect 1. I. amara
b. Siliculae in corymbs; lobes of pod spreading, divergent 2. I. odorata

1. Iberis amara L., Sp. PI. 649.1753; Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 55: 79.1973.

Eng.: Rocket-candytiift.

Herbs, annual, erect, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, up to 30 cm high. Leaves

oblanceolate to spathulate, obtuse, 3 - 10 cm long, mostly with a few teeth, mainly at
apex. Flowers white, fragrant, forming globular terminal clusters, which elongate up to
15 cm long in fruit; pedicels filiform, spreading or ascending, divergent, ca 2.5 cm long
in fruit. Sepals ca 2.5 mm long. Petals obovate-oblong, cuneate below, 4 - 8 mm long.
Fruits suborbicular, broadly emarginate with divergent, acute, triangular wings, 5 - 7 mm
in diam.; valves reticulately veined; style exceeding the apical notch. Seeds broadly
ovate, slightly winged below, reddish-brown, ca 3 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Cultivated throughout as a garden plant.

Native of Europe, introduced and cultivated throughout the world.

2. Iberis odorata L., Sp. PI. 649.1753.

Eng.: Sweet-scented-candytufts.

Herbs, annual, erect or ascending, glabrous or sparsely short-hairy, up to 30 cm

high. Leaves spathulate-linear, up to 3 cm long, tapering to base, wider towards apex,
more or less toothed, ciliate towards base, pinnatifid or coarsely dentate towards apex.
Racemes corymbose, elongating up to 12 cm in fruit. Flowers fragrant, white; pedicels
filiform, horizontally spreading, ca 5 mm long in flower, ca 2 cm long in fruit. Sepals ca
2.25 mm long, persistent, not saccate, becoming purple. Petals obovate-oblong, clawed
towards base, 4 - 8 mm long. Fruits suborbicular, broadly notched at apex, with style
 BRASSICACEAE 197
1993]

horter than 1 mm in the notch, 5 - 6 mm in diam.; valves winged; wings acute at apex.
Seeds compressed, narrowly margined.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Cultivated as a garden plant, often run wild.

E. Mediterranean and S.W. Asia regions.

Notes. Fruiting pedicels of mature fruits spread apart when moistened.

3. Iberis sempervirens L., Sp. Pi. 648.1753.

Eng.: Edging-candytuft.

Perennial, erect, glabrous, evergreen herbs or undershrubs, up to 30 cm high or even

more; stems branched and woody at base. Leaves oblong to oblong-spathulate, nar-
rowed at base, sessile, entire, obtuse at apex, 1.5 - 4 cm long, glabrous. Flowers in
elongating racemes, white, sometimes tinged-lilac; pedicels 6 - 9 mm long in fruit. Petals:
outer ones 7 -11 x 2.5 mm, inner ones 5 - 7 x 2 - 4 mm. Fruits ovate to obovate, emarginate
and deeply notched at apex, 8 -10 x 6 - 9 mm; wings 1.5 - 2 mm broad; style 1.5-3 mm
long. Seeds 1 - 2.

Fl.&Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Introduced and cultivated.

S. Europe (Mediterranean region), introduced and cultivated throughout the world.

4. Iberis umbellata L., Sp. PI. 649.1753.

Eng.: Globe-candytuft.

Herbs, annual, erect, subglabrous, branched, up to 40 cm high. Leaves elliptic-

lanceolate, acuminate at apex, 3 - 8 cm long, lower ones serrate; upper entire or
sometimes with very few small teeth. Inflorescence an umbellate raceme, terminal;
tlowers rose-coloured, shades of rose or purple. Fruits obovate with a deep wide sinus
at the top; valves with apiculate spreading points; style very slender.

Fl.&Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Cultivated in gardens.

Cultivated widely as an ornamental plant throughout the world.

198 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

45. Isatis L.

Herbs, annual, biennial or sometimes perennial usually glabrous and glaucous or

rarely hairy. Radical leaves petiolate or sessile, attenuated into petiole; cauline leaves
sessile, auriculate at base. Flowers yellow or white in corymbose panicles, ebracteate
often elongating and becoming lax in fruit; pedicels often thickened above, deflexed in
fruit. Sepals suberect, equal at base. Petals shortly clawed, entire, rounded at apex
exserted. Stamens free, edentate. Stigma 2-lobed, subsessile. Fruits indehiscent, linear
to suborbicular, laterally flattened, slightly to conspicuously winged, unilocular, 1-
seeded; valves usually with a distinct midvein, more or less winged, glabrescent or
pubescent. Seeds pendulous; cotyledons mostly incumbent.

Chiefly distributed in the Mediterranean, Saharo-Arabian and Irano-Turanian

regions; about 50 species, 2 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Fruits rounded at both ends, ca 3 times as long as wide, central rib wide and distinctly 3-ridged
1. I. coslata
b. Fruits tapering towards base, rounded at apex, ca 3 - 5 times as long as wide, central rib slender
and simple 2. I. tinctoria

1. Isatis costata C. Meyer in Ledeb., F t Alt. 3: 204.1831; Hook. f. & T. Anderson

in F t Brit. India 1:163.1872; Jafri in F t W. Pakistan 55: 76.1973.

Herbs, annual or biennial, erect, glabrous, subglobose, much-branched, up to 1 m

high. Radical leaves rosulate, obovate-oblong, subsessile, entire or sinuate-dentate, 7 -
12.5 x 2 - 3 cm; cauline leaves gradually smaller, lanceolate, acutely auricled and
amplexicaul at base, entire. Inflorescence paniculate, elongating up to 10 cm long in
fruit; pedicels 5 - 7.5 mm long in fruit, often deflexed. Sepals 1.5 -1.75 mm long. Petals
2.5 - 3 mm long, yellowish. Fruits oblong-obovate, 9 - 15 x 3 - 5 mm, rounded at both
ends, glabrous or minutely pubescent; wings thick; mid-vein of locules 3-ridged. Seeds
oblong-ovoid to ellipsoid, brown, 3 x 1 mm.

Fl. & Fr. May - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Europe, Central and S.W. Asia.

 93, BRASSICACEAE 199

2. Isatis tinctoria L., Sp. PI. 670.1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:
F
163.1872. 'g-33.

Eng.: Dyer's wood.

Herbs, biennial or rarely perennial, erect, much-branched, glabrous or hirsute,

subglaucous, up to 1 m high. Basal leaves rosulate, oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate,
shortly stalked, entire or weakly dentate, 5 -15 x 1 - 3 cm; cauline leaves gradually smaller,
linear or linear-lanceolate, acutely auricled and amplexicaul at base, entire. Inflores-
cence a loose panicle elongating up to 12 cm long in fruit; pedicels filiform, 5 - 8 mm
long in fruit, more or less deflexed. Sepals 2 - 2.5 mm long, glabrous. Petals oblong-
obovate, cuneate towards base, yellow, 3 - 5 mm long. Fruit oblong, elliptic-obovate,
cuneate towards base, obtuse or emarginate at apex, 10 - 25 x 2 - 5 (-9) mm, glabrous or
puberulent; wings thick, midrib usually slender. Seeds oblong to ellipsoid, brown, 3 -
4 x 1 mm.

Fl.&Fr. May-June.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Cultivated in Europe, N. and E. Asia.

Notes. The blue and green pigments extracted from the leaves are used as dye in
textile industry.

A highly polymorphic species.

46. Lepidium L.

Herbs, annual'or perennial, or subshrubs, erect, prostrate or spreading, glabrous,

or pubescent with simple or branched hairs, sometimes glandular hairy. Leaves entire
or bi- or tri-pinnatifid, sessile or the lower petiolate. Flowers small, inconspicuous,
usually in elongating ebracteate racemes. Sepals oblique, long or ovate, orbicular,
slightly concave, not saccate. Petals up to 3 mm long, scarcely longer than sepals,
sometimes lacking or mere vestiges, white, pink or sulphur yellow. Stamens 6, 4 or,2;
filaments free, edentate; anthers nearly orbicular. Ovary sessile, flat, 2-ovuled with
distinct short style and capitate stigma. Fruit a silicula, strongly flattened, 2-valved;
valves winged, usually rounded or keeled at back, glabrous to hirsute; apex scarcely
notched and barely winged to deeply notched and prominently winged; septum narrow,
eeds usually 1 or rarely 2 in each locule, pendulous; cotyledons mostly incumbent.

Nearly cosmopolitan; about 150 species, 10 in India.

 200 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

cm

cm

Fig.33.IsatistinctoriaL. : a. plant, lower portion; b. flowering twig; c. fruiting

twig; d. flower.
1993] BRASSICACEAE 201

Literature. THELLUNG, A. (1907) Die Gattung Lepidium (L.) R. Br. Eine monographische
Studie. Mitt. Bot. Mus. Univ. Zurich 28: 1 - 340.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Stamens 6 2
b. Stamens 4 or 2 5
2a. Upper cauline leaves perfoliate 6. L. perfoliatum
b. Upper cauline leaves not perfoliate 3
3a. Fruits 5 - 6 mm long, prominently winged and broadly notched at apex 9. L. sativum
b. Fruits 2-3.5 mm long, neither winged not notched at apex 4
4a. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, acute at apex; racemes corymbose; calyx deciduous 4. L. latifolium
b. Leaves oblong, obtuse at base; racemes densely capitate; calyx persistent 5. L. obtusum
5a. Stems glabrous or with a few smooth hairs 6
b. Stems distinctly puberulous 7
6a. Stems usually glabrous; upper cauline leaves oblanceolate or spathulate 1. L. pinnalifidum
b. Stems often with a few unbranched hairs; upper cauline leaves linear 8. L. ruderale
7a. Hairs on stems capitate or glandular
b. Hairs on stems terete
8a. Herbs erect; hairs capitate; racemes elongated in fruit 2. L. apetalum
b. Herbs procumbent; hairs glandular; racemes capitate in fruit 3. L. capitatum
9a. Petals longer than sepals; pedicels divaricate, straight 10. L. virginicum
b. Petals shorter than sepals; pedicels arcuately patent 1. L. africanum

1. Lepidium africanum (Burm. f.) D C , Syst. Nat. 2: 552. 1821, quoad basionym,
excl. specim. et descr. Thlaspi africanum Burm. f., Prodr. Fl. Cap. 17.1768. Lepidium
divaricatum auct. non Soland. 1789; Bhattacharyya & Majumdar in Bull. Bot. Surv. India
18: 214, f. 1 - 3.1976.

Eng.: Rubble-pepper-cress, Common-pepper-cress.

Herbs, annual or biennial; stems one to many from base, ascending and spreading,
densely puberulent with very short retrose or straight hairs. Basal leaves short-lived,
oblanceolate, subpinnate; cauline leaves not distinctly petioled, oblong-lanceolate,
acute, dentate, up to 4 cm long, attenuate at base, acute at apex. Racemes terminal and
axillary, dense in fruit, up to 6 cm long; pedicels arcuately patent, 2.5 - 4 mm long,
puberulent. Sepals ovate with membranous margins, 0.5 - 0.75 mm long. Petals narrowly
spathulate or linear, 0.25 - 0.5 mm long. Fruits on 4 - 6 cm long racemes,elliptic to ovate,
distinctly emarginate and notched, 1.8 - 3 x 1.5 - 2 mm, with shallow and narrow apical
notch; style very short; stigma included within the notch. Seeds ovoid, slightly compress-
ed, reddish brown, 1.25 x 0.7 mm; cotyledons incumbent.

Fl. & Fr. Aug.

202 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Distrib. India: Himachal Pradesh.

S. Africa and Australia.

Notes. For a discussion on the correct identity and nomenclature of this species,
see Bhaumik & Thothathri in Bull. BoL Surv. India 24: 214 - 215.1982.

2. Lepidium apetalum Willd., Sp. PL 3. 439.1800. L. ruderale auct. non L.; Hook.
f.& Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:175.1861; Hook. f.&T. Anderson inFl. Brit. India
1:160.1872, p. p.

Herbs, annual or biennial, up to 30 cm high; stems branched, sparsely to densely

hairy with thick capitate hairs; branches and branchlets in raceme-like patterns, always
terminating in a short raceme. Radical leaves long-petioled, oblong, subpinnate or
pinnatifid, ca 3.5 x 1 cm, lobes very frequently narrow and entire; cauline leaves sessile,
broad, semiauricled and semiamplexicaul at base; lower lanceolate or oblong, deeply or
coarsely dentate or lobed, lobes entire and acute; upper linear, nearly obtuse at apex,
entire or remotely serrate. Flowers in both axillary and terminal racemes; terminal
racemes elongating up to 5 mm long in fruit, minutely capitate-hairy. Sepals ovate,
0.75 - 1 mm long, white-margined. Petals oblong or triangular to triangular-obovate,
narrowed to base, retuse or subemarginate at apex, ca 0.5 mm long, membranous.
Stamens 2 or 4, 0.75 mm long. Fruits elliptic or ovate, distinctly notched and very
narrowly winged in upper part, 2.5 - 3 x 2 - 2.5 mm; stigma sessile. Seeds elliptic, ca 1
mm long, reddish brown; cotyledons incumbent.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal and C. & S.W. Asia.

3. Lepidium capitatum Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 175. 1861;
Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:160.1872.

Herbs, annual, procumbent or suberect up to 30 cm long; stems profusely branched,

more or less glandular hairy; branches spreading from base. Leaves simple, tubercled,
glabrous or rarely very minutely capitate-hairy along margins and on ventral mid-vein;
radical leaves short-petioled, pinnatisect, gradually narrowed to base, with narrow,
oblong, acute lobes, 3 - 6 x 1 - 2 cm; cauline leaves gradually smaller, sessile, more or
less similar, cuneate-oblong, pinnatifid or coarsely dentate-laciniate, mostly above the
middle; uppermost linear, entire. Flowers white, in dense compact racemes forming
capitulum on lateral and terminal branches; pedicels thick, minutely capitate, hairy, up
to 2 mm long in flower, ca 5 mm long in fruit. Sepals ovate or elliptic-oblong, concave,
white-margined, ca 1 x 0.5 mm, glabrous. Petals broader and shorter than sepals,
1993] BRASSICACEAE 203

obovate, spathulate, narrowed at base, obtuse or retuse at apex. Stamens 4, ca 1 mm

long, 2 laterals rudimentary or absent. Fruits ovate, emarginate, narrowly winged, 2 -
2.5 x 1.75 - 2 mm, glabrous; stigma sessile, equalling the notch or a little shorter. Seeds
ovate, pale brown, ca 1.25 x 0.6 mm; cotyledons incumbent.

Fl.&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: Damp grassy slopes, 3200 - 4000 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

4. Lepidium latifolium L., Sp. PI. 644. 1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit.
India 1:160.1872. Fig. 34.

Eng.: Perennial-pepper-grass, Broad-leaved-pepper-grass, Dittander; Ladakh: Go-

nyach.

Herbs or subshrubs, perennial, up to 1 m tall; stems erect, much-branched, arising

from a branched rootstock, glabrous or sparsely simple hairy. Leaves oblong-lanceolate
or ovate, acute, more or less serrate, glabrous; basal leaves long-petioled, ovate, elliptic,
spathulate to oblong-lanceolate, simple to pinnately lobed, serrate along margins, up to
30 x 6 cm; upper leaves subsessile to sessile, lanceolate, tapering at base, acute to
apiculate at apex; uppermost leaves reduced, narrowly elliptical to linear, bract-like.
Flowers white, up to 1.5 mm long, in short densely panicled bracteate corymbs; pedicels
spreading, 3 - 5 mm long in fruit, glabrous or minutely hairy. Sepals suborbicular, 1 -
2.25 mm long, whitish at margins, finely hairy, caducous. Petals suborbicular, distinctly
or obscurely clawed, white, rarely pink at base, 2 - 3 mm long. Fruits ellipsoid to ovoid,
terminating in very short style, 2.5 - 2.75 x 1.75 mm, glabrous or finely pubescent; valves
pilose, sometimes glabrous, not winged. Seeds elliptical, ca 1.25 x 0.75 mm; cotyledons
incumbent.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Bhutan, C. & S.W. Asia, Europe, N. Africa and Australia.

Notes. Leaves are edible and used as salad or spice.

5. Lepidium obtusum Basiner in Bull. CI. Phys.-Math. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Petersb.
2: 203. 1844. L. latifolium L. var. platycarpum Trautv. in A. H. P. 1: 170. 1872. L.
latifolium L. subsp. obtusum (Basiner) Thell. in Mitt. Bot. Mus. Univ. Zurich 28:162.
1906.
204 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

mm

Fig. 34, Lepidium latifolium L. : a. fruiting twig; b. flower; c. fruit.

1993] BRASSICACEAE 205

Herbs, perennial, glabrous, glaucous, up to 1 m high, densely and corymbosely

branched. Leaves oblong, entire or obscurely sinuate, thick coriaceous, indistinctly
3-nerved; lower leaves attenuate at base; upper sessile, gradually tapering towards apex
and abruptly towards base. Racemes densely capitate even in fruit; pedicels filiform, up
to 4 mm long in fruit, pilose. Calyx long persistent; sepals suborbicular, broadly white
margined, ca 1 mm long. Petals suborbicular, clawed, up to 2 mm long, white. Fruits
oval, subcordate at base, subobtuse at apex, ca 2 mm across, slightly pilose and reticulate;
stigma sessile, capitate. Seeds elliptic-obovate, somewhat flattened, emarginate,
smooth; cotyledons incumbent.

Fl. & Fr. May - June.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

C. & S.W. Asia, Europe and N. Africa.

6. Lepidium perfoliatum L., Sp. PI. 643.1753; Babu, Herb. Fl. DehraDun 59.1977.

Eng.: Clasping-leavedpepper-grass, Shield-cress.

Herbs, annual or biennial, up to 40 cm high; stems erect, unbranched, sparsely

pubescent with simple setose hairs. Leaves distinctly dimorphic; basal leaves long-
petioled, bipinnately dissected into narrow, linear lobes, 10 - 15 cm long, pubescent;
lower cauline leaves more or less similar, but gradually smaller, sessile with expanded
wing-like auricles on both sides; upper cauline leaves broadly ovate or suborbicular,
sessile, entire, deeply cordate and usually overtopping, with rounded auricles at base,
subacute at apex, glabrous. Racemes terminal, elongating in fruit, up to 10 cm long;
pedicels filiform, glabrous, divergent, 7 - 8 mm long in fruit. Sepals spreading, pube-
scent, ca 1 mm long. Petals oblong-spathulate, clawed, rounded at apex, ca 1.7 mm long.
Stamens 6 with minute anthers. Fruits broad-elliptic, minutely notched and narrowly
winged, 3.5 - 4 x 2.5 - 3 mm, glabrous; style short, shortly protruding out of the notch.
Seeds laterally compressed and distinctly winged, 1.5 -1.75 x 1 mm; cotyledons incum-
bent.

Fl.&Fr. Feb.-July.

Distrib. India: Uttar Pradesh.

Southern Asia, Europe and North America.

7. Lepidium pinnatifidum Ledeb., Fl. Ross. 1:206.1841; Chowdhery & Wadhwa,

H. Himachal Pradesh 1: 70.1984.

Herbs, annual or biennial, up to 50 cm high, glabrous. Basal leaves pinnatifid,

206 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

narrowly oblong, short-petioled, drying early; cauline leaves oblanceolate-spathulate,

irregularly dentate, 3 - 5 cm long; the upper linear or narrowly oblanceolate, entire.
Racemes both terminal and lateral, elongating in fruit up to 12 cm long; pedicels filiform,
up to 4 mm long in fruit, covered with long spreading hairs. Sepals ovate or elliptic-
lanceolate, white-margined, ca 1 mm long. Petals rudimentary, linear-spathulate,
usually shorter than calyx or sometimes absent. Fruit broadly elliptic silicula, obscurely
notched at apex, 2 - 2.75 x 1.75 - 2.25 mm, sparsely pubescent. Seeds narrowly ovate-el-
lipsoid, flattened, 1 -1.25 x 0.5 - 0.75 mm; cotyledons incumbent.

Fl. & Fr. April - June.

Distrib. India: Himachal Pradesh.

C. & SW. Asia, Europe and Australia.

8. Lepidium ruderale L., Sp. PI. 645.1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India
1:160.1872, p. p.

Eng.: Roadside-pepper-grass.

Herbs, annual or biennial, up to 40 cm high; stems erect, ascending, diffusely

branched, glabrous or finely hairy. Basal leaves rosulate, elliptic-ovate, or oblong-linear,
long-petioled, 5 - 7 x 1 - 2 cm, bipinnately lobed with an oblanceolate, serrulate-dentate
and subacute terminal lobe; lower cauline leaves lanceolate to narrowly oblong, grad-
ually narrowed towards base, sessile, entire, obtuse or subacute at apex, 1.5 - 3 cm long;
upper leaves linear-oblong, entire. Racemes lateral and terminal, elongating up to 15
cm long in fruit, glabrous or hairy; pedicels filiform, spreading, 2.5 - 3 mm long in fruit,
minutely hairy. Sepals oblong-elliptic to narrowly ovate-lanceolate, ca 1 mm long,
white-margined. Petals absent or very reduced. Stamens 2. Fruit ovate or elliptic-ovate
silicula, emarginate at apex, 2.2 - 3 x 2 - 2.8 mm, minutely hairy; style very short, included
within notch. Seeds ovoid, reddish brown, ca 1.25 x 0.75 mm; cotyledons incumbent.

Fl. & Fr. April - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Tamil Nadu.

C. & S.W. Asia and Europe.

9. Lepidium sativum L., Sp. PI. 644.1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India
1:159.1872.

Beng.: Halim; Eng.: Garden-cress, Curled-cress; Hindi: Halim; Mar.: Assalia;

Nep.: Chum-sue; Raj.: Ahlya; Tam.: Aliverai; Tel: Adalavithulu, Adeli.
1993] BRASSICACEAE 207

Herbs, annual, up to 50 cm high; stems erect, unbranched, glabrous. Basal leaves

lone-petioled, irregularly pinnate or bipinnate or lyrate-lobate, with toothed obovate
lobes, drying early; cauline leaves sessile, pinnate, less incised with oblong-linear seg-
ments, sparsely pubescent with simple hairs; upper leaves linear, entire. Flowers white
or pinkish in elongating racemes; pedicels cylindrical, ascending or subappressed, up to
3.5 mm long in fruit, glabrous. Sepals 1.5 -1.75 mm long, sparsely pubescent outside.
Petals spathulate, somewhat clawed, 2.5 - 2.75 mm long, sometimes reddish and distinctly
veined. Fruits broadly elliptic to suborbicular silicula, narrowly winged at lower part
and broadly winged at top, deeply notched at apex, 4.5 - 6 x 3.5 - 5 mm, glabrous; style
short and included within the notch. Seeds ovoid, ca 3 x 1.5 mm, reddish brown;
cotyledons incumbent, deeply trifid.

Fl. & Fr. Almost throughout the year.

Distrib. India: Cultivated and also found as an escape.

Introduced and naturalised, also cultivated throughout the world.

Notes. Used as pot herb; leaves are edible and used as salad.

10. Lepidium virginicutn L., Sp. PL 645.1753; Maheshwari & Paul in J. Bombay
Nat. Hist. Soc. 70: 575.1973. Fig. 35.

Eng.: Pepper-grass, Virginian-pepper-cress.

Herbs, erect, annual or biennial up to 50 cm high; stems scarcely branched above,

minutely pubescent to hirsute, with appressed curved hairs. Basal leaves oblanceolate,
lyrately pinnatifid, attenuate at base, acute at apex, 4 - 9 cm long, 0.75 - 1.5 cm wide,
hairy; cauline leaves more or less sessile, oblanceolate to linear-lanceolate, attenuate at
base, serrate to entire along margins, acute at apex, 10 - 25 x 0.5 - 4 mm, mostly glabrous
above and pilose below, rarely pilose hairy on both surfaces, often ciliate along margins;
uppermost leaves linear, ca 1 cm long, ca 1 mm wide. Racemes many-flowered, up to
12.5 mm long in fruit, very minutely hairy; pedicels 4 - 5 mm in fruit spreading. Sepals
elliptic, concave, ca 1 mm long, glabrous or puberulent on adaxial surface. Petals
obovate-spathulate, 1 - 2 mm long, white. Stamens 2 or 4, ca 1.25 mm long. Fruits broadly
ovate to suborbicular, rounded-emarginate, narrowly winged and broadly notched at
apex, 3 - 4 mm across, glabrous; valves shiny, reticulately veined; style short; stigma
capitate, completely contained within the sinus. Seeds ovoid, narrowly winged, ca 2 mm
long, brown; cotyledons obliquely accumbent, entire.

Fl.&Fr. June-Oct.

Distrib. India: Weed of roadsides and farms, up to 2500 m. Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
208 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

mm

mm

Fig. 35. Lepidium virginicum L. : a. habit; b. flower; c. fruit.

 (
_„.,! BRASSICACEAE 209
1993]

Pakistan, Bhutan, Europe and North America.

Notes. The young spring shoots are used as salad and seeds in seasoning and meat
dressing.

Naqshi & Javeid (in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 74: 392. 1977) report it from
Kashmir.

47. Megacarpaea DC.

Herbs or undershrubs, perennial, robust with thick fleshy root; stem with stiff
crisped hairs. Leaves large, pinnately or palmately lobed. Inflorescence paniculate,
increasing length in fruit. Flowers large, white or creamy yellow. Sepals equal, not
saccate. Petals pink or white, obovate or oblong, entire. Stamens 6 -16, subequal. Style
very short or absent; stigma disciform, obscurely 2-lobed. Fruits large, didymous,
indehiscent silicula, much-flattened, broadly winged; cotyledons accumbent.

Chiefly in C. Asia, Himalayas and China; about 7 species, 2 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaf segments entire; fruits obcordate, very deeply notched at apex; lobes obovate; wings about half
as broad as the locule 1. M. bifida
b. Leaf segments serrate or irregularly toothed; fruits suborbicular; lobes suborbicular; wings as broad
as the locule 2. M. polyandra

1. Megacarpaea bifida Benth. in Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Garden Misc. 7: 357.1855;

Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:161.1872.

Herbs, perennial, robust, much branched, up to 60 cm high glabrous or subhairy.

Cauline leaves petiolate, pinnately lobed, 20 - 30 x 5 - 20 cm; lobes lanceolate, more or
less glabrous. Racemes much-branched, panicled, reaching up to 50 cm long in fruit;
pedicels linear, recurved, glabrous, 2 - 2.5 cm long in fruit. Sepals obovate to elliptic-
obovate, 3 - 5 x 3 - 3.5 mm, distinctly veined. Petals obovate or elliptic-oblong, attenuate
at base, sometimes expanded and obtuse at apex, 3.5 - 5.5 x 2 - 4 mm. Stamens 7 - 1 1 .
Fruits conspicuously bifid; lobes diverging, obovate-oblong, 3 - 4.25 x 2 - 2.7 cm along
with the wing; wing about half as broad as the locule. Seeds obovate, black, ca 1.5 x 0.75
cm.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan and China (W. Tibet).

210 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

2. Megacarpaea polyandra Benth. in Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Garden Misc. 7: 356

t. 7.1855; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:161.1872.

Kash.: Chach, Chatri, Chattarhak.

Robust herbs or undershrubs, up to 60 cm high, glabrous or subhairy, much-bran-

ched. Basal leaves long-petioled, bipinnately dissected, 30 - 60 x 15 - 25 cm; lobes
lanceolate, sharply serrate along margins, acuminate at apex, 10 - 20 x 2.5 cm. Cauline
leaves pinnately lobed, 10 - 30 x 5 - 25 cm; lobes lanceolate, irregularly serrate; petioles
often flattened and auricled at base, sometimes spongy in nature. Racemes panicled,
many-flowered, dense, elongating up to 25 cm long in fruit, densely capitate hairy. Sepals
obovate or elliptic-obovate, concave, 3.7 - 5 x 3.5 mm, prominently veined. Petals
obovate or oblong, attenuate at base, 3.5 - 5.5 x 2- 3 mm, white or creamy yellow. Fruits
suborbicular, bilobed, 3 - 3.5 cm across; lobes unequal in size, rarely one lobe abortive;
wings about as broad as the locule. Seeds reniform, black, ca 1 x 0.8 cm.

Fl. & Fr. May - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal, Pakistan and China (W. Tibet).

48. Thlaspi L.

Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial, glabrous or glaucous, more rarely pilose, with
unbranched hairs. Radical leaves rosulate, rarely not, entire or shallowly dentate;
cauline leaves oblong, entire or toothed, sessile or subsessile with auriculate base.
Inflorescence an ebracteate elongating raceme or sometimes corymbose or scapose.
Flowers white or pink, rarely yellow. Sepals oblique, erect, not scapose, broad-mem-
branous along margins. Petals entire, obovate or spathulate, shortly clawed at base.
Stamens free, edentate. Fruit a dehiscent silicula, oblong to elliptic, obcordate or
orbicular, laterally compressed, acuminate or acute at apex, with or without apical notch;
style erect, more or less elongated, apex stigmatose, emarginate; valves boat-shaped,
dorsally sharply keeled, sometimes more or less winged or rarely wingless; septum
narrow, membranous. Seeds 2 - several in each locule; cotyledons accumbent.

Mostly in Europe and Asia; about 60 species, 6 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Fruits orbicular to broadly obcordate, winged throughout the length 2

b. Fruits usually oblong, winged only in the upper 2/3 or wingless 3
2a. Fruits orbicular, seeds striated 2. T. arvense
b. Fruits obcordate, seeds not striated 4. T. kotschyanum
 3 , BRASSICACEAE 211

Flowers 6 - 7 mm across; fruits oblong-elliptic, more or less entire at apex, wingless 1. T. andersonii
h Flowers 3 - 5 mm across; fruits oblong or obtriangular, slightly or distinctly retuse at apex, wings
4
obscure or sharp
4a Fruits obtriangular to oblong, straight; plants usually 15 - 30 cm high 5. T. monUnum
b Fruits oblong, subcontorted; plants short up to 15 cm high 5
5 a. Fruits 2 - 2.5 mm broad 3- T. cochlearioides
b. Fruits ca 1.5 mm broad 6- T. septigerum

1. Thlaspi andersonii (Hook. f. & Thomson) O. Schulz in Ann. Akad. Wiss. Wien,
Math.-Nat. 63: 98.1926, in obs. Iberidella andersonii Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn.
Soc, Bot. 5:177.1861; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:163.1872.

Herbs, procumbent or ascending, up to 20 cm high; stems mostly branched from

the base; flowerless shoots weak, decumbent. Radical leaves spathulate, stalked, indis-
tinctly toothed, 1 - 4 x 0.3 - 3 cm; cauline leaves ovate-oblong, auricled and amplexicaul
at base, more or less entire or serrate-dentate along margins, 0.5 - 2.5 x 0.4 - 1.5 cm;
leaves on barren shoots broadly ovate to more or less orbicular, shortly clawed. Racemes
4 - 5 (-8) cm long in fruit. Flowers white or pale rose; pedicels 5 (-10) mm long in fruit,
ascending and spreading. Sepals ovate, 2 - 2.5 x 1-1.5 mm, papery margined. Petals
oblong-ovate, often veined, clawed, 5 - 6 x 2 - 2.5 mm. Fruits narrowly lanceolate to
oblong-lanceolate, curved, entire, acute at apex, 6 -10 x 2 - 3 mm; style 1.5 - 2 mm long.
Seeds 2 - 6 in each locule.

Fl. & Fr. March - July.

Distrib. India: Open hillsides amidst grass, 3400 - 4600 m. Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (S.Tibet).

2. Thlaspi arvense L., Sp. PI. 646.1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India
1:162.1872.

Eng.: Field Penny-cress; Hindi: Maula (Jaunsar); Nep.: Cheka-chumu.

Herbs, annual, glabrous up to 50 cm high; stems erect, simple or corymbosely

branched. Radical leaves not rosulate, ovate-oblong, obovate, petioled, usually obtuse
at apex, 2 - 8 x 1 - 2 cm; cauline leaves oblong-lanceolate, sessile, acute-sagittate and
amplexicaul at base, acute to subacute at apex; all leaves more or less dentate or toothed.
Racemes elongating up to 25 cm long in fruit; pedicels erect-spreading, up to 15 mm
long in f ru it. Sepals oblong-lanceolate, 2 - 2.5 mm long. Petals white, obovate or
obtriangular, clawed, obtuse at apex, 3-5 mm long. Stamens shorter than petals; anthers
yellow. Fruits orbicular-obovate or orbicular-ovate, much flattened, broadly winged,
deeply notched at apex, 12 -18 x 10 -15 mm; wings 2 - 5 mm broad, prominently reticulate;
212 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

style short; stigma capitate. Seeds 5 - 7 in each locule, ellipsoid or ovoid, 1.75 - 2.25 x
1.25 -1.5 mm, concentrically ridged and grooved.

Fl. & Fr. April - Aug.

Distrib. India: Weeds of roadsides and farm lands, 2200 - 4000 m. Jammu &
Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Orissa,
Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

Nepal, Bhutan, S.W. Asia, Europe and America.

Notes. Tender leaves are eaten as vegetable.

3. Thlaspi cochlearioides Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:177.1861;

Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:162.1872.

Herbs, erect or decumbent, glabrous, up to 15 cm long; stems mostly branched from

base. Basal leaves rosulate, more or less ovate or orbicular, rounded at base, obscurely
toothed, rounded at apex, 1.5 - 3 x 0.4 - 0.8 cm; petioles up to 5 cm long; upper leaves
elliptic-ovate or oblong-ovate, sessile, distinctly or obscurely acutely auricled at base,
toothed or entire along margins, 5 - 20 x 3 - 8 mm. Flowers in decumbent, corymbose
racemes; pedicels spreading or ascending, up to 3 mm long in fruit, glabrous. Sepals
oblong-ovate, 1.75 - 2.25 x 0.75 - 1 mm. Petals white, tinged with purple, obovate, cuneate
at base, 3 - 5 x 1 - 2 mm. Fruits oblong, often slightly curved, obtuse at base, retuse or
subemarginate at apex, sometimes twisted, 7 - 11 x 2.5 - 3 mm; style 0.5 - 1 mm long.
Seeds oblong-ovate, 3 - 5 in each locule, pale brown, ca 1.25 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Alpine slopes, 4200 - 4600 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal and Bhutan.

4. Thlaspi kotschyanum Boiss. & Hohen in Boiss., Diagn. Ser. 1, 8: 39. 1849. T.
cardiocarpum Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 176. 1861; Hook. f. & T.
Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:162.1872.

Herbs, erect, glabrous, up to 40 cm high; stems usually branched from base. Basal
leaves ovate, shortly stalked, 1-3 x 0.5 cm, dry up early; cauline leaves ovate or oblong,
broadly sagittate at base, obtuse at apex, 1 - 5 x 0.5 - 2 cm. Racemes elongating up to 10
(-20) cm long in fruit; pedicels ca 0.5 mm long in fruit. Sepals ovate, white-margined, ca
1 mm long. Petals linear-oblong, cuneate at base, rounded at apex, 1.5 -1.75 mm long.
Fruits orbicular-obcordate, broadly winged, 6 - 10 x 9 - 12 mm, rounded and broadly
 BRASSICACEAE 213
1993 J

otched at apex, netted-veined; stigma sessile, included within the sinus. Seeds 4 - 5 in
each locule, reddish-brown, ca 1.5 mm long.

FI. & Fr. April - May.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

C. & S.W. Asia.

5. Thlaspi montanum L., Sp. PI. 647.1753. T. cochleariforme auct. non D C ; Singh
& Kachroo, Fl. Srinagar 169.1976. T. cochleariforme DC. subsp. griffithianum (Boiss.)
Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22:119.1956; Nair, Fl. Bashahr Himal. 30.1977. T.
alpestre auct. non L.; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:162.1872.

Herbs, perennial, mat-formimg, up to 30 cm high; stems many from short or

elongated branched caudex, glabrous, mostly glaucous. Basal leaves in rosettes, spathu-
late or oblong-obovate, narrowed and stalked at base, mostly rounded at apex, 1.5 - 7 x
0.3 - 2 cm; cauline leaves ovate-cordate, sessile, auriculate and clasping at base, obtuse
to acute at apex, 1 - 3 x 0.4 - 1.5 cm; all entire or sinuate-denticulate, subcoriaceous,
glabrous. Racemes up to 10 (- 15) cm long in fruit; pedicels usually horizontal to
horizontal-ascending or sometimes obscurely deflexed up to 8 mm long in fruit. Sepals
ovate or oblong-ovate, greenish to purplish with a narrow hyaline border, 2.5 - 3 mm
long. Petals spathulate, white or pinkish purple, cuneate at base, 4 - 7 mm long, ca 3 mm
wide. Fruits obovate or obcordate, obtuse to truncate or subemarginate to distinctly
emarginate at apex, obscurely to slightly winged above, 4 - 8 x 2 - 3.5 mm; style 1-2 mm
long. Seeds ovate, pale brown, 2 - 4 in each locule, ovate, ca 1.5 mm long, pale brown.

Fl. & Fr. April - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

S.W. Asia, Europe and America.

Notes. See Bhaumik (in J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 3: 237 - 239.1982) for discussion about
the identity of this species.

6. Thlaspi septigerum (Bunge) Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22:119.1956;

Dhar & Kachroo, Alp. Fl. Kashmir Himal. 86.1983. Eutrema septigerum Bunge, Verz.
PA. Ostl. Alt. 73.1836.

Herbs, perennial, erect, glabrous, up to 15 cm high. Basal leaves suborbicular,

ei
*tire, 2.5 - 3.5 x 0.5 - 1 cm (including 1 - 1.5 cm long petiole); upper leaves sessile,
narrowly lanceolate or oblong, entire, acute at apex, 10 - 20 x 3 - 5 mm. Racemes 10 -
ij-Howered, ascending, up to 7 cm long in fruit, glabrous. Fruits oblong, laterally
214 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

compressed, truncate to slightly emarginate at apex, 6 - 12 x 1.5 - 2 mm; style 0.5 mm

long. Seeds ellipsoid, dark brown, 4 - 6 in each locule, ca 1.5 mm long.

Fr. Sept.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan and C. Asia.

Tribe8. M A T T H I O L E A E O. Schulz

(P. K. Hajra, H. J. Chowdhery and G. H. Bhaumik)

Annual or perennial herbs or small undershrubs, hoary or stellate pubescent,

subglabrous or rarely glabrous. Leaves rosulate or cauline or both. Flowers white,
purple or pink, rarely yellow. Sepals usually erect, inner pair often broad and saccate
at base. Filaments usually linear; anthers often oblong, retuse at apex. Lateral nectar
glands various, often semiannular, with or without basal process; middle glands present
or absent. Ovary sessile or with short gynophore; stigma short or long. Pods short or
long, bilocular. Seeds usually 2 in each locule, winged or without wings.

4 genera and 13 species in India.

49. Chorispora R. Br. ex D C , nom cons.

Herbs, annual or perennial. Stems erect, branched mostly from base; hairs bran-
ched or unbranched, glandular or sometimes eglandular. Leaves deeply pinnatifid to
entire; basal leaves rosulate, petiolate; upper subsessile to sessile. Racemes lax; flowers
showy. Sepals erect, the laterals slightly saccate at base. Petals spathulate, long-clawed,
emarginate at apex, about twice as long as sepals, purple. Stamens 6. Ovary linear,
bilocular; style long; stigma short, bilobed. Fruit an indehiscent articulated siliqua,
linear, torulose or moniliform, breaking into 2-seeded segments; style at least half as
long as fruit, more or less beaked. Seeds few to many, 1 in each locule, cotyledons
accumbent.

Chiefly distributed in Eastern mediterranean region and C. Asia; about 10 species,

5 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Annual or biennial herbs 2

b. Perennial herbs 3
2a. Flowers pink, lilac or violet; beak as long as the body of siliqua, thickened 5. C. tenella
b. Flowers yellow; beak half or less than half the length of the body of siliqua. thin 4. C. sibirica
 BRASSICACEAE 215
1993]

3a Flowers yellow, siliqua ca 10 mm long 2. C. macropda

t, Flowers pink or violet; siliqua 15-30 mm long 4
4 Flowering stem short or absent; pedicels up to 30 mm long in fruit; petals 14 -16 mm long
1. C. bungeana
b Flowering stem conspicuously present; pedicels up to 15 mm long in fruit; petals 6 -10 mm
3. C. sabulosa

1. Chorispora bungeana Fischer & Meyer in Shrenk, Enum. PI. Nov. 1: 96.1841;
Dhar & Naqshi in Geobios 3: 65, f.l. 1976.

Herbs, perennial, glabrous, 5 - 8 cm high; rootstock thick, inconspicuous or sup-

pressed. Radical leaves rosulate, oblanceolate, pinnatifid or sinuate-dentate, long-
stalked, 20 - 50 x 3 - 10 mm. Scape slender, glabrous, 1-flowered, sometimes 2 -
5-flowered racemes, embedded in leaves. Flowers solitary, ca 1 cm across, bluish-pink;
pedicels slender, glabrous, up to 3 cm long in fruit. Sepals erect, oblong, more or less
pilose, usually violet, 5 - 8 mm long. Petals spreading, tapering into a long claw, dilated
and deeply emargmate at apex, 15 - 20 x 5 - 7 mm. Fruits cylindrical, torulose or
moniliform, 20 - 30 x 1.5 - 2 mm; style 5 mm long. Seeds ellipsoid, compressed, 1.5 x 1
mm, reddish brown.

Fl. & Fr. May - July.

Distrib. India: On dry gravelly and rocky slopes and moraines, ca 3100 m. Jammu
& Kashmir.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, C. & S.W. Asia and Russia.

Notes. Pods eaten raw or cooked as vegetable.

Dhar & Naqshi (1. c.) reports it from Meenamarg in Kashmir.

2. Chorispora macropoda Trautv. in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 33:1.109.1860; Jafri in

Fl. W. Pakistan 55: 205.1973.

Herbs, perennial, suberect, 5 - 10 cm high; stems slender, branched from base

forming compact tufts, finely pubescent with both glandular and eglandular simple hairs.
Leaves mostly radical, congested at base, stalked, oblanceolate or oblong-spathulate,
more or less dentate to pinnatipartite, 20 - 30 x 4 - 7 mm; lobes small, lanceolate, glabrous
to sparsely hairy along margins. Racemes dense, up to 7 cm long in fruit; pedicels
ascending, 8 - 10 mm long in fruit. Sepals 2 - 3 mm long, sparsely hairy. Petals
hnear-spathulate, clawed at base, dilated and emarginate at apex, 5 - 7 mm long. Fruits
irregularly flattened and torulose, 10 -15 x 2 - 2.5 mm, finely glandular hairy; style 2.5 -
4 mm long.
216 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fl. & Fr. May - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Central and S.W. Asia.

3. Chorispora sabulosa Cambess. in Jacquem., Voy. Bot. 15,1.15. 1844; Hook. f.

& T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 167.1872. C. elegans Cambess. in Jacquem., Voy.
Bot. 15,1.14.1844. C. elegans Cambess. var. sabulosa (Cambess.) O. Schulz in Notizbl.
Bot. Gart. Berlin 9:1071.1927.

Herbs, perennial, 3 - 20 cm high; stems slender, much-branched, forming compact

tufts at base, glandular hairy or rarely glabrous. Leaves radical, rosette, oblanceolate or
spathulate, deeply pinnatifid to irregularly dentate, rarely entire, petiolate, 1 - 8 x 0.2 -
1 cm, hairy; lobes lanceolate, terminal larger, laterals smaller. Racemes many-flowered,
compact at first, elongating up to 18 cm long in fruit. Flowers showy; pedicels up to 20
mm long in fruit. Sepals elliptic-oblong, 3 - 5 mm long, pilose. Petals 6 - 1 2 mm long.
Fruits cylindrical, torulose or moniliform, 10 - 15 (-20) x 2 - 5 mm; hairs glandular or
eglandular; valves usually breaking into 1-seeded parts on each side; locules biseriate,
opposite or almost alternate, tubercled; style subulate, 3 - 4 mm long. Seeds 6 -10, ca
1.5 mm across.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Fruits eglandular hairy 3.1. var. eglandulosa

b. Fruits glandular hairy 3.2. var. sabulosa

3.1. var. eglandulosa Naray. ex Naithani & Uniyal in Indian J. For. 5(3): 245.1982.

Fl. & Fr. June - Sept.

Distrib. India: Along rocky slopes. Himachal Pradesh.

3.1. var. sabulosa

Fl. & Fr. June - Sept.

Distrib. India: Common in dry places and along rocky hill slopes. Jammu &
Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Central & S.W. Asia.

Notes. Fruits are edible.

 BRASSICACEAE 217

4. Chorispora sibirica (L.) DC. Syst. Nat. 2:437.1821; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in
Fl. Brit. India 1:167.1872. Raphanus sibiricus L., Sp. PI. 669.1753.

Herbs, annual, 5 - 20 cm high; stems erect, slender, branched from base; hairs
glandular and eglandular. Basal leaves rosulate, stalked, oblanceolate, more or less
sinuate-dentate to pinnatifid, 2 - 5 x 0.3 - 0.5 cm, finely glandular hairy; lobes narrowly
lanceolate; cauline leaves gradually smaller, sessile. Racemes up to 15 cm long in fruit;
pedicels spreading or ascending, slightly thickened, sometimes reflexed or subhorizon-
tally declinate. Sepals oblong, ca 3.5 mm long, pilose. Petals dilated above, emarginate
at apex, 5 - 8 mm long. Fruits cylindrical, finely torulose, often curved or subreflexed,
glandular hairy, 15 - 20 x 1.5 - 2 mm; beak ca 5 mm long. Seeds oval, compressed, brown,
ca 1.5 x 1 mm.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: On dry hill slopes. Jammu & Kashmir.

Central and S.W. Asia.

5. Chorispora tenella (Pallas) D C , Syst. Nat. 2:435.1821; Hook. f. & T. Anderson

in Fl. Brit. India 1:166.1872. Raphanus tenellus Pallas, Reise 3(2): 741.1776.

Eng.: Blue-mustard.

Herbs, annual, 15 - 50 cm high; stem and leaves glandular hairy. Basal leaves
rosulate, oblanceolate, sinuate-toothed, petioled, 4 - 7 x 1.5 - 1.75 cm; upper leaves
lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, shortly stalked to sessile, irregularly dentate to subentire,
2 - 8 x 0.3 - 2 cm. Racemes lax, up to 20 cm long in fruit; flowers distant, light purple;
pedicels 3 - 4 mm long in fruit. Sepals oblong, 5 - 6 mm long, hairy outside near apex.
Petals entire, 10 -11 x 2 mm. Fruits cylindrical, more or less torulose, 20 - 30 x 1.5 - 2
mm, spreading, gradually tapering towards apex, breaking transversely into several
2-seeded parts, sparsely glandular hairy; stylar beak subulate, 15 - 25 mm long; stigma
bilobed. Seeds 1.5 -1.75 x 0.3 mm, brown.

Fl. & Fr. May - Aug.

Distrib. India: On dry hill slopes, roadsides, waste places, fields and open range
lands. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Central and S.W. Asia, Europe and America.

50. Matthiola R. Br., nom. cons.

Herbs or often small undershrubs, annual or perennial, hoary or stellate pubescent,

218 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

mm

Fig. 36. Matthiola flavida Boiss. : a. habit; b. inflorescence; c. flower.

1993] BRASSICACEAE 219

rarely glandular or subglabrous. Leaves entire or sinuate; basal leaves petioled; upper
ones sessile or shortly petioled. Racemes lax, ebracteate. Flowers white or purple, large;
bracts absent; pedicels erect or ascending. Sepals erect, inner ones saccate at base.
Petals long-clawed, linear, spreading, purple, white or yellowish. Stamens 6. Ovary
oblong, many-ovuled; stigma of 2 erect connivent lobes. Fruits cylindric or flattened;
valves 1-veined; style absent. Seeds 1-seriate, flattened with broad membranous wing.

S.W. Asia, Europe and South Africa; about 60 species, 2 cultivated in India.

KEY TO THE -SPECIES

la. Leaves sinuate or pinnatisect; flowers 5 - 8 mm across 1. M. flavida

b. Leaves entire; flowers ca 15 mm across 2. M. incana

1. Matthiola flavida Boiss., Diagn. PI. Nov. Or. 1,6:9.1845. M. odoratissima auct.
non (Pallas) R. Br. (1812); Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:131.1872.
Fig. 36.

Perennials, 30 - 60 cm high, hoary with stellate pubescence. Lower leaves obovate;

upper lanceolate, sinuate or pinnatisect, rarely entire, 1.5 - 4 x 1 - 2 cm; petioles 0.5 - 2
cm long. Racemes lax, 5 - 15-flowered, 20 - 40 cm long. Flowers 5 - 8 mm across,
purplish, often fragrant. Sepals ca 1 cm long. Petals oblong-linear, entire, ca 2 cm long.
Stamens ca 8 mm long; anthers ca 2 mm long. Fruits linear-oblong, compressed, erect,
rigid, stellate-pubescent, 7 -13 cm long. Seeds ca 2 x 1 mm, broad with marginal wing.

Fl.&Fr. April-July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

S.W. Asia.

2. Matthiola incana (L.) R. Br. in Aiton, Hort. Kew. ed. 2,4:120.1812; Jafri in Fl.
W. Pakistan 55: 200.1973. Cheiranthus incanus L., Sp. PI. 662.1753. Fig. 37.

Herbs, perennial, woody at base, 25 - 75 cm high, densely white-canescent. Leaves

oblanceolate, usually entire, rarely sinuate-pinnatifid, 3 - 9 x 0.5 -1.5 cm. Racemes 15 -
30-flowered, 5 - 30 cm long; pedicels 10 -15 mm long; lower pedicels 7-25 mm in fruit.
Flowers purplish, ca 1.5 cm across. Sepals 9 -15 mm long. Petals 20 - 30 x 4 -12 mm.
Fruits 10 - 15 cm long, erecto-patent, compressed, glandular-pubescent; stgima nar-
rower than siliqua, without conspicuous horns.

Fl. & Fr. March - May.

Distrib. India: Cultivated as an ornamental.

 220 FLORA OF INDIA
[VOL. 2

Fig. 37. Matthiola incana (L.) R. Br. : a. habit; b.floweringtwig; c. petal; d. fruit.
1993] BRASSICACEAE 221

Coasts of South and Western Europe, Cyprus, Turkey, Arabia and Egypt.

EXCLUDED SPECIES

1. Matthiola tenera Rech. f. in Fl. Iran. 57: 235.1968.

Rechinger (1. c.) reports this species from Jammu & Kashmir. However, there is
no specimen in Indian herbaria.

2. Matthiola tristis (L.) R. Br. in Aiton, Hort. Kew. ed. 2.4:120.1812. Cheiranthus
tristis L., Sp. PI. ed. 2: 925.1759.

According to Hook.f. & T. Anderson (1872) this species is cultivated in the gardens
of Northern India. There are no specimens in Indian herbaria.

51. Notoceras R.Br.

Herbs, small, depressed, branched, hoary with bipartite medifixed appressed hairs.
Leaves linear to oblanceolate, entire, sessile or subsessile. Racemes leaf-opposed.
Flowers white, Unear-oblong, not clawed, white. Sepals equal at base, erecto-patent, not
saccate. Petals small, linear to oblong, not clawed, white. Stamens 6; filaments linear.
Lateral nectar glands in pairs, minute; middle glands absent. Ovary subquadrate with
2 apical horns, 6 - 8-ovuled; style short; stigma minute, capitate. Fruit a short tardily
dehiscent siliqua, rigid, linear to oblong, with 2 horns at apex; valves narrowly winged
and keeled; style distinct; stigma capitate. Seeds 1-seriate, compressed, wingless;
cotyledons accumbent.

Mediterranean region, eastwards to India; 2 species, one in India.

Notoceras bicorne (Aiton) Amo, Fl. Iber. 6: 536.1873. Erysimum bicome Aiton,
Hort. Kew. ed.l, 2: 394.1789. Notoceras canariense R. Br. in Aiton, Hort. Kew. ed. 2,
4:117,1812; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:140.1872. N. hispanicum D C ,
Syst. Nat. 2: 204.1821.

Herbs, 15 - 30 cm long; branches procumbent,ascending, spreading from base.

Leaves lanceolate, linear-lanceolate, entire, 1 - 5 x 0.5 - 1 cm. Racemes 15 - 25-flowered,
short, dense, leaf-opposed. Flowers ca 2 mm across; pedicels up to 2 mm long in fruit,
stout, thickened. Sepals ca 2 mm long. Petals ca 2 mm long. Stamens ca 2 mm long.
Fruits tetragonous, 5-8 mm long, ca 1.5 mm thick; valves torulose, 1-nerved, hairy. Seeds
2 - 5 in each locule, compressed.

Fl. & Fr. April - May.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab.

222 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Pakistan, S.W. Asia and Mediterranean regions of Europe.

Notes. Jafri (in Fl. W. Pakistan 55: 193. 1973) has quoted a collection (Falconer
s.n. in K) from Kashmir without any precise locality. Except for a single specimen from
Punjab (Herb. Sulp. Kurz., CAL Ace. No. 22253) there is no collection from India.

52. Parrya R. Br., sensu lato

Herbs, perennial, tufted; rootstock thick; hairs unbranched, sometimes glandular.

Basal leaves rosulate, linear or spathulate, entire, pinnatifid or sinuate-dentate, often
stalked with sheathing bases. Scapes 1-many-flowered, usually leafless. Flowers large,
white or purple. Sepals erect, inner saccate at base. Petals spathulate, clawed, white or
purplish. Stamens usually 6; anthers linear, oblong. Ovary linear, many-ovuled; style
with bilobed, erect stigmas. Fruit a siliqua linear-oblong, compressed or much flattened;
valves with distinct median vein; style very short; stigma 2-lobed. Seeds 1 - 2-seriate,
compressed, winged.

Mostly in Central Asia; about 30 species, 5 in India.

KEY TO THE JPECIES

la. Leaves entire 5. P. platycarpa

b. Leaves pinnatisect, irregularly toothed or pinnatifid 2
2a. Flowers ca 2 cm across 3
b. Flowers up to 1 cm across 4
3a. Scapes 1-flowered 2. P. exscapa
b. Scapes many-flowered 4. P. nudicanlis
4a. Leaves deeply pinnatisect; lobes narrowly oblong 1. P. chitralensis
b. Leaves pinnatifid to subpinnatisect; lobes triangular 3. P. mii^janensis

1. Parrya chitralensis Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22(2): 115.1956 & in Fl.
W.Pakistan55: 212.1973.

Herbs, 10 - 20 cm high, glabrous; rootstock woody, 4 - 5 cm thick. Leaves deeply

pinnatisect, 5 - 7-jugate, 3 - 7 x 1 - 1.6 cm; terminal lobes acute at apex, 5 -10 x 1.5 - 5
mm; lateral lobes 4 -10 x 1 - 2.5 mm. Scapes erect, glabrous, 8 - 20 cm long. Racemes
3 - 4-flowered. Flowers ca 7 mm across; pedicels erect, glabrous, 1-9 mm long. Sepals
oblong, erect, saccate at base, obtuse at apex, glabrous, white-margined, 7 - 10 x 2 - 3
mm. Petals spathulate, long unguiculate, 15 -18 x 3 - 5 mm. Stamens 7 - 9, ca 10 mm
long; anthers linear-oblong, ca 3 mm long. Style ca 2 mm long. Fruits 5 - 8 cm long, 2 -
3 mm broad. Seeds many.

Fl. & FT. June - July.

1993] BRASSICACEAE 223

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan.

2. Parrya exscapa Ledeb., Icon. PI. Ross. 1:21, t. 86.1829; Hook. f. & T. Anderson
in Fl. Brit. India 1:131.1872.

Herbs, tufted, glabrous or puberulous; rootstock woody, slender. Leaves rosulate,

spathulate, entire or irregularly toothed, 15 - 40 x 3 - 8 mm. Flowers purple, ca 2 mm
across; pedicels 1.5 - 3.5 cm long. Sepals ca 8 mm long. Petals 15 - 20 mm long. Stamens
ca 7, ca 8 mm long; anthers ca 3 mm long. Fruits oblong, compressed, drooping, 4.5 -
5.5 x 0.5 cm. Seeds 1 - 2-seriate, ovate-orbicular, brown with broad membranous wing.

Fl. & Fr. May - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan and Central Asia.

3. Parrya minjanensis Rech. f. in Phyton 3:62.1951. P. stenocarpa Karelin & Kir.

\ai.pinnatisecta O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 9:1092.1927, p. p. P. stenocarpa
Karelin & Kir. subsp. gilgitica Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22(2): 115.1956.

Herbs, 10 - 25 cm high, densely hispid or glabrous. Leaves pinnatifid to pinnatipar-

tite, usually 5 - 7-toothed, 3 - 6 cm long, densely hispid. Scapes 8 - 22 cm long; racemes
5 - 6-flowered at apex. Flowers white or lilac, ca 1 cm across; pedicels ca 5 mm long in
fruit. Sepals ca 8 mm long. Petals ca 1.5 cm long. Stamens 7, ca 8 mm long. Pods 6 - 8
x 0.4 cm. Seeds many, oblong-ovate.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan and Afghanistan.

4. Parrya nudicaulis (L.) Regel in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 34(3): 176. 1861. Car-
damine nudicaulis L., Sp. PI. 654. 1753. Arabis nudicaulis (L.) D C , Syst. Nat. 2: 240.
1821. Neurotoma nudicaule (L.) D C , Prodr. 1:156.1824. Parrya macrocarpa R. Br. in
Parry's Voy., app. 11: 270.1824; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 131.1872.

Herbs, 7 - 40 cm high, sparsely glandular-tomentose or rarely subglabrous; rhizome

stout, long. Basal leaves rosulate, lanceolate, sinuate-toothed or entire, 5 -15 cm long,
glandular, long-petioled. Scapes up to 38 cm long in fruit; racemes 10 - 15-flowered.
Flowers ca 2 cm across; pedicels 1-3 (-5) cm long in fruit. Sepals 5-10 mm long. Petals
224 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

obovate, 10 - 20 mm long. Stamens ca 1 cm long; anthers ca 2 mm long. Fruits

compressed, attenuate at base and apex, undulate along margins, 3 - 6 x 0.4 - 0.5 cm.
Seeds many, suborbicular, broadly winged, ca 4 mm across.

Fl. & Fr. May - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, C. & N. Asia and Arctic Europe.

5. Parrya platycarpa Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:136.1861; Hook,
f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:131.1872.

Rootstock covered with old spongy petioles. Leaves spathulate or obovate, entire,
leathery, 2 - 4 x 0.5 -1 cm, glabrous or with hairy margins; petioles 2 - 4 cm long, sheathing
at base. Scapes short, thick, few-flowered, pilose, sometimes with 1 or 2 leaves. Fruits
ovate, 1.5 - 3 x 0.5 - 1 cm, tapering into short, thick style; valves thin, convex, not veined,
midrib distinct. Seeds few, not winged.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Sikkim.

Endemic.

Tribe 9. S I S Y M B R I A E DC.

(P. K. Hajra, H. J. Chowdhery and G. C. Das)

Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial. Leaves lyrate-pinnatipartite or pinnatisect.

Flowers white, pink or yellow. Lateral nectar glands semiannular or annular; middle
glands often joining laterals. Staminal filaments not appendaged; anthers usually ob-
long, obtuse. Fruits usually long; valves often convex; style usually short or absent; stigma
usually depressed, capitate. Seeds usually oblong or suborbicular.

12 genera and 32 species in India.

S3. Alliaria Scop.

Herbs, annual or biennial. Basal leaves long-petioled; cauline leaves shortly

stalked. Racemes many-flowered, lax, elongated in fruit. Flowers small, white. Petals
oblong-obovate, about twice as long as sepals. Stamens 6; anthers short, obtuse. Lateral
nectar glands annular; middle glands broadly conical. Fruits bilocular, dehiscent. Seeds
1-seriate.
 BRASSICACEAE 225
1993]

Asia, Europe and North Africa; 2 species, 1 in India.

Alliaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara & Grande in Boll. Orto Bot. Regia Univ.
Napoli 3: 418. 1913; Chowdhery & Wadhwa, Fl. Himachal Pradesh 1: 52.1984. Arabis
petiolata M. Bieb., Fl. Taur.-Cauc. 2:126.1808. Erysimum alliaria L., Sp. PI. 660.1753.
Sisymbrium alliaria (L.) Scop., Fl. Cam. 2: 26.1772; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit.
India 1:151-1872. Alliaria officinalis Andrz. ex M. Bieb., Fl. Taur.-Cauc. 3: 445.1819.

Herbs, branched or simple, 30 - 95 cm high. Basal leaves reniform, 5 -12 x 2 - 6 cm,

dentate; petioles 3 - 5 cm long. Upper leaves ovate-cordate or deltoid, crenate,
1.5 - 7.5 x 0.8 - 5.5 cm, membranous; petioles 1 - 2 cm long. Racemes 10 - 30-flowered,
up to 20 cm long in fruit. Flowers white, ca 4 mm across; pedicels up to 6 mm long in
fruit. Sepals ca 2 mm long. Petals ca 6 mm long. Stamens 2 - 3 mm long. Fruits 3.5 -
5.5 cm long; valves 3-nerved, with slot midrib. Seeds oblong, striate and dotted, dark
brown.

Fl. & Fr. May - July.

Distrib. India: On rocky hill slopes at 2300 - 3000 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal, Pakistan, Asia, Europe and N. America.

54. Aphragmus Andrz. ex DC.

Herbs, perennial, branching from base, more or less glabrous or slightly hairy
below. Leaves simple, rosulate, linear-spathulate to oblong, stalked, entire, subacute at
apex, fleshy, glabrous; cauline leaves several. Racemes short, axillary, lax, mostly
bracteate. Flowers small, mostly white or lilac; pedicels thin, suberect in fruit. Sepals
ascending, deciduous. Petals obovate-oblong, subacute at apex, about twice as long as
sepals, or more. Stamens 6; filaments slender; anthers ovoid. Lateral nectariferous
glands semicircular, opening inside, connate with narrow middle glands. Ovary sub-
sessile, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 6 - 10-ovuled; style short with compressed capitate
stigma. Fruits elliptic-oblong, subcompressed, acuminate at both ends, glabrous; valves
distinctly midveined; septum usually absent, if present hyaline. Seeds 2-seriate, ovate,
smooth, radicle incumbent.

C. Asia, Tibet and Himalayas; 3 - 4 species, 1 in India.

Aphragmus oxycarpus (Hook. f. & Thomson) Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb.
22: 96. 1956. Braya oxycarpa Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 169. 1861.
Lignariella duthiei Naqshi in J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 3: 976. 1982 (1983). Brya alpina auct.
non Sternb. & Hoppe; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:155.1872.
226 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Herbs dwarf, 3 - 8.5 (-10) cm high, glabrous or somewhat hairy below and glabrous
above, purple. Radicle leaves 4-20 (-25) x 1 - 3 (-4) mm, shortly petioled or subsessile-
cauline leaves distant, oblong-elliptic to oblong-linear, entire, (5-) 7 -12 (-15) x2 - 3 mm
sessile; all leaves glabrous or sparsely hairy, subfleshy. Racemes 5 - 10-flowered, up to
5 cm long in fruit. Flowers white or pinkish, ca 3 mm across; pedicels ascending, 4 . 5
mm long in fruit, puberulous. Sepals ovate-elliptic, ca 2 mm long, 3-nerved, glabrous
Petals 3 - 3.5 x 1.5 mm, tapering below. Stamens up to 2.5 mm long, bright yellow; anthers
ca 0.3 mm long. Fruits erect, linear, terete or subcompressed, 5 - 10 x 0.5 - 2 mm
glabrous; valves with curved veins; septum complete or incomplete; style thick, up to
0.5 mm long. Seeds 8 -10 in each locule, ellipsoid, brown, ca 1 mm long.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Fruits 1.5-2 mm broad, terete 1.1. var. oxycarpus

b. Fruits 0.5 - 0.8 mm broad, subcompressed 1.2. var. stenocarpa

1.1. var. oxycarpus

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Open grassy slopes, 4000 - 4700 m. Jammu & Xashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and C. Asia.

1.2. var. stenocarpa (O. Schulz) G. C. Das, comb. nov. Braya oxycarpa Hook. f. &
Thomson var. stenocarpa O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 9:1068.1927.

Fl. & Fr, not known.

Distrib. India: Uttar Pradesh.

Endemic.

55. Arabidopsis Heynh.

Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial, erect or suberect, branched from base, usually
densely simple or branched hairy. Radical leaves usually rosulate, often petiolate,
narrowed at base, rarely auriculate, ovate-oblong, entire or toothed; cauline leaves often
sagittate, entire or toothed. Racemes elongate, usually bracteate at base, lax in fruit.
Flowers white, purple or rose-coloured. Sepals spreading. Petals obovate or spathulate,
rounded, almost twice as long as sepals, pink, white or purple. Stamens usually 6.
Lateral nectar glands usually annular or semiannular; middle often torulose. Ovary
linear, many-ovuled; stigma depressed. Fruits linear, often curved, compressed or
 BRASSICACEAE 227
1993]

ete glabrous or hairy; valves usually weakly 1-nerved. Seeds few to many, 1 - 2-seriate.

Mainly Asian; about 15 species, 9 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Cauline leaves cuneate at base 2

b Cauline leaves usually sagittate-amplexicaul or broad at base 5
2a. Fruits usually 0.5 -1.5 cm long 8. A. thaliana
b. Fruits usually 4 - 8 cm long 3
3a. Flowers ca 3 mm across 9. A. wallichii
b. Flowers ca 5 mm across 4
4a. Basal leaves not rosulate; fruits blunt at apex with subsessile stigma 5. A. russelliana
b. Basal leaves rosulate; fruits acute at apex with ca 2 mm long style 7. A. taraxacifolia
5a. Flowers yellow 4. A. pumila
b. Flowers white or pink 6
6a. Racemes bracteate mostly up to the apex 1. A. himalaica
b. Racemes ebracteate or rarely few bracteate below 7
7a. Fruits densely pubescent 2. A. lasiocarpa
b. Fruits glabrous 8
8a. Cauline leaves sagittate-amplexicaul at base 3. A. mollissima
b. Cauline leaves narrowed at base 6. A. stricta

1. Arabidopsis himalaica (Edgew.) O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 86 (IV.105):

283. 1924. Arabis himalaica Edgew. in Trans. Linn. Soc. 20: 31. 1846. Sisymbrium
himalaicum (Edgew.) Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 160.1862; Hook. f. &
T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:147.1872.

Herbs, biennial or perennial, 10 - 45 cm high, erect with spreading or ascending

branches, hirsute; hairs simple and stellate. Leaves oblong or spathulate, acute or
obtuse, 1 - 5 x 0.3 -1.5 cm; basal ones petioled; upper ones clasping stem, auricled at
base, sagittate, sinuate-toothed along margins. Racemes 15 - 30-flowered, with leaf-like
bracts, up to 15 cm long in fruit. Flowers pink; pedicels ca 1 cm long in fruit. Sepals
ovate-oblong, ca 2.5 x 1 mm; petals ca 4 x 1.5 mm. Fruits 1.5 - 3.5 cm long, erect or
spreading, terete to linear, glabrous or sprasely pubescent; valves 1-veined, striate.
Seeds many in each locule.

Fl. & Fr. May - July.

Distrib. India: Rocky hillsides and shaded or open forests, 3000 - 4500 m. Jammu
& Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

228 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

2. Arabidopsis lasiocarpa O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 86(IV.105): 282. 1924.

Sisymbrium lasiocarpum Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 662.1861. (non F.
Mueller 1858); Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 348. 1872. S. bhutanicum
Balakr. in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 67: 57.1970.

Herbs, annual, 10 - 45 cm high, slender, erect, hispidly greyish pubescent; hairs

mixed, simple and stellate. Radical leaves ovate-spathulate, 8 - 25 x4 - 6 mm, few, shortly
petioled, sinuate-toothed; cauline leaves sessile, obovate, 5 - 12 x 2 - 4 mm, toothed to
subentire. Racemes 10 - 30-flowered, up to ca 15 cm long in fruit, often bracteate below.
Flowers ca 2 mm across, white or lilac; pedicels ca 2 mm long. Sepals oblong, ca 2 mm
long, pubescent. Petals 2 - 3 x 1 mm. Stamens ca 2 mm long. Fruits straight, terete, ca
16 mm long, densely pubescent; valves convex. Seeds ca 15 in each locule.

Fl. & Fr. April - June.

Distrib. India: 2400-2800 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan.

3. Arabidopsis mollissima (C. Meyer) N. Busch, Fl. Sib. & Or. Extr. 1:136.1913.
Sisymbrium mollissimum C. Meyer in Ledeb., Fl. Alt. 3: 140. 1831; Hook. f. & T.
Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:39.1872. S. thomsonii Hook. f. in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:161.
1861.

Herbs, biennial or perennial, 7 - 45 cm high, erect, simple or branched, glabrous or

hairy. Basal leaves rosulate, spathulate or oblong-obovate, 2.5 - 5 x 0.5 -1.5 cm, entire
or toothed, obtuse; cauline leaves lanceolate or oblong-ovate, entire or shallowly den-
tate, 0.8 - 1 x 0.3 - 0.4 cm, sessile, auricled at base, amplexicaul, densely pubescent or
canescent. Racemes 15 - 35-flowered, up to 15 cm long in fruit, ebracteate, rarely
bracteate at base only. Flowers ca 4 mm across, white or pinkish; pedicels spreading,
filiform, 1 - 1.5 cm long. Sepals ca 2 mm long. Petals ca 4 mm long, ca 1 mm broad.
Stamens ca 2 mm long. Fruits usually erect, 2.5 - 5 cm long; valves convex, glabrous.
Seeds 20 - 40 in each locule.

Fl. & Fr. May - July.

Distrib. India: On north facing slopes of Himalayas, 3000 - 4000 m. Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, C. Asia, Russia (Siberia) and W. China

(Tibet).

4. Arabidospsis pumila (Stephan) N. Busch, Fl. Cauc. Crite. 3,4:457 & 465.1909.
Sisymbriumpumilum Stephan in Willd., Sp. PI. ed. 4,3 (1): 507.1800. S.foliosum Hook.
 BRASSICACEAE 229
1993]

f & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:160.1862; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India
1:148.1872.

Herbs 8 - 30 cm high, suberect or decumbent, much-branched, scabrous, stellate

hairy. Radical leaves oblong-obovate, spathulate, toothed, 2 - 4 x 0.5 - 3 cm, shortly
petioled; cauline leaves oblong or obovate, sagittate, sessile and stem-clasping at base,
coarsely toothed, 2.5 - 8 x 0.5 -1.5 cm. Racemes 15 - 30-flowered, up to 15 cm long in
fruit. Flowers ca 2 mm across, yellow, turning white, ebracteate; pedicels ca 2 mm long
in fruit. Sepals oblong, ca 2 mm long, glabrous. Petals ca 2 mm long, cream-coloured.
Stamens ca 2 mm long. Fruits 15 - 30 mm long, ca 1 mm broad, slender, curved, glabrous
or with a few stellate hairs; valves 1-nerved, thin, flattened, striate. Seeds 15 - 30 in each
locule, oblong, ca 0.5 mm.

Fl. & Fr. March - June.

Distrib. India: Old mud walls and house tops, 1000 - 2000 m. Jammu & Kashmir
and Himachal Pradesh.

Pakistan, Iran, Central Asia and East Mediterranean, E. Europe.

5. Arabidopsis russelliana Jafri in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 22: 97.1956; R. R.

Rao & H.J. Chowdhery in Indian J. For. 7: 257.1984.

Herbs, annual, up to 65 cm high, erect, branched, sparsely hairy. Lower leaves

sessile or subsessile, 5 - 7-jugate, runcinate-pinnatifid, 7 - 8 x 1.5 - 2 cm; upper cauline
leaves linear-oblong, 1.5 - 3 cm long, pubescent, sessile. Racemes 9 - 12-flowered, up to
10 cm long, ebracteate. Flowers ca 3 mm across; pedicels ca 5 mm long. Sepals ca 2 mm
long. Petals ca 4 mm long, white. Stamens ca 3 mm long. Fruits subcylindrical, 5 - 6 cm
long, obtuse, glabrous. Seeds ca 25 in each locule.

Fl. & Fr. June - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Pakistan.

6. Arabidopsis stricta (Cambess.) N. Busch, Fl. Cauc. Crite. 3, 4: 457. 1909.

Malcolmiaslricta Cambess. in Jacquem., Voy. Bot. Ind. 4:16.1844. Sisymbrium strictum
(Cambess.) Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 161. 1862; Hook. f. & T.
Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:149.1872. Fig. 38.

Annuals, 24 - 60 cm high, erect, simple, rigid, scabrid or hairy. Lower leaves

linear-oblong to oblong-spathulate, 2.5 - 5.5 x 5 - 15 cm, narrowed into short petiole,
sinuate-toothed or entire; upper cauline leaves lanceolate, 1 - 3 x 0.3 - 0.6 cm, sessile or
230 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

cm

Fig. 38. Arabidopsis stricta (Cambess.) N. Busch : a. habit; b. inflorescence.

 BRASSICACEAE 231
1993]

bsessile, subentire. Racemes 25 - 50-flowered, up to 25 cm long. Flowers ca 2 mm

ross pale rose-coloured; pedicels 5 - 8 cm long. Sepals ca 2 mm long. Petals ca 3 mm
i n E Stamens ca 2 mm long. Fruits erect, curved, terete, 2.5 - 5 cm long, glabrous;
alves convex with prominent midrib; style short, tapering. Seeds 20 - 25 in each locule.

Fl. & Fr. April - Aug.

Distrib. India: Open west-facing slopes, 1800 - 3300 m. Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and China (Tibet).

7. Arabidopsis taraxacifolia (T. Anderson) Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 55: 274.1973.

Arabis taraxacifolia T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:136.1872.

Herbs, annual, 15 - 20 cm high, spreading, much-branched, hairy. Radical leaves

lyrate-pinnatifid or lobed, 4 - 6-jugate, 4 - 8 x 0.5 - 1.5 cm, hairy; terminal lobes large,
rounded, entire, rarely toothed; laterals short, narrow, entire, obtuse. Cauline leaves
few, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, entire or sinuate, sessile. Racemes 10 - 20-flowered,
up to 15 cm long in fruit. Flowers ca 4 mm across; pedicels slender, suberect, 1.2 - 2.5
cm long. Sepals pubescent or glabrous. Petals narrowly oblong, ca 5 mm long, pale rose
or white. Fruits linear, flattened, 3.5 - 6 cm long, suberect, horizontal or decurved,
glabrous; style long, acute; valves thin, veinless. Seeds ca 1 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. April - June.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Pakistan.

8. Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. in Holl. & Heynh., Fl. Sachs. 1: 538. 1842.
Arabis thaliana L., Sp. PI. 665. 1753. Sisymbrium thalianum (L.) Gay & Monnard in
Gandin, Fl. Helv. 4: 348.1829; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:148.1872.

Herbs, 7 - 30 cm high, erect, branched, hispid with simple or forked hairs, or

glabrous. Radical leaves rosulate, obovate, petiolate, 1.5 - 7.5 x 0.5 - 0.8 cm; cauline
leaves oblong or linear, remote, cuneate below, entire, sessile, 0.5 - 1.2 x 0.1 - 0.2 cm.
Racemes 10 - 20 cm long in fruit, slender. Flowers white, ca 2 mm across; pedicels 6 - 7
mm long, spreading or descending. Sepals ca 2 mm long. Petals white, ca 3 mm long.
Stamens 1-2 mm long. Fruits narrow, linear, glabrous, 0.8 - 2 cm long; valves 1-nerved,
convex. Seeds ca 20 in each locule.

Fl. & Fr. April - June.

232 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Distrib. India: Shady moist grassy slopes along stream sides, 1400 - 3800 m. Jammu
& Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, temperate Asia and Mediterranean region of Europe.

9. Arabidopsis wallichii (Hook. f. & Thomson) N. Busch, Fl. Cauc. Crite 3,4: 457.
1909. Sisymbrium wallichii Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:158.1861; Hook,
f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:149.1872.

Herbs, perennial, simple or branched, hispidly hairy, 15 - 45 cm high. Radical leaves

crowded, runcinately lyrate, 2.5 - 8 x 1 - 2 cm, terminal lobes large; cauline leaves few,
linear-lanceolate, pinnatifid or almost entire, 1.5 - 3 cm long. Racemes up to 15-
flowered, ca 15 cm long. Flowers white or pale pinkish, ca 3 mm across; pedicels 1 - 2.5
cm long in fruit, spreading. Sepals ca 2 mm long. Petals ca 3 mm long. Stamens ca 3
mm long. Fruits spreading, curved, glabrous, 2 - 8.5 cm long; valves more or less convex,
midrib distinct; style short, tapering. Seeds ca 20 in each locule.

Fl. & Fr. March - July.

Distrib. India: Open marshy grass slopes, 800 - 3500 m. Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia.

56. Arcyosperma O. Schulz

Monotypic; description and distribution as for the species below.

Arcyosperma primulifolium (Thomson) O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 86

(IV. 105): 182.1924. Sisymbrium primulifolium Thomson in Hooker's J. Bot. 5:18.1853.
Eutrema primulifolium (Thomson) Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5: 164.
1862. Fig. 39.

Herbs, perennial, low, 4 -15 cm high, glabrous or sparsely hairy; rootstock covered
with leaf bases. Basal leaves rosulate, ovate-oblong, oblanceolate or broadly spathulate,
attenuate at base, acute or obtuse at apex, denticulate, sinuous or entire along margins,
3 -14 x 1 - 3 cm, sparsely pilose with simple hairs. Cauline leaves sessile, ovate-oblong
to oblong-elliptic, up to 3 x 1 cm. Racemes ebracteate; scapes bracteate, 3 -10 cm long,
many; bracts leaf-like, obovate, 1.2 - 2.5 cm long. Flowers white or pink, ca 5 mm across;
pedicels filiform, 0.5 - 1 cm long in fruit, spreading, glabrous. Sepals suberect, ovate or
oblong-ovate, not pouched at base, 3 - 4 x 1 - 1.5 mm long. Petals obovate, clawed at
base, subemarginate at apex, ca 6 x 1 mm, white or purplish. Stamens ca 4 mm long.
Lateral nectar glands horse-shoe shaped; middle glands torulose, joining laterals. Ovary
sessile, oblong; ovules ca 35; stigma depressed, subsessile. Fruits linear-oblong, often
1993] BRASSICACEAE 233

cm

Fig. 39. Arcyosperma primulifolium (Thomson) O. Schulz : a. plant, upper portion.

234 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

curved, dehiscent, 1.5 - 2.5 cm long, 1.5 - 2 mm thick; valves submembranous with distinct
midrib. Seeds minute, few to numerous in 2 rows.

Fl. & Fr. May - July.

Distrib. India: Open rocky soil and partially shaded places, 3100 - 4500 m. Jammu
& Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Pakistan, Bhutan and Nepal.

57. Braya Sternh. & Hoppe

Herbs, small, perennial, dwarf, caespitose, branched from base; rootstock many-
branched; stems erect, often scapose, glabrous or greyish-white tomentose or pilose with
simple or 2-branched hairs. Leaves mostly radical, simple, linear-lanceolate or narrow-
oblong, narrowed at base, sessile or subsessile, entire or faintly denticulate along
margins, basal ones densely rosulate; cauline leaves usually absent, rarely 1 or 2.
Racemes short or elongated, sometimes corymbose, many-flowered, ebracteate or rarely
bracteate. Flowers small, pink, bluish or white or sometimes pale yellowish; pedicels
erect, short, thickened in fruit. Sepals persistent, divergent, oblong, not pouched at base,
tinged with purple, with hyaline margins. Petals obovate, cuneate at base, truncate at
apex, exceeding sepals, white or purplish. Stamens 6; filaments free; anthers short,
ovoid, obtuse at apex. Nectar glands small, pyramidal, on either side of the shorter
stamens. Ovary sessile, oblong or subcylindrical, 4 - 20-ovuled; style very short; stigma
depressed-capitate, shortly subbilobate. Fruit a siliqua or silicule, ovoid or subcylindric,
glabrous; valves convex, 1-nerved; septum hyaline, entire, 1-veined with many stout
parallel walls of the epidermal cells; style slender. Seeds 2-seriate, rarely 1-seriate, few
to many, ovoid.

Chiefly in high alpine regions of Arctic, Europe, C. Asia and Sino-Himalayas; about
13 species, 3 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves absent or 1-leaved, narrowly linear, 1-2 mm broad; sepals 1.5 - 2 mm long; petals 2 - 2.5 mm
long 3. B. tibetica
b. Leaves spathulate or oblong-linear, (2-) 3 (-4) mm broad; sepals ca 2.5 mm long; petals 3.5 - 43 mm
long 2
2a. Fruits 6 - 8 x 1 -1.5 mm, with recurved attenuate apex; pedicels 4 - 6 mm long 2. B. thomsonii
b. Fruits 4 - 6 x 1.5 - 2 mm, with rounded apex; pedicels up to 4 mm long 1. B. rosea

1. Braya rosea (Turcz.) Bunge in Del. Sem. Hort. Dorpat 7.1839; Hook. f. & T.
Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:155.1872. Draba rosea Turcz. in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 87.
1838.
 BRASSICACEAE 235
1993]

Herbs, erect, branched, 3 - 5 (-10) cm high; roots stout, fleshy. Radical leaves
numerous, entire, 10 - 30 x 2 - 4 mm, petiolate, glabrous or sparsely hairy, fleshy; cauline
leaves 5 - 7 x 2 - 3 mm, glabrous. Racemes 10 - 20-flowered, short, thick, somewhat
capitate, hairy or subglabrous, ebracteate. Flowers pale purple, rose or rarely white, ca
3 mm across; pedicels erect, spreading, thick, slightly swollen in fruit. Sepals narrowly
scarious along margins, minutely pilose. Petals ca 1.5 mm broad. Stamens up to 2 mm
long; anthers ca 0.2 mm long. Fruits ellipsoid or oblongoid, often obscurely torulose,
rounded at apex, minutely pilose; valves subconvex; style thick, 0.2 - 0.5 mm long with
depressed short stigma. Seeds 8 -15, ovate, yellowish-brown, ca 0.8 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim.

C. Asia.

2. Braya thomsonii Hook. f. in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:168.1861. B. alpina auct. non
Sternb. & Hoppe 1815; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:155.1872.

Herbs, 2 - 3 (-6) cm high; stems pilose with long simple hairs. Radical leaves erect,
7 - 1 4 (-25) mm long, usually glabrous, rarely ciliate; cauline leaves 8 - 10 x 1.5 mm.
Racemes 10 - 15-flowered, erect, up to 2.5 cm long. Flowers white, ca 3 mm across;
pedicels erect, rigid, thickened in fruit. Sepals oblong. Petals spathulate, ca 1 mm broad.
Stamens up to 3 mm long; anthers ca 0.3 mm long. Fruits linear, subtorulose, recurved-
attenuate at apex, glabrous; valves erect, 1-nerved; style 0.5 - 0.8 mm long with faintly
bilobate stigma; septum obscurely veined; seeds 8 -10,1-seriate, ovoid-oblong, brown-
ish, ca 0.8 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: 3600 - 5000 m. Uttar Pradesh.

China (Tibet).

3. Braya tibetica Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:168.1861; Hook. f.
& T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:155.1872.

Herbs, much-branched, erect, 4 - 8 cm high; roots slender. Leaves absent, some-

times one-leaved, narrowly oblanceolate, attenuate at base, acute at apex, entire or rarely
faintly toothed along margins, 10 - 15 x 1 - 2 mm, thick, subglabrous. Racemes 15 -
20-flowered, corymbose-capitate, bracteate. Flowers ca 2.5 mm across, white or pink-
ish; pedicels subspreading, 3 - 4 mm long in fruit. Sepals ca 2 x 1 mm, minutely hairy
above, membranous. Petals oblong, cuneate^ca 3 x 1 mm, purplish. Stamens up to 1.8
mm long; anthers ovoid, ca 0.2 mm long. Fruits ellipsoid, attenuate at apex, 3.5 - 4 x
236 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

1.5 - 2 mm, puberulous; valves oblong, obscurely 1-veined; style 0.2-0.5 mm long, with
minute depressed stigma; septum hyaline. Seeds 4 - 6, ovoid, brownish, ca 1 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: 3500 - 5600 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

China (Tibet).

58. Camelina Crantz

Herbs, annuals or biennials, simple or branched. Cauline leaves sessile, often

auriculate. Inflorescence ebracteate. Sepals erect. Petals yellow or white. Fruits more
or less inflated; style distinct. Seeds numerous.

C. Europe, Mediterranean region and C. Asia; about 10 species, one in India.

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz, Stirp. Austr. 1; 17. 1762: Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 55:
280.1973. Myagrum sativum L., Sp. PI. 641.1753.

Herbs, up to 80 cm high, branched mostly from base, glabrous or sometimes

sparsely hairy. Basal leaves oblong-lanceolate, sessile, cuneate at base, entire or irregu-
larly toothed along margins, 15 - 50 x 5 -10 (-15) mm; upper leaves lanceolate or linear,
sagittate-amplexicaul at base, entire or toothed along margins. Racemes 30 - 70-
flowered, up to 30 cm long in fruit. Flowers yellow, ca 3.5 mm across; pedicels ascending,
10 - 20 (-25) mm long in fruit. Sepals ca 2.5 mm long. Petals ca 5 mm long. Fruits
obovoid, rounded at apex, 7 - 9 x 4 - 5 mm; valves convex, glabrous with a distinct midrib;
style 1.5 - 2 mm long with capitate stigma. Seeds 9 -10 in each locule, ovoid, ca 1.5 mm
long, brown.

Fl. & Fr. March - May.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

C. & S.W. Asia and Europe.

59. Descurainia Webb & Berth., nom. cons.

Herbs, annual or biennial, erect, pubescent with simple or branched hairs. Leaves
2 - 3-pinnatisect, sessile or petioled. Racemes many-flowered, ebracteate. Flowers
small, yellow or cream-coloured; pedicels filiform. Sepals and petals more or less equal.
Stamens 6. Lateral nectar glands semiannular or almost annular; middle nectar glands
joining the laterals. Ovary linear, many-ovuled. Fruits linear, cylindrical, often up-
curved; valves 1-veined. Seeds 1 - 2-seriate.
 BRASSICACEAE 237
1993]

Chiefly American; about 40 species, 1 in India.

Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl in Engler & Prantl, Pflanzenf. 3, 2: 192.
1891- Sisymbrium sophia L., Sp. PL 659.1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in FL Brit. India
1:150.1872. • Fig- 40.

Herbs, 25 - 80 cm high, erect, branched, glabrous or sparsely pubescent; branches

ascending. Leaves numerous, 5 -16 cm long; lobes narrowly linear or oblong, ca 2 mm
broad. Racemes up to 50-flowered, up to 25 cm long in fruit. Flowers ca 2 mm across;
pedicels ca 1.5 cm long in fruit, glabrous. Sepals oblong, ca 2 x 0.5 mm. Petals ca 2 mm
long. Stamens ca 2 mm long. Fruits spreading or erect, subtorulose, 1.5 - 3 cm long, ca
1 mm wide, glabrous; valves 1-veined; stigma subsessile. Seeds ca 20, reddish brown.

Fl. & Fr. April - Aug.

Distrib. India: Near cultivated fields or dry open places, 1500 - 4500 m. Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal, Pakistan, C. Asia, Europe and N. Africa.

60. Guillenia E. Greene

Herbs, annual, erect or prostrate, branched, hairy. Leaves usually basal, lyrate-
pinnate or deeply dissected; cauline, if present, few, variable. Racemes few-flowered,
bracteate, lax in fruit. Flowers small, white or pinkish; pedicels usually elongated.
Sepals suberect, not pouched. Petals usually longer than sepals. Nectar glands minute.
Ovary cylindrical with 10-40 ovules. Fruits linear, on slender curved pedicels; valves
weakly 1-nerved, subconvex; style short, slender; stigma short. Seeds numerous, uniser-
iate.

Himalayas to Central Asia; 4 species, all in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Plants diffuse; branches 7.5 -15 cm long 1. G. axillare

b. Plants erect, 10 -100 cm high 2
2a. Pods 1.2 -1.5 cm long 4. G. minutiflorum
b. Pods 3.5 - 6 cm long 3
3a. Pods ca 3.5 cm long 2. G. duthiei
b. Pods 4 - 6 cm long 3. G. flaccidum

1. Guillenia axillare (Hook. f. & Thomson) Bennet in J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 4 (2): 593.
1983. Sisymbrium axillare Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:102.1861; Hook,
f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 149.1872. Microsisymbrium axillare (Hook. f. &
238 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Fig. 40. Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl : a. habit; b. plant, upper portion.
1993] BRASSICACEAE 239

Thomson) O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 86:160.1924.

Diffuse annuals; branches spreading, 7.5 -15 cm long, pubescent with simple and
branched hairs. Basal leaves spathulate, ca 25 cm long, lobed or toothed, shortly
petioled; cauline leaves ovate or oblong, 0.6 - 1.5 cm long, rounded at apex, sessile.
Racemes elongate, lax, 6 -10 flowered, leafy. Flowers bracteate, large, solitary in axils
of upper leaves, white; pedicels slender, spreading or ascending. Sepals oblong, ca 2.5
mm long. Petals 3 - 5 mm long, white. Fruits very slender, terete, straight or slightly
curved, subtorulose, ca 0.6 cm long, glabrous; style short.

Fl. & Fr. April - Aug.

Distrib. India: Roadsides in evergreen forests, 2500 - 5000 m. Sikkim.

Nepal and Bhutan.

1. Guillenia duthiei (O. Schulz) Bennet in J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 4 (2): 593. 1983.
Microsisymbrium duthiei O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 9:1089.1927.

Herbs, annual, up to 1 m high; stems erect, hollow; hairs simple, patent, ca 1 mm

long, mixed with shorter bifurcate and stellate hairs. Lower cauline leaves obovate-
cuneate, dentate-lobulate, rounded at apex, narrowed to a short petiole; upper leaves
oblong, sessile, minutely denticulate, subacute, gradually smaller; topmost floral leaves
linear, ca 3 mm long, all membranous, both sides clothed with simple and stellate hairs.
Racemes ca 40-flowered, up to 50 cm long in fruit, bracteate. Flowers minute; pedicels
1-2 mm long. Sepals oblong, ca 1.5 mm long, hirsute. Petals spathulate, ca 2 mm long,
white. Stamens 1.5 -1.8 mm long; anthers oblong, ca 0.4 mm long. Ovary hairy. Fruits
erect, narrowly linear, subterete; valves with stellate hairs; septum slender, 1-nerved.
Seeds biseriate, numerous, oblong, ca 0.5 mm long, brown.

FI.& Fr. July-Aug.

Distrib. India: Uttar Pradesh (Kumaon).

Endemic.

3. Guillenia flaccidum (O. Schulz) Bennet in J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 4 (2): 593.1983.
Microsisymbrium flaccidum O. Schulz in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 9:1090.1927.

Herbs, 10 - 45 cm high, branched, suberect or ascending, hairy below, glabrous or

subglabrous above. Basal leaves lyrate, pinnatipartite or obovate, 1 - 2-jugate, 2 - 5 x
1-2 cm; terminal lobes large, obovate-orbicular or suborbicular, sparsely denticulate;
lateral lobes minute; cauline leaves absent or a few. Racemes 10 - 20-flowered, ebrac-
teate, lax, up to 25 cm long in fruit. Flowers ca 5 mm across, white; pedicels filiform,
240 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

glabrous, ascending or upcurved, 1.2 - 2.5 cm long in fruit. Sepals ca 2 mm long. Petals
ca 5 mm long. Stamens ca 3 mm long. Fruits linear, 4 - 6 cm long, glabrous; valves with
a distinct midvein; style ca 1 mm long. Seeds ca 20 in each locule, brown.

Fl. & Fr. April - June.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan.

4. Guillenia minutiflorum (Hook. f. & Thomson) Bennet in J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 4

(2): 593.1983. Sisymbrium minutiflorum Hook. f. & Thomson in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 5:
158. 1861; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 149. 1872. Microsisymbrium
minutiflorum (Hook. f. & Thomson) O. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenr. 86:160.1924.

Herbs, annual, 5 - 22 cm high, branched, stellately hairy. Leaves pinnatisect, 1 -

2-jugate, petioled; lobes narrowly oblong or linear, 3 - 5 mm long, entire, thick. Racemes
5 - 10-flowered, lax, up to 10 cm long. Flowers ca 2 mm across, white; pedicels filiform,
spreading. Sepals ca 1 mm long. Petals ca 2 mm long. Stamens ca 1 mm long. Fruits
linear, straight or slightly curved, 1.2 - 1.5 cm long; valves glabrous or hairy. Seeds 5 -
10 in each locule, minute, brown.

Fl. & Fr. April - June.

Distrb. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and China (Tibet).

61. Lignariella Baehni

Herbs, annual, slender, flexuous, subspreading, prostrate, glabrous, or with simple

hairs. Leaves deeply trilobed or tripartite, upper ones sometimes entire. Flowers
axillary, solitary or few in bracteate racemes, blue, pinkish or white; pedicels thin,
flexuous, elongated in fruit. Sepals ovate, equal; inner sepals pouched or saccate at base,
cochleate at apex Petals showy, purplish, usually twice as long as sepals. Stamens 6,
equal, straight; filaments somewhat winged; anthers ovate. Lateral glands semilunar,
encircling the base of stamens, converging with transverse glands. Ovary ovoid, shortly
stipitate, 1-locular, 2 - 8-ovuled; style short, reflexed, slightly dilated at apex. Fruits
ellipsoid to oblong-ellipsoid, subterete, more or less falcate or crowned with reflexed
style, glabrous; valves convex, membranous; septum absent or rudimentary. Seeds (-1)
2-5,1-seriate, oblong-ovoid; cotyledons accumbent.

Himalayas in between 3000 and 4700 m, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and India;
2 species, both in India.
 BRASSICACEAE 241
1993]

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la Leaves petiolate, 1.5 - 2 mm broad; pedicels 10 -15 mm long in fruit; petals ca 4 mm long
1. L. hobsonii
b Leaves sessile or subsessile, 2 - 8 mm broad; pedicels 6 -10 mm long in fruit; petals 2.5 - 3 mm long
2. L obscura

1. Lignariella hobsonii (Pearson) Baehni in Candollea 15: 57. 1955. Cochlearia

hobsonii Pearson in Hook., Icon. PI. t. 2643.1900.

Herbs accumbent, 3 - 7 (-30) cm high, branched. Leaves marcescent, broadly ovate

or oblong-suborbicular, attenuate at base, acute at apex, 3 - 6 x 1.5 - 2 mm, deeply
trilobed, often tripartite, rarely entire or 5-lobed; stipules conical, at base of cauline
leaves, glandular, ca 0.3 mm long; petioles 2 -15 mm long. Flowers solitary, axillary, 5 -
6 mm long, ebracteate; pedicels glandular, 10 -15 mm long, accrescent. Sepals cymbi-
form, forming a pouch at base, narrowly scarious along margins, glabrous, ca 2.2 mm
long. Petals ovate or nearly orbicular, rounded at apex, abruptly narrowed, blue,
occasionally white, rarely mauve. Stamens 2.8 - 3 mm long; filaments flat, subwinged;
anthers ca 0.5 mm long. Ovary attenuate at apex; ovules 2 (or 6, rarely 11 or 12) with
thick funicle. Fruits unilocular, often curved or sickle-shaped, flat, 10 - 13 mm long,
1.5 - 2 mm thick; style 1-4 mm long. Seeds 1 - 6, with smooth testa.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Streamsides, 2600 - 3600 m. Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

Notes. Smaller forms with shorter styles are referable to subsp. serpens (W. Smith)
Hara, which seems to be the common one in Sikkim Himalayas.

2. Lignariella obscura (Dunn) Jafri in Candollea 134.1957. Draba obscura Dunn

in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1924: 383.1924.

Herbs, prostrate, 4 - 8 (-10) cm high, much-branched, distantly leafy, glabrous above,

sparsely hairy below. Leaves rosulate, elliptic, elliptic-oblong or spathulate, entire or
faintly trilobed, 7 - 20 x 2 - 6 mm, rarely stalked. Racemes 3 - 10-flowered. Flowers
bracteate, white, ca 2.5 mm across; pedicels filiform, spreading. Sepals oblong, obtuse
at apex, 1.8-2 mm long. Petals somewhat orbicular, obtuse at apex, ca 1.2 mm broad.
Stamens 1.5 - 2 mm long; anthers ca 0.5 mm long. Fruits subtorulose, (5-) 8 -15 x 1 - 2
mm; style 1 -1.3 mm long, with minute depressed stigma; septum absent. Seeds ovoid,
5 - 6, brown, ca 1 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. May - July.

242 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan.

62. Sisymbrium L.

Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial, glabrous or hairy. Leaves entire, pinnatifid or

pinnatisect, lower petiolate, upper sessile or subsessile. Racemes many-flowered, elong-
ated in fruit. Flowers usually yellow; pedicels more or less thickened. Sepals erect.
Petals 4, unguiculate with long claws, usually oblong-obovate. Stamens 6, free; filaments
simple; anthers oblong or obtuse. Lateral nectar glands annular, quadrate or hexangu-
lar. Ovary linear-subcylindrical, sessile, many-ovuled; style short. Fruits linear-subcy-
lindrical, erect or spreading; valves 3-nerved, usually glabrous; septum hyaline. Seeds
1-seriate, many, ovoid; cotyledons incumbent.

Mostly temperate; about 70 species, 7 in India.

Literature. KHOSHOO, T. (1967) Biosystematics of Sisymbrium irio complex XIII: Taxonomic

considerations. Bull. Bot. Suiv. India 9: 49 - 55, f. 1.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Fruits usually 1 - 4.5 (-5) cm long 2

b. Fruits 5 -10 cm long 4
2a. Pedicels 2 - 4 mm long in fruit 6. S. officinale
b. Pedicels 6-15 mm long in fruit 3
3a. Flowers ca 3 mm across 4. S. irio
b. Flowers ca 6 - 8 mm across S. S. loeselii
4a. Flowers ca 3 mm across; pedicels 0.5 -1.5 cm long 3. S. heteromalum
b. Flowers 5 - 6 mm across; pedicels 3 -12 mm long 5
5a. Lower leaves runcinate-pinnatifid, lateral lobes 6 - 8 paired 1. S. altissimum
b. Lower leaves 1 - 5-jugate 6
6a. Lower leaves 1 - 2-jugate 2. S. brassiciforme
b. Lower leaves 4 - 5-jugate 7. S. orientale

1. Sisymbrium altissimum L., Sp. PI. 659.1753. S.panonicum Jacq., Icon. PI. Rar.
1:12,1.123.1786; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:150.1872.

Herbs, annual or biennial, 15 - 55 cm high, erect, divaricately branched above, hispid

or glabrate. Basal leaves runcinate-pinnatifid, 5 -17 x 3 - 7.5 cm, shortly petioled; upper
leaves narrowly linear, 5 - 7-jugate, toothed or entire. Racemes many-flowered, up to
30 cm long in fruit. Flowers ca 5 mm across, pale yellow; pedicels ca 1 cm long in fruit,
spreading or ascending. Sepals ca 5 mm long. Petals ca 1 cm long. Stamens ca 6 mm
long. Fruits linear-subcylindrical, straight, 7.5 -10 cm long, glabrous; style subelongate,
 BRASSICACEAE 243
1993]

thick- stigma large, 2-lobed; valves 3-nerved. Seeds ca 50 in each locule.

Fl & Fr. April - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

C. & S.W. Asia and Europe.

2. Sisymbrium brassiciforme C.Meyer in Ledeb.,Fl. Alt. 3.129.1831. S. columnae

auct. non. Jacq. 1776; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:150.1872, p. p.

Annuals, 50 - 90 cm high, erect, slightly branched, glabrous or hairy below; hairs

spreading or reflexed. Lower leaves ovate-oblong to lanceolate, runcinate; segments
toothed; terminal lobe angled; upper leaves linear, hastate, subsessile to sessile.
Racemes 25 - 45-flowered, up to 20 cm long in fruit. Flowers ca 4 mm across, pale yellow;
pedicels 4 - 8 mm long. Sepals ca 3 mm long. Petals ca 6 mm long. Stamens ca 5 mm
long. Fruits 5 - 9 cm long, spreading, very slender, curved, glabrous or hairy; valves
striated, indistinctly costate; style thickened, ca 1 mm long. Seeds oblong, brown.

Fl. & Fr. May - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, C. Asia and China (Tibet).

3. Sisymbrium heteromallum C. Meyer in Ledeb. Fl. Alt. 3:132.1831; Jafri in Fl.

W. Pakistan 55: 252.1973.

Herbs, annual or biennial, 30 - 90 cm high, erect, branched above, hairy or subgla-

brous below. Leaves lyrate-pinnatifid, petioled; terminal lobe much larger than laterals;
lateral lobes 2 - 3-paired, shortly toothed. Racemes 25 - 40-flowered, up to 20 cm long
in fruit. Flowers ca 2 mm across, pale yellow. Sepals ca 3 mm long. Petals ca 4 mm long.
Stamens ca 4 mm long. Fruits 5 - 7 cm long, glabrous; valves convex, 3-nerved. Seeds
many, oblong-ellipsoid.

Fl. & Fr. April - June.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Nepal, Pakistan, China (Tibet), C. Asia, Russia (Siberia) and Mongolia.

4. Sisymbrium irio L., Sp. PI. 659.1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India
1:150.1872. S. irioides Boiss. in Ann. Sci. Nat. ser.2,17: 76.1842.
244 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Hindi: Asalio, Khub-khala.

Herbs, annual or biennial, erect, 15 - 85 cm high, branched, glabrous or sparsely

hairy or pubescent at base. Radical leaves petioled, numerous in rosette, pinnatipartite;
cauline leaves runcinate-pinnatifid; segments remote, spreading, toothed; terminal lobes
large, sometimes hastate. Racemes 40 - 80 or sometimes more flowered, up to 25 cm
long in fruit. Flowers ca 3 mm across, yellow; pedicels slender, ascending, 0.6 -1.5 cm
long in fruit. Sepals ca 2 mm long. Petals ca 3 mm long. Stamens ca 3 mm long. Fruit
siliqua, ascending, slender, subtorulose, 3 - 5 cm long, young ones overtopping raceme,
mature ones 3-nerved; stigma sessile. Seeds 20 - 40 in each locule, oblong, minutely
granulate, light brown.

Fl. & Fr. Nov. - May.

Distrib. India: Plains to hills. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Punjab and Rajasthan.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, most of Asia, Europe and North Africa.

Notes. Seeds containing isorhamnetin are expectorant and stimulating. Leaves

contain Vitamin A and C.

5. Sisymbrium loeselii L., Cent. PI. 1:18. no. 49.1755; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in
Fl. Brit. India 1:151.1872.

Herbs, annual or biennial, 25 -100 cm high, erect, branched, hairy or rarely glabrous.
Basal leaves sublyrately runcinate; terminal lobes elongated, triangular or hastate;
lateral lobes 2 - 4-paired; all lobes dentate; upper leaves smaller, shortly petioled or
subsessile. Racemes many-flowered, up to 25 cm long in fruit. Flowers ca 7 mm across,
yellow; pedicels ca 1 cm long in fruit, ascending or upcurved. Sepals ca 3 mm long.
Petals ca 6 mm long. Stamens ca 4 mm long. Fruits linear-subcylindrical, erect,
upcurved, 1.5 - 4.5 cm long; valves 3-nerved. Seeds oblong-ellipsoid, somewhat papil-
lose, brown, ca 25 in each locule.

Fl. & Fr. May - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Europe and most of Asia.

6. Sisymbrium officinale (L.) Scop., Fl. Cam. 2: 26. 1772; Naqshi in Geobios 2:
164.1975. Erysimum officinale L., Sp. PI. 660.1753.
 BRASSICACEAE 245
1993]

Herbs, annual, 20 - 50 cm high, erect, densely branched, with simple rigid reflexed
hairs Radical leaves rosulate, lyrately deeply pinnatisect, 5 - 8 x 3 - 4 cm; terminal lobes
ore or less rounded or subtriangular, irregularly toothed; cauline leaves smaller with
n a r r ow, often hastate terminal lobe. Racemes branched, 15 - 25-flowered. Flowers
3 - 4 mm across, yellow; pedicels erect, thickened, ca 3 mm long, erect. Sepals erect,
slightly saccate at base, ca 2 mm long. Petals spathulate, spreading, clawed at base,
obtuse at apex, ca 4 mm long. Stamens ca 3 mm long. Fruits 1 -1.5 cm long, hispid or
glabrous; valves rigid, 2 - 3-nerved, rigid. Seeds 10 - 11 in each locule, ellipsoid,
reddish-brown.

Fl. & Fr. April - July.

Distrib. India: An undergrowth in Deodar forests, at ca 1800 m. Kashmir and

Himachal Pradesh.

Europe, Asia and N. Africa.

Motes. Naqshi (1. c.) reports it from Uri in Kashmir with detailed description.

7. Sisymbrium orientate L., Cent. PI. 2: 24.1756. S. columnae Jacq., Fl. Austr. t.
323.1776; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:150.1872, p. p.

Herbs, annual or biennial; stems stout, erect, branched, glabrous or hairy below, up
to 75 cm high. Basal leaves in a rosette, runcinate or entire, usually 4 - 5-jugate; segments
ovate-oblong to lanceolate, toothed; terminal lobe angled, oblong or lanceolate, often
hastate. Racemes 15 - 20-flowered, ebracteate, up to 15 cm long in fruit; pedicels 4 - 7
mm long. Flowers ca 5 mm across, pale yellow. Sepals ca 5 x 1 mm, glabrous. Petals
obovate, 5 - 8 mm long. Stamens ca 5 mm long. Fruits 7 -10 cm long, spreading, very
slender, curved, glabrous or hairy; valves not ribbed; style thickened, ca 2 mm long.
Seeds 40 - 50 in each locule, ellipsoid or narrowly ovoid, yellowish brown.

Fl. & Fr. April - Aug.

Distrib. India: Wastelands in rock crevices, 2700 - 3200 m. Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

S.W. & C. Asia, Africa and Europe.

63. Smelowskia C. Meyer

Herbs, perennial, erect, caespitose, branched mostly from base, often densely hairy
with simple and branched hairs; rootstock often thick and covered with withered
leaf-bases. Leaves pinnatisect; lower ones rosulate, petiolate; upper few distant, shortly
stalked; lobes narrowly oblong to linear. Racemes corymbose above, often lax below,
246 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

bracteate. Flowers small, whitish or pinkish; pedicels filiform, ascending, short. Sepals
not saccate at base. Petals suborbicular, narrowed below, about twice as long as sepals.
Stamens 6; anthers oblong, obtuse. Lateral nectariferous glands annular, emarginate or
open inside; median glands cylindriform, on outer side of long stamens, united with
laterals to form a closed ring. Ovary ellipsoid, subcylindrical, usually 6 - 10-ovuled; style
short with depressed, capitate, subretuse stigma. Fruit a bivalved, lanceolate silicuia or
a short siliqua, 4 to 5 times longer than broad, tapering towards base; valves slightly
coriaceous, flat or somewhat keeled, midrib distinct; septum thin, often obscurely
1-veined, as broad as siliculae. Seeds few, usually uniseriate, oblong-ellipsoid; radicle
incumbent.

C. Asia and N. America; about 7 species, 1 in India.

Smelowskia calycina (Stephan ex Willd.) C. Meyer in Ledeb., Fl. Alt. 3:170.1831;

Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 55: 282.1973. Lepidium calycinum Stephan ex Willd., Sp. PI. 3:
433.1800.

Herbs, up to 30 cm high. Radical leaves 30 - 60 x 5 - 12 mm. Racemes 15 -

30-flowered, up to 10 (-15) cm long in fruit. Flowers pale yellow or whitish, ca 5 mm
across; pedicels erect, 5 - 8 mm long in fruit. Sepals 3 - 3.5 mm long. Petals 5 - 6 x 3 mm.
Stamens up to 3.5 mm long; anthers ca 0.7 mm long. Fruits ellipsoid, subterete, 6 - 8 x
1.5 - 2 mm, glabrous; valves convex; style 0.75 - 1 mm long; septum obscurely 1-veined.
Seeds 4 - 5 in each locule, ellipsoid, oblong, ca 1.5 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Asia and America.

Notes. This species is included on the authority of Jafri (in Notes R. Bot. Gard.
Edinb. 22:117.1956).

64. Torularia (Coss.) O. Schulz

Herbs, annual or perennial, hairy with shortly stalked 2-branched and simple hairs.
Leaves pinnatifid or toothed, rarely entire; basal ones rosulate; cauline petioled or
sessile. Racemes bracteate, lax in fruit. Flowers small, violet, pink or white; pedicels
short, often thickened. Sepals erect or spreading, inner pair not pouched at base. Petals
almost twice as long as sepals, spathulate, or obovate. Stamens 6. Lateral nectar glands
in pairs, semiglobose or ovoid, free or connate at base; middle glands absent. Ovary
linear to cylindrical, sessile. Fruits subcylindrical or subterete, bilocular, often torulose
and variously curved, usually hairy; styles short. Seeds 1-seriate.
 BRASSICACEAE 247
1993]

Mostly Asian; about 15 species, 1 in India.

Torularia humilis (C. Meyer) O. Schulz ex Limpricht in Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov.
12: 390.1922. Sisymbrium humile C. Meyer in Ledeb., Icon. PI. Ross. 2:16,1.147.
1830; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:148.1872.

Herbs, 2.5 - 20 cm high, decumbent or spreading, simple or branched, subhispid,

hoary or rarely glabrous. Basal leaves oblong, sinuate-toothed or entire, 0.6 - 3 x 0.5 -
0.8 cm; cauline leaves smaller. Racemes ca 15-flowered, up to 10 cm long in fruit.
Flowers ca 4 mm long. Sepals elliptic, obtuse, ca 3 mm long, pubescent or glabrous.
Petals ca 4 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, purplish. Stamens ca 2 mm long. Fruits torulose,
1.2 - 2.5 cm long, ca 1.5 mm thick, appressed-pubescent. Seeds 10 -15 in each locule,
minute.

FL&Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Rocky slopes, 3600 - 4200 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh
and Sikkim.

Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, C. & N. Asia, N. America (introduced), W.

& N. China, Mongolia and Russia (Siberia).
 CAPPARACEAE
(R. Sundara Raghavan)

Herbs, shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, subopposite or rarely opposite, occasion-

ally crowded on abbreviated shoots, simple or digitately 1-several foliolate, rarely poorly
developed and caducous, entire, penninerved; stipules 1-2, setaceous or spinescent.
Inflorescence axillary or terminal, racemose, corymbose or paniculate, sometimes
flowers solitary or in fascicles on short shoots. Flowers bisexual (rarely unisexual and
plants dioecious), actinomorphic to slightly zygomorphic, pedicellate, bracteate; recep-
tacle cupular, infundibuliform, campanulate or cylindric with entire, undulate or fimbri-
ate margin; disc various or absent. Sepals 4, sometimes 6 or reduced to 3, biseriate, free
or connate below, equal or unequal, valvate or imbricate. Petals 4 (rarely 0, 2 or S),
sessile or clawed. Stamens 4-many, usually borne on a short or elongated androphore;
filaments free, sometimes coherent at base or adherent to gynophore; anthers dithecous,
basifixed, longitudinally dehiscing. Ovary superior, sessile or supported by a short or
long gynophore, unilocular (or by spurious dissipiments divided into 2 or more loculi);
ovules few to many, on 2 - 6 parietal placentae, if trilocular then with axile placentation;
style short or absent, if present simple or split into 3 arms; stigma simple or capitate.
Fruits capsular or baccate and of various shapes, oblong-cylindrical, sometimes torulose
or lobed, 1 - many-seeded; seeds orbicular to reniform, embedded in pulp or free;
endosperm none or scanty; embryo arcuate or incurved; cotyledons folded or convolute.

America, S. Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, mostly in tropical and subtropical
regions; ca 48 genera and 700 species, 7 genera and 55 species in India.

Literature. DANIEL, M. & S. D. SABNIS (1977) Chemotaxonomical studies on Capparidaceae &

Cleomaceae. Curr. Sci. 46(14): 472 - 474. HEDGE, IAN C. & J. LAMMOND (1970) Capparidaceae.
In : K. H. Rechinger, PI. Iranica 68: 1 - 32. JACOBS, M. (1960) Capparaceae. In: van Steenis, Fl. Males.
I, 6(1): 61 -105, ff. 1 - 33. JAFRI, S. M. H. (1973) Capparidaceae. In: Fl. West Pakistan 34: 1 - 35, ff. 1 -
9. MITRA, K. (1978) Contribution to the pollen morphology of the family Capparaceae. Bull. Bot. Surv.
India 17: 7 - 31. 1975.

Notes. Steriphoma Spreng., a native of America, is occasionally cultivated in gar-

dens.

KEY TO THE GENERA

la. Herbs or woody undershrubs with non-baccate fruits 2

b. Shrubs or trees with baccate fruits 3

Fam. ed. N. P. Balakrishnan

 CAPPARACEAE 249
1993]

. Herbs; fruits siliqua with 4 or more seeds 3. Cleome

Undershrubs, woody; fruits dry, indehiscent, winged nutlets, 1 (or rarely 2)-seeded 5. Dipterygium
, Sepals 6; ovary 3-loculed, with axile placentation 7. Stixis
h Sepals 4 (3); ovary mostly unilocular, rarely by false dissipiments, 2 or more locular, with parietal
4
placentation
4a. Sepals fused, forming a distinct tube 6. Maerua
b Sepals mostly free, rarely slightly connate at base, but never forming a tube 5
5a Disc large, tubular, trumpet-shaped, petaloid; stamens 4 - 6, inserted halfway on gynophore
1. Cadaba
b. Disc otherwise; stamens numerous, at any rate more than 8, inserted at base of gynophore 6
6a. Shrubs with simple leaves 2. Capparis
b. Trees with trifoliolate leaves 4. Crateva

1. Cadaba Forsskal

Scandent shrubs to small trees, unarmed; branches sharply tapering, thorn-like;

twigs hoary pubescent or glandular hairy, often covered with waxy scales. Leaves simple
to 2 - 5-foliolate; stipules small, inconspicuous. Flowers zygomorphic, in axillary or
terminal racemes or corymbs, rarely solitary or fascicled. Sepals 4, biseriate, unequal;
outer pair enclosing the inner. Petals 4, rarely 0 or 2, clawed. Disc spathulate, infun-
dibular or trumpet-shaped, nectary often petaloid and toothed. Stamens 4 - 8, exserted;
filaments unilateral, almost verticillate, on a short androphore or connate with andro-
gynophore. Ovary cylindric on elongated androgynophore, 1 (-2) locular; stigma sessile,
capitate; ovules numerous, 2-seriate on 2 (-4) parietal placentae. Fruit indehiscent or
tardily dehiscent, oblong-cylindric; seeds many, subglobose, embedded in scarlet pulp.

Africa, Middle East, South Asia extending to Malesia and Australia; ca 30 species,
2 in India.

Notes. Pollen longiaxis, 3- colporate, size ranging from 20 - 40 u (polar axis) and 12
- 13 u (equatorial diam.). Endoaperture circular or longate with well-developed or
diffused operculum. Exine scabrate, striate or reticulate (Krishna Mitra in Bull. Bot.
Surv. India 17: 14, t.l, f. 10 -11.1975).

Literature. JAFRI, S. M. H. (1953) A note on the taxonomy and distribution of some species of
Cadaba. Pak. J. Forestry 8(2): 204 - 205. SAKHARAM RAO, J. (1955) Leaf variation within a species
Cadaba trifoliata W. & A. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 53(2): 288 - 289.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves simple; petals 4 1. C. fruticosa

b. Leaves trifoliolate; petals 2 2. C. trifoliata
250 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

1. Cadaba fruticosa (L.) Druce in Bot. Exch. CI. Soc. Brit. Isles 3: 415. 1914.
Cieome fruticosa L., Sp. PI. 671.1753. Cadaba indica Lam., Encycl. 1:544.1785; Hook,
f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 171.1872.

Guj.: Bhatkani, Katikial, Telichemkand; Hindi: Kodhab; Kan.: Kagnika, Maraga-

cha, Maragadhachoppu; Mar.: Kalasakal, Kalitaka; Raj.: Dabi; Tarn.: Kadagatthi,
izhudhi; Tel.: Addamorinika, Chekmadi. Chimurudi, Yenuka-parika (Chenchu tribes).

Shrubs, low straggling among bushes, 1.5 - 3 m tall; stems much-branched, terete;
old twigs glabrescent, smooth; young ones mealy farinaceous, with glandular mixed hairs.
Leaves simple, entire, elliptic, ovate or obovate, rounded at base, acute or obtuse or
emarginate and mucronate at apex, 2.5 - 5 x 0.5 - 2.5 cm, glaucous, chartaceous or
coriaceous; petioles 2 - 8 mm long, mealy. Inflorescence terminal, one-sided corymbose
racemes, few-flowered. Flowers greenish to creamy-white, ca 1.5 cm across; pedicels
6-12 mm long, mealy, pubescent; bracts subulate, 5-6 mm long, mealy. Sepals greenish;
outer sepals ovate or obovate, boat-shaped, acute, 10 - 14 x 3 - 6 mm; inner ones
elliptic-lanceolate or oblong-ovate, acute, 10 - 12 mm long, ca 3 mm wide, glandular
pubescent outside. Petals white, spathulate, 1 0 - 1 6 x 3 - 4 mm; claw very narrow, as long
as the limb. Disc prolonged into a 6 - 9 mm long trumpet-shaped process, expanded,
toothed-fimbriate and about 2.5 mm wide at apex, pinkish. Stamens 4 - 6, spreading,
inserted halfway up on gynophore, rarely at different levels producing up to 1 cm long
androphore. Gynophore 1 -1.7 cm long; ovary 3-5 mm long, ca 1 mm thick; style absent;
stigma sessile, blunt, glandular-pubescent, mealy when dry. Fruits narrowly cylindric,
irregularly torulose, 2 - 5.5 cm long, ca 4 mm thick; pericarp fleshy, thick, densely
glandular pubescent, greenish brown when fresh; seeds many, striate, black, ca 2.5 mm
long, ca 2 mm thick, surrounded by an orange-red aril, embedded in orange pulp.

Fl. & Fr. Throughout the year, peak being in November and February.

Distrib. India: Common in arid regions in scrub jungles from sea level to 150 m.
Throughout, except Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, hill states of N. E. India and
Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and extending to Africa and Arabia.

Notes. Chenchu tribes of Andhra Pradesh use leaves for treating indigestion.
Leaves are crushed and 3 spoonfuls of the filtrate taken daily for 3 days.

Pollination is through butterflies. The diploid plants have 2n = 16 (Miege in Rev.

Cytol. Biol. Veg. 24:149-164. 1962) and tetraploids n = 16 (Baquar & Reese in Teil de
Pharmazie 20:159 -168.1965).
 CAPPARACEAE 251
1993]

2 Cadaba trifoliata (Roxb.) Wight & Arn., Prodr. 1:24.1834; Hook. f. & Thomson
in Fl Brit. India 1: 171. 1872. Stroemia trifoliata Roxb., Fl. Ind. 2: 79. 1824 (as
Fi
Stroemeria). 8- 4 1 -

Fig. 41. Cadaba trifoliata (Roxb.) Wight & Arn.: a. flowering shoot showing variations
in leaflets; b. leaf with oblong-lanceolate leaflets; c. outer sepal; d. inner sepal;
e. petal; f. stamen; g. pistil; h. t. s. of ovary; i. fruit; j . dehisced fruit; k.seed.
252 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Tam.: Karunkurichi, Manudu-kkurundu, Neelachedi, Odhaperali, Puma, Viluti.

Shrubs, unarmed, branched, erect or straggling, 2 - 3 m tall; stem white-tubercled,

scabrous on young parts. Leaves mostly 3-foliolate; leaflets elliptic or oblong-lanceolate,
ovate-elliptic or obovate, cuneate at base, acuminate at apex, 4 - 9 (-13) x 1.3 - 4.8 cm,
distinctly reticulate veined; petioles 1-4 cm long, but shorter than leaflets; petiolules
1.5 - 3 mm long. Racemes corymbose, 4 -10- flowered. Sepals 4, outer pair ovate, 2 -
2.5 x 0.8 - 1 cm; inner pair elliptic, ca 15 x 6 mm. Petals 2, suborbicular, 3.8 - 5 x 2.5 - 3
cm, white or creamy; claw equalling the limb. Disc appendage spathulate, toothed at
apex, ca 15 mm long, shorter than claw, yellow. Androphore absent; stamens 6 (-7),
inserted at middle of gynophore, reflexed; filaments up to 2.5 cm long. Gynophore 4 -
5 cm long; ovary linear, 7 - 8 mm long, ca 1 mm thick. Fruits terete, elongated, 8 -11 cm
long, 6 - 8 mm thick, black; seeds many, reniform, ca 3.5 x 3 mm, black.

Fl&Fr. Oct.-Nov.

Distrib. India: Deciduous and semideciduous forests of Eastern Ghats at low levels.
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Endemic.

Notes. Sakharam Rao (1. c.) mentions many aberrations in leaflet number, size,
shape, etc. in specimens collected from Tirunelveli, with the number of leaflets varying
from 2 to 5 and the middle leaflets being either largest or smallest and petiole sometimes
being as long as lamina. In Fischer 4267 (CAL) and 4407 (CAL, FRC) from Mamander
in Andhra Pradesh, the leaves are 3 - 5-foliolate, with leaflets rarely linear-oblong
(exceptionally 7 - 8 times as long as broad) and flowers having 3 petals and 7 stamens.

2. Capparis L.

Shrubs or rarely trees, erect, scandent or sprawling; shoots generally armed with
stipular spines, infrequently unarmed; base of shoots sometimes surrounded by cata-
phylls; indumentum simple or with stellate hairs. Leaves petiolate, alternate, simple,
entire, rarely reduced and apparently leafless. Flowers bisexual, arranged in panicles,
racemes, corymbs or umbels, sometimes solitary, axillary or supraaxillary in vertical
series or 3 - 4 conferted on condensed lateral shoots; bracts early caducous. Sepals 4,
mostly caducous after anthesis, in two unequal whorls of two each; the outer concave
and overlapping inner ones, imbricate or valvate, free or almost so, rarely outer pair
connate in bud; inner pair always free and flat. Petals 4, caducous after anthesis, mostly
unequal, oblong or obovate, not clawed; the upper pair cohering around disc, but not
connate; lower pair free. Receptacle flat with small adaxial disc. Stamens 8 to many,
inserted on torus; androphore absent. Ovary ovoid or spherical on a gynophore not
much elongating but often incrassate in fruit, unilocular, 4 - many-ovuled; placentae 2 -
6; style short; stigma obscure to capitate. Berry on a slender or thickened stipe, globose,
1993] CAPPARACEAE 253

elongate or ovoid; pericarp leathery, corky or smooth, ribbed or sculptured, indehiscent

or tardily dehiscent; seeds 1 - many, reniform, embedded in pulp; embryo convolute.

Pantropic in America, Africa, Asia, Australia, sometimes in temperate regions of

Europe, China, Australia, S. Africa and S. America; ca 240 species, 29 species in India.

Literature. JACOBS, M. (1965) The genus Capparis (Capparaceae) from Indus to the Pacific.
Blumea 12: 385 - 541. JAFRI, S. M. H. (1956) The genus Capparis in West Pakistan, Afghanistan and N.W.
Himalaya. Pakistan J. Forestry 6: 191 - 192. NICOLSON, D. H. (1975) The reinstatement of Capparis
rheedii DC. (Capparaceae). Bull. Bot. Surv. India 17:160 -161. ST. JOHN, H. (1965). Revision of Capparis
spinosa and its African, Asian and Pacific relatives. Micronesia 2: 25 - 44. SUNDARA RAGHAVAN, R.
& R. S. RAO (1965) Critical notes on three species of Capparis Linn, from peninsular India. J. Bombay
Nat. Hist. Soc. 62: 412 - 424.

Notes. Plants usually noctiflorous, with flowers opening at dusk and pollinated by
butterflies, moths or other nocturnal insects. Seed dispersal is effected by mammals or
birds. Sterility is prevalent in both sexes. Pollen longiaxis, oval, 3-colporate. Ectoaper-
ture colpi long extending to pole. Ectoaperture more or less circular, with granular
teeth. Exine ornamentation psillate, reticulate, rugose or perforate. Pollen quite ho-
mogenous.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves small, only on young twigs, early caducous; plants apparently leafless 7. C. dccidua
b. Leaves large, persistent, plants prominently leafy 2
2a. Flowers solitary, axillary (rarely 2 - 4 conferted together on lateral axis as in C. brevispina
or C. nilgiriensis) 3
b. Flowers generally not solitary and axillary, but variously arranged, (rarely a few flowers axillary if
inflorescence is a corymb or in supra-axillary series) 9
3a. Upper petals with a yellow or purplish blotch; ovary densely hairy 4
b. Upper petals not blotched as above; ovary glabrous 7
4a. Leaves with basal two pairs of nerves conferted towards base 5
b. Leaves with arching nerves, never conferted towards base 6
5a. Leaves with prominent reticulation and acute apex; flowers 8 -10 cm across; gynophore glabrous
during anthesis 21. C. rheedei
b. Leaves with obscure reticulation and obtuse apex; flowers 1.5 -1.8 cm across, gynophore hairy during
anthesis 10. C. flavicans
6a. Leaves stiff, recurved at margins, mucronate at tip; fruits beaked, with smooth pericarp
3. C. brevispina
b. Leaves flexuous, not recurved at margins, not mucronate at tip; fruits not beaked, with warted or
corrugated pericarp 18. C. nilgiriensis
7a. Outer sepals connate in bud with free tip; inner sepals petaloid; fruits with sculptured pericarp
8. C. divaricata
b. All sepals free, none petaloid; fruits with ribbed pericarp 8
254 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

8a. Twigs with brownish stellate indumentum; petioles 2 - 3 mm long; pedicels 1 -1.5 cm long
13. C. grandiflora
b. Twigs with cobweb-like tomentum, at length glabrescent; petioles more than 5 mm long; pedicels 3 - 8
cm long 27. C splnosa
9a. Flowers in supra-axillary vertical series of 2 -10 or even more (rarely solitary, axillary) 10
b. Flowers otherwise, never in supra-axillary vertical series 15
10a. Flowers appearing before leaves, hence flowering shoots apparentry leafless 11
b. Flowers not developing before leaves, hence flowering shoots always leafy 12
11a. Flowers 2 - 4-stichous, many, extending for 10 -15 cm or more, small, hardly 4 - 6 mm across; sepals
less than 5 mm long; fruits 8 -10 mm across 17. C. multiflora
b. Flowers not 2 - 4-stichous, 2 - 6 (10) together, large, 2.5 - 4 cm across; sepals more than 7 mm long;
fruits 4- 6 mm across 29. C. zeylanica
12a. Cataphylls present, at least at base 13
b. Cataphylls absent 14
13a. Leaves drying glaucous, prominently reticulate; ovary 3 mm or less long, glabrous; fruits large, exceed-
ing 3 cm across, many-seeded 15. C. micracantha
b. Leaves drying brown, indistinctly reticulate; ovary 4 - 6 mm long, densely tomentose; fruits small,
under 1 cm across, 1 (-3)-seeded 19. C. olacifolia
14a. Shoots with recurved spines; stamens 16 - 20 28. C. tenera
b. Shoots generally unarmed, if armed, spines straight; stamens exceeding 20 1. C. acutifolia
15a. Inflorescence racemose or paniculate, if umbellate, the umbels arranged to form a panicle 16
b. Inflorescence neither racemose, nor paniculate; flowers either in solitary umbels, subumbels or in
corymbs 20
16a. Inflorescence a terminal or subterminal raceme 2. C. assamica
b. Inflorescence variously paniculate 17
17a. Cataphylls prominent; flowers in axillary racemose bundles, arranged in the form of a panicle
20. C. pachyphylla
b. Cataphylls absent; flowers in axillary subumbels or corymbs, arranged in the form of a panicle 18
18a. Gynophore exceeding 3 cm in length; fruits exceeding 25 cm across 26. C. sikkimensis
b. Gynophore under 1 5 cm in length; fruits under 25 cm across 19
19a. Midrib of leaves flattish or raised at basal part; panicles dense-flowered; stamens 8 -12; placentae 2;
fruits 1.8-2 cm across with a leathery pericarp 11. C. floribunda
b. Midrib of leaves sunken at basal part; panicles lax-flowered; stamens 18 - 21; placentae 4; fruits
under 1.8 cm with thin pericarp 4. C. cantoniensis
20a. Flowers in corymbs (with a few subterminal solitary flowers intermixed at base) 21
b. Flowers umbellate or subumbeilate 24
21a. Leaves with olive green velvety indumentum; veins close, more or less parallel, mostly without
intermediary nerves 14. C. grandis
b. Leaves otherwise, neither velvety pubescent, nor with close parallel nerves 22
22a. Flowers large, 10 -12 cm across; stamens 80 -120; fruits 10 cm or more across when fully mature
16. C. moonii
b. Flowers medium-sized, 3 - 6 cm across; stamens under 60; fruits up to 6 cm across when fully mature
23
 . CAPPARACEAE 255

23a Sepals and petals glabrous; gynophore 3.5 - 5.5 cm long; fruits orange-yellow, globose, 5 - 6 cm across,
23
many-seeded - C,roxburghii
b Sepals and petals pubescent; gynophore 15 - 3.5 cm long; fruits deep purple, umbonate, 2.5 - 3 cm
across, 1-4-seeded <!. C cleghornii
24a. Cataphylls conspicuous, at least at base 25
b. Cataphylls absent 27
25a. Gynophore 20 - 25 mm long 5. Ccinerea
b. Gynophore under 15 mm long 26
26a. Leaves linear to oblong-lanceolate; flowers purple or violet; fruits ellipsoid, 6 or more seeded
9. C. diversifolia
b. Leaves elliptic to oblong; flowers greenish white; fruits spindle-shaped, 1 - 2-seeded 12. C. fusifera
27a. Mostly unarmed, if armed spines few, straight and short 25. C. shevaroyensis
b. Densely armed, spines otherwise 28
28a. Erect shrubs; leaves with cordate base; spines dimorphic, either long and acicular or sharply recurved
or both in the same plant 22. C. rotundifoiia
b. Scandent shrubs; leaves cuneate, rounded or rarely subcordate at base; spines uniform, recurved
24. C. sepiaria

1. Capparis acutifolia Sweet, Hort. Brit. ed. 2. 585.1830. C. sabiaefolia Hook. f.

& Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:179.1872. C. bodinieri A. Leveille in Fedde, Repert. Nov.
Spec. 9: 450. 1911. C. viminea auct. non Oliver, 1868; Hook. f. & Thomson, 1. c. C.
membranifolia Kurz in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 43(2): 70.1874.

Nep.: Chila-pati.

Climbing shrubs or small trees; branches unarmed or with short 2 - 5 mm long

straight stipular thorns; shoots floccose with brownish stellate hairs at first, soon
glabrescent; cataphylls absent. Leaves highly variable in size and shape, ovate-elliptic
to lanceolate, rounded or cuneate at base, abruptly acute or acuminate at apex, 5 -12 x
2 - 4 cm, thinly herbaceous, glabrous or minutely stellate-pubescent at first; midrib
slightly sunken above; lateral nerves 7 - 10 pairs, thin with fairly distinct reticulations;
petioles (4-) 5 - 7 (-11) mm long, channelled above. Flowers 2 - 4 (-6) in vertical
supraaxillary rows, sometimes solitary, axillary, 1 - 1.8 cm across, white; pedicels 1 - 2
(-4) cm long, not thickened in fruit. Sepals subequal, broadly elliptic, rounded or
obovate, obtuse, concave, (4-) 5 - 8 (-9) x 3 - 4 mm; outer pair somewhat covering the
inner ones in bud, boat-shaped, ovate; inner pair elliptic with tomentose margins. Petals
white, rounded, obovate, (6-) 9 -12 (-14) x 3 - 5 mm, glabrous outside, tomentose along
margins and mostly on inner surfaces. Stamens (20-) 28 - 35; filaments white, 2.2 - 3 cm
long, equalling gynophore or up to 5 mm longer. Gynophore (1.2-) 1.7 - 2.7 (-3.2) cm
long, filiform, not thickened in fruit, glabrous; ovary ovoid, ca 2 x 1 mm, glabrous;
placentae 2 (-3). Fruits globose or subglobose, often pointed or apiculate at apex, (0.8-)
1-1.5 cm across; pericarp thin, blackish when ripe; seeds obliquely reniform, 1-3 (-8),
embedded in yellow pulp, ca 7 mm long, ca 6 mm wide, ca 3 mm thick.
256 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Distrib. India, Myanmar, China, Taiwan, Hainan, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and
Thailand.

Notes. The subsp. acutifolia is confined to S.E. China, Taiwan, Laos and Vietnam.
It does not occur in India.

KEY TO THE SUBSPECIES

la. Leaves 2.5 times as long as wide; lateral nerves more than 7 pairs 1.2. subsp. sabiaefolia
b. Leaves 1.5 - 2.4 times as long as wide; lateral nerves under 7 pairs 2
2a. Stipular thorns present;flowersgreenish white 1.1. subsp. bodinieri
b. Stipular thorns small or wanting;flowerswhite with greenish striations 1.3, subsp. viminea

1.1. subsp. bodinieri (A. Leveille) Jacobs in Blumea 12: 431 - 432, ff. 22 a-c. 1965.
C. bodinieri A. Leveille, in Fedde, Repert. Nov. Spec. 9: 450.1911.

Nep.: Chila-pati.

Shrubs or trees, erect, up to 4 m tall; young shoots greyish or brown tomentose, later
glabrescent; stipular thorns straight, 2 - 4 mm long. Leaves ovate, acute to subobtuse at
base, gradually to abruptly acuminate at apex, 5 - 6 x 3 - 4 cm, broadest below the middle,
herbaceous to subcoriaceous, glabrous; lateral nerves 5 - 6 pairs with obscure reticula-
tions; petioles ca 4 mm long. Flowers 3 - 4 in vertical supra-axillary rows, 1.2 - 1.5 cm
across, greenish white or dull white with brown spots; pedicels filiform, 1.5 -1.8 cm long.
Sepals subequal, 7 - 8 x 3 - 4 mm, pale green, tomentose; outer sepals concave, obtuse;
inner ones elliptic. Petals obovate, 10 - 12 x 3 - 4 mm, pubescent. Stamens 28 - 32;
filaments white; anthers black. Ovary as in subsp. sabiaefolia. Fruits globose, apiculate,
8 - 1 0 mm across, 1 - 3-seeded, blackish when dry.

Fl. Feb. - March; Fr. April - May.

Distrib. India: In open subtropical forests, 300 -1700 m. Sikkim.

Bhutan, Myanmar and China.

Notes. Kuhn (in Ber. disch. bot. Ges. 4b: 682. 1938) reports 2n = ca 84 for the
Chinese plants, possibly representing subsp. bodinieri.

12. subsp. sabiaefolia (Hook. f. & Thomson) Jacobs in Blumea 12: 432 - 433, ff.
22 d - f. 1965. C. sabiaefolia Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:179.1872. .

Kh.: Dieng-sning-sning.
 CAPPARACEAE 257
1993]

Shrubs often subscandent or trees up to 10 m tall, glabrous; stipular thorns ca 1 mm

1 a exceptionally up to 4 - 5 mm long on older branches, but mostly minute or wanting
n young twigs. Leaves lanceolate or sometimes oblong-lanceolate, tapering or acute at
base abruptly long-acuminate at apex, widest at or below the middle, glabrous, dark
green- midrib slightly sunken above, sometimes in basal part only; lateral nerves paired,
arching and forming intramarginal loops, with distinct reticulations. Flowers fragrant,
10 -15 mm across, 2 - 4 (-6) in vertical supraaxillary rows. Sepals greenish-white, broadly
obovate, glabrous, puberulous along margins. Petals densely tomentose inside. Stamens
20 - 25. Gynophore up to 4 cm in fruit, filiform, not thickened in fruit; ovary pear-
shaped, acute at apex. Fruits subglobose or pear-shaped; stipes 4 - 5.5 cm long; seeds
ca 6 x 3.5 mm.

Fl. March - May; Fr. Aug. - Oct.

Distrib. India: In open thickets or primary forests between 1200 -1800 m. Aruna-
chal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Meghalaya.

Myanmar, extending to China, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.

Notes. Plants collected from Jowai, Meghalaya (Balakrishnan, Fl. Jowai 1:74.1981)
belong to subsp. sabiaefolia.

13. subsp. viminea Jacobs in Blumea 12:429 - 437, f. 22 j-i. 1965. C. membranifolia
Kurz, 1. c. C. viminea auct. non Oliver, 1869; sensu Hook. f. & Thomson, 1. c.

Nep.: Chila-pati.

Shrubs, erect or scandent, weak, 2 - 3 m tall; twigs whitish; innovations brownish

pubescent, but soon glabrescent; stipular thorns mostly absent, often present in old
shoots, 2 - 3 mm long, straight or curved at tip. Leaves elliptic or oblong, acute to
decurrent at base, abruptly 7 -12 mm long acuminate at apex; reticulations conspicuous;
petioles 5 - 6 mm long. Flowers J - 7 in supraaxillary vertical rows, 1.4 -1.8 cm across,
white with green striations and purple spots, fragrant; pedicels up to 2.5 cm long. Sepals
equal, ciliate along margins; outer pair boat-shaped; inner ones elliptic, 5 - 6 x 2 mm.
Petals obovate-oblong, 8 - 10 x 2.5 - 3.5 mm, densely tomentose. Stamens 28 - 30;
filaments white; anthers dark coloured. Ovary ovoid, ca 1.5 x 0.8 mm, glabrous, on
filiform up to 2.2 cm long gynophore. Fruits globose, slightly compressed laterally,
1.5 -1.8 cm across, purple; seeds 3 - 5, ca 6 x 5 mm.

Fl. March-April; Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Common between 600 -1500 m altitudes in subtropical scrub forests.
Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya.
258 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.

Notes. Capparis viminea Oliver and C. viminea Hook. f. & Thomson belong to two
different species based entirely on different types, the former conspecific to C. tenera
Dalz., also occurring in India. However, C. viminea Hook. f. & Thomson being a later
homonym cannot be maintained as a species, but Jacobs retains it as a new name for the
subspecies under C. acutifolia.

2. Capparis assamica Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:177.1872. Fig. 42.

Kh.: Diangsh-sah-saw.

Shrubs or small trees, 1.5 - 3 m, erect, often subscandent; young shoots sparsely
appressed pubescent with medifixed hairs, glabrescent; stipular thorns few, straight or
slightly recurved, minute, 0.5 - 1 mm long, often absent; cataphylls profuse near base, ca
1 mm long. Leaves elliptic, oblong-lanceolate, attenuate to cuneate at base, acute or
abruptly acuminate and mucronate at apex, 16 - 24 x 5 - 8 cm, 3.5 - 5.5 times as long as
broad, subcoriaceous, dull, glabrous, pale glaucous beneath; midrib sunken above;
lateral nerves 8 -12 pairs, arched and looping, subdepressed with distinct reticulations;
petioles 6 - 9 mm long, grooved above. Racemes terminal or subterminal, dense-
flowered, 12 - 40 cm long, pendent; peduncles short or none, surrounded by empty bracts /
at base; rachis glabrescent; pedicels 1.5 - 2 cm long, filiform, puberulous; bracts
subulate, ca 2 mm lon^glabrous. Flowers white, fragrant, 8 - 1 0 mm across. Sepals
imbricate, subequal, concave, ovate-elliptic to lanceolate, 4 - 5 x 1.5 - 1.8 mm, ciliate,
pubescent. Petals ovate or obovate-oblong, subtruncate, 4 - 5 x 1.5 - 2 mm, white,
puberulous along margins and towards base. Stamens 16 - 24; filaments filiform, 8 -10
mm long. Gynophore 6 - 9 (-14) mm long, glabrous, hardly thickened in fruits; ovary
glabrous, ovoid or subglobose, ca 1.5 x 1 mm; placentae 2, few-ovuled. Fruits globose,
wrinkled, 8 - 1 0 mm across, reddish-brown, one-seeded; stipes up to 2.5 cm long, not
thickened.

Fl. April - May; Fr. June - Oct.

Distrib. India: In dense subtropical evergreen forests, up to 1000 m. Arunachal

Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya.

Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Laos and Thailand.

Notes. A charming bushy plant with white fragrant flowers and red fruits in
pendulous festoons, worth cultivating as an ornamental garden plant.
 CAPPARACEAE 259
1993]

Fig. 42. Capparis assamica Hook. f. & Thomson : a. flowering twig; b. fruiting twig;
c. flower; d. outer sepal; e. inner sepal; f. outer petal; g. inner petal;
h. stamen; i. pistil.
260 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

3. Capparis brevispina D C , Prodr. 1: 246.1824. C. zeylanica auct. non. L. 1762-

Hook. f. & Thomson, in Fl. Brit. India 1:174.1872, p.p. Fig. 43'

Beng.: Kelu-kira; Mar.: Govind-phal, Wagati; Or.: Lephra, Niphera; Tam.-.Adan-

da, Kattukanji.

Shrubs or small slender trees, up to 4 m tall; innovations more or less densely stellate
hairy, soon glabrescent; branches low, radiating; stipular thorns 2 - 4 mm long, straight
or slightly curved at tip; cataphylls conspicuous. Leaves elliptic to oblong, acute or
cuneate at base, obtuse or subacute at apex, recurved along margins, 3 - 6 (-12) x 1.5 -
2.5 (-3.6) cm, stiff, coriaceous, glossy above, dull below, drying brown; lateral nerves 4 -
6 pairs; midrib shallowly sunken above; reticulations distinct; petioles 2 - 7 mm long.
Flowers showy, white or pale creamy, drying pink, 3.5 - 4 cm across, solitary and axillary
or 2 - 4 conferted on lateral axes; buds obovoid, only half covered by sepals at anthesis;
pedicels 1.5 - 4 cm long, puberulous. Sepals subequal, tomentose to villose; outer pair
orbicular, boat-shaped, 6 -10 x 3 - 5 mm; inner pair ovate, slightly larger. Petals oblong
or obovate, 2 - 2.5 x 0.7 - 1 cm, sparsely pubescent, creamy of white, upper pair with
yellow or brownish blotch at base. Torus ca 2 mm wide. Stamens 25 - 35; filaments ca
2.5 cm long, exserted. Gynophore glabrous, 1.8 - 2.5 cm long, slightly thickened in fruits;
ovary ovoid, angular, long-beaked, 5 - 6 x 1.5 - 1.8 mm, tomentose during anthesis;
placentae 4; ovules many. Fruits ovoid or ellipsoid, apiculate, 3 - 4.5 cm long, 1.5 - 2.5
cm thick, orange-red to purple, tardily dehiscent; pericarp thin, smooth; stipes 4.5 - 5.5
cm long, ca 1.5 mm thick; seeds up to 15, immersed in foetid white creamy pulp, 6 - 8
mm long, 3 - 6 mm thick, brown.

Fl. Feb. - April (peak), Oct. - Nov.; Fr. June - Sept.

Distrib. India: Along dry inland scrub forests of low elevations and coastal belts.
Orissa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Ker-
ala.

Sri Lanka.

Notes. The green fruits are sliced, dried, cooked and eaten in Sri Lanka (Trimen,
Handb. Fl. Ceylon 1: 61.1893).

In juvenile specimens stipular thorns are straight, up to 1 cm long. In a collection

by Ananthakrishnan from Mannarkad in Kerala (RHT), cataphylls are absent and leaves
are chartaceous and gynophore puberulous.

4. Capparis cantoniensis Lour., Fl. Cochinch. 331.1790; ibid. ed. Willd. 404.1793;
D C , Prodr. 1: 253.1824 ( as cantonensis). C. pumila Benth. in Hooker's J. Bot. Kew.
Misc. 3: 260. 1851; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:177.1872.
 CAPPARACEAE 261
1993]

Fig. 43. Capparis brevispina D C : a. solitary axillary flower; b. fruiting twig;

c. outer sepal; d. inner sepal; e. petal; f. pistil; g. seed.
262 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.

Shrubs, 2-10 (-20) m tall, scandent or rarely erect; branchlets greenish, puberulous
early glabrescent; stipular thorns minute, straight or recurved, often absent in flowering
twigs, but 2 - 4 mm long in older branchlets; cataphylls absent. Leaves elliptic, oblong
or lanceolate, rounded, cuneate or attenuate at base, acuminate with blunt tip at apex,
6 - 9 (-16) x 1.5 - 3.2 (-4.8) cm, subcoriaceous, glabrous or minutely puberulous, glaucous,
often drying brownish; lateral nerves 6-10 pairs, faint with obscure reticulations; petioles
6 - 8 mm long. Flowers greenish white, fading to pink, 1.2 - 1.5 cm across, fragrant,
arranged in 6 - 8 (-12)-flowered subumbels grouped in terminal 12 - 20 cm long panicles-
peduncles 1.5 - 2.2 cm long, puberulous; bracts subulate, 1 - 2 mm long, caducous;
pedicels 1.2 - 2 cm long, brown-pubescent. Sepals imbricate, ovate or suborbicular,
concave, sparsely puberulous; outer pair orbicular, 5 - 6 mm across; inner elliptic, 4 -
7 x 3 - 5 mm. Petals white, obovate or oblong, 5 - 8 x 2 - 5 mm, almost equalling sepals.
Stamens 18 - 32; filaments 1.8 - 2.5 cm long, exceeding gynoecium. Gynophore 4 - 1 0
(-12) mm long, slightly thickened in fruits; ovary ellipsoid, 1.5 x 0.8 mm, glabrous;
placentae 2, few-ovuled. Fruits subglobose, oblong or ellipsoid, pointed at both ends,
faintly ribbed, 1.5 -1.8 x 0.8 -1.2 cm, glabrous, reddish; stipe 2 - 2.5 cm long; seeds 1
(-2) globular or elliptic, 8 -10 x 6 - 8 mm, brown.

Fl. Feb. - March, July - Aug.; Ft. Nov. - D e c , Feb. - June.

Distrib. India: In tropical rain forests, from sea level (Andamans) to 1800 m. West
Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya and Andaman &
Nicobar Islands.

Myanmar, extending to China, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines.

Notes. When erect, the species is hardly 2 m tall, but in forests, they are mostly
scandent-ascending, often attaining a height of up to 20 m. Unlike in mainland where
the leaves hardly exceed 8 x 3 cm, in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the leaves are much
larger, up to 10 -15 x 3.5 - 4.5 cm.

5. Capparis cinerea Jacobs in Blumea 12: 444 - 445.1965.

Shrubs, densely fulvous tomentose; stipular spines straight, conical, ascending, 1 -

2 mm long; cataphylls profuse at base. Leaves elliptic, obtuse at base, acute to acuminate
at apex, 7-10 x 2.8 - 3.2 cm, coriaceous, glabrous, except along midrib and veins; lateral
nerves 7 - 8 pairs, obscure; reticulations indistinct; petioles 3 - 5 mm long. Flowers white
with a tinge of pink, arranged in up to 5-flowered umbels, on 1 - 2 cm long axillary or
lateral peduncles; pedicels 1 - 2.2 cm long, puberulous; bracts subulate, 1-2 mm long.
Sepals subaqual, elliptic, outer pair partially covering inner, ca 6 x 4 mm, ciliate. Petals
obovate, ca 9 x 4 mm, tomentose on both sides. Torus ca 1.5 mm across. Stamens 30 -
35; filaments exserted, ca 2.5 mm long. Gynophore glabrous, ca 2.5 cm long; ovary
ellipsoid, glabrous, 1.5 x 0.5 mm; style indistinct; placentae 2. Fruits unknown.
 CAPPARACEAE 263
1993]

Fl. May.

Distrib. India: Open hillslopes at 1800 m. alt. Manipur.

Endemic and probably already extinct.

Notes. Never recollected since the type collections. It is allied to C. cataphyllosa

Jacobs, a Burmese species but differing from it in the lax few-flowered inflorescence and
greyish indumentum.

6. Capparis cleghornii Dunn in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1916:61.1916, descr.; Gamble,
Fl. Pres. Madras 1:46.1915, nomen; Rao & Sund.-Ragh. in Blumea 12:313 - 316.1964.
C. roxburghii auct. non D C ; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 175. 1872, p.p.,
excksyn. Fig.44.

Kan.: Badumungri,Baduhugli,Navi-karemanjahanu,Malaithothikai.

Shrubs, scandent, ca 2 m tall; twigs purplish, flagellate, fulvous pubescent, densely

armed with sharp recurved stipular thorns. Leaves elliptic or obovate, acute at base,
abruptly blunt acuminate at apex, 3.5 - 10 x 2 - 4.5 cm, subcoriaceous, pinkish when
tender, dull greenish when dry; lateral nerves 4 - 6 pairs with obscure reticulations;
petioles 6-10 mm long. Flowers showy, white, purple on ageing, 3.5 - 4.5 cm across, in
terminal 6 - 10-flowered corymbs or rarely solitary, axillary or conferted in subterminal
shoots; pedicels 2.5 - 4 cm long, pubescent. Sepals subequal, concave, 10 -12 x 7 - 8 cm,
pubescent outside, glabrous inside. Petals obovate or oblong, unequal; upper pair 2.2 -
2.5 x 1 -1.2 cm; lower pair 1.6 -1.8 x 1.2 -1.4 cm, puberulous at base. Torus 2.5 - 3 mm
across. Stamens 65 - 80, white turning to pink or scarlet; filaments 2.5 - 2.8 cm long.
Gynophore 2.5 - 3.5 cm long, glabrous; ovary ovoid, 3 - 3.5 x 2 mm, purple, glabrous;
placentae 3-4. Fruits on slender stalks, ovoid or subglobose, umbonate, 6 - 8.5 cm long,
dark purplish to violet, 3 - 4 x 2 - 3 cm. Seeds 1-4, dorsally compressed, obovoid, or
orbicular, embedded in scarlet pulp, 1.5 -1.8 x 1.4 -1.5 cm; cotyledons foliaceous, elliptic,
acute, 10 - 20 x 7 - 8 mm; radicle thick.

Fl. Feb. - April; Fr. April - Oct. . *

Distrib. India: Outskirts of evergreen forests at altitudes of 600 - 1400 m along

laterite slopes associated with Moullava spicata, Mezoneuron cucullatum etc. Karnataka
and Kerala.

Endemic.

Notes. Fruits are edible and consumed in Coorg.

The chromosome number is n = 20 (R. Sundara Raghavan, unpublished).

264 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 44. Capparis cleghornii Dunn: a. fruiting twig; b. flowering twig; c. outer
sepal; d. inner sepal; e. outer petal; f. inner petal; g. stamens; h. pistil; i. t.
s. of ovary; j . seed; k. seed with testa partially removed, showing embryo; 1.
embryo, taken out.
 CAPPARACEAE 265
1993]

Refer to Rolla S. Rao & R.S. Raghavan (in Blumea 12: 313 - 315, f. 142.1962) for
discussions on taxonomy and nomenclature of the species.

Once thought to be extinct, it has now been rediscovered from Shimoga, Chickma-
galur Hassan, N. & S. Kanara of Karnataka and Kannur Dist. of Kerala. It is threatened
due to habitat disturbances.

7. Capparis decidua (Forsskal) Edgew. in. J. Linn. Soc. Lond., Bot. 6: 184.1862.
Sodada decidua Forsskal, Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. 81.1775. Capparis aphylla Roth, Nov. Sp.
PI. Ind. Or. 238.1821; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:174.1872.

Guj.: Kera-guj, Kerdo; Hindi: Dela, Kuril, Karir, Ker; Kan.: Karina, Kariuppugida;
Tam.: Sengam.

Shrubs or small trees, up to 7 m tall; branches scrambling or suffruticose; twigs

zig-zag, glabrous to glabrescent; stipular thorns yellowish, straight, 3 - 6 mm long, rarely
absent; cataphylls confined to base. Leaves confined to young twigs, early caducous,
fleshy, subsessile, linear to spathulate, 3 -18 x 1 - 3 mm, spinous-tipped; petioles obscure.
Racemes from older branches or on short lateral shoots, ebracteate, 10 - 30-flowered;
buds ovoid, pointed, tomentose. Flowers showy, coral-pink, brick-red, orange-red, or
yellowish, 1.5 - 2.5 cm across; pedicels slender, 1 - 1.5 cm long, fulvous tomentose to
glabrescent. Sepals unequal, tomentose, floccose-ciliate along margins, 7 -10 x3 - 5 mm;
adaxial sepal ovate-oblong, saccate, hooded, others petaloid, elliptic to linear-lanceo-
late. Petals almost equalling sepals, puberulous; anterior pair triangular-ovate, included
within hooded sepal, posterior pair slightly smaller, oblong-lanceolate. Stamens 10 -
16; filaments 1 -1.8 cm long, reddish. Gynophore 1.2 -1.6 cm long, slender, glabrous;
ovary glabrous, globose, beaked, 2.5 x 2 mm, faintly 4-grooved; placentae 4. Fruits
berries, on thin stalk, globose to ovoid, beaked, 14-20 mm across, scarlet red, smooth
with thin pericarp; seeds 1-4, reniform, 2 - 5 x 2 - 4 mm.

Fl. Feb.-May, Fr. Sept.-Nov. (Jan.)

Distrib. India: In semi-arid scrub forests, mostly at lower elevations, up to 800 m,

often associated with Prosopis spicigera, Salvadora oleoides, Salvadora persica, Acacia
sp. and Maerua oblongifolia. Throughout the country, except Jammu & Kashmir, N. E.
hill states, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and other high humid regions.

Pakistan, extending to Middle East, West Asia and N.E. tropical Africa.

Notes. Flower buds and fruits are used as vegetables and pickles. Young shoots,
leaves, roots and fruits are powdered and used in treating boils, skin eruptions, rheu-
matism, etc. Wood resistant to white ants and hence utilised for rafters, beams, ploughs
and country boats. Often planted as a sand binder to arrest spread of deserts. A showy
266 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

ornamental plant when in bloom or in fruits. Fasciation of twigs is common and

vegetative propagation is by root suckers.

Chromosome number reported is 2n = 22 (Panikar in Curr. Sci. 3 1 : 32.1962).

8. Capparis divaricata Lam., Encyl. Meth. Bot. 1:606.1785; Hook. f. & Thomson
in Fl. Brit. India 1: 174.1872. C. stylosa D C , Prodr. 1: 246.1824; Dunn in Gamble, Fl.
Pres. Madras 1: 32.1957 (repr. ed.).

Kan.: Revdi, Thottala; Mar.: Pachunda; Tam.: Athandi, Chorakazhita-chedi, Sen-

gathali, Toratti; Tel.: Badreni.

Shrubs or small trees, erect, much-branched, 2 - 6 m tall; innovations whitish or

fulvous tomentose with stellate hairs; twigs green, slender, zig-zag, stellate-pubescent;
stipular thorns variable, divaricate, straight or curved upwards or downwards; cataphylls
absent. Leaves variable, dimorphic, either linear to linear-oblong or elliptic to oblong-
lanceolate, cuneate or rounded at base, acute-mucronate at apex, 4 - 7 x 0.1 - 2.5 cm,
dull coriaeous, pubescent; midrib somewhat raised; lateral nerves 3 - 5 pairs, more or
less conferted towards base; reticulations obscure; petioles 2 - 4 (-8) mm long. Flowers
solitary, axillary, 3 - 5.5 cm across, odorous, green or red; buds ovoid, beaked, greyish
to brown-pubescent; pedicels 1.8 - 2 cm long. Sepals elliptic-orbicular, thick, pubescent
on both sides; outer pair boat-shaped, 1 1 - 1 6 x 4 - 7 mm, connate in bud, splitting
irregularly; inner pair petaloid, equalling petals, 15 - 27 x 3 - 9 mm. Petals greenish-
yellow, creamy or white, linear, oblong, obovate-spathillate or strap-shaped, acute to
rounded a,t apex, 2.5 - 3.8 x 0.8 -1.2 cm, tomentose along margins and tip. Stamens 45 -
65; filaments yellowish, purplish-red at base, longer than petals. Gynophore 2 - 2.2 cm
long, thickened in fruit; ovary ovoid, beaked, 5 - 6 x 1.5 -1.7 mm, 6 - 8-ribbed, reddish,
glabrous. Fruits globose or ellipsoid, beaked with 6-10 longitudinal ribs and many small
knobs, warted and tubercled in between, 3.5 - 5 x 2.5 - 4 cm, reddish; stipe woody, 3 - 4.5
cm long, 3 - 6 mm thick; seeds 6 - 8 , embedded in white or creamy pulp, 8 -10 x 5 - 6
mm.

Fl. March - April; Fr. June - Sept.

Distrib. India: Scrubs or deciduous forests, on black cotton or laterite soil at 300 -
600 m. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Ker-
ala.

Sri Lanka.

Notes. As a tree, it often attains a girth of 60 - 75 cm and branches are seen drooping
from the rounded top of the crown. Leaves are dimorphic, some twigs bearing exclu-
sively linear to linear-oblong leaves, while in others they are elliptic or oblong-lanceolate.
 CAPPARACEAE 267
1993]

Flowers are borne in both types of twigs but comparatively a lesser number of narrow-
leaved twigs bear flowers.

This species is the only Indian representative of the section Busbeckea (mainly
Australian, charaterised by connate outer sepals and leaf dimorphism), serving as a
connecting link between section Monostichocalyx (common in India) and section Bus-
beckea. In its stellate indumentum and ovary features, it is allied to "Brevispina" group
of section Monostichocalyx. Sculptured berries are common in both sections but peta-
loid inner sepals are known only in the Australian C. loranthifolia Lindley of section
Busbeckea.

9. Capparis diversifolia Wight & Arn., Prodr. 1: 27.1834; Hook. f. & Thomson in
Fl. Brit. India 1:175.1872. Fig. 45.

Shrubs, erect, ca 2 m tall; twigs flexuous; indumentum stellate hairy, early glabres-
cent; stipular thorns few, straight or slightly curved, 2 - 2.5 mm long. Leaves dimorphic;
if linear, linear-oblong or oblong-lanceolate and 2.5 - 3.8 x 0.3 - 0.6 cm; if elliptic-ovate,
acute to rounded at base, acute-mucronate at apex and 5.6 - 9 x 2 - 3.5 cm; lateral nerves
5 - 7 pairs, with distinct reticulations; petioles 2 - 6 mm long. Flowers showy, reddish-
purple to violet, 3.5 - 4.5 cm across, conferted in 3 - 8-flowered subumbels; pedicels 6 -
8 mm long, puberulous but early glabrescent. Sepals subequal, ovate, 7 - 8 x 3.5 - 4 cm,
minutely puberulous outside, densely tomentose inside. Petals ovate or obovate, sub-
equal, 1.8 - 2 x 0.6 - 0.9 cm, glabrous but tomentellous at base. Stamens 40-60, much
exceeding gynoecium. Gynophore bent, 5 - 9 mm long, up to 11 mm in fruits, hardly
thickened; ovary fusiform, ca 6 x 2 mm (including beak), smooth, glabrous, often
abortive; placentae 4. Fruits ovoid or ellipsoid, 3 - 3.5 x 2 cm, smooth, apiculate on a
thin stipe; pericarp thin, 8 -10- seeded; seeds 6.5 - 7 x 6 mm.

Fl. Sept. - Dec, April - July, Fr. July - Sept.

Distrib. India: Rare in moist forests along rocky slopes, between 600 - 800 m. Tamil
Nadu, Pondicherry and Kerala.

Endemic and endangered.

Notes. It is often confused with C. divaricata but can be easily distinguished from it
either in flower or in fruits. Even in vegetative state it can be easily differentiated by the
distinct reticulation and veins not conferting towards base. Sometimes an entire twig
bears linear or linear-oblong leaves; however other twigs in the same plant bear ovate
or lanceolate leaves and they are never so narrowly linear as in C. divaricata. Sterility is
correlated to abortive ovaries only and not to narrow or broad leaves. Gynoecium is
often vestigeal and in view of abortive ovaries, hardly 1-2 fruits ever mature in an umbel.
 268 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 45. Capparis diversifolia Wight & Arn.: a. twig with buds and young fruits;
b. flower; c. immature fruit.
 CAPPARACEAE 269
1993]

Hook. f. & Thomson (1. c.) mentions the distribution as extending to Kerala. Rama
Rao (in Fl. Pi. of Travancore 20.1914) includes it for Kerala without mentioning any
precise locality. Except for a vegetative specimen at CAL, there are no recent collec-
tions from Kerala proper. Its occurrence in Pondicherry is equally doubtful, as Pierre
on way to Pondicherry, probably had collected it from Tamil Nadu only.

10. Capparis flavicans Kurz in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 39(2): 62.1870. C.flavicans
Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:179.1872.

Tel.: Pula-tiga.

Shrubs or small trees, 1.5 - 8 m tall; twigs tawny pubescent with fulvous brown stellate
hairs; stipular thorns minute or lacking in flowering twigs, but in older branches ca 1 - 2
mm long, straight or slightly curved; cataphylls absent. Leaves suborbicular, elliptic-
obovate or oblong, cuneate or rounded at base, obtuse or retuse and mucronate at apex,
2.2 - 4x 1.2 -1.6 cm, subcoriaceous, drying dull green, at length glabrescent, lateral nerves
3 - 5 pairs; basal 1-2 pairs conferted towards base; reticulation obscure; petioles 2 - 5
mm long, puberulous. Flowers 1 (rarely 2) in axils of leaves on young twigs, yellow or
rosy pink, 1.5 - 1.8 cm across; pedicels slender, 1 - 3 cm long, puberulous, much
thickened in fruits. Sepals tawny pubescent, 6 - 8 x 3 - 5 mm, outer boat-shaped, inner
ovate or obovate. Petals yellow, obovate, 6 - 9 x 3 - 4.5 mm, densely woolly; upper petal
with a golden yellow or brownish blotch. Stamens 6 - 8 (-12); filaments greenish, 1.4 -
1.8 cm long. Gynophore 1.5 - 2 cm long, densely hairy, much thickened in fruit; ovary
ovoid, 2.5 - 3 x 2 - 2.5 mm, pointed, densely pubescent, often abortive; stigma knob-
shaped; placentae 4. Fruits subglobose to ovoid or ellipsoid, umbonate, 3.5 - 4 x 2.5 - 3
cm, pale yellow, orange or reddish brown, hoary pubescent; stalk 3 - 4.5 cm long, 4 - 7
mm thick; pericarp thick, warted, beset with longitudinally arranged knob-like protube-
rances; seeds 2 - 8 , embedded in yellow pulp, ca 6 x 4 mm.

Fl. Jan. - Mar.; Fr. July - Sept.

Distrib. India: At low elevations, or rocky soils, in dry scrubland or deciduous

forests. Andhra Pradesh (rare).

Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

Notes. Leaves are eaten as curry and also as galactogene.

The only authentic collection from India is by Brandis from Sriharikota, coastal
Andhra Pradesh deposited in CAL herbarium. In its sculptured and ribbed fruits, it
superficially resembles C. divaricata of section Busbeckea. However, it is allied to section
Brevispina in its solitary flowers, free sepals and anterior petal blotched with yellow.
 270
FLORA OF INDIA
[VOL. 2

Fig. 46. Capparis floribunda Wight: a. flowering twig; b. fruiting twig; c. flower
bud before anthesis; d. flower after anthesis; e. outer sepal; f. inner sepal; g.
outer petal; h. inner petal; i. stamen; j . pistil; k. fruit; 1. seed cut open,
showing embryo.
1993] CAPPARACEAE 271

11. Capparis floribunda Wight, Illus. 1:33, t. 14.1840; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl.
Brit. India 1:177.1872. C. andamanica King in Ann. R. Bot. Gard. Calc. 5:119,1.137.
1896. ^g-46-

Shrubs, scandent, woody, 2 - 4 m tall; twigs straight, glabrous, rarely puberulous with
simple fulvous hairs; stipular thorns small, recurved, often absent. Leaves oblong or
elliptic, tapering at base, rounded to obtuse at apex, entire, recurved or rarely crenate
along margins, 4 - 8 (-13) x 3.5 - 5 (-5.5) cm, subcoriaceous to coriaceous, glossy, glabrous,
drying greyish to brown; midrib slightly grooved above; lateral nerves 7 -10 pairs, faint
with obscure reticulations; petioles 8 -12 (-15) mm long. Flowers white, fragrant, 6 -10
mm across, 8 - 25 on subumbels on 1 -1.5 cm long stalks, these in turn often arranged in
large terminal 12 -18 cm long panicles; buds globose, ca 2.5 mm across; bracts linear,
3 - 4 mm long, caducous; pedicels 6-10 mm long, slender, not thickened in fruit, glabrous.
Sepals subequal, deflexed, persistent; outer pair valvate, ovate, concave, 3 - 3.5 x 1.5 - 2
mm; inner imbricate, orbicular, ca 4.2 x 2.5 mm. Gynophore 4 - 6 (-10) mm long,
glabrous, not thickened in fruits; ovary ovoid, apiculate, ca 1.5 x 1 mm, glabrous;
placentae 4. Fruits globose, shortly beaked at apex, 1.8 - 2 cm across; pericarp leathery,
smooth, orange-red, fleshy; stipe thin, 1.2 - 2 cm long; seeds 1 - 3, ca 12 x 10 x 6 mm.

Fl. Jan. - April (-Oct.); Fr. May - June (-Oct.).

Distrib. India: Evergreen lowland forests along coastal belts, on sandy loam, from
sea level to 600 m altitude. Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala
and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Sri Lanka, Myanmar, extending to S.E. Asia.

Notes. Specimens from Andaman & Nicobar Islands show larger leaves (8 -13 x
4 - 5.5 cm) and bigger fruits, as in other species of the genus from these islands. In the
collections from Andhra Pradesh and Sri Lanka, the gynophore is longer (up to 1 cm
long). There are earlier collections from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, but
the species has not been subsequently recollected from these States during the last 50
years. Interestingly enough, in Malpe Islands, off South Kanara Coast in Karnataka,
this species is quite common and denotes a new distributional record as well as its first
record from the State of Karnataka.

12. Capparis fusifera Dunn in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1914: 377. 1914; Joseph &
Chandras. in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 20:156 -158, ff. 1 - 7.1978 (1979). C. tomentella Dunn
in Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 46.1915. C.parviflora sensu Beddome, Icon. t. 276.1868 -
1874 (excl. fruits) 1874, non Boiss. 1843, non Hook. f. & Thomson. Fig. 47.

Shrubs, much-branched, spreading, up to 3 m tall; stipular thorns mostly lacking, if

present short, 1 - 1.5 mm long; cataphylls confined to base. Leaves elliptic-oblong or
272 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 47. Capparis fusifera Dunn: a. fruiting twig; b.floweringtwig; c. flower; d.

sepal; e. petal; f. stamen; g. pistil; h, i & j . immature and mature fruits
showing variation in size and shape.
 CAPPARACEAE 273
1993]

ovate acute or obtuse at base, abruptly acuminate at apex, 11 - 16 x 4.5 - 7.5 cm,
chartaceous, glabrous, drying greenish-yellow; midrib grooved above; lateral nerves 8 -
11 pairs looped along margins; petioles 4 - 6 mm long, puberulous. Inflorescence
umbellate on condensed, 3 - 6-flowered, axillary or subterminal, on 4 - 6 cm long
peduncle, puberulous; bracts setaceous, 1.5 - 2 mm long, persistent. Flowers greenish-
white fragrant, 1.2 - 1.5 cm across; pedicels filiform, up to 1.6 cm long, puberulous.
Sepals subequal, ovate, deeply concave, 6 - 8 x 3.5 - 5 mm, thick, membranous towards
tip, glabrous except for puberulous margins. Petals oblong, gradually attenuate at base,
obtuse at apex, 8 -10 x 3.5 - 4 mm, veined, sparsely puberulous at base and along margins.
Torus 1.5 - 2 mm wide. Stamens 42- 48, exserted; filaments 10 -14 mm long, exceeding
gynoecium; anthers 1 -1.5 mm long. Gynophore 6 - 7 mm long, much thickened in fruits;
ovary glabrous, unilocular, rarely 2-locular through false septum, ellipsoid to ovoid, 1.7-
2.2 x 0.6 mm; stigma terete; placentae 2. Fruits fusiform to spindle-shaped, beaked, 4 -
4.5 x 2.2 - 2.5 cm, warty on surface; stipe 1 -1.4 cm long, ca 3 mm thick, not callose at
tip; seeds 1 (-2), 1.8 - 2 x 0.8 -1.2 cm.

Fl. Oct. - D e c ; Fr. Nov. - Jan., April.

Distrib. India: Semievergreen forests at 800 -1000 m, scattered, nowhere abundant.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Endemic and restricted to a few localities in Anamalais and Silent Valley.

Notes. A specimen from Silent Valley in Kerala (N.C. Nair 64314 in MH) differs
from the description in certain minor details. Here the stipular thorns are curved (not
straight); lateral nerves are alternate (not opposite or subopposite); umbels 7 - 9-
flowered (not 3 - 5 or solitary); pedicels up to 1 - 6 cm long (as against 8 - 1 1 mm) and
gynophore 8.5 - 10 mm long (as against ca 6 mm). Fruits are not available for this
specimen.

13. Capparis grandiflora Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 174.1872. C.
pyrifolia Wight & Arn., Prodr. 25.1834, non Lam. 1785.

Kan.: Thottimara.

Shrubs, erect or low scrambling and spreading, 0.5 - 2 m tall; twigs with coarse
stellate brown pubescence; spines copious, recurved, 2 - 3 mm long; cataphylls absent.
Leaves elliptic-ovate to suborbicular, subcordate to rounded at base, acute or obtuse-
mucronate at apex, 1.5 - 3.5 x 1.2 - 2 cm, subcoriaceous, lustrous glabrous above,
pubescent beneath; midrib sunken; lateral nerves 3 - 4 pairs; reticulations distinct;
petioles 1.5 - 3 mm long. Flowers solitary, axillary, showy, 4 - 5 cm across, faintly
odorous, white with orange throat; pedicels 1 -1.5 cm long, puberulous. Sepals subequal,
12 -18 x 5 - 8 mm, tomentose; outer pair boat-shaped, glabrous outside and villous inside
towards margins; inner pair ovate to obovate, villous outside, glabrous inside. Petals
274 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

obovate-triangular, subtruncate, 2.5 - 3 x 0.9 -1.4 cm, white, glabrous. Torus 1.5-2 mm
wide. Stamens 67 -101, exceeding gynoecium; filaments white; anthers blue to pinkish.
Gynophore 2 - 2.5 cm, glabrous; ovary beaked, glabrous, 4 - 5-furrowed, oblong to
ovoid-cylindric, 6 - 8 x 1.2 mm; stigma puberulous, cushion-shaped, 1.5 - 2 mm across-
placentae 4 - 5 . Fruits ellipsoid or ovoid, beaked, 5 - 7.5 x 2.2 - 4 cm, 5 - 6-ribbed, red-
stalk 3.5 - 4 cm long, ca 2 mm thick; pericarp adhering to seeds; seeds many, 5 - 7 x
5.5 - 6.5 mm.

Fl. Feb. - Aug.; Fr. July - Oct.

Distrib. India: Scrub jungles or deciduous forests, 500 -1000 m, frequently associ-
ated with Capparis roxburghii and C. sepiaria. Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Endemic to slopes of Nilgiri and Coorg hills.

Notes. At Thekkumalai hills in Coimbatore District of Tamil Nadu, a few clumps

had flowers with 8 petals arranged in two series of four each, outer petals strap-shaped,
2 - 2.2 x 0.6 cm, inner ones obovate-elliptic, ca 2.5 -1.3 cm and both ovary and stigmas
tomentose.

14. Capparis grandis L. f., Suppl. 263.1781; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India
1:176.1872.

Guj.: Dumra, Dumrejohod, Thikari; Mar.: Pachara, Pachundi; Tarn.: Mudkondai,

Nakkulijam, Kattukoiya, Turatta.

Erect shrubs or crooked trees, 5 -10 m tall; bole almost unbranched, up to 45 cm

in girth with fissured bark; indumentum with olive green velvety tomentum; stipular
thorns straight or rarely recurved, 5 - 6 (-9) mm long in older branches, but often lacking
in flowering or tender shoots. Leaves obovate, suborbicular or elliptic-ovate, cuneate
or acute at base, acute, refuse, obtuse, mucronate at apex, 4 - 7 (-9) x 2.5 - 5.5 cm,
subcoriaceous, dull green above, pale and grey-pubescent beneath; midrib usually flat
or rarely sunken at base; lateral nerves 5 - 9 (-12) pairs, close together, parallel and with
distinct reticulations; petioles 8 -14 mm long. Flowers white to creamy, fragrant, 2.2 -
2.8 cm across, in terminal 25 - 30-flowered corymbs or subumbels; pedicels 10 - 25 mm
long, densely pubescent. Sepals sparsely puberulous; outer pair boat-shaped, orbicular,
ca 8 x 6 mm; inner pair linear-oblong or obovate, 10 - 11 x 6 - 8 mm. Petals oblong to
narrowly obovate, 9 -16 x 3 - 10 mm. Stamens 35 - 50 (rarely 12 -15). Gynophore
1.3 - 2.8 cm, hairy towards base, thickened in fruit; ovary ovoid, 1.8 - 2.2 x 1.5 mm,
glabrous; placentae 2, Fruits subglobose, somewhat umbonate, 2.2 - 2.8 cm across; stipe
thickened, 3 - 4.5 cm long, 3 - 4 mm thick; pericarp coriaceous, smooth, orange-red to
purple; seeds 2 - 6, embedded in pink pulp, 10 -12 x 8 -12 mm.
 CAPPARACEAE 275
1993]

Fl Throughout the year, with peak period in Feb. - July and Nov. - D e c ;

Fr. July-Jan.

Distrib. India: On rocky soil in open country and dry forests, from plains up to 1100
m Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu,
Pondicherry and Kerala.

Sri Lanka, Myanmar, extends to Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.

Notes. Chromosome number reported is n = 21 (Raman & Kesavan in Curr. Sci.

29: 413.1963).

Leaves and stipular thorns are highly variable. In Santapau 13764 from Junagadh,
Gujarat (BLAT), leaves are nearly triangular and almost truncate at base.

In Barber 7430 from Kodai Road, Tamil Nadu (MH), the leaves are wider than long,
being transversely elliptic. In juvenile twigs of specimens from Mt. Abu, Rajasthan
(Santapau 17609 in BLAT), thorns are straight, measuring 6 - 9 mm long. Specimens
from Sri Lanka at Leiden have leaves opposite and glabrous, which is unusual. In
Vajravelu 22402 (MH) from Salem District of Tamil Nadu, the fruiting gynophore is
short, hardly 3 mm long.

15. Capparis micracantha D C , Prodr. 1: 247. 1824; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl.
Brit. India 1:179.1872. C. roydsiaefolia Kurz in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 39(2): 62.1870.
Fig. 48.

Scandent shrubs or erect trees, 4 - 5 m tall; young branchlets sparsely pubescent;

stipular thorns conical, 2 - 4 mm long, straight or slightly curved at tip; cataphylls
conspicuous at base. Leaves oblong to broadly lanceolate, rounded to subcordate at
base, acute or occasionally retuse with a callous mucro at tip, 10 - 24 x 5 - 8 cm, coriaceous,
glabrous, glossy above, dull beneath, glaucous when dry; lateral nerves 8-10 pairs, with
distinct reticulations; petioles 6-10 mm long. Flowers in supraaxillary serial rows with
1-6 flowers, 2.5 - 3 cm across, showy, white or creamy with blue to lavender centre,
odorous; pedicels 8 -12 (-15) mm long. Sepals subequal, oblong, acute, 8 -12 x 2 - 4.5
mm, hairy along margins, firmly herbaceous. Petals oblong to lanceolate, 1.5 - 2.2 x
0.4 - 0.9 cm, white or creamy, turning to purple or dark red or dark violet on ageing.
Stamens 20 - 35 (-75); filaments white, 1.5 - 2.5 cm long. Gynophore 1.8 - 2.5 (-3.5) cm
long, thickened in fruits; ovary ovoid to ellipsoid, 3 - 3.5 x 1.4 - 2 mm, glabrous; placentae
4. Fruits globose to ovoid with 4 longitudinal sutures, 5 - 7 x 3 - 4 cm, orange red or
orange-yellow; stalk 3.2 - 3.5 cm long, 2 - 4 mm thick; pericarp smooth, ca 2 mm thick,
woody-coriaceous when dry; seeds many, embedded in juicy pulp, ca 8 x 5.5 mm.

Fl- Feb. - March; Fr. April - May.

 276 FLORA OF INDIA
[VOL. 2

Fig. 48. Capparis micracantha DC.: a. twig with flowers and fruits; b. flower with
petals removed; c. outer sepal; d. inner sepal; e. outer petal; f. inner petal;
g. pistil; h. young fruit.
 CAPPARACEAE 277
1993]

Distrib. India: Along water courses, in evergreen forests at low elevations. Anda-
man & Nicobar Islands.

Myanmar, S. China and S.E. Asia.

Notes. A showy plant whether in flowers or in fruits. At Kew there is a solitary

specimen labelled. "Herb. Rottler, Pen. Ind. Or." which is referrable to this species.
However as Jacobs (I.e.) pointed out this label seems to have been wrongly affixed. The
species has not been known to occur in peninsular India.

16. Capparis moonii Wight, Illus. 1: 35. 1840; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit.
India 1:175.1872. Fig. 49.

Kon.: Luthikai; Mar.: Poorwi, Wagati.

Shrubs, woody, erect or scandent, armed, ascending up to 10 m; twigs flagellate,

innovations brown-puberulous, later glabrescent; stipular thorns recurved, 2 - 3 mm
long, absent in young twigs. Leaves elliptic-oblong, rounded at base, with a twisted
acumen at apex, 5 - 18 x 3 - 5.5 cm, coriaceous, glabrous, lustrous; midrib shallowly
sunken; lateral nerves 6 -16 pairs with indistinct reticulations; petioles 1 - 1.8 cm long.
Flowers white, purplish on ageing, showy, fragrant, 6 - 12-flowered on terminal or
subterminal corymbs; buds 2 - 3 cm across; pedicels up to 5.5 cm long. Sepals subequal,
15 -18 x 12 -16 mm; outer pair concave, cup-shaped, smaller than inner, glabrous, inner
pair flattish, fulvous-puberulous outside. Petals white, obovate or oblong, truncate at
apex, unequal, veined; upper pair 3 - 3.5 x 2 - 2.5 cm; lower 2.8 - 3 x 2.2 - 2.5 cm,
puberulous outside. Torus 5 - 8 mm across. Stamens 100 -170; filaments white, turning
rosy or brick red, 5.5 - 7 cm long. Gynophore 5 - 8 cm long, much thickened to 5 - 6 mm
in fruits; ovary ovoid or ellipsoid, 3.5 - 5 x 2 - 3.5 mm, glabrous, green with purple tinge,
stigma discoid; placentae 4. Fruits only 1 - 4 maturing in one inflorescence, pendent,
subglobose or spindle-shaped, up to 16 x 12 cm; pericarp woody, green, turning reddish
brown; endocarp viscous pulpy, lemon-yellow, turning scarlet; seeds 50 - 60, obovoid,
1.6 -1.8 x 1.2 -1.5 cm, pink; cotyledons ovate, acuminate, foliaceous, 1.8 - 2 x 1 - 2 cm.

Fl. Oct. - Dec, Feb. - April; Fr. Dec, March - Oct.

Distrib. India: Along rocky slopes on laterite soil in moist deciduous or semiever-
green forests, from sea level to 1300 m, associated with C. rheedii and C. zeylanica.
Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Kerala.

Sri Lanka.

Notes. The berries are used in treating skin ailments, jaundice, etc. and are also
reported to be useful against tuberculosis. Laboratory trials proved that they have
antitubercular properties in vitro, but clinical trials yielded negative results.
278 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 49. Capparis moonii Wight: a. flowering twig; b. flower; c. outer sepal; d. inner
sepal; e. outer petal; f. inner petal; g. pistil; h. t. s. of ovary; i. mature and
immature fruits; j . l.s. of immature fruit; k. seed; 1. seed opened, showing
embryo.
 CAPPARACEAE 279
1993]

It has a chromosome number of n = 20 (R. Sundara Raghavan, unpublished)

In exposed hillocks it is an erect bushy shrub, but when support is available it is a

scandent shrub with a woody base up to 15 cm in circumference.

Female sterility is much pronounced in C. moonii and the allied species, C. roxbur-
ghii and C. cleghornii.

17. Capparis multiflora Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 178. 1872.
Fig. 50.

Asm.: Thanim-niu-tre.

Shrubs or trees, 3 - 6 m tall, sparingly branched; shoots slender, whitish pubescent

at first with medifixed hairs, soon glabrate; stipular thorns ca 1 mm long, weak, straight,
often absent; cataphylls subulate, 2 - 3 mm wide at base. Leaves elliptic-oblong,
lanceolate or oblanceolate, broadest above the middle, attenuate or cuneate at base,
gradually and abruptly acuminate with 5 - 15 mm long tip at apex, 12 - 30 x 4 - 10 cm;
membranous, glabrous, dull-greenish when dry; lateral nerves 8 - 1 0 pairs, forming
intra-marginal loop; reticulations distinct; petioles 8 - 1 1 mm long. Flowers white or
greenish-white, fragrant, 4 - 6 mm across, numerous, arranged in supraaxillary vertical
rows of 6 -10 flowers subtended by bract-like leaf, on 8 - 25 (-40) cm long leafless parts
of shoots between old and new leaves; pedicels filiform, 6 - 2 3 mm long, slightly
thickened while fruiting. Sepals deflexed, imbricate, subequal, sparsely appressed hairy
to glabrate; outer pair boat-shaped, ovate-obtuse; inner pair obovate, rounded at apex,
3 - 4.5 x 1.5 - 2.5 mm. Petals broadly elliptic or suborbicular, 5.5 - 6.5 x 3 - 4 mm, white.
Stamens (8-) 10 - 12; filaments exceeding ovary. Gynophore 5 - 12 mm long, not
thickened; ovary ovoid, 1.2 -1.5 x 1 mm, glabrous or minutely pubescent; placentae 2,
few-ovuled. Fruits 1 - 3 in a row, subglobose, 8 -10 mm across; pericarp thin, reddish-
purple, turning blackish; stipe slender, 2.2 - 2.5 x 0.5 mm; seeds 1 - 3, ca 6 x 4 mm.

Fl. Feb. - June; Fr. Sept. - Dec. (-March).

Distrib. India: In moist subtropical forests, between 500 -1800 m. West Bengal,
Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Meghalaya.

Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and China (Yunnan).

Notes. Leaves are often dimorphic, those subtending flowers are small and bract-
like but flowers are also borne in axils of normal leaves. Normally flowers are densely
crowded and seemingly racemose between two flushes of leaves. Female sterility is
pronounced, linked to the length of gynophore. Ovaries with longer gynophores are
invariably abortive.
280 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 50. Capparis multiflora Hook. f. & Thomson: a. flowering twig; b. flower buds
in extra-axillary serial rows; c. fruiting twig; d. inner and outer sepals; e.
inner and outer petals; f. stamen; g. pistil.
 CAPPARACEAE 281
1993]

Pollination is by butterflies. Honey is situated at base of posterior sepals. The

denser the flowers, the more intense is the fragrance. The two posterior sepals overlap,
leaving a narrow slit which in turn opens into the posterior boat-shaped sepal. Butter-
flies probing for nectar through the slit cross pollinate the ovary which is much shorter
than the stamens.

18. Capparis nilgiriensis Subbarao, Kumari & Chandras. in J. Bombay Nat. Hist.
Soc. 78:146 -148, f. 1 - 9.1981. Fig. 51.

Tarn.: Karipandal-chedi.

Shrubs or trees, 3 - 15 m tall; branches clustered, flexuous, indumentum stellate-

pubescent, glabrescent at length; stipular thorns small, 1 - 2 mm long, straight, often
lacking in flowering twigs but few on older branches; cataphylls linear, 3 - 5 mm long,
conspicuous. Leaves ovate-elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, rounded at base, acute to
obtuse at apex, not incurved along margins, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, dark green,
drying glaucous to pale brown, lustrous, glabrescent; lateral nerves 5 - 7 (-9) with
indistinct reticulations; petioles 5-13 mm long, channelled, glabrescent. Flowers showy,
white, 3.5 - 4 cm across, axillary, solitary or 2 - 4 conferted on lateral shoots; bracts
subulate, 2 - 3 cm long, caducous; pedicels 1.5 - 2.5 cm long, puberulous. Sepals almost
equal, imbricate, puberulous; outer pair concave, ovate, obtuse, 6 - 8 x 3.5 - 4 mm; inner
pair elliptic to obovate, narrowed at base. Petals tomentose, white; upper pair obovate-
oblong, 1.8 - 2.2 x 0.7 - 1 cm, yellow with reddish blotch; lower pair elliptic-obovate,
rounded at apex, 1.5 -1.8 x 0.6 - 0.8 cm. Torus ca 1 mm wide. Stamens 16 - 24; filaments
2 - 3 cm long, elongating up to 4 cm and slightly thickened in fruits; ovary densely
pubescent, spindle-shaped or oblong, 3.5 - 5 x 1.4 -1.8 mm, furrowed with obscure beak;
stigma sessile, glabrous; placentae 4, many-ovuled. Fruits pendulous, ovoid-oblong,
obtuse, 4 - 6 x 2 - 3 cm; pericarp uneven, warty or corrugated; stipe slender, 4 - 6 cm
long; seeds 8 -16, embedded in yellow pulp, reniform, ca 10 mm long, ca 8 mm across.

Fl. March - April; Fr. May.

Distrib. India: Deciduous or evergreen Shola forests from 350 to 1200 m. Tamil
Nadu (Nilgiri & Dharmapuri Dists.).

Endemic, endangered and nowhere abundant.

Notes. During March - April, the plant is most attractive when it is laden with
flowers, but in view of pronounced female sterility, most flowers wither away and hardly
1 (or 2) fruits ripen to maturity.

Closely allied to C. brevispina but differs in flexuous leaves with flat margins and
obscure reticulations and non-beaked, warty uneven pericarp of fruits. It is also allied
to C. srilankensis Sund.-Ragh. endemic to Sri Lanka, but differing in fruits.
282 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 51. Capparis nilgiriensis Subbarao et al.: a. fruiting twig; b. flowering twig; c.
sepal; d. petal; e. stamen; f. pistil; g. t. s. of ovary; h. fruit; i. seed.
1993] CAPPARACEAE 283

19. C'apparis olacifolia Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:178.1872.

Asm.: Kotahar, Lokra; Asm.(Kachari): Borun-khosai, Philla-phang; Kh.: Dieng-

sia; Nep.: Naski, Hais.

Shrubs or small trees, ca 5 m tall; trunk 15 - 25 cm in diam. at base; twigs tomentose

with brownish 5-armed stellate hairs at first, early glabrescent; cataphylls subulate, ca 1
-1.5 mm at base; stipular thorns slender, up to 5 - 6 mm long, patent or pointing upwards.
Leaves ovate-lanceolate, rounded to subacute at base, acute to acuminate and mucro-
nulate at apex, 6 -18 x 2.5 - 6.5 cm, chartaceous or firmly herbaceous, glabrous, lustrous,
drying brownish; midrib flat; lateral nerves 5 - 8 pairs with indistinct reticulations;
petioles 5 - 6 mm long, puberulous. Flowers in axillary or extra-axillary rows of 2 - 3
flowers, showy, white, 3 - 4 cm across, fetid; pedicels 6 -12 mm long, puberulous. Sepals
subequal, ovate-acute, concave, 7 -10.5 x 2.5 - 6 mm; outer pair boat-shaped; inner pair
lanceolate to elliptic, tomentose with white margins. Petals oblong or obovate to
oblanceolate, 14 - 22 x 4 - 6 mm; outer pair white, inner pair with a purple or yellow
blotch at base. Stamens 32 - 38, exserted, equalling gynophore; anthers ca 2 mm long,
white, purple-veined, bluish when dry. Gynophore 2.5 - 3.5 cm long, not thickened; ovary
ellipsoid, 4 - 5.5 mm long, ca 1.5 mm thick, beaked, tomentose; style persistent; stigma
knob-shaped; placentae 2. Fruits globose to ovoid, beaked at apex, 13 -15 x 11 - 12 mm;
pericarp fairly thick, red, black when dry, glabrous; stalk thin, 3 - 3.8 cm long; seeds 1
(-3), globose, 4 - 5 mm in diam., brown.

Fl. Feb. - June; Fr. Aug. - D e c , March - April.

Distrib. India: Along grassy slopes between 300 - 1300 m, in subtropical forests.
West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya,
Orissa and N.E. Andhra Pradesh.

Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Notes. The distribution does not extend to peninsular India and reports of its
occurrence in Tamil Nadu and Kerala proved to be based on misidentifications. The
flowers though white are at times described as yellow or purple due to a pair of petals
being blotched yellow or purple. In Ludlow & Sherrif 1850 (BM) from Bhutan and
Collett 615 (K) from Burma, the ovary is glabrous. The gynophore is invariably 3 - 5
times as long as pedicel. However, in Subbarao 47318 (MH) from Visakhapatnam
District of Andhra Pradesh, the pedicel is more than half the length of the gynophore.

20. Capparis pachyphylla Jacobs in Blumea 12: 476 - 477.1965. Fig. 52.

Shrubs to small trees; branches stout, scrambling; twigs straight, brown pubescent,
glabrescent at length; stipular spines patent, 1-3 mm long, straight or slightly curved at
tip; cataphylls conspicuous at base of shoots, puberulous. Leaves elliptic-oblong, sub-
284 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 52. Capparis pachyphylla Jacobs : Paratype, N.L. Bor 2866 from Aka hiills, Aru-
nachal Pradesh at 1200 m, collected on 5 March 1935.
 , CAPPARACEAE 285

cordate or rounded at base, obtuse or rounded and mucronate at apex, 8 -13 x 4 - 5.5
cm coriaceous, glabrous, dark green above, light green beneath; midrib flattish, grooved
above near base; lateral nerves 5 - 6 pairs; reticulations obscure; petioles 3 - 5 mm long,
glabrous. Flowers white or purple, 6 - 8 (-10) together in racemose bundles on an axillary
or lateral 2 - 3 cm long puberulous stalk, sometimes in the form of a panicle; pedicels
filiform, 5 - 7 mm long, subglabrous, subtended by thorn-like bracts and bracteoles.
Sepals subequal, 5 - 6 x 2 - 3 mm, sparsely puberulous inside, ciliate along margins; outer
pair much concave, inner pair more or less flat. Petals 6 - 7 x 2 mm, white, turning purple,
puberulous inside, fringed with long hairs. Stamens 32 - 34. Gynophores glabrous; ovary
small, glabrous; placentae 2. Fruits not known.

Fl. March.

Distrib. India: Subtropical evergreen forests, 600 - 1200 m. Arunachal Pradesh

(Lohit & Tirap Districts).

Endemic and endangered.

Notes. The type was collected by Kingdon Ward 11183 (BM- holo, CAL, L - iso)
from a gorge along Tezu river on 14 March 1935. This species has not been recollected
from the area. Bor has also collected it from Aka hills, Yisi in Arunachal Pradesh in
March 1935, which possibly forms the paratype though Jacobs does not designate it as
such. Fruits are not known.

This species is probably threatened with extinction. However, the area of its original
collection falls under the proposed Namdapha Biosphere Reserve.

21. Capparis rheedei D C , Prodr. 1:246.1824 (as rheedii). C. heyneana Wallich ex

Wight & Arn., Prodr. 25. 1834; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 174. 1872. C
baducca auct. non L., 1753. Fig. S3.

Hindi & Kon.: Chavruka.

Shrubs, erect or scandent, much-branched, 2 - 4 m tall; twigs brown-pubescent, early

glabrescent, with many cataphylls at base. Leaves elliptic-ovate to lanceolate, acute to
rounded at base, acute-mucronate at apex, 8 - 19 x 4 - 7.5 cm, coriaceous, glabrous,
lustrous above, drying brownish; lateral nerves 2 - 5 pairs, oblique and conferted towards
base, distinctly reticulate; petioles 8 - 12 mm long. Flowers showy, 8 - 12 cm across,
mostly solitary, axillary (rarely 2 - 6 arranged on a condensed leafless axillary shoot);
bracts linear, reddish, pubescent; pedicels 6 - 20 mm long. Sepals elliptic, obtuse,
sparsely pubescent outside, villous inside; outer pair 11 -14 x 5 - 6 mm; inner pair 12 -
16 x 6 - 8 mm. Petals pale blue or white; upper pair with a yellowish blotch, obovate,
3.5 - 5 x 2.5 - 3.5 cm, glabrous. Stamens exceeding 80, exserted. Gynophore 2 - 4 cm
long, glabrous, slightly incrassate in fruit; ovary oblong, 5 - 7 x 1.5 mm, densely
286 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Fig. S3. Capparis rheedii D C : a. flowering twig; b. leaves of lower branches; c.

inner and outer sepals; d. outer and inner petals; e. ovary; f. fruits; g. seed;
h. seed with testa removed, showing embryo.
 CAPPARACEAE 287
1993]

nubescent, 4-angled, furrowed; placentae 4. Fruits oblong to ovoid-fusiform, beaked,

5 5 - 7 x 2 - 3.5 cm, pubescent, faintly ribbed when fresh; stipe slender, 5 - 7.5 cm long,
ca 2 mm thick; seeds 18 - 22.

Fl. Feb. - Jan; Fr. July - Nov.

Distrib. India: Moist forests, up to 700 m, on laterite soil, associated with Capparis
moonii, along Western Ghats. Southern Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and
Tamil Nadu.

Endemic, vulnerable and nowhere abundant.

Notes. In common with "Brevispina group", the upper petals have a yellow blotch.
In Kanodia 96455 (BSI), two of the sepals are unusually petaloid, as in C. divaricata.
Female sterility is high and berries seldom mature in nature. "Badukka" used by Rheede
in Hort. Malab. 6:101 (105). 1686 is not a Malayalam name for this plant. Its meaning
or source is still unknown. Nicolson (in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 17: 160 - 161. 1975)
contends that C. baducca is a New World species not occurring in India and that the
Indian plant should be lectotypified by Rheede's description and plate only. Also refer
to Nicolson et al., An interpretation of Van Rheede's Hortus Malabaricus p. 77. 1988.

22. Capparis rotundifolia Rottler, Neue. Schr. Ges. Naturf. Fr. Berl. 4:185.1803.
C. pedunculosa Wallich ex Wight & Arn., Prodr. 27.1834; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl.
Brit. India 1: 176. 1872. C. longispina Hook. f. & Thomson, 1. c. 1: 176. C. orbiculata
Hook. f. & Thomson, I.e. 176.

Mar.: Kolisna, Kakkaltee.

Shrubs, erect or scandent, 2 - 5 m tall, with dense rounded crown; twigs pubescent,
early glabrescent; stipular thorns reddish, dimorphic, if recurved 2 - 5 mm long, if
straight and acicular, up to 18 mm long. Leaves bifarious, closely placed, suborbicular
to ovate-rotundate, cordate at base, acute, obtuse, retuse or abruptly acuminate, mucro-
nate at apex, slightly revolute along margins, 1 - 4.5 x 0.8 - 3 cm, subcoriaceous, often
fleshy, glabrous above, pubescent beneath; lateral nerves 3 - 6 pairs, obscure; petioles
0.2 - 2.5 mm long. Flowers white or greenish-white, 8 -12 mm across, in few-flowered
umbels or subumbels on lateral 4 - 1 5 mm long peduncles or on 1-leaved 3 - 5 cm long
twigs or occasionally axillary, solitary; pedicels filiform, 1 - 3.2 cm long, minutely
puberulous. Sepals imbricate, reflexed, 4 - 5 x 2 - 2.5 mm, glabrous or puberulous; outer
pair with narrow and inner pair with wider membranous margins. Petals 5 - 5.5 x 3 mm,
very thin, puberulous. Stamens 28 - 40, exserted. Gynophore filiform, slightly thickened
near tips, 12 - 18 mm long; ovary ovoid, pointed at apex, 1.8 - 2 x 1 mm; placentae 2,
few-ovuled. Fruits ovoid-globose, apiculate, 9 -15 x 8 -10 mm; pericarp white, smooth,
ca 1 mm thick; stipe slender, up to 5.5 cm long; seed solitary.
288 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Fl. Oct. - Nov., Jan. - May; Fr. April - June; Oct.

Distrib. India: Along cleared forest areas on laterite soil, frequent in scrub jungles,
moist deciduous or semi-evergreen forests. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Kar-
nataka, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.

Sri Lanka.

Notes. Except for a solitary collection from Tanjore (Dunn 1957, MH), no other
collection exists from Tamil Nadu. It is infrequent in Andhra Pradesh and has not been
recorded from Kerala. Even in Karnataka, it is common only in N. Kanara District.
Pierre had collected it from S. India, but due to mislabelling, erroneously noted as from
"Cambodia".

The stipular thorns are highly variable, either short or recurved or long, straight and
acicular. Not infrequently, out of the two thorns, one is short and recurved, whereas the
other is long and acicular, the latter mostly associated with small subsessile, cordate and
mucronate-tipped leaves.

23. Capparis roxburghii D C , Prodr. 1: 247 - 248.1824; Hook. f. & Thomson in

Fl. Brit. India 1:175.1872.

Or.: Handiphuta, Kaodimi.

Shrubs, scandent, 2 - 4 m tall, 8 - 10 cm in circumference at base; branches hoary

pubescent, early glabrescent; stipular thorns 1.5 - 3 mm long in old shoots, but mostly
absent in young twigs. Leaves obovate-oblong, cuneate at base, rounded, acute or
abruptly acuminate at apex, 4.5 - 8 x 2.5 - 3.5 cm, subcoriaceous, glabrous, lustrous, drying
dull brownish; lateral nerves 5 - 6 pairs with obscure reticulations; petioles 1.3 - 2 cm
long, channelled, glabrous. Flowers showy, white, fragrant, 4 - 5.5 cm across, in terminal
6 - 15-flowered corymbs or rarely subumbels; pedicels 2.5 - 3.8 cm long, glabrous or
minutely puberulous. Sepals glabrous, 9 -10 x 6 - 9 mm; outer pair much concave. Petals
obovate, narrowed at base; truncate at apex, 1 1 - 1 5 x 9 - 1 1 mm, puberulous on both
surfaces. Torus 3 - 4 mm across. Stamens 45 - 60; filaments white, rosy-purple on ageing,
2.5 - 3 cm long. Gynophore 3.5 - 5.5 cm long, thickened to 3 - 5 mm in fruit; ovary ellipsoid
or ovoid, ca 3.5 x 2.5 mm; placentae 3 - 5 , many-ovuled; stigma capitate. Fruits globose,
umbonate, 4.5 - 6 cm across, pendent; stipes 8 -10 cm long, 4 - 5 mm thick; seeds 35 -
40, ovoid, 1 -1.2 x 1 cm, reddish brown; cotyledons foliaceous, coiled, elliptic with obtuse
tip, 12 x 8 mm.

Fl. March - May, July - Aug.; Fr. May - Oct.

 CAPPARACEAE 289
1993]

Distrib. India: Along rocky slopes in dry deciduous forests up to 600 m, often
associated with C. divaricata, C. grandiflora, etc. Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil
Nadu.

Sri Lanka.

Notes. Chromosome number is n = 20 (R.SundaraRaghavan, unpublished). Refer

to Sundararaghavan & Rolla S. Rao in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 63(3): 418 - 421.1965
& Sundararaghavan in Blumea 20: 356. 1972 for further details and discussions on
taxonomy of this species.

24. Capparis sepiaria L., Syst. Nat. ed. 10. 2: 1071.1759; Hook. f. & Thomson in
Fl. Brit. India 1:176.1872. C. incanescens D C , Prodr. 1: 247.1824. C. sepiaria L. var.
incanescens (DC.) Hook. f. & Thomson, 1. c. 177. C. glauca Wallich ex Hook. f. &
Thomson, 1. c. 180.

Beng.: Kaliakhara; Guj.: Kanthar, Kanthare; Hindi: Heens; Mar.: Kanthara,

Kanthodi, Pachuda, Pachra, Pachunda; Kan.: Kothi; Or.: Hathi-ankusa, Kantikapala;
Tam.: Kadukattiri, Serraputtai, Thorattai.

Shrubs, rarely trees, erect or scandent, 2 - 6 m tall, widely much-branched, densely

armed; twigs zig-zag, flexuous, hoary or appressed grey-pubescent; indumentum occa-
sionally ash-white; stipular thorns recurved, 3 - 4 mm long, copious. Leaves ovate,
ovate-elliptic, oblong to oblong-lanceolate or suborbicular, rarely exceptionally linear,
acute, blunt, rounded or rarely subcordate at base, acute or often rounded and always
emarginate or retuse at apex, 1.5 - 5.5 x 0.4 - 3.5 cm, herbaceous to subcoriaceous,
pubescent, dull and glaucous when dry; midrib slightly sunken at base above; lateral
nerves 4-6 (-8) pairs with obscure reticulations. Flowers white, creamy or even greenish
white, fragrant, 8-10 mm across, in terminal 8 - 30-flowered corymbose subumbels, or
on short lateral twigs; peduncles up to 1.5 cm long; pedicels 8 - 1 2 mm long. Sepals
subequal, ovate or suborbicular, ciliate along margins; outer pair 3.5 - 4 x 2 - 3 mm,
coriaceous; inner pair smaller than outer, membranous. Petals obovate or oblong-
spathulate, rounded at apex, 5 - 6 x 2 - 3 mm, white, puberulous at base. Stamens 25 -
40; filaments 10 -14 mm long, exserted; anthers brown. Gynophore 5-6 (-10) mm long,
slender, slightly thickened in fruits, puberulous towards base; ovary ovoid, 1.5 - 2 x
0.8-1 mm, glabrous; ovules few; placentae 2. Fruits globose, 8 - 1 2 mm across, yellow
turning black or dark-violet; stipe thin, 1.4 - 2 cm long; seeds 1 (-2), embedded in a sticky
pulp, discoid, ca 6 x 4 mm, brown.

Fl. March - July; Fr. Oct. - Nov.

Distrib. India: In scrub or deciduous forests, from sea level to 350 m. Almost
throughout India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Andaman & Nicobar Islands
(except hill States of N.E. India).
290 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Maldives, extending to Africa, China
Vietnam, Malesia and Australia.

Notes. As it can be raised from cuttings, can be used as a hedge plant. Berries are
edible.

In some collections from Maharashtra (Santapau 28662 & Tavasari 1066 in BLAT),
the peduncles are hardly 1.5 mm long.

Specimens from Andaman & Nicobar Islands show larger parts as compared to
mainland Indian specimens. Leaves up to 10 x 5 cm; flowers 1.5 -1.8 cm across, pedicels
up to 2.2 cm long, sepals up to 5.2 x 2 mm, petals up to 8 x 4 mm and fruits up to 2 cm
across.

The Burmese plants labelled "C. glauca" have narrow glaucescent leaves, smaller
flowers which are arranged in a panicle of umbels, stamens varying from 12 - 18 and
short hardly 2 mm long gynophore.

It has chromosome number of 2n = 40 (T.S. Raghavan in Ann. Bot., Lond., n.s. 2:

75:1938).

25. Capparis shevaroyensis Sund.-Ragh. in Kew Bull. 37: 72.1982. C. parviflora

Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:176.1872, non Boiss. 1843. Fig. 54.

Shrubs, erect or scandent, irregularly profusely branched, up to 3 m tall; twigs wiry,

puberulous when young, early glabrescent; stipular thorns mostly lacking, if present
minute, ca 1 mm long, straight, few, pointing upwards; cataphylls absent. Leaves
lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, narrow, cordate at base, acute to caudate-acuminate
at apex, with up to 1.2 cm long acumen, 5 - 12 x 1.6 - 4.8 cm, subcoriaceous, glabrous,
dull green above, yellowish green beneath; lateral nerves 6 - 9 pairs, forming an
intra-marginal loop; reticulations distinct above, obscure beneath; petioles 0.5 - 2.5 mm
long. Flowers white or creamy white, fragrant, 6 - 8 mm across, in terminal, subterminal
or upper axillary 5 - 10-flowered umbels; bracts subulate, ca 1.5 mm long; pedicels
filiform, 4 - 5 mm long, glabrous. Sepals subequal, ca 3.5 mm long, 1.5 -1.8 mm wide.
Petals oblong to obovate, 3 - 4 x 2 mm, puberulous at base. Stamens 20 - 42. Gynophore
filiform, 4 - 5 mm long, not thickened in fruit; ovary ovoid, ca 1.5 mm long, 0.8 - 1 mm
thick, glabrous; placentae 2. Fruits yellowish-brown, globose, pisciform, 8 - 10 mm
across, smooth on a slender stalk, 1.3 -1.6 cm long, one-seeded.

Fl. March; Fr. Aug. - Sept.

Distrib. India: Moist forests, from 400 to 800 m. Tamil Nadu (confined to Tirunel-
veli Dist.), Kerala (confined to Silent Valley area in Palakkad Dist.).
 CAPPARACEAE 291
1993]

mm
cm

Fig. 54. Capparis shevaroyensis Sund.-Ragh.: a. twig with buds and immature fruits;
b. flower; c. sepal; d. outer and inner petals; e. pistil; f. t.s. of ovary; g. fruit;
h. seed.
292 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Endemic and threatened.

Notes. Beddome's description and plate of C. parviflora Hook. f. & Thomson (in
Ic. PI. Ind. Or. 65, t. 276. 1876) are misleading, hence its apparent confusion with C.
fusifera Dunn ( = C. tomentella Dunn). Though his plate (excluding fruit) faithfully
depicts his specimen nos. 61 and 273 (viz. C. fusifera Dunn) his description of leaves
being "very narrow", fruits being "fusiform", scarcely exceeding half an inch, as well as
his drawing of the berry, all pertain to C. parviflora Hook. f. & Thomson. The narrow
greenish glabrous leaves with petioles of 2 mm long, nature of inflorescence, fragrant
small flowers, sepals and petals hardly exceeding 4 mm in length, the non-thickened
fruiting stalk and globose berries of 8 - 10 mm in diameter, all reflect characters of C.
parviflora Hook. f. & Thomson, which happens to be a later homonym of C. parviflora
Boiss. and hence illegitimate.

Jacobs (in Blumea 12: 477. 1965) mentions stamens as ranging from 16 - 24 but in
many recent collections, it varies from 24 to 42.

26. Capparis sikkimensis Kurz in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 43(2): 181. 1875. C.
cathcartii Hemsley ex Gamble, Darjeeling List ed.2. 1896. Capparis sp. Hook. f. &
Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:180.1872. Fig. 55.

Shrubs, scandent, 4 - 6 m tall; stipular thorns hooked, few, confined to base, but
mostly wanting in flowering shoots; twigs purple tinged; young shoots fulvous pubescent
with simple hairs, but early glabrescent; cataphylls absent. Leaves elliptic or ovate,
attenuate at base, rounded, often abruptly and shortly acuminate at apex, somewhat
inrolled along margins, 7 - 15 x 3.5 - 7.5 cm, glabrous, chartaceous to subcoriaceous,
lustrous above, dull beneath, drying brown; midrib flattish to shallowly channelled above;
lateral nerves 7 - 9 pairs, prominent beneath; reticulations obscure; petioles 1 - 2
cmlong. Inflorescence axillary, 8 - 20-flowered umbels, these in turn arranged in the
form of a subterminal or terminal up to 18 cm long panicles; peduncles up to 10 cm long,
angular; pedicels conferted towards top, 2 - 2.5 cm long, glabrous. Flowers white, showy,
2.5 - 3.5 cm across. Sepals ovate-orbicular, 7 -12 x 4 - 5 mm, fulvous pubescent outside,
greenish yellow. Petals obovate, 12 - 25 x 5 - 8 mm, white hairy inside. Stamens 28-40;
filaments pink. Gynophore 3.5 - 4.5 cm long, reddish, much thickened in fruit; ovary
ovoid or ellipsoid, apiculate, 2.5 - 4 x 1.5 - 2 mm, glabrous; placentae 4. Fruits subglobose
or ovoid, umbonate, 3 - 6.5 cm across; pericarp reddish purple, up to 10 mm thick, smooth
but wrinkled on drying; stipe woody, 5 - 6 cm long, 3 - 6 mm thick; seeds 4 - 8, embedded
in scanty yellowish pulp, ca 1.8 x 0.8 cm.

Fl. May - June; Fr. Sept. - Nov.

 CAPPARACEAE 293
1993]

I #<$

Fig. 55. Capparis sikkimensis Kurz: a. flowering twig; b. twig with immature fruits;
c. flower with sepals and petals removed; d. outer sepals; e. inner sepals; f.
outer petals; g. inner petals; h. stamen; i. pistil.
294 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Distrib. India: Along hilly tracts in open forests or along dense forest outskirts
often near streams, up to 1750 m. altitude. West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh
Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya.

Myanmar and China.

Notes. The Indian plants belong to subsp. sikkimensis. The unarmed "Capparis" sp.
in Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1:180.1872 is referable to C. sikkimensis only. Kanjilal et al.
do not include this species in Flora of Assam, though it is rather common in N.E. India.

Jacobs (1. c.) could not locate the type specimen. But the specimen Kurz no. 2 from
Sikkim located in CAL herbarium under Accession number 29236 is designated as type,
as except for this no other collection exists in CAL, K, or BM. The locality is most
probably Kurseong, based on which Prain (in Ann. R. Bot. Gard. Calc. 9 (1): 8, t. 10.
1901) has depicted his plate.

27. Capparis spinosa L., Sp. PI. 503.1753; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India
1:173.1872.

Undershrubs, diffuse, prostrate or trailing, glabrous or pubescent with white cottony

caducois tomentum; innovations with rather long white hairs; twigs appressed tomen-
tose to glabrescent; stipular thorns divaricate, pale straw-yellow, 5 - 7 mm long, hooked;
roots thick, woody. Leaves variable, 1-1.8 times as long as broad, ovate, obovate, elliptic
or orbicular, rounded at base, retuse, obtuse or acute-mucronate or spine-tipped at apex,
1.2 - 6.5 x 1.2 - 4 cm; midrib rather obscure above; lateral nerves 3 - 4 pairs; reticulations
obscure; petioles 2 - 25 (-28) mm long. Flowers solitary, axillary, sparsely scattered along
twigs, showy, odorous, white suffused with red, fading rosy-pink to purple, 3 - 5 cm
across; flower buds 1.5 - 2.5 cm in diam.; pedicels sturdy, 3 - 6 (-8) cm long, glabrous.
Sepals subequal, nearly actinomorphic to strongly zygomorphic with the posterior sepal
then being exceedingly saccate, 1.8 - 2 x 1.3 -1.6 cm, 3 - 5 mm deep near apex; the rest
2 - 2.2 x 0.8 - 1 cm. Petals slightly exceeding sepals; posterior petal obdeltoid, 2.8 - 3.6
x 1.6 - 1.8 cm, others obovate-cuneate, often hood-shaped, 2 - 3 x 1 -1.6 cm. Stamens
exceeding 60, often up to 190; filaments longer than petals, exserted, white, fading
pinkish. Gynophore 3 - 8 cm long, thickened, and much elongated in fruits, sometimes
hairy towards base; ovary glabrous, ribbed, obovate, 3.5 - 4 x 2 - 2.5 mm; placentae 6 - 8 .
Fruits smooth, ellipsoid, ovoid or oblong-obovoid, 3 - 5 x 1 - 1.8 cm, red, 5 - 6-ribbed,
splitting from apex into 4 parts; stalk 4 - 8 mm long, ca 1.5 thick; seeds 3 - 4 mm in diam.,
embedded in scarlet pulp.

Notes. This species is highly variable and polymorphic. As far as Indian subconti-
nent is concerned, three distinct varieties, including type variety, are recognisable.
Following Jacobs (in Blumea 12: 416 - 420.1965), var. galeata and var. hitnalayensis are
treated as varieties of C. spinosa, although Jafri (in Fl. W. Pakistan 34: 6 - 10. 1973)
prefers to treat them as distinct species. The nature of innovations, size, shape and
 CAPPARACEAE 295
1993]

of leaves, galeate or otherwise of the posterior sepal, depth of saccate sepal,

th and pubescence of gynophore are all quantitative characters and hence treated
h e at varietal level only, though at extremities the characters look markedly contrasting
and seemingly quite distinct.

KEY TO T H E VARIETIES

la sepals nearly actinomorphic, posterior sepal shallowly galeate; petals not hooded 27.3. var. spinosa
b Sepals strongly zygomorphic, posterior sepal deeply saccate, one sepal and two petals hooded 2
2a Twigs glabrous to early glabrescent; leaves fleshy, cartilaginous; petioles 15 - 28 mm long; gynophore
3 . 4 cm long 27.1. var. galeata
b. Twigs appressed tomentose, later glabrescent; leaves otherwise; petioles 2 - 7 mm long; gynophore
5 - 8 cm long 27.2. var. himalayensis

27.1. var. galeata (Fresen.) Hook. f. & Thomson in Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1:173.
1872. C. galeata Fresen. in Mus. Senck. 2: 111. 1837.

Guj.: Katar.

Shrubs, prostrate, straggling or erect, 1.5 - 3 m tall, glabrous, glaucous; twigs zig-zag,
brittle with short internodes; stipular thorns orange-yellow, recurved, 2 - 6 mm long.
Leaves ovate, elliptic or orbicular, rounded at base, emarginate at apex with a hooked
yellowish or brown spine inserted below the apex, 2.5 - 6 x 1.5 - 3.5 cm, fleshy,
cartilaginous, glabrous, coriaceous, drying greyish green; lateral nerves 3 - 4 pairs,
obscure; petioles 15-28 mm long. Flowers white, tinged pink or mauve, showy, 4 - 6 cm
across; pedicels 4 - 6 cm long, stout, glabrous, elongating up to 9 cm in fruits. Calyx
strongly zygomorphic; posterior sepal deeply galeate, 2.8 - 5 x 1.8 - 2.8 cm with a depth
of 0.9 - 1.6 cm; other sepals oblong, 2 - 2.5 x 1 - 1.5 cm. Petals not exceeding sepals,
posterior petal hooded, enclosed by posterior sepal. Stamens about 100 or more.
Gynophore 3.5 - 5 cm long, much thickened in fruits; placentae 8. Fruits pear-shaped
or ellipsoid, 3.5 - 6 x 2 - 2.8 cm, reddish, dehiscing tardily; stipes 5 - 9 cm long, 4 - 5 mm
thick.

Fl&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Mostly coastal areas from sea level to 300 m, often pendulous on old
walls and rocky slopes. Gujarat.

Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel extending to tropical N. Africa.

Notes. Chromosome number reported is n = 10 (Baquar et al. in Bot. Notiser 119:

24 - 32. 1966). This variety is fairly common along coastal Gujarat. It is easily distin-
guished from var. spinosa by the thick cartilaginous, fleshy leaves with a strongly
296 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.

recurved mucro inserted below the apex at the end of midrib, longer petioles and strongly
saccate posterior sepal. The cartilaginous leaf is probably an adaptation to the arid
habitat.

27.2. var. himalayensis (Jafri) Jacobs in Blumea 12:419 - 420.1965. C. himalayensis

Jafri in Pakistan J. For. 6:197, t.l, f.l. B, map. 1956. C. spinosa var. leucophylla sensu
Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:173.1872, non DC. 1824.

Hindi: Kabra.

Shrubs, diffuse, prostrate or hanging; twigs appressed soft pubescent; stipular

thorns yellow, 4 - 6 mm long, curved at tip. Leaves rounded at base, acute or rarely
obtuse and spine-tipped at apex, 2.8 - 4.5 x 2 - 3.8 cm, subcoriaceous, pubescent, drying
greenish yellow; lateral nerves 3 - 6 pairs, obscure; petioles 2 - 7 mm long, pubescent.
Flowers showy, mildly fragrant, white, rosy tinged, fading purplish, 3.5 - 6 cm across;
pedicels 3 - 7 cm long, pubescent, elongating up to 9 cm and thickened in fruits. Sepals
strongly zygomorphic, pubescent; posterior sepal 2.5 - 4.5 x 1 -1.5 cm, 1 -1.5 cm deep,
narrowed at base, others 1.5 - 2.5 x 0.8 - 1.5 cm. Petals almost equalling outer sepals.
Stamens 80 -100; filaments mauve, turning purple. Gynophore 4 - 8 cm long, puberulous
at base, thickening up to 3 mm in fruits; ovary faintly ribbed, obovoid, 6 - 8 x 2 - 3 mm;
placentae 5 - 8 . Fruits oblong-ellipsoid, ribbed, 3 - 5 x 1.8 - 2.3 cm, tardily dehiscent;
seeds as in var. spinosa.

Fl. & Fr. May - Aug.

Distrib. India: On rocky cliffs, hanging from crevices at altitudes of 1500 - 2000 m.
Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan and Nepal.

Notes. C. leucophylla DC. is altogether distinct and non-Indian. In Indian floras,

C. spinosa .var. leucophylla sensu Hook. f. & Thomson and sensu Collett (Fl. Siml.)
represent var. himalayensis. In Himachal Pradesh, where both var. spinosa and var.
himalayensis occur, introgressive hybridisation is common and characters intergrade so
that the varieties cannot be separated. Flowers open at dusk or evening and last for one
day.

27.3. var. spinosa

Beng.: Kabia; Guj.: Kantala, Kanthera; Hindi: Kabra; Mar.: Kabra, Kalavri,
Vundri; Punj.: Keri, Kerail; Sind.: Kalvari.

Fl. Dec. - May (Western India), July - Nov. (Northern India); Fr. Feb. - May
(Western India), July - Dec. (Northern India).
1993] CAPPARACEAE 297

Distrib. India: Along dry stony rocks, frequent in scrub jungles from 500 - 3500 m.
Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat, Maha-
rashtra, Goa and Tamil Nadu.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and eastwards to Australia and westwards to Europe

and N. America.

Notes. Young and ripe fruits are edible; berries are boiled and eaten with curd.
Unripe berries are pickled. Leaves used as fodder for goats, camels and sheep. Infusion
of leaves used in treating gonorrhoea. In Ladakh a decoction of the leaves is drunk
against hyperacidity.

There are no recent collection from peninsular India, except for a solitary collection
from Madurai. On ripening, berries separate curling into 3 - 4 segments exposing seeds
embedded in scarlet pulp. Dispersal of seeds is by animals.

Chromosome number reported is 2n = 38 (Taylor in Amer. J. Bot. 12: 238.1935).

28. Capparis tenera Dalz. in Hook., J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 2: 41.1850; Hook. f.
& Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:179.1872.

Shrubs, straggling, glabrous, up to 4 m high, with spreading branches; stipular thorns

strongly recurved, sharp, 2 - 4 mm long; innovations glabrous, if tomentose, early
glabrescent. Leaves distichous, ovate-elliptic or obovate-oblong, rounded or subcor-
date at base, acute to abruptly 8-10 mm long caudate-acuminate with blunt tip at apex,
4 - 7 (-11) x 2.5 - 4 (-5) cm, membranous, herbaceous to subcoriaceous, glaucous; midrib
shallowly sunken; lateral nerves 4 - 5 pairs with obscure reticulations; petioles 2.5 - 6
mm long. Flowers in supra-axillary serial rows of 1 - 4 flowers, white, fragrant, 8-12 mm
across; pedicels filiform, 1.5 - 5 mm long, glabrous, not thickened in fruit. Sepals
subequal, deflexed, green, purple-tinged; outer pair boat-shaped, ovate, acute, largely
covering inner pair, 4.5 - 6 x 2.2 - 2.5 mm, pubescent inside, ciliate along margins; inner
pair elliptic-lanceolate, puberulous at base and towards base. Petals slightly larger than
sepals, oblong or ovate-oblong, acute, 5.5 - 7 x 1.8 - 2 mm, white with a red basal blotch
on upper pair, tomentose at surface and margins. Stamens 8-15 (-18); filaments white,
14 - 20 mm long; anthers bluish. Gynophore filiform, 14 - 20 mm long, white, glabrous,
not thickened; ovary pear-shaped, 1.5 -1.8 mm long, ca 5 - 8 mm thick, purple tinged;
stigma knob-shaped; placentae 2; ovules few. Fruits pisciform or subglobular, some-
times pointed, 8 -12 mm across; pericarp thin, deep orange or red when ripe; seeds 3 -
4, ca 5 x 4 mm.

Fl. Feb. - May; Fr. May - June.

Distrib. India: Up to 600 m, in moderately high rainfall zones. Assam, Nagaland,

Manipur, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
298 FLORA O F INDIA [ VOL. 2

Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and westward extending to tropical Africa.

Notes. The distribution does not extend to Sikkim and the reported collection by
Thomson s.n. in 1857 is probably due to mislabelling. Bell, Blatter, Ritchie and Talbot
have earlier recorded this species from North Kanara and similarly Barber and Bed-
dome from Kerala. However, there are no recent collections from Karnataka or Kerala,
except for the historical collections deposited in BLAT, CAL and K. The specimens
from Andaman Islands have unusually larger leaves, flowers and fruits.

29. Capparis zeylanica L., Sp. PI. ed. 2.720.1762. C. horrida L. f., Suppl. 264.1781;
Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 178.1872.

Hindi: Asaria, Bagnai, Jaginbel; Kan.: Anthundikai; Mar.: Toratti, Wagati; Nep.:
Bagdanch; Sans.: Buraasaria, Hunkura; Tarn.: Adandai, Ekkathari, Morundan, Tondai,
Toratti; Tel.: Adandi.

Shrubs, climbing or straggling, ascending up to 8 m, densely armed with 4 - 6 mm

long recurved stipular thorns; twigs densely covered with rufous or greyish stellate scurfy
deciduous tomentum; cataphylls absent. Leaves ovate, elliptic, lanceolate or obovate,
rounded, subcordate or cuneate at base, acute, acuminate or obtuse, twisted with a
callous recurved mucro at apex, 2 - 7 (- 11) x 1.5 - 5.5 (-8) cm, dull, coriaceous, glabrous
or glabrescent; lateral nerves 4 - 8 pairs; reticulations distinct; petioles 5 -12 (- 20) mm,
pubescent. Flowers showy, white, fading to pink or purple, fragrant, 3.5 - 5 cm across,
in supraaxillary rows of 2 - 6 flowers, often developing before leaves; pedicels pube-
scent, 0.6 - 1.8 cm long, much thickened and elongating up to 3 cm in fruits. Sepals
subequal; outer pair elliptic or orbicular, 8 - 12 x 6 - 8 mm; inner pair elliptic-oblong,
slightly smaller than outer. Petals white with a reddish spot within, fading to purple,
oblong, rounded, 1.5 -1.8 x 0.5 - 0.8 cm, tomentose inside, subentire, repand. Disk ca 1
mm in diam. Stamens 30 - 50; filaments 3 - 4.5 cm long, creamy white, turning to pink
or purple before dusk; anthers ca 2 mm long, ca 1 mm thick. Gynophore glabrous, except
at base, 3 - 5.5 cm long, thickening in fruits; ovary glabrous, ellipsoid or ovoid, 1.5 - 2.5
x 1 - 1.5 mm; placentae 4. Fruits globular or ellipsoid, pustulate, ca 5 x 4 cm; pericarp
woody, leathery, up to 2 mm thick, smooth, reddish orange to purple; stipe 5 - 8 cm long,
4 - 5 mm thick; seeds many, embedded in scarlet pulp, 5 - 7 x 4 - 6 mm.

Fl. Feb. - Apr.; Fr. Aug. - Oct.

Distrib. India: Along hedges, roadsides, scrub forests and moist deciduous forest
edges, from sea level to 1000 m. Almost throughout India, including Andaman &
Nicobar Islands (except Kashmir area).

Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and China to Malesia.

 CAPPARACEAE 299
1993]

Notes. Unripe fruits are pickled and mature ones are edible. Pulverised fruits
mixed with berries of C. moonii are reportedly efficaceous in treating jaundice, liver
ailments and even tuberculosis.

It has a diploid number of 2n = 40 (T.S. Raghavan in Ann. Bot., Lond., n.s. 2: 75.
1938).

The leaves are highly variable, sometimes narrowly lanceolate with a pair of lateral
basal lobes, hence appearing hastate. In Andamans, the leaves are very much larger
than the normal ones seen in mainland. In vegetative condition it often resembles C.
micracantha DC.

The nomenclatural problem in this species has been dealt with by Jacobs (in Blumea
12: 505 - 508.1965). Unaware that Linnaeus had already described the species based
on Hermann's collection from Sri Lanka, the younger Linnaeus described C. horrida
based on Koenig's collection, also from Sri Lanka. Wight & Arnott (Prodr. Fl. Pen. Ind.
Or. 25.1834, excl. synonym C.pyrifolia Lam.) had correctly interpreted both the species
but failed to recognise that both are related to one and the same species.

The description of C. zeylanica in Hook. f.( Fl. Brit. India 1:174.1872) pertains to
C. brevispina D C , an error repeated by many other Indian botanists, except by Dunn
who could distinguish C. zeylanica from C. brevispina.

3. Cleome L.

Herbs, mostly annuals, often woody at base; stems foetid, generally striate, glabrous
to viscid-glandular, occasionally with scattered prickly appendages. Leaves spirally
arranged, simple or digitately 3 - 13-foliolate, lower leaves petiolate, upper ones sub-
sessile or sessile; stipules none or obsolete, rarely with stiff spine-like recurved enations.
Flowers actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic by displacement of petals, in terminal
racemes or solitary, axillary, pedicellate; bracts foliaceous or membranous, persistent
or caducous. Sepals 4, free or shortly united at base, equal, valvate, often glandular
pubescent. Petals 4, mostly clawed at base, equal or unequal, longer than sepals.
Stamens (4-) 6 to many, usually all fertile, rarely with a few staminodes, borne on a short
or long androgynophore; filaments equal or subequal, declinate. Ovary sessile or mostly
on a short gynophore which elongates in fruit, 1-loculed; ovules many on 2 parietal
placentae; style short or absent; stigma sessile, capitate, discoid or truncate. Capsules
siliquiform, linear, oblong, terete or flattened, striate, often beaked, dehiscing by 2 valves
with persistent seed-bearing replum in middle; seeds glabrous or pubescent, discoid,
reniform or orbicular, the ends incurving or one of them free, sometimes with funicular
elaiosome, smooth, reticulate-foveolate or transversely rugose, warty, crested or ridged
on surface; endosperm none or scanty; embryo straight. Fig. 56.
300 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Fig. 56. Capsules and seeds of Cleome L.: a. C. angustifolia; b. C. ariana; c. C. as-
pera; d. C. burmannii; e. C. chelidonii; f. C.felina; g. C fimbriata; h.C.gy-
nandra; i. C. gynandra var. «a/ia; j . C hassleriana; k. C monopylla; 1. C
rutidosperma; m. C. scaposa; n. C. simplicifolia; o. C. speciosa; p. C. va/i/-
/c/ifl; q. C viscosa; r. C. v/scosc var. nagarjunakondensis.
 CAPPARACEAE 301
1993]

America, Europe, Africa, Asia, extending to Australia in tropical areas; ca 150

species, 15 species in India.

Literature. BABU, C. R & N. C. MAJUMDAR (1976) Taxonomical notes on Cleome aspera

Koen ex D C , C. burmannii Wight & Am. and C. rutidosperma DC. (Cleomaceae). J. Bombay Nat. Hist.
Soc 71: 629 - 632.1974. ILTIS, H. H. (1960) Studies in Capparidaceae vii. Old World Cleomes adventive
in the New World. Brittonia 12: 279 - 294. KUMAR, P.V & BIR BAHADUR (1978) Seed morphology
of thirteen species of Cleome L. (Capparidaceae). J. Indian Bot. Soc. 57: 39 - 46, ff. 1 -16. SUNDARA
RAGHAVAN, R. (1984) On Cleome burmannii Wt. & Arn. (Capparaceae) - Its identity and distribution.
J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 5: 463 - 465. VUAYAKUMAR, P. & BIR BAHADUR (1978) Seed morphology of
thirteen species of Cleome L. (Capparaceae). J. Indian Bot. Soc. 57: 39 - 46, ff. 1 -16.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves simple 2

b. Leaves compound, 3 - 9-foliolate 5
2a. Lamina of leaves 2 or more times as long as broad 3
b. Lalnina of leaves 1 -1.5 times as long as broad 4
3a. Stems striate, clothed with short glandular and long eglandular hairs; stamens 6; capsules 5 -10 cm
long 9. C. monophylla
b. Stems not striate, scabrid-strigose with spinulose hairs from glandular bases; stamens 8-16 (-24);
capsules under 4 cm long 12. C. simplicifoli
4a. Leaves penninerved; stamens 6; capsules ca 1 mm broad 11. C. scaposa
b. Leaves palmately 5-nerved; stamens 4; capsules 3 - 4 mm broad 7. C. fimbriata
5a. Androgynophore conspicuous, 5 mm or more long 6
b. Androgynophore mostly absent, if present under 3 mm long 7
6a. Plants pubescent with gland-tipped hairs, foetid; petals under 15 mm long, valvate in bud, white or
yellowish; androgynophore 9-16 mm long; gynophore in fruit 5-10 mm long 8. C. gynandra
b. Plants glabrous, or thinly short hairy, not glandular pubescent, not foetid; petals 25-35 mm long,
imbricate in bud, pink or reddish violet; androgynophore 5 - 7 mm long; gynophore in fruit ca 6 cm
long 13. C. speciosa
7a. Plants with retrorse scattered soft linear prickly appendages 8
b. Plants without retrorse or prickly appendages 10
8a. Leaflets linear or oblong-lanceolate, scabrid with tubercle-based hairs; petioles shorter than leaflets;
gynophore absent 3. C. aspera
b. Leaflets otherwise, glabrous except for the scabrous veins; petioles equal to or longer than leaflets;
gynophore short 9
9a. Leaflets rhombate or ellipsoid-rhombate; petals 8-12 mm long; seeds with elaiosomes
10. C. rutidosperma
b. Leaflets elliptic, ovate or lanceolate; petals 2 - 4 mm long; seeds without elaiosomes 4. C. burmannii
10a. Stamens 6 11
b. Stamens 12 - many 13
11a. Leaflets linear to filiform 1. C. angustifolia
b. Leaflets various, not linear or filiform 12
302 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

12a. Petals yellow with linear scaly appendages above claw; capsules oblong, up to 12 mm long, densely
glandular-haiiy 14. C. vahliana
b. Petals white or pinkish without appendages; capsules linear, exceeding 15 mm long, scattered
glandular-haiiy 2. C. ariana
13a. Leaflets 3; capsules flat, 6-10 times as long as broad 6. C. felina
b. Leaflets 3 - 9 ; capsules terete, more than 20 times as long as broad 14
14a. Plants pubescent with non-glandular hairs; flowers pinkish or purplish 5. C. chelidonii
b. Plants viscid with stalked glandular hairs; flowers yellow 15. C. viscosa

1. Cleome angustifolia Forsskal, Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. 120. 1775. C. tenella L. f.,

Suppl. 300.1781; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:169.1872.

Tam.: Naikadugu.

Herbs, annual, slender, much-branched, glabrous, 10 - 50 cm high; young stems

filiform. Leaves 3-foliolate with 6-10 mm long petiole; leaflets sessile, mostly filiform,
narrowly linear or oblanceolate, acute at apex, longer than petiole, 1.2 - 2 cm long, 1-2
mm wide; lowest leaf with oblanceolate leaflets. Flowers small, 3 - 3.5 mm across, in lax
2 - 5-flowered terminal and not clearly demarcated racemes, often solitary, axillary,
yellow; pedicels up to 6 mm long; bracts simple or 3-foliolate. Sepals 4, elliptic, 1 -1.5
mm long. Petals 3 - 4 mm long, yellow with purple veins. Stamens 6. Capsules sessile
or subsessile, linear, subterete, 1.5 - 5 cm long, 1.5 - 2 mm thick, glabrous; seeds
suborbicular, curved, 0.5 - 0.7 mm across, minutely rugulose with open cleft, brown.

Fl. & Fr. June - Jan.

Distrib. India: Wastelands, rocky slopes, in sandy soil from sea level to 350 m.
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Kerala.

Sri Lanka, extending to Arabia and Africa.

Notes. Unlike Indian plants, the African plants are much taller (often up to 50 cm)
and leaflets broader.

Though the flowers are mostly yellow with purple streaks, Matthew (in Fl. Tamil
Nadu Carnatic 3(1): 49.1983) records purple flowers.

2. Cleome ariana Hedge & Lammond in Rech. f., Fl. Iran. 68:17, f. 2.1970; Jafri
in Fl. W. Pakistan 34: 24, f. 6A. 1973.

Herbs, annual, 20 - 40 cm high, glandular hairy; branches thin, arising from base.
Leaves 3-foliolate, upper ones 1-foliolate, or apparently simple; petioles up to 10 mm in
lower leaves, shorter or absent in upper leaves; leaflets linear to narrowly elliptic, 6-22
 CAPPARACEAE 303
1993]

x 1 - 4 mm, somewhat glandular, glabrous. Racemes laxly many-flowered elongating

during fruiting. Flowers 3 - 4 mm across, white or purplish-pink; pedicels thin, spread-
ing up to 10 mm long. Sepals ovate, obtuse, or subacute, 1 -1.5 x 0.5 - 0.7 mm, slightly
connate at base, often glandular at apex. Petals spathulate or linear-oblong, narrowly
but not distinctly clawed at base, 2 - 4 x 0.5 - 1 mm. Stamens 6; filaments purple or violet,
2.5 - 6 mm long; anthers ovoid, versatile, apiculate, often violet coloured. Ovary with
very short gynophore; style absent. Capsules linear-oblong, usually slightly curved or
deflexed, 1.5 - 2.5 x 0.1 - 0.2 cm (including 0.5 - 3 mm long gynophore), scarcely torulose.
Seeds 10 -15, ca 1 mm across, granulate with closed cleft, glabrous, brownish black.

Fl.&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: Subtropical and temperate hillocks up to 1700 m. Jammu & Kash-
mir.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.

3. Cleome aspera Koenig ex D C , Prodr. 1: 241.1824; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl.

Brit. India 1:169.1872.

Tam.: Malayvarinai-poondu.

Herbs, annuals, prostrate, decumbent or ascending; stems ribbed with scattered

short compressed hooked soft minute prickles. Leaves basally 3-foliolate, uppermost
ones simple; petioles 2 - 1 0 mm long (rarely up to 2 cm long in basal leaves), almost
absent in uppermost leaves; leaflets subsessile, linear-oblong or lanceolate, cuneate at
base, subobtuse to retuse and mucronate at apex; central leaflets up to 2.5 x 0.5 cm,
lateral leaflets up to 1.5 x 0.4 cm, scabrid and ciliate along margins with tubercle-based
hairs; lateral nerves 4 - 9 pairs. Flowers ca 3 mm across, solitary, in axils of higher leaves,
often forming up to 2.5 cm long leafy racemes; pedicels filiform, 3 - 5 mm long,
elongating to 1.5 cm in fruits, puberulous. Sepals linear-lanceolate, obtuse, 1 - 2 mm
long, thinly glandular-pubescent. Petals elliptic or oblanceolate, rounded at apex, 2.5 -
4 x 0.8 -1.5 mm, white or creamy yellow with orange or reddish streaks. Stamens 6;
filaments ca 2.5 mm long; anthers linear, ca 1 mm long. Gynophore ca 1 mm long,
elongating to 3 mm in fruits; ovary linear, 2 - 2.5 mm long; styles slender, ca 1 mm long.
Capsules subsessile or on up to 3 mm long stalk, terete, narrow at both ends, slightly
torulose, beaked, 2 - 3 cm long, 1.5-2 mm thick; seeds 12 - 20, suborbicular, curved with
a closed cleft, 1.7 - 2 x 1.5 mm, with prominent cross ribs and joined by obtuse concentric
ribs, yellowish to dark brown.

Fl. & Fr. Throughout the year, peak period June - Oct.

Distrib. India: Wastelands, sandy or gravelly soil, up to 400 m. Orissa, Gujarat,

Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Kerala.
304 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Sri Lanka.

Notes. Flowers are mostly creamy yellow or white but Gamble (in Fl. Pres. Madras,
repr. ed. 1: 29. 1957) mentions "pink" which is reflected in the specimens, Subbarao
36252 (MH) and Sainaba 28397 (CAL). In Joesph 5219 (MH) petiole is exceptionally
1.5 - 2 cm long. The distribution does not extend to Malaysia as stated by Jacobs (Fl.
Males. Ser. I, 6: 105. 1960) as a scrutiny of specimens at Leiden reveals that they are
misidentifications of either C. burmannii or C. rutidosperma. The type, "Ind. Or. Koenig
1774" is in British Museum (BM) and not in Kew as stated by Babu (in J. Bombay Nat.
Hist. Soc. 71: 629 - 632.1976).

Mishra & Panigrahi (Indian J. Forestry 5:153 -154.1982) record it from Orissa.

4. Cleome burmannii Wight & Arn., Prodr. 1: 22.1824; Hook. f. & Thomson in
Fl. Brit. India 1:170.1872. Fig. 57.

Herbs, erect, up to 50 cm high; stems much-branched, somewhat flattened, ribbed,

clothed, with scattered soft 0.5 - 2.5 mm long prickles. Lower petioles 2.5 - 4 cm long,
upper smaller; leaflets 3 - 5 , ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, cuneate and webbed at base,
acute, subacute or subrounded at apex, faintly crenate-serrulate along margins, 2 - 6 x
0.4 -1.8 cm, membranous, glabrous; petiolules up to 1 mm long. Flowers white (rarely
purple), axillary, solitary; pedicels 5 - 18 mm long, glandular hairy. Sepals lanceolate,
acuminate. Petals elliptic-oblong, 2 - 4 x 0.8 -1.2 mm. Gynophore short, 0.5 -1.5 mm,
elongating up to 4 - 7 mm after fertilisation; ovary 1.5 - 2 mm long, glabrous. Capsules
linear, terete, torulose, glabrous, 3.5 - 4.5 em long, 1 -1.5 mm thick, narrowed at both
ends, beaked; seeds 10 -15, reddish-brown, 1.2 -1.4 mm across, with concentric ribs and
closed cleft, without elaiosome.

Fl. & Fr. May - June, Jan.

Distrib. India: In wastelands, up to 600 m, rare. Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Endan-
gered.

Sri Lanka and Indonesia (Java).

Notes. Extremely rare and probably on way to extinction. Besides type, the only
other historic collection from Peninsular India is Koenig's specimen from Ramanatha-
puram in Tamil Nadu. Venkobarao had collected it from Shenkotta along Kerala-Tamil
Nadu border in 1914. Ellis in 1962 had collected it from Tanjavur district of Tamil Nadu.
Reports of its collection from Gujarat (Shah, Fl. Gujarat 1: 71.1978), Kerala (Manilal
& Sivarajan, Fl. Calicut 34. 1983) and reports from other parts of Tamil Nadu are
misidentifications of C. rutidosperma (Sundara Raghavan in J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 5: 463 -
464.1984).
 CAPPARACEAE 305
1993]

Fig. 57. Cleome burmannii Wight & Arn.: a. fruiting plant; b. flower; c. pistil; d.
capsule; e. seed.
306 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

5. Cleome chelidonii L. f., Suppl. PI. 300. 1781; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit.
India 1:170.1872. Polanisia chelidonii (L. f.) D C , Prodr. 1: 242.1824. Fig. 58.

Guj.: Ubhitaveli; Hindi: Jungliswas; Kan.: Heti; Tam.: Neela-naikadugu.

Herbs, suffrutescent, woody, strigose with bulbous based hairs, up to 1.2 m high;
stems subangular; taproot stout, whitish. Leaves 3 - 9-foliolate, densely appressed
pubescent to glabrate, lower ones subcoriaceous, upper ones chartaceous; petioles
gradually decreasing in length upwards, 8 - 10 cm to almost 0 ; leaflets 5 - 9 on lower
leaves, 3 or rarely one in upper leaves; basal leaflets obovate, cuneate at base, obtuse to
rounded at apex, 1.5 - 2 x 1.4 -1.6 cm, strigosely hairy along margins, obscurely veined;
upper leaflets elliptic-lanceolate, lanceolate or even linear, rounded at base, acute at
apex, crenate to wavy along margins; lateral nerves 3 - 4 . Flowers showy, white, pink or
rosy purple, 1.5 - 2 cm across, in lax terminal corymbiform up to 10 cm long racemes;
pedicels 2.5 - 4 cm long, elongating to 5 cm in fruit, hairy; bracts foliaceous; flower-buds
ellipsoid, acute, 6 - 9 mm long. Sepals narrowly imbricate, appressed, elliptic to obovate,
acuminate, 3.5 - 4.5 x 9.8 - 1.5 mm, sparsely pubescent outside. Petals 4 (-8), elliptic,
ovate to obovate, narrowed at base, rounded at apex, 1 - 2 x 0.3 - 0.8 cm, glabrous.
Stamens 35 - 60; filaments swollen at tips, 8-12 mm long, greenish-white or purple tinged;
anthers ca 1 mm long, white. Ovary sessile, linear, 8 - 1 2 mm long, ca 1 mm thick,
glabrous. Capsules linear-cylindric, narrowed at base, beaked at apex, up to 9 cm long,
2 - 3 mm thick; beak ca 3.5 mm long; valves striate, parallel-veined, glabrous. Seeds
40 - 50, orbicular with open cleft, 1.5 - 2.5 mm across; testa not ridged but warty or
muriculate on dorsal side, reddish brown, drying black.

Fl. & Fr. Throughout the year, peak during premonsoon period.

Distrib. India: Paddy fields and sugarcane fields along moist areas and also in sandy
semiarid soils, from sea level to 120 m. Throughout India, except in Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, N.E. hill states and Rajasthan.

Sri Lanka, Myanmar to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Notes. Seeds are used as condiments.

Chromosome number reported is 2n = 34 (T.S. Raghavan & Venkatasubban in

Cytologia 11: 319.1941).

An extremely variable plant regarding height, size, shape and texture of leaves,
number of leaflets, degree of pubescence, etc. The leaves are densely appressed
pubescent to almost glabrescent, with the pubescence confined to nerves only. While
basal leaves are obovate, the middle and upper leaves are linear to elliptic-lanceolate.
Juvenile vegetative plants growing in sandy areas have basal leaflets closely resembling
 CAPPARACEAE 307

Fig. 58. Cleome chelidonii L. f.: a. plant with basal rosette of leaves and woody root
stock; b. apical erect portion of plant with linear and lanceolate leaves; c.
flower.
308 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

those of C. felina, but even when in flower, they can be distinguished from C. felina by
the thick taproot and leaflets always exceeding 3 in number.

6. Cleome felina L. f., Suppl. PI. 300.1781; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India
1: 170.1872. Malhotra & Moorthy in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 77: 361 - 363, ff. 1 - 6.
1980. Polanisia felina (L. f.) D C , Prodr. 1:242.1824.

Herbs, woody, annual, prostrate-decumbent or erect, up to 50 cm high; branches

radiating from base, ascending, densely appressed-strigose. Leaves apically simple or
1-foliolate, basally 3-foliolate, clothed with rigid scale-like hairs; leaflets obovate, cu-
neate at base, obtuse at apex, ciliate along margins; middle leaflets 15 - 25 x 7 -16 mm;
lateral leaflets 5 - 15 x 3 - 12 mm. Flowers solitary, axillary, 5 - 8 mm across, pink or
purple; pedicels 8 - 1 5 mm long, elongating to 22 mm while fruiting. Sepals linear,
lanceolate, oblong, 4 -1.5 x 0.5 -1.5 mm, scabrid. Petals elliptic-obovate, spathulate,
8 -11 x 1.5 - 3.5 mm, pink, bristly pubescent outside. Stamens 25-40 (-50); filaments
3 - 4 mm long, pinkish; anthers yellow. Ovary sessile, 5 - 6 mm long, 3 - 5 mm thick.
Capsules flat, narrow at both ends, beaked at apex, 2 - 3 cm long, with ca 3 mm long
beak; seeds many, obovoid or reniform, asymmetrical, 1.5 - 2.5 mm across, echinate, with
oblique closed clefts, crested, yellowish brown.

Fl. May - Nov.; Fr. Aug. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Cultivated fields, fallow lands and rocky areas in wastelands, up to
500 m. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.

Endemic.

Notes. Often confused with C. chelidonii L. f., especially in vegetative state but
readily distinguished when in flower and fruits. Leaflets do not exceed 3 but in C.
chelidonii they vary from 3 to 7, often to 9.

7. Cleome fimbriata Vicary in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 16:1158.1847 & in Ann. Nat.
Hist. ser. 2,1: 425.1848. C. quinquenervia sensu Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India
1:168.1872 (non DC. 1824).

Herbs, annual or perennial, often woody at base, aromatic, under 60 cm high;

branches rigid, terete, spreading, clothed with glandular and eglandular hairs. Leaves
broadly ovate or suborbicular, broadly cordate to subcordate at base, obtuse or rounded
and slightly apiculate at apex, 2 - 4 x 2 - 3.5 cm, with stalked glandular hairs along margins,
palmately 5-nerved. Racemes few-flowered, lax; bracts subsessile, ovate, foliaceous.
Flowers 6 - 7 cm across, yellow with purple or lilac veins; pedicels 5 - 6 mm long,
elongating to 12 mm in fruits. Sepals ovate, 3 - 4 x 1.5 - 2 mm. Petals dimorphic, 6 - 8 x
1.5 - 2.5 mm, two of them lanceolate, the other two broadly ovate with a crested scale
at junction of limb and claw, glandular at tip. Stamens 4, exserted. Ovary sessile; style
 CAPPARACEAE 309
1993]

ca 1 5 mm long, elongating to 2 - 4 mm, persistent in fruit. Capsules linear-oblong, acute

at both ends, slightly falcate, 2.5 - 3.5 x 0.3 - 0.4 cm, clothed with glandular hairs; seeds
many, granulate, ca 1 mm across, brownish, glabrous.

Fl. & FT. Oct. - Nov.

Distrib. India: Kashmir.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.

Notes. It is closely related to both C. quinquenervia DC. and C. dolichostyla Jafri

sharing common characters such as leaf shape, indumentum, dimorphic appendiculate
petals and superficial features of capsules. Often it is treated as a synonym of C.
quinquenervia in the floras, but the capsules in the latter are oblong, much smaller in size
(ca 15 x 4 mm) with blunt or rounded apex. Moreover, C. quinquenervia does not occur
in Indian subcontinent. The length of style (ca 1.5 mm) distinguish C. fimbriata from C.
dolichostyla (8 -12 mm long), the latter common in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan only.

Shetty & Singh (Fl. Rajasthan 1: 81.1988) include this based on a report by Nair et
al. (inProc. Raj. Acad. Sci. 8:102.1961) from Jhunjhunu District of Rajasthan. However,
no specimen was seen.

8. Cleome gynandra L., Sp. PI. ed. 1.671.1753. Gynandropsispentaphylla (L.) DC.
Prodr. 1: 238.1824; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:171.1872.

Herbs, annual, erect, up to 1.2 m high, strongly foetid; stems branched, glandular
pubescent, sparsely beset with transluscent coarse hairs. Leaves 3 - 5 (-7)-foliolate, ca
7.5 x 6.5 cm; leaflets unequal, obovate-elliptic, oblanceolate or rhombate, cuneate at
base, acute at apex, entire to denticulate-serrulate along margins; central leaflets 1 - 7 x
0.4 - 4 cm, lateral leaflets up to 3.5 x 1.5 cm; dry leaflets glaucous; petioles 3-15 cm long,
densely glandular puberulous; petiolules webbed, up to 3 mm long, sulcate. Inflores-
cence lax, many-flowered corymbose racemes, 10 - 30 cm long; bracts foliaceous,
trifoliolate, 8-25 mm long, much reduced and sessile upwards. Flowers white or creamy
yellow (rarely pink), 1 - 2 cm across; pedicels filiform, 0.2 - 2.5 cm long, pubescent.
Sepals ovate, obovate, elliptic or oblanceolate, acuminate, 1.5 - 5 x 0.5 - 1.5 mm,
puberulous, caducous. Petals obovate to oblanceolate, subequal, 3 -18 x 1 - 6 mm; claw
filiform, as long as limb. Androphore 1 - 2 5 mm long; stamens 6, purple; filaments
subequal, 1.4 - 2 cm long, stiff and somewhat spreading; anthers linear, ca 2 mm long.
Gynophore 0 - 2 cm long, elongating to 3.5 cm in fruits; ovary sessile among stamens or
on up to 2 cm long gynophores, oblong-cylindric, 2.5 - 4 x 0.5 mm, elongating after
fertilisation, green or purplish green, shortly glandular-pubescent; style 1 -1.2 mm long;
stigma discoid, depressed at apex, purple. Capsules erecto-patent, cylindric or com-
pressed-terete, tapering at both ends, striate, 3 - 12 cm long, 4 - 8 mm thick, sticky
glandular-pubescent; stalk 2 - 4 cm long; valves papery; seeds 15 - 40, reniform,
310 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

compressed, 1 -1.8 mm across, longitudinally and concentrically striate, with low cristate
transverse ridges, rugulose to tuberculate with shallow narrow and open cleft, dark
brown or black.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Plants 30 -120 cm high; androphore exceeding 6 mm long; ovary green 8.1. var. gynandra
b. Plants stunted under 15 cm high; androphore 'ess than 2 mm long; ovaiy purplish green 8.2. var. nana

8.1. var. gynandra Fig. 59.

Asm.: Bhutmaia; Beng.: Ansarisha, Sadahurhuria; Guy. Adikyakaran, Satitalwani,

Talwani; Hindi: Churota, Gandhuli, Hulhul, Hulhulia; Kan.: Ajagandha, Narum-byale-
soppu, Sirikaladide, Srikala, Suryavarta, Tiloni; Mai.: Thaivela; Mar.: Pandri-tilwan;
Punj.: Kathal; Raj.: Bhagri, Kalvikhirna, Safed-bagro; Tarn.: Kattu-kadugu, Nalla-velai,
Taiwala, Vellai-chedi; Tel.: Aayiti-kura, Vaita, Vaminka, Vayiti-kura, Vela-kura, Ventum.

Fl. & Fr. Throughout the year.

Distrib. India: Throughout. Weeds of fallow or cultivated land, roadsides and

wastelands, from sea level to 1800 m.

Pantropic.

Notes. Plants and tender leaves used as herbage and as vegetable after boiling and
salting. Leaves used in treating rheumatism and leaf juice for headache by applying to
forehead and pouring into nostrils. Seeds are anthelmintic, used as substitute for
mustard and also as bird seed. Infusion and vapours from boiling seeds are used for
curing cough in Rajasthan. Seed oil is efficaceous in killing lice. The medicinal
properties of the herb is due to Cleomine present in it.

Flowers in apical portion have almost subsessile ovaries with hardly 1-2 mm long
gynophores. About 50% of these ovaries are abortive, whereas ovaries with longer
gynophores are fertile.

In Pakistan, Jafri records 10 stamens but in India it is uniformly 6 only.

It is severely attacked by Cuscuta as seen in Jodhpur collections (Bhagawat 23948

in BSI).

8.2. var. nana (Blatter & Hallberg) Bhandari in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 6: 327.1964
& in Fl. Indian Desert 40.1978. Gynandropsispentaphylla (L.) DC. var. nana Blatter &
Hallberg in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 26(1): 221.1918. ,
1993] CAPPARACEAE 311

N-P-fi
Mil

Fig. 59. Cleome gynandra L. var. gynandra : a. flowering shoot; b. flower; c. ovary,
l.s.; d. seed.
312 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fl. & Fr. November.

Distrib. India: In dry sandy soil. Rajasthan. Rare and confined to Jaisalmer
District.

Endemic.

Notes. Possibly only a dwarf form of C. gynandra differing in the stunted stem,
almost glabrous leaves and diminished floral and capsular features adapted to severe
arid conditions.

9. Cleome monophylla L., Sp. PI. 672.1753; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India
1:168.1872.

Beng.: Hurhura; Kan.: Menasinakare;Mar.: Chamani, Santal, Kedar-jowar; Tarn.:

Elluku-sakkalathi; Tel: Gorjuoi-saag (Khonda-kammaras, Khonds & Porjas tribals).

Herbs, annual, erect, branched, up to 1 m high, glandular-pubescent; stems branch-

ing from base, angled, striate. Leaves simple, linear, linear-lanceolate, oblong or
oblong-ovate, 2 - 10 x (0.3-) 1 - 3.5 cm, truncate at base, acute at apex, ciliate along
margins; petioles up to 5 cm long, shorter than leaves, glandular-pubescent. Racemes
terminal, lax, up to 30 cm long; bracts sessile, foliaceous, cordate at base. Flowers 1 -
1.5 cm across, pink, light purple, mauve or white, faintly odorous; pedicels glandular
pubescent, up to 10 mm long. Sepals linear or lanceolate, acuminate, 3 - 5 mm long, ca
1 mm wide. Petals oblong, obovate or spathulate, tapering and clawed at base, rounded
at apex, 6 - 1 0 mm long, ca 1.5 mm wide. Stamens 6; filaments unequal, 5 - 8 mm long;
anthers ca 2 mm long. Ovary linear, 5 - 8 mm long, ca 1 mm thick, sessile or on a short
ca 0.5 mm long gynophore. Capsules subsessile or on up to 3 mm long gynophore,
subcylindric, linear, 7 - 1 1 cm long, up to 3 mm thick, with a flat 3 - 9 mm long beak,
strongly ribbed, clothed with glandular or eglandular hairs; seeds 35 - 40, suborbicular,
ridged with longitudinal striations, closed at cleft, 1.8 - 2 x 1.6 - 1.8 mm, dark brown,
pubescent.

Fl. June - Nov.; Fr. Aug. - Feb.

Distrib. India: Common in cultivated fields, roadsides, grasslands, wastelands or

sandy soil from sea level to 1300 m. Throughout the plains of the country except in
Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and N.E. hill states.

Sri Lanka and Tropical Asia.

Notes. Warm leaf paste applied on breast ulcers by the tribals Khonds, Konda-kam-
maras and Porjas of Andhra Pradesh. Tender leaves used as vegetable and also to
increase lactation by Bagatas, Nukadoras and Porjas of Andhra Pradesh.
1993] CAPPARACEAE 313

10. Cleome rutidosperma D C , Prodr. 1: 241.1824; Mukherjee in Indian For. 95:

237.1969.

Herbs, annuals, erect or decumbent, 0.2 -1 m high; stems weak, ribbed, subglabrous
to eglandular-pilose, clothed with soft recurved deciduous up to 2 mm long prickles.
Leaves 3-foliolate; lower ones long petiolate, upper ones short petiolate or sessile;
leaflets subsessile, rhombate-elliptic or obovate, oblong-lanceolate, attenuate or cu-
neate and webbed at base, acute or acuminate at apex, obscurely crenulate-serrulate
and purple along margins, 1 - 6 x 0.2 - 2 cm, glabrous; lateral nerves 6 - 8 pairs, softly
setose; petioles at base up to 4 cm long, gradually diminishing upwards to nearly absent;
petiolules up to 0.5 mm long. Racemes lax, few-flowered, leafy, not clearly demarcated,
up to 20 cm long. Flowers in axils of leaves below and foliaceous bracts above, showy
pink, magenta, bluish-violet or rarely white with pink streaks; pedicels filiform, 1 - 2 cm
long, elongating to 3.5 cm in fruits, shortly glandular hairy. Sepals linear-lanceolate,
acuminate, 2.5 - 4 x 0.3 - 0.8 mm, thinly clothed with short bristles. Petals oblanceolate
to elliptic, attenuate-clawed at base, apiculate at apex, 8 -12 x 1.5 - 2.5 mm; claw 2 - 3.5
mm long. Stamens 6; filaments 6 - 9 mm long; anthers linear, ca 2 mm long, recurved
after anthesis. Gynophore 1.5 - 2 mm long, elongating to 8 mm in fruits; ovary linear,
7 - 1 2 mm long, slightly curved; stigma sessile, capitate. Capsules linear-cylindric,
compressed, attenuate at both ends, ribbed, 4 - 7 cm long, 2.5 - 4 mm thick; beak 1-4
mm long; valves parallel-veined, glabrous; seeds many, suborbicular to reniform with
prominent concentric and transverse ridges and open cleft, 1.6 - 1.9x 1.4 -1.7 mm, orange
brown, drying black; elaiosome white or creamy, conspicuous.

Fl. & Fr. May - Nov.

Distrib. India: An African plant, introduced and naturalised in India in wastelands

from sea level to 800m. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Gujarat, Maharash-
tra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Tropical America, Trop. Africa, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thai-
land, Malaysia and Philippines.

Notes. In India, the species was first reported from Assam and West Bengal and
subsequently from Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Jha and Varma (in Geobios 8: 152
-153.1989) reports it from Bihar. However, a careful scrutiny of herbarium specimens
reveals that it is common in many parts of India, often misidentified as either "Cleome
bwmannii" or as "C. aspera" in several herbaria (Sundara Raghavan in J. Econ. Tax. Bot.
5: 463 - 465.1984).

Plants exhibit dimorphism when fresh. The two middle petals have yellow trans-
verse bands (as in C. monophylla) but these fade out and are indistinguishable on drying.
314 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

11. Cleome scaposa D C , Prodr. 1:239.1824. C.papillosa Steudel, Nomencl. Bot.

ed. 2.1:382.1840; Hook. f. & Thomson in F t Brit. India 1:168.1872.

Herbs, annual, erect, low, up to 60 cm high, much-branched, setose-scabrous,

strongly aromatic; stems woody at base, slender, whitish, clothed with both glandular
and eglandular setose-scabrous hairs. Leaves broadly ovate, elliptic or suborbicular,
rounded to cordate at base, obtuse or retuse at apex, entire, 1.3 - 3 x 0.5 - 2.4 cm, scabrid
or papillose-punctate; midrib impressed above; lateral nerves 2 - 4 pairs; petioles up to
2.5 cm long on basal leaves, gradually shorter above. Racemes lax, slender, 12 -15 cm
long. Flowers Jiowy, 3.5 - 4.5 mm across; bracts foliaceous at lower flowers, absent at
upper flowers; pedicels filiform, 1.5 - 4 mm long, elongating to 8 mm in fruits. Sepals
lanceolate or elliptic, 1.5 - 2 mm long, glandular-pubescent and scabrous on outer
surface. Petals ovate or obovate, 2.5 - 3.5 x 1 - 1.5 mm, glabrous, yellow, creamy or
occasionally white or rose-pink. Stamens 6; filaments ca 2 mm long, glabrous; anthers
oblong. Ovary sessile, linear-oblong, 2 - 2.5 x 0.5 mm, glabrous, narrowed into a capitate
stigma. Capsules sessile, linear-falcate, striated, 20 - 30 x 0.8 - 1.2 mm, glabrous or
sparsely glandular; seeds over 20, reniform, 0.5 - 0.7 mm across, minutely granulate,
glabrous, blackish brown.

Fl.&Fr. Aug.-Dec.

Distrib. India: Open rocky slopes, sandy dunes or along river beds in arid or
semiarid tracts, forming pure associations, up to 800 m. Himachal Pradesh, Punjab,
Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Pakistan to West Asia, North and East Tropical Africa.

12. Cleome simplicifolia (Cambess.) Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:169.
1872. Polanisia simplicifolia Cambess. in Jacq. Voy. Bot. 20, t. 20,1844. C. asperrima
Blatter in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal n.s. 26: 340.1937, syn. nov.

Herbs, erect, decumbent or prostrate, under 60 cm high, much-branched from base;

stems angled, scabrid strigose. Leaves obovate, lanceolate, linear-oblong or oblong-
elliptic, tapering at base, obtuse or subacute at apex, entire or faintly serrulate along
margins, densely strigose with scaly hairs; petioles scabrid at base, up to 2 cm long but
almost absent upwards. Flowers 4 - 5 mm across, showy, pink or purple, solitary in axils
of leafy bracts forming lax few-flowered racemes; pedicels filiform, puberulous, up to
1.8 cm long, elongating up to 3.5 cm while fruiting. Sepals triangular or ovate, acute at
apex, 1.8 - 3.5 x 0.8 -1.5 mm, scabrid. Petals oblong, obovate, oblanceolate or spathulate,
indistinctly clawed at base, rounded with a mucro at apex, 5 - 5.5 x 1.7 - 2.2 mm, pink,
mauve, lilac or purplish violet, mostly glabrous, sometimes hairy along margins and
midrib. Stamens 8 - 1 6 (-24); filaments glabrous, 3 - 5 mm long, slender throughout or
slightly thickened at apex. Ovary cylindric, 2 - 4.2 x 0.5 - 0.8 mm, elongating after anthesis.
Capsules glabrous, striate, subtorulose, 25 - 35 x 2 - 2.5 mm (including 4 - 6 mm long
1993] CAPPARACEAE 315

beak); seeds 4 -15, reniform, 1.5 -1.8 mm, yellowish brown, turning into black, smooth
or with a few protuberances; cleft open or narrow so as to appear closed; elaiosome
white.

Fl&Fr. July-Nov.

Distrib. India: Weed of wastelands, restricted to Central, Western and Peninsular

India. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharastra, Goa, Andhra
Pradesh and Karnataka.

Endemic.

Notes. According to Blatter (1. c.) C. asperrima is distinguished from C. simplicifolia

as follows:-

C. asperrima C. simplicifolia

1. Sepals narrowly triangular, acuminate. Sepals ovate, acute.

2. Petals 4 - 5 mm long, oblanceolate, Petals up to 5.5 mm long,

strigose on back along median line. oblong, glabrous.

3. Pedicels totally hispid. Pedicels apically hairy.

4. Stamens 8 -15; filaments Stamens 8-24; filaments

uniformly thickened. thickened at apex only.

5. Seeds with closed cleft. Seeds with open cleft.

Study of fresh specimens reveals that the characters are variable, intergrading and
not taxonomically significant. In C. simplicifolia sepal shape ranges from ovate to
narrowly triangular; pedicels are often hispid; stamens vary from 8-24 and cleft of seeds
is open to seemingly closed due to narrow opening. Except for the strigose petals there
is no other consistent character to rely upon, but in Capparaceae indumentum and
innovations are of no taxonomic value. After examining the types of both species, C.
simplicifolia - Poonah (Pune), Jacquemont 342 & 405 (K) and C. asperrima - Dhulia,
Maharastra, Helene Hedberg 7670 (BLATT) and a study of populations, C. asperrima
in relegated to the synonymy of C. simplicifolia. Elaiosomes are quite conspicuous in
this species, but surprisingly no mention is made of this character in any of the floras.
316 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

13. Cleomespeciosa Raf.,Fl.Ludovic.86.1817. Gynandropsisspeciosa(Raf.)T>C,

Prodr. 1: 238.1824.

Hindi: Hurhurio, Kalaria.

Herbs, annuals, erect, up to 1.5 m high, hardly branched; stems smooth or with
scattered spine-like protuberances, whitish, glabrous or rarely glabrescent with scat-
tered short hairs. Leaves 3 - 7-foliolate; petioles 4 - 15 cm long; leaflets subsessile,
ovate-lanceolate, elliptic-lanceolate, narrowed and webbed at base, acuminate at apex,
9 -15 x 1.5 - 4.5 cm, chartaceous; lateral nerves 7 - 20 pairs. Flowers showy, ca 2.5 cm
across, on 7 - 25 cm long racemes, subtended by subsessile foliaceous bracts; pedicels
filiform, 2 - 3.5 cm long, ca 3 mm thick. Sepals subulate to lanceolate, 2.5 - 5 x 0.8 -1.5
mm, ciliate, puberulous. Petals imbricate, erect, lanceolate, narrowed at base into a
claw, rounded at top, 20 - 40 x 4 : 8 mm (including claw), pink, rosy or purple, rarely
white. Androphore 5 - 9 mm long, slightly thickened at base and top, glabrous. Stamens
6; filaments filiform, 5-6 cm long, glabrous; anthers 5-6 mm long, greenish. Gynophore
4 - 6 cm long, elongating to 9 cm while fruiting, glabrous. Ovary linear-cylindric, 5 - 6
mm long, ca 1 mm thick, glabrous. Capsules pendent, linear-cylindric, 6 - 10 cm long,
ca 3 mm thick, longitudinally striate; valves parallel-veined; seeds many, horse-shoe
shaped with closed cleft, tuberculate, 2.5 - 3.5 mm across, brown, smooth with brown
scales.

Fl. & Fr. April - May, Sept. - Oct.

Distrib. India: Native of tropical America, introduced and naturalised in several

parts from sea level to 1500 m. Often cultivated in gardens of Meghalaya, Goa and
Kerala, where it also occurs wild as a garden escape.

Pakistan, S.E. Asia, N. & S. America and W. Indies.

Notes. The species resembles Cleome hassleriana Chodat but in the latter andro-
gynophore is quite short or absent. Flowers open at dusk and are pollinated by nocturnal
butterflies. Flower colour varies from rose to purple and rarely to white.

14. Cleome vahliana Fresen. in Mus. Senck. 2:110.1837. C. brachycarpa Vahl ex

D C , Prodr. 1: 240.1824, p.p. [non Gynandropsis brachycarpa (Vahl) DC.]; Hook. f. &
Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 169. 1872. C. brachycarpa var. longipetiolata Sabnis in J.
Indian Bot. Soc. 3:178.1924. C. brachycarpa var.glauca Blatter & Hallberg in J. Bombay
Nat. Hist. Soc. 26: 221.1918.

Guj.: Kasturi; Raj.: Kasturi, Khira-mor, Madhio, Nadi, Noli, Ponwar.

Herbs, annual or perennial, woody, erect to suberect, up to 50 cm high; stems much

branched, glaucous with odour of musk or rue, glandular-pubescent with stiff hairs, at
1993] CAPPARACEAE 317

length subglabrescent. Leaves digitately 3 - 5-foliolate at base, higher above, ternate to

simple; leaflets obovate, oblanceolate or oblong, acute to subobtuse-mucronate at apex,
6 - 16 x 2 - 5 mm, glandular-pubescent, viscid, rarely glabrescent, except at margins;
petioles 5 - 3 5 mm long; petiolules very short. Flowers yellow, 5 - 8 mm across in lax
bracteate racemes; bracts subsessile, simple or 3-foliolate; pedicels filiform, 9 - 1 5 mm
long. Sepals elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 2.5 - 3 x 1 mm, glandular hairy. Petals ovate-
oblong, subacute, 6 - 8 x 2 - 2.5 mm, glabrous, yellow, with a scale-like appendage above
the claw. Stamens 6, one rarely imperfect, shorter than petals. Gynophore up to 1 mm
long; ovary glandular hairy; style slender, 5 - 6 mm long; stigma capitate. Capsules
oblong, inflated, tipped with persistent style, 8 -12 mm long, 2.5 - 3.5 mm thick, glandular
pubescent; seeds many, minutely pitted, rugulose with closed cleft, 0.6 - 0.8 mm across,
dark brown, glabrous.

Fl. & Fr. Throughout the year, peak period Oct. - Nov.

Distrib. India: Semi-arid regions from sea level to 600 m, in gravelly or rocky hillocks
and sandy tracks, often associated with Heliotropium rariflorum, Bouchea marrubifolia,
etc. Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and tropical N.E. Africa.

Notes. Leaves used as fodder for sheep, goats, camels, etc. An infusion of leaves is
reportedly efficaceous for removing worms and insects from ears of camels. The plant
is reported to be a snake repellant.

The plants are highly variable with regard to length of petiole; glandular pube-
scence, reticulation of seeds, etc. The petiole is often as long as 3.5 cm in some lower
leaves. Similarly the seeds are glabrous when young, but minutely rugulose or reticulate
when fully mature. As these are highly variable and fluctuating characters even for
demarcation as varieties, the var. glauca Blatter & Hallb. and var. longipetiolata are
treated as synonyms only.

The earliest binomial for this species is C. omithopodioides Forsskal (1775) which
is a later homonym of C. omithopodioides L. (1753). The next epithet C. parviflora R.
Br. is a nomen nudum. The specific epithet C. brachycarpa attributed to Vahl, refers to
two different elements, one of which is Peruvian plant which De Candolle had trans-
ferred to Gynandropsis calling it G. brachycarpa (Vahl) DC. The other is an ineditus
name by Vahl for an Arabic plant, described as C omithopodioides by Forsskal. Since
C brachycarpa Vahl forms the basionym, as well as type of the Peruvian plant G.
brachycarpa (Vahl) D C , the next available binomial, Cleome vahliana Fresen. is the valid
and legtimate name of the Indo-arabic species.

IS. Cleome viscosa L., Sp. PI. 672.1753; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:
170.1872.
318 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Beng.: Hade-hurhuria; Guj.: Tinnani; Hindi: Bagra, Karphut, Pilahurshur; Kan.:

Kadusassive, Kanphuii, Nayibela; Mar.: Pivili-tilwan; Punj.: Bugra, Higul; Raj.: Bagro,
Handi-bagro; Tam.: Manja-kadugu, Naikadugu, Naivelai; Tel.: Thirudi-bhaji (Gonds
tribals).

Herbs, annual, erect, up to 1.2 m high, viscid, clothed with glandular or non-glan-
dular hairs, foetid; stems woody, sparsely branched from base, striated, tomentose.
Leaves 3 - 5 (-7)- foliolate; petioles striated, up to 7 cm long at base, decreasing upwards,
hairy; leaflets subsessile, subequal, elliptic-oblong or obovate to spathulate, entire,
cuneate at base, acute or rarely obtuse at apex, ciliate along margins, 6 - 45 x 2 - 25 cm,
membranous, glandular pubescent; lateral nerves 3 - 8 pairs; petioles 1 - 3 mm long.
Racemes lax, few-flowered, corymbiform, leafy, up to 30 cm long; flowers often solitary
and axillary at lower portion of racemes, ephemeral, 1 -1.5 cm across; bracts subsessile,
foliaceous; pedicels 6 - 1 2 mm long, elongating up to 4 cm in fruits. Sepals 4, oblong,
lanceolate, acute at apex, 5 - 12 x 2 - 4 mm, reddish at base, glabrous inside, glandular
hairy outside. Petals 4, subequal, obovate or oblanceolate to oblong-spathulate, cuneate
with up to 6 mm long claw at base, rounded at tip, 8 - 1 2 (-25) x 3 - 5 (-10) mm,
orange-yellow, yellow, creamy or rarely white, glabrous, distinctly veined. Stamens (8-)
12 - 40, often intermixed with staminodes, glabrous; filaments 4 - 8 (-20) mm long,
distinctly broadened at tip; anthers linear, 1.5 - 2.8 mm long, bluish. Ovary sessile,
oblong-cylindric or linear-oblong, beaked, 6-8 (-14) mm long, minutely glandular-hairy;
style slender, up to 10 mm long, puberulous; stigma capitate. Capsules erect, or
sometimes curved, on 2 - 3 cm long pedicels, obliquely striate, terete, linear-oblong,
slightly compressed, tapering at both ends, beaked, 4 - 9 (-12) cm long, 3 - 5 mm thick;
beak 4 - 2 0 mm long; valves centripetally nerved; seeds many, reniform, subglobose,
finely centrically ribbed and transversely ridged, 1-1.5 mm across, closed at cleft with
very narrow opening, glabrous, reddish brown to black.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Stamens 36 - 40; styles 5 - 8 mm long in flower, elongating to 20 mm long in fruits

15.1. var. nagarjunakondensis
b. Stamens 12 -18; styles 1 - 3.5 mm long in flower, 4 - 5 mm leng in fruits 15.2. var. viscosa

15.1. var. nagarjunakondensis Sund.-Ragh. in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 28:187 -191,
t. 3, f. 1 - 8.1986 (1988). Fig. 60.

Herbs, erect, up to 1.2 m tall, woody and sparsely branched from base. Leaves 3 -
5 (-7)-foliolate with petiole up to 4.5 cm long; leaflets obovate, rhombate or elliptic-
oblong, variable in size and shape, 0.6 - 3 x 0.2 -1.5 cm, middle one largest; petiolule
0.5 - 2.5 mm long. Flowers cream-coloured, 2 - 2.5 cm across; pedicels up to 2.8 cm long,
elongating to 4 cm in fruits. Sepals 4, elliptic-lanceolate, 8 -12 x 2.5 - 4 mm. Petals 4,
subequal; outer pair 2- 2.5 x 0.8 - 1 cm: inner pair 1.8 - 2 x 0.6 - 0.8 cm (including 5 - 6
mm long claw). Stamens 36-40, intermixed with staminodes; filaments 1.5 - 2 cm long,
1993] CAPPARACEAE 319

Fig. 60. Cleome viscosa L. var. nagarjunakondensis Sund.-Ragh.: a. flowering plant;

b. flower; c. sepal; d. petal; e. stamen; f. pistil; g. capsule with persistent style;
h. seed.
320 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

shorter than gynoecium; anthers 2 - 2.8 mm long. Ovary 1 -1.4 cm long, glandular hairy-
style slender, puberulous, 8-10 mm long, elongating to 2 cm in capsules. Capsules linear
to oblong, 6 - 8.5 cm long (including persistent style).

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Deciduous forests up to 300 m. Andhra Pradesh.

Endemic.

Notes. Differs from var. viscosa in the conspicuous longer style, larger flowers and
more number of stamens.

IS. 2. var. viscosa

Fl. & Fr. Throughout the year.

Distrib. India: Throughout in tropical areas up to 1000 m.

Africa, Asia, Australia and America.

Notes. Three to four drops of leaf juice poured into ears relieves ear infections as
used by the tribals, Gonds and Kolams of Andhra Pradesh.

Filaments of stamens are of unequal size, the adaxial ones being shorter than the
rest. The height of the plant varies from 4 cm to 1.2 m.

Chromosome numbers: n = 10 (Kyhos in Madrono 18: 245 - 246.1966) and 2n =

20 (Janaki Ammal in Curr. Sci. 1: 328.1933; Larsen in Dansk. Bot. Ark. 23: 375 - 389.
1966).

CULTIVATED SPECIES

1. Cleome hassleriana Chodat in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 6 (app. 1): 12.1898).

A native of tropical S. America, introduced and cultivated for its showy flowers,
sometimes run wild. It is often misidentified as C. heptaphylla L. or C. houtteana
Schlecht. in Indian floras. However, it is readily distinguished by its viscid hairy prickly
stems, 5-7 foliolate leaves, large purple showy flowers, short or lacking androgynophore,
deflexed pubescent sepals, 2 - 3 cm long and 6 - 7 mm wide sepals and 3 - 7 cm long
gynophore.

Also similar to C. gynandra L. but the stems are up to 1 m high; leaves 5 - 7-foliolate;
petioles 4 - 7 cm long, bearing a pair of short spine-like stipules at base; leaflets
 CAPPARACEAE 321
1993]

blanceolate, 2.5 -12 x 1 - 3.5 cm, often spiny on midrib beneath; bracts simple, ovate,
a 10 x 5 mm; pedicels 2-5 cm long; sepals lanceolate, 8 - 1 0 cm long, reflexed; petals
purplish, ca 2.5 x 1 cm; stamens sessile; filaments ca 4 cm long; gynophore at first ca 3
cm long,' later 5 - 7 cm long and capsules 4.5 - 9 cm long and ca 3 mm thick.

Fl.&Fr. Aug.-Feb.

Distrib. India: Common in gardens of N.E. Indian hills, up to 2000 m, often run
wild.

Tropical S. America.

2. Cleome spinosa Jacq., PI. Carib. 26.1760.

Herbs, annual or biennial, erect, 0.6 - 1.5 m high, divaricately branched, foetid,
viscid; stems densely clothed with patent gland-tipped hairs, armed with minute prickles
at base of leaves or unarmed. Leaves 5 - 7-foliolate; petioles of lower leaves usually
longer than leaflets with 2 spiny stipules at base; leaflets oblong or lanceolate, acute,
subentire to finely or slightly serrulate, 2 - 10 x 0.6 - 3 cm. Flowers large, ca 2 - 2.5 cm
across, purple-pink or white, many in terminal racemes; pedicels long, shorter than
gynophore, both elongated and thickened in fruit; bracts simple, ovate or oblong. Sepals
reflexed during anthesis, 5 - 9 mm long. Petals long-clawed, 2 - 3.5 cm long; limb
obovate, ca 1 cm broad with an equally long claw. Stamens 6; filaments much longer
than petals, adnate to gynophore for 1 - 3 mm. Gynophore ca 4 cm long, about 6 - 8 cm
in fruit. Capsules cylindric-linear, 3 - 8 cm long, 3 - 3.5 mm thick, on up to 7 cm long
pedicels; seeds many, glabrous, smooth.

Fl. & Fr. March - Dec.

Distrib. India: West Bengal (Paria in Sci. & Cult. 46: 27 - 28.1980).

Native of tropical S. America, cultivated as ornamental in many parts of S.E. Asia.

Notes. Similar to C. speciosa Raf. but less graceful; commonly known as "Spider
Flower".

7. Crateva L.

(Crataeva)

Trees (rarely shrubs), unarmed, glabrous, deciduous; branches lenticellate with

distinct leaf-scars. Leaves palmately trifoliate; stipules minute, caducous; leaflets sub-
sessile to shortly stalked, often pellucid-dotted; terminal one equilateral with acuminate
or caudate apex; lateral ones oblique, asymmetrical. Racemes terminal, corymbose;
322 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

rachis short or up to 25 cm long, either with arrested growth or growing through a leafy
twig. Flowers showy, subtended by 3-foliate or subulate bracts, long-pedicelled, unisex-
ual or bisexual, often polygamous. Receptacle dish-shaped with incurved margins
nectariferous. Sepals equal, ovate-spathulate, green. Petals first white, later creamy,
unguiculate, long-clawed at base, subequal; anterior pair slightly smaller, ovate to
rhomboid, obtuse at top. Stamens 12 - 50, basally adnate to gynophore, longer than
gynophore, infertile in female flowers. Gynophore 1.8 - 6 cm long, slender, thickened
while fruiting; ovary long-stipitate, ellipsoid or subglobose, unilocular or seemingly
2-locular; placentae 2; ovules in 4 or more rows; stigma subsessile, discoid. Fruits
berry-like, pendulous, globular to ellipsoid; rind spongy or hard, smooth or papillate,
covered by flat whitish warts; stipe woody, thickened; seeds packed and embedded in
creamy foetid pulp, reniform or horse-shoe shaped; cotyledons convolute, one longer
and curved around the other.

Pantropical in Africa, Asia, Central and S. America, mostly in lowland forests near
streams, up to 900 m; about 8 species, 4 species in India.

Notes. Pollen longiaxis oval. Polar axis ranges from 20 - 35 u, equatorial diam. 15
- 27 u, 3 - 7 colporate. Ecto-aperture colpa long extending to poles, gradually tapering.
Endoaperture more or less circular to irregular with few to many teeth-like granular
structure. Exine ornamentation regulo-reticulate, columella short, lumina 0.25 - 1 u.
Shape in polar view subtriangular. Sterility is common in both sexes (Krishna Mitra, I.e.
8.1975).

Literature. JACOBS, M. (1964). The genus Crateva (Capparaceae). Blumea 12: 171 - 208, f.l - 7.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Mostly leafless when flowering; fruits orange-yellow, turning to reddish on maturity
1. C. adansonii subsp. odora
b. Mostly leaf-bearing when flowering; fruits greyish to brown on maturity 2
2a. Leaflets membranous, concolorous on drying; twigs mostly straw-coloured when dry 3. C. religiosa
b. Leaflets subcoriaceous, discolorous on drying; twigs mostly brownish when dry 3
3a. Leaflets 11-16 (-22)-nerved; rachis of inflorescence 10 -16 cm long; flowers up to 100; fruits ellipsoid
or obovoid; seeds dorsally crested 2. C. magna
b. Leaflets 5 - 10-nerved; rachis of inflorescence a few cm long; flowers up to 40; fruits globose; seeds
smooth, not crested 4. C. unilocularis

1. Crateva adansonii DC. subsp. odora (Buch.-Ham.) Jacobs in Blumea 12: 198.
1964. C. odora Buch.-Ham. in Trans. Linn. Soc. 15: 118. 1827. C. roxburghii R. Br. in
Denh. & Clapp. Narr. Trav. Disc. Afr. App. 224. 1826. C. religiosa var. roxburghii (R.
Br.) Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 172. 1872. C. nurvala sensu Blatter in J.
Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 35: 293.1931, non Buch.-Ham.
 CAPPARACEAE 323
1993]

Beng. & Hindi: Barun, Batna; Kan.: Nirvala; Nep.: Chiple; Mar.: Vaivarna,
Wairoda; Tam.: Kudagai, Mavilandam; Tel: Mugalinga, Muwa.

Trees 3 -10 m. Leaves subcoriaceous when drying, dull greyish green; petioles 7 -
10 (-12) cm, glandular at tip; leaflets 1.5 - 2 times as long as broad, ovate to elliptic-
lanceolate; central leaflets up to 12 x 7 cm, with abruptly acuminate apex; lateral leaflets
6 - 8 x 3.5 - 5 cm with oblique and tapering base and acute apex; lateral nerves 4 - 6 pairs;
petiolules 6 -10 mm long. Corymbs 12 - 30-flowered, rachis 2 - 3 cm long, often growing
through with a few axillary flowers. Flowers appearing before or with tender leaves,
fragrant, 2.5 - 3.5 cm across; pedicels 3 - 7 cm long. Sepals petaloid, elliptic, acuminate,
3.5 - 5 x 1.5 - 2 cm. Petals initially greenish-white, turning to yellow and finally fading
to pink; limb 9 -18 x 5.5 -10 mm; claw 3 - 6 mm long, equalling sepals. Stamens 15 - 26;
filaments 3 - 4.5 cm, white, turning to lilac or purple; anthers black. Gynophore pinkish,
2.5 - 3.5 cm long; ovary ovoid or ellipsoid, ca 3 x 2 mm, often abortive; stigma small,
knob-shaped. Fruits orange-yellow or reddish brown, globose, 2.5 - 4 x 2 cm; stipe 3 - 4
mm thick; seeds broadly ellipsoid, 5 - 6 x 2 mm, brown, smooth, embedded in yellow
pulp.

Fl. Feb. - Apr.; Fr. May - Nov.

Distrib. India: In open forests or scrub jungles, from sea level to 750 m. Throughout
India (except in the humid hill states of N.E. India and Kashmir).

Pakistan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

Notes. Wood used for agricultural implements, toys and planks. Fresh leaves and
bark efficaceous in treating rheumatic and urinary complaints besides as poultices for
fomentation. Fruits edible when cooked. Bark demulcent, antipyretic. Bark crushed
and the filtrate administered to increase lactation by Chenchus and Lambadis of Andhra
Pradesh. Bark extract with pepper used to cure chest pain and menstrual disorders by
Konda-reddis of Andhra Pradesh.

The diploid chromosome number is 2n = 26 (Raghavan & Venkatasubban in

Cytologia 11: 319.1936)

C. religiosa sensu Dunn (in Gamble's Fl. Pres. Madras 1: 47. 1915) partly reflects
subsp. odora and partly C. magna, both common in peninsular India. The coloured plate
by Blatter (in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 35: t.14.1931) depicts subsp. odora but the text
figures of leaves refer to C. magna.

This plant does not occur in Assam or Meghalaya due to the heavy rains. The
reference to "C. roxburghii R. Br." by Kanjilal et al. (Fl. Assam 1: 73 - 74.1934) applies
to C. unilocularis Buch.- Ham.
324 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

For detailed discussions on reasons for rejecting the earlier name C. roxburghii R.
Br. (1826) in favour of the next epithet C. odora Buch.-Ham. (1827), see Jacobs, 1. c.
197 -198.1964.

2. Crateva magna (Lour.) D C , Prodr. 1: 243. 1824. Capparis magna Lour., Fl.
Cochinch. 1:331.1790. Crateva nurvala Buch.- Ham. in Trans. Linn. Soc. 15:121.1827.
C. lophosperma Kurz in J. Bot. 12: 195, t. 147, ff. 4 - 6 . 1874. C. religiosa var. nurvala
(Buch.- Ham.) Hook. f. & Thomoson in Fl. Brit. India 1:172.1872. C. religiosa auct. non
Forster f.; Dunn in Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 47.1915.

Beng.: Tikthashak; Guj.: Vaivarna, Tripanjozadi; Hindi: Barna; Kan.: Bilepatra,

Kadukokku, Neervala; Mai.: Nir-mathalam; Mar.: Katarlingad; Tam.: Maralinga; Tel.:
Uskiaman, Voolemara, Vulimiri-chettu.

Trees, up to 10 m tall, rarely shrubs, 2 - 3 m; trunk up to 35 cm in diam.; branchlets

lenticellate, greyish-brown, smooth, or verrucose. Petioles 4 -12 cm long with glands at
apex; leaflets 2-4 times as long as broad, 8 - 25 x 1.5 - 6 cm, chartaceous, glossy, glaucous
beneath, brown tinged above; central leaflet elliptic-lanceolate or oblanceolate; laterals
ovate-elliptic or rhomboidal, acute to cuneate at base, gradually long-acuminate with
acute tip at apex; petiolules 3 - 7 mm long. Corymbs terminal, many-flowered; rachis
10 -15 cm long, growing through axis. Flowers creamy, polygamous, faintly fragrant,3 -
4 cm across; pedicels 3 - 7 cm long, leaving scars on falling off. Sepals oblong to
ovate-oblong, acute, 2.5 - 3 x 1.3 -1.5 cm. Petals obovate-obtuse, limb 2 - 2.5 x 1.5 -1.8
cm, claw 4 - 8 mm long. Stamens exceeding 24; filaments 4.5 - 5 cm long, lilac or purple.
Gynophore 4 - 6 cm long; ovary oblong-ellipsoid, 4 - 5 x 2 - 2.5 mm, often abortive. Fruits
oblong-ellipsoid or oblong-ovate, 4 - 6 x 3 - 5 cm; pericarp woody, yellowish grey, with
a powdery crest that soon withers off leaving it smooth; seeds dark brown, 8 - 12 x 5 - 9
mm, dorsally crested, tubercled, embedded in creamy pulp.

Fl. Jan. - Apr.; Fr. Apr. - Aug.

Distrib. India: In deciduous or semievergreen forests, along streams, up to 1000 m.

Peninsular India, Western India, Gangetic Plains and Eastern India up to Tripura and
Manipur.

Bangladesh, Myanmar, China and Sri Lanka, extending to Malaysia and Indonesia.

Notes. Young berries are edible. Leaves are bitter and used in treating skin
ailments. Root bark extract administered for gastric trouble by Konda-reddis and
Valmikis in Andhra Pradesh.

Kanjilal et al. (Fl. Assam 1:74.1934) treat this species under Crateva lophosperma.

In Indian plants the petioles are glandular but without distinct knobs.
 CAPPARACEAE 325
1993]

3 Crateva religiosa Forster f., PI. Escul. Ins. Occ. Austral. 45. 1786; Hook. f. &
Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:172.1872.

Asm.: Barun; Hindi: Barun; Kachari: Mibonji; Naga: Naga-sentur.

Trees 3 -15 m tall, up to 1.2 rn in girth; young shoots brown, bearing a few long pale
lenticels. Leaves dull green, thinly membranous, concolorous; petioles 4 -10 cm long,
usually glandular-papillate at apex; leaflets 1.8 - 2.2 times as long as broad, lanceolate
or elliptic, cuneate at base, tapering or abruptly acuminate at apex, 7 - 12-nerved;
petiolules 3 - 7 mm long. Corymbs lax, up to 25-flowered, on short rachis, not elongating
after anthesis. Flowers showy, fragrant, 3 - 4 cm across, white or creamy, orange on
drying; bracts 8 -15 mm long, caducous. Sepals ovate, acuminate, 6 - 8 x 1.5 - 3 mm, not
keeled. Petals broadly ovate-elliptic, cream-coloured; limb 15 - 35 x 10 - 22 mm, claw 6
-18 mm long. Stamens 16 - 24; filaments purple, 4 -10 cm long. Gynophore 3 - 6.5 cm
long, much thickened and elongating up to 12 cm while fruiting; ovary ovoid to subcy-
lindric, 5 - 6 x 2.5 mm. Fruits obovoid, subglobose, 3 - 5.5 cm in diam.; rind 5 - 6 mm
thick, pustular, covered with grey-yellowish crust on surface. Seeds broadly ellipsoid,
somewhat compressed, dorsally keeled, 12 -18 x 6 - 8 mm, tuberculate.

Fl. March - Apr.; Fr. Oct.

Distrib. India: Infrequent in subtropical evergreen forests, up to 1000 m. Sikkim,

Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Indo-China and Thailand, extending to S.E. Asia, up to

Philippines.

Notes. Closely allied to Crateva unilocularis Buch.- Ham. and according to Jacobs
(1. c.) the distinguishing features being thin membranous concolorous, sessile or sub-
sessile leaflets, which are so fragile that they are invariably damaged in herbaria.
However, Jacobs also remarks that in Malesia, leaflets are subcoriaceous, never so thin
and petiolules often stalked and up to 13 mm long. This species needs reassessment
with fresh collections for proper understanding of C. religiosa-unilocularis complex.

4. Crateva unilocularis Buch.- Ham. in Trans. Linn. Soc. 15:121.1827.

Asm.: Bamn; Garo: Jong-sia; Nep.: Sipligan.

Trees, 8-10 (-30) m tall; branchlets greyish-brown, angular, lenticellate. Petioles

5 - 8 cm long, with distinct glands; leaflets 1.6 - 2.2 times as long as broad, ovate, elliptic
or lanceolate, subacute at base, tapering with a short acumen, 6 - 12 x 3.5 - 6 cm,
subcoriaceous, glossy, drying brownish; lateral leaflets slightly asymmetric; midrib
reddish; lateral nerves 5 - 8 pairs with distinct reticulations; petiolules 3 - 5 mm long.
Corymbs terminal, 8 -10 cm long, 20 - 40-flowered; rachis 3 - 6 cm long, not growing
326 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

through after anthesis. Flowers white or pale creamy, drying to pale pink, 3 - 4 cm across-
pedicels 4 - 6 mm long. Sepals linear or narrow-lanceolate, acuminate, keeled, 8 -12 x
3 mm. Petals rhomboid or obovoid; limb 15 -18 x 8 -12 mm; claw 6-8 mm long. Stamens
16 -18; filaments filiform, purplish. Gynophore 4 - 6 cm long; ovary oblong-ellipsoid
3 - 4 x 1.5 - 2 mm; stigma subsessile, ca 1 mm wide. Fruits globose, 3 - 4 cm across; stipe
5 - 6 mm thick; pericarp 2 - 3 mm thick, greyish-papillate, lenticellate; seeds embedded
in pulp, 8 -10 x 6 - 8 mm, smooth, brown.

Fl. Jan. - Apr.; Fr. July - Nov.

Distrib. India: Along streams in mixed dry forests, up to 1500 m. West Bengal,
Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, extending to China and Vietnam.

Notes. Wood useful for making toys, planks and agricultural implements. Leaves
used as vegetable in Assam.

This species is common in Assam and refered to as "Crateva roxburghii R.Br." by

Kanjilal et al. (in Fl. Assam 1: 73.1934). According to them the tree attains a height of
over 100 ft.

Though it can be easily distinguished from C. magna Lour, by key characters, its
affinity to C. religiosa needs further critical study.

5. Dipterygium Decsne

Monotypic; description and distribution as for the species below.

Notes. An interesting genus showing affinities to both Brassicaceae and Cappara-

ceae. In its actinomorphic flowers, cruciform corolla, presence of 6 stamens and winged
fruits it resembles Brassicaceae, especially the tribe Euclidieae. But in its bracteate
racemes, non-tetfa'dynamous stamens and presence of a very short gynophore it ap-
proaches Capparaceae. Pollen grains are akin to colpate type of Cleome.

Literature. BHANDARI, M. M. (1978) Flora of Indian Deserts, p. 43. IAN, C. HEDGE & J.
LAMMOND (1970) In: Rechinger, K. H. Flora Iranica 68:12 -13. JAFRI, S.M.H. (1973) In: Flora of West
Pakistan 34: 17, f.4. A - C. JAIN, S. K. (1960) The genus Dipterygium Decsne in India. Bull. Bot. Surv.
India 2: 171.
 CAPPARACEAE 327
1993]

Dipterygium glaucum Decsne in Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 2, 4: 66, t. 3.1835; Hook. f. &
T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1:164.1872. Fig. 61.

Undershrubs, woody, rigid, perennial, 10 - 60 cm high, glabrous to glandular scabrid;

branches divaricate, slender, wiry, glaucous, terete, grooved. Leaves simple, sessile or
subsessile, elliptic-oblong or ovate, 3 - 15 x 2 - 3 mm, fleshy; petioles ca 0.5 mm long.
Flowers actinomorphic, yellow or creamy, in terminal lax few-flowered bracteate
racemes. Sepals 4, free, green, glandular, ovate, acute, 0.8 - 1 mm long. Petals 4,
cruciform, ovate-elliptic, clawed, obtuse at apex, 2.5 - 3.5 x 1.2 - 1.6 mm, yellow, white
or lilac along margins. Stamens 6, equal, 2.5 - 3 mm long; filaments filiform. Gynophore
ca 0.5 mm long. Ovary superior, obovoid, ca 2 x 1.5 m, unilocular, 2-ovuled, 4-winged;
wings membranous; style ca 0.5 mm long; stigma capitate. Fruit drooping, an indehiscent
samara, ellipsoid, 2.5 - 6 x 2 - 4 mm, laterally compressed, transversely wrinkled with
translucent wings; seeds solitary, rugose, ca 3.5 x 2 mm.

Fl. June - Oct.; Fr. July - Dec.

Distrib. India: On sand dunes or loose sandy soil, rare but it is a locally dominant
species wherever it occurs. Rajasthan.

Pakistan, Middle East to Egypt and Sudan.

Notes. In India, this species is confined to Western Rajasthan, recorded from

Pokran, Suratgarh, Karnisar, Barmer, Bikaner, Ganganagar and Jaisalmer.

6. Maerua Forsskal

Shrubs or trees, unarmed, often scandent. Leaves sessile or petiolate, sometimes

clustered on abbreviated lateral shoots, simple or 1 - 3 (-5)-foliolate; stipules minute,
subulate. Flowers in racemes or corymbs, sometimes 1 - 4 in axils of upper leaves. Sepals
4, rarely 3, valvate, united at base, caducous; calyx-tube funnel-shaped, sharply lined by
receptacle. Petals 3 - 4 , rarely absent, equal, smaller than calyx, inserted at throat of
calyx-tube, mostly caducous. Receptacle cylindric, campanulate or infundibular, inner
margin produced into a lobed or toothed disc. Androphore equal or exceeding the
receptacle, without appendage. Stamens many, exserted, attached to the middle of
torus; filaments free, or basally connate with gynophore. Gynophore long exceeding
Stamens; ovary cylindric to ellipsoid, 1 - 2-locular; stigma subsessile, capitate; ovules 4 -
many on 2 (-4) parietal placentae. Fruits fleshy, ovoid, spheroid, cylindrical or monili-
form, torulose or not, often transversely locular, 1- many-seeded; seeds large, subglo-
bose to reniform, smooth or rugose; cotyledons incumbent, convolute.

Mostly in drier parts of Africa, extending to Madagascar, Middle East and Asia; ca
100 species, 2 in India.
328
FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 61. Dipterygium giaucum Decsne : a. plant with flowers and fruits; b. leaf; c.
flower; d. sepals; e. petal; f. pistil; g. samara with translucent wing; h. seed.
1993] CAPPARACEAE 329

Notes. Pollen longiaxis, colpa long, broad, slit-like. Endoaperture circular with
granules. Exine semitectate, columella in small striate groups; quite distinct from other
genera. Pollen dimorphism has been noted in many species.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Trees; petals absent; beny ovoid 1. M. apetala

b. Scandent shrubs; petals 4; berry f.longated, eylindric or moniliform 2. M. oblongifolia

1. Maerua apetala (Roth) Jacobs in Blumea 12(2): 207. 1964. Capparis apetala
Roth, Nov. PI. Sp. Ind. Or. 238.1821. Niebuhria linearis D C , Prodr. 1: 244.1824; Hook,
f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:171.1872. N. apetala (Roth) Dunn in Gamble, Fl. Pres.
Madras 41.1915. Fig. 62.

Tarn.: Iruvalli: Tel.: Lukki-chettu, Nemali-adugu (Chenchu & Lambadi tribals).

Trees, up to 4 m tall, glabrous. Leaves (1 - 2) 3 - 5- foliolate; leaflets ovate,

elliptic-oblong, linear or linear-lanceolate, tapering at base, acute or rarely retuse and
mucronate at apex, 5 -10 x 0.3 - 3.2 cm, subcoriaceous; lateral nerves 3-6 pairs; secondary
nerves obscure; petioles 4 -12 cm long; petiolules 6 - 8 mm long. Racemes terminal, lax,
5 - 1 2 (-20)-flowered; flowers fragrant, green or white, purple tinged, on 2 - 3 cm long
pedicels. Calyx-tube greenish, 1.2 -1.5 cm long, 0.8 -1 cm thick; lobes ovate, puberulous
along margins. Petals absent. Stamens ca 30; filaments pinkish, shorter than gynophore.
Gynophore 2 - 2.8 cm long, elongating up to 4 cm while fruiting, hardly incrassate. Ovary
ovoid, 2.5 x 1 mm, 1-loculed with 2 placentae. Berries oblong, ovoid, 1 - 2-ridged, 1.5 -
1.8 cm long, ca 1 cm thick. Seeds 1 (3 - 5), embedded in scarlet pulp, muricate, ca 6 mm
across, white.

Fl. Jan. - April; Fr. March - Aug.

Distrib. India: Scrub forests and dry regions, from sea level to 300 m, scattered and
infrequent. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu,

Endemic.

Notes. A paste of root bark is applied for leucoderma and the extract given orally
for the same by Chenchus and Lambadis of Andhra Pradesh. Tender leaves ground
with spices and the paste made into pills are given orally for nervous disorders and foot
pains by Chenchus.

In Vajravelu 24719 (MH) leaflets vary from 3 - 5 . Though the laminae of leaflets
are usually ovate, occasionally they are linear-lanceolate and up to 7 cm long and 2 - 3
330 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

lid

Fig. 62. Maerua apt I a la (Roxb) Jacobs : a. flowering twig; b. leaf variations; c.
flower; d. fruit; e. tardily dehiscent fruit; f. seed; g. seed with testa removed,
showing cotyledon.
1993] CAPPARACEAE 331

mm wide. Fruits are generally 1-seeded, but in Ramamurthy 21000 (MH) the berries
are larger, up to 3 cm long, 1.5 cm thick and 4 - 5-seeded.

2. Maerua oblongifolia (Forsskal) A. Rich, in Guill. & Pers., Fl. Seneg. Tent. 1:32,
t. 6.1847. Capparis oblongifolia Forsskal, Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. 99.1775. Niebuhria arenaria
D C , Prodr. 1: 244. 1824. M. arenaria (DC.) Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:
171.1872 (incl. vars. glabra &scabra).

Guj.: Hemkand, Kala-pinjola, Pinjola; Hindi: Potiakand, Wagboti; Kan.: Kadu-

thottimara, Nelasakregadde; Mar.: Kaba, Kalwari; Punj.: Pilwani; Raj.: Orapa; Tarn.:
Bhumichakkarai, Mochukkodi, Mulmurandai.

Shrubs, scandent, ascending up to 4 m; twigs, leaves and inflorescence puberulous

to glabrous; bark smooth, pale brown. Leaves ovate, elliptic-oblong or lanceolate,
attenuate at base, obtuse, retuse and mucronate at apex, 2.5 - 8 x 0.8 - 3.5 cm, coriaceous,
glaucous, drying pale green; lateral veins 5 - 6 pairs, distinct; petioles terete, 6 - 9 mm
long. Corymbs dense-flowered, rarely flowers solitary, axillary. Flowers white or green-
ish-yellow, 2 - 2.5 cm across, mildly fragrant; pedicels 0.3 -1.5 cm long, glabrous; bracts
small, ovate, acuminate, rigid. Sepals petaloid, united near base or up to one-third from
base; calyx-tube 3 - 8 mm long, lined by a tubular truncate disc; lobes elliptic-oblong, ca
1.4 x 0.6 cm, glabrous or sometimes softly pubescent outside, pubescent inside, villous
along margins. Petals on cup-shaped disc, ovate-lanceolate to obovate, acuminate,
undulate along margins, ca 7 x 2.5 mm, greenish yellow. Stamens 20 - 26; filaments up
to 2 cm long, inserted on ca 5 mm long torus, greenish or white, brownish or purple on
drying; anthers basifixed, ca 3 mm long. Gynophore 1.5 - 2.5 cm long; ovary cylindrical,
4 - 6 mm long, ca 1 mm thick, glabrous; stigma sessile. Berries 5 -12 cm long, glabrous,
pale brownish, cylindric or moniliform, often twisted and knotted, constricted with 2 - 4
alternating rows of globular 1-seeded sections; seeds globose, 5 - 6 mm across, minutely
echinate-tuberculate, brown.

Fl. Jan. - March, Aug. - Oct.; Fr. Feb. - May, Sept. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Common in semiarid sandy tracts and scrub jungles from sea level
to 600 m, scattered and often associated with Capparis sepiaria. Throughout the country,
except Jammu & Kashmir and hill states of N.E. India.

Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Arabia, Middle East and Africa.

Notes. Leaves serve as fodder for camels and goats. Ripe fruits are rarely seen,
since they are eaten by birds and squirrels, which cause the seed dispersal.

An extremely variable species with reference to size, shape, texture, indumentum

and venation of leaves. In Indian plants leaves are never as narrow and linear as in
332 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

African populations and besides venation in quite distinct. Though the species is
common in peninsular India, no specimens could be seen from Kerala.

It has a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 20 (T.S. Raghavan & Venkatasubban

in Cytologia 11: 319.1941).

7. Stixis Lour.

Shrubs, unarmed, scandent; branches lenticellate, verticillate. Leaves exstipulate,

simple, rarely 3-foliolate, pellucid-dotted. Inflorescence axillary, many-flowered,
racemose or paniculate. Flowers yellow, short-pedicelled; bracts caducous. Torus
short, disc-shaped, persistent with sepals inserted along margins. Sepals 6, in two whorls
of 3 each, valvate or imbricate; petaloid, outer sepals covering margins of inner ones.
Petals absent (rarely petaloid appendages seen). Aridrophore short, subcorneal. Sta-
mens many, nearly equalling sepals. Ovary shortly stipitate, 3-loculed with axile placen-
tation, each placenta 5 - 10-ovuled; style simple or 3-armed; stigma 1-3, subulate. Fruit
drupaceous, fleshy on a woody stalk, 3-valved; stone 1 (-2)-seeded, ovoid; cotyledons
thick, fleshy, unequal, the larger embracing the other.

Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indone-

sia and Philippines; 8 species, one in India.

Literature. DUTTA, R M. & D.,P. 0AM (1989). The genus Stixis Lour. (Capparaceae) in Inida.
J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 13: 17 - 21. JACOBS, M. (1963). The genus Stixis (Capparaceae)- a census. Blumea 12:
5 - 12, f. 1 a - g. SUNDARA RAGHAVAN, R 1986 (1988) New taxa in Capparaceae. Bull. Bot. Surv.
India 28: 185 -192, tt. 1 - 4.

Notes. The division of Stixis Lour, into Roydsia Roxb. (style short or 0) and
Afytostylis Hook. f. (style long with 3 stigmas) is artificial and not convincing.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Sepals reflexed at anthesis; androgynophore 1.5 - 2 mm long; ov?-y densely brown hairy; style
obscurely 3-lobed or 3-dentate I. S. scandens
b. Sepals patent at anthesis; androgynophore 5 - 6 (-10) mm long; ovary glabrous; style nearly 3 - 5-fid to
the base 2. S. suaveolens

1. Stixis scandens Lour., Fl. Cochinch. 295. 1790 & 1. c. 361. 1793. Roydsia
parviflora Griffith, Notul. PI. Asiat. 4: 578.1854; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India
1: 180. 1872, in obs. S. manipurensis Deb & Rout in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 86(1):
86 - 88, f. 1.1989, syn. nov.
1993] CAPPARACEAE 333

Shrubs or climbers, woody; branchlets terete, slender, greyish or reddish brown,

lenticellate, puberulous when young, glabrous on maturity. Leaves alternate or subop-
posite, elliptic-oblong or oblong-obovate, acute or cuneate at base, abruptly acuminate
at apex, entire, 7 -16 x 2.5 - 6 cm, thinly coriaceous, glossy, minutely pustulate, glabrous,
except the nerves often hairy beneath; lateral nerves 5-10 pairs, arching upwards and
connate near periphery of margin to form an intramarginal nerve; petioles 1 - 1.5 cm
long. Flowers yellowish, sweet-scented, in terminal or axillary brown tomentose racemes
of 4 - 6 (-9) cm long; bracts linear, subulate, 2.5 - 3 mm long, brown-tomentose, caducous;
pedicels 2 - 6 mm long, brown tomentose. Sepals obovate, obtuse, reflexed, 4 - 6 mm
long, densely brown tomentose. Stamens 16 - 40 on 0.5 mm long androphore. Ovary on
1 -1.5 mm long gynophore, brown tomentose; style 0.5 mm long, obscurely 3-lobed at
apex. Drupes ellipsoid, on stout 3-angled, 3 - 6 mm long stalk, spotted with small warts,
spongy. Seed embedded in pulp.

Fl.&Fr. April-Dec.

Distrib. India: Evergreen forests at 1650 m. Nagaland and Manipur.

Myanmar.

Notes. S. manipurensis Deb & Rout (1. c.) fits into the general description of
S. scandens Lour, and hence reduced as a synonym.

2. Stixis suaveolens (Roxb.) Pierre in Bull. Soc. Linn. Paris 1: 654.1887. Roydsia
suaveolens Roxb., PI. Corom. 3: 87, t. 289.1819; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India
1:180.1872. Fig. 63.

Asm.: Madhumalati, Madhabimalati; Kh.: Madholata, Manoj ; Nep.: Kasouli-

lahara.

Shrubs, scandent, ascending up to 5 m, puberulous, later glabrescent. Leaves

oblong, obovate or oblong-lanceolate, cuneate, subacute to rounded at base, abruptly
acuminate at apex with 5-15 mm long acumen, 14 - 35 x 4 -18 cm, glabrous, coriaceous,
glossy and dark green above, pale green below; lateral nerves 5-12 pairs; reticulations
distant; petioles 1.5 - 4 cm long. Inflorescence axillary or terminal sturdy panicles, 15 -
30 cm long, velvety pubescent; bracts linear or subulate, 2 - 4 mm long, puberulous.
Flowers fragrant, pale yellow or greenish-yellow, 1.6 -1.8 cm across; pedicels equalling
bracts in length; torus ca 2.5 mm across. Sepals elliptic-oblong, 5 - 6 x 2 - 2.5 mm, olive
green, pubescent, becoming reflexed on maturity. Androgynophore glabrous, ca 2 mm
long; stamens 38 - 52; filaments 5 - 6 mm long, glabrous; anthers orange-yellow.
Gynophore puberulous, 5 - 8 mm long, slightly elongating and incrassate in fruit; ovary
ellipsoid, 2 - 2.5 x 1.6 -1.8 mm, glabrous; styles 3 (or 4), ca 1 mm long. Drupe on a stipe
of 3 - 5 mm thickness, ellipsoid or obovoid, 2.5 - 6 x 2 - 4 cm, orange-brown, scurfy,
 334 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 63. Stixis suaveolens (Roxb.) Pierre : a. flowering twig; b. flower; c. sepals; d.
androgynophore, gynophore and pistil; e. t.s. of ovary, showing axile placenta-
tion; f. fruit.
1993] CAPPARACEAE 335

lenticellate, 3-valved; fruit wall 4 - 5 mm thick, spongy, covered with whitish warts. Seed
solitary, ovoid, 1.6 - 2 x 1 -1.2 cm; pulp aromatic, yellow, sweet.

Fl. Feb. - May; FT. June - Dec.

Distrib. India: In mixed tropical and subtropical forests, often along streams, up to
1200 m. Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura
and Meghalaya.

Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China and S.E. Asia.

Notes. At times the plant attains a height of 10 -12 m tall, with a girth up to 50 cm
at base.

Fruits are edible.

 RESEDACEAE
(N. P. Balakrishnan and R. K. Premanath)

Herbs, annual or perennial, or rarely shrubs. Leaves spiral, simple, entire or

sometimes lobcd or pinnatisect; stipules absent or minute and glandular. Inflorescences
terminal, spikes or racemes, bracteate. Flowers solitary in axils of bracts, bisexual or
unisexual, zygomorphic, 4 - 7-merous, rarely plants monoecious. Sepals 4 - 7 or more,
free or sometimes basally connate, imbricate in bud, persistent, often irregular. Petals
absent or 2 - 7, alternating with sepals, often with a scaly membranous appendage at
base. Disc absent, or if present infundibuliform or cupular, often eccentric, hypogyn-
ous. Stamens 3-many, inserted on disc or receptacle, equal or unequal; filaments
elongated, free or united at base. Ovary unilocular, of 2 - 6 connate carpels, often lobed
at top, rarely free; ovules many, on 2 - 6 parietal placentas, amphitropous or campylo-
tropous. Fruit usually a gaping capsule, opening at top or a berry. Seeds many, reniform
to subglobose, small, carunculate, non-endospermous.

N. Africa, S. Europe, W. Asia, C. Asia to India, South Africa and Eastern U.S.A.;
6 genera and ca 70 species, 3 genera and 5 species in India.

Literature. MITRA, KRISHNA & S. N. MITRA (1976) Pollen morphology in relation to taxonomy
and plant geography of Resedaceae. Bull. Bot. Surv. India 18: 194 - 202, tt. 1-2.

KEY TO THE GENERA

la. Shrubs, with rigid branches, often straggling; petals absent or if present minute; fruit a berry
1. Ochrudenus
b. Herbs, with herbaceous branches, not straggling; petals present, well-developed or reduced; fruit a
capsule 2
2a. Petals 2, reduced; disc absent; fruits sessile 2. Oligomcrus
b. Petals 4 - 7, well-developed; disc present; fruits pedicelled 3. Reseda

1. Ochradenus Del.

Shrubs, dioecious or polygamous, much-branched, often straggling, glabrous; bran-

ches rugose-costate, green, becoming brown. Leaves sessile, solitary or fascicled, entire,
linear or oblong, often slightly dentate at base. Infloresence terminal, dense-flowered
spike or a raceme. Flowers minute, unisexual or bisexual, bracteate. Sepals 5 - 6 ,
perigynous. Petals absent or rarely much reduced and minute. Disc unilateral, cupuli-
form or disciform, fleshy, yellowish. Stamens hypogynous, 10 - 15, inserted on disc;
filaments filiform; anthers ovoid or ellipsoid. Ovary sessile, ovoid, closed at

Fam. ed. D. M. Verma

1993] RESEDACEAE 337

top, 3 - 4-carpclled, 3- beaked; ovules many, on 3 placentas. Fruit a berry, or rarely a

capsule (non-Indian). Seeds few, small, reniform or obovoid.

N.E. Africa and W. Asia to India; ca 5 species, one species in India.

Ochradenus baccatus Del., Fl. Egypte 15, 92, t. 31.1813; Hook. f. & Thomson in
Fl. Brit. India 1:182.1872.

Shrubs, straggling, 2 - 3 m tall; branches several, divaricate, greenish yellow when

mature, brownish and leafless when old. Leaves linear, acute, 1 - 4 x 1.5 - 2 mm, fleshy;
stipules minute or absent. Flowers yellowish green, in dense rigid terminal 5 - 15 cm
long racemes; bracts oblong, acute, ca 2.5 mm long, early caducous; pedicels terete, 1 -
2 mm long, slightly elongating in fruits. Bisexual flowers: Sepals 5 (-6), ovate, ca 1 mm
long. Petals absent or 2 - 3, subulate, less than 1 mm long, appendage more or less
suborbicular. Disc irregularly orbicular, fleshy. Stamens 10 - 18; filaments 1 - 2 mm
long, fused at base, deciduous. Female flowers: Petals absent or reduced. Ovary
glabrous. Staminodes present. Berry sessile on disc, globose, slightly contracted at apex,
reniform, ca 1.5 mm long, brown, papillose. Seeds 1 - 1.5 mm across, reniform,
tuberculate, yellow to brown.

Fl. & Fr. Nov. - March.

Distrib. India: Western arid zones. Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Pakistan, westwards through W. Asia to Syria, Egypt and Libya.

Notes. Fruits sweet and edible.

2. Oligomeris Cambess., nom. cons.

Herbs, annual or perennial, occasionally shrublets, ascending or erect. Leaves

linear to obovate or spathulate, entire, sessile, fascicled. Flowers minute, in terminal
spikes, white, usually bisexual. Sepals 2 - 5, persistent. Petals 2, free or connate. Disc
absent. Stamens 3 - 8, free or united at base. Ovary sessile, 3 - 5-carpelled, 4-lobed,
1-locular, open at top; ovules many on 4 placentas. Capsules 1-loculed, ovoid, angled,
3 - 4-cuspidate at apex. Seeds numerous, ovoid, glossy, black or dark brown.

South-west U.S.A., N.& S. Africa, Middle East to India; about 9 species, one species
in India.

Oligomeris linifolia (Vahl) Macbr. in Contr. Gray Herb. n.s. 53:13.1918. Reseda
subulata Del., Fl. Egypte 15.1813, nom. nud. R. linifolia VahlinHornem.,Hort.Hafin.
2: 501.1815. O. glaucescens Cambess. in Jacq., Voy. Bot. 4: 24, t. 25.1844; Hook. f. &
Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 181.1872.
338 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

Herbs, annual, glabrous, glaucous; stems many, erect to ascending, 10- 35 cm high
ribbed. Leaves clustered, narrowly linear, 2.5 - 7.5 x 0.2 - 0.3 cm, glabrous to scabrid
with 1 - 2 minute ca 1 mm long basal lobes; stipules minute, subulate. Flowers greenish
white, bisexual, in dense terminal 2 - 25 cm long spikes; bracts 1 -1.5 mm long, connate
at base. Sepals 2 - 4 , subequal, 1 - 1.5 mm long, ca 0.5 mm wide, connate at base
persistent. Petals 2, united for more than half way up or free, entire or shortly incised
acute or obtuse, ca 1.5 x 1 mm, white. Stamens 3 - 4 , sometimes abortive; filaments
united at base, ca 1.5 mm long. Capsules erect, subsessile, subglobose, deeply 4-lobed,
widely gaping at mouth, very small, 2.5 - 3.5 mm long and wide, glabrous; teeth subacute,
t?a 1 mm long, membranous. Seeds minute, subglobose, ca 0.5 mm long, greenish black,
glaucous, shiny.

FL&Fr. Jan.-April.

Bistrib. India: Arid and semiarid regions of Western india, in waste and saline
lands, in fallow fields, from sea level to 1000 m. Punjab, Rajasthan (Ganganagar),
Gujarat and Maharashtra (Concan hills).

Pakistan and westwards to Spain, NAfrica and also South-west U.S.A.

Notes. Plants growing near moist places tend to be less branched and with numerous
slender leaves and shorter spikes.

3. Reseda L.

Herbs, annual or perennial, ascending or erect, glabrous or papillose. Leaves basal

and cauline, subsessile, entire or pinnatifid; stipules glandular. Inflorescence racemose,
terminal, simple or branched. Flowers zygomorphic, bracteate, white or cream coloured
or yellowish green. Sepals 4 - 8 , shortly connate at base. Petals 4 - 7 , clawed, unequal,
multifid, posterior one dilated at base with a membrane above claw. Disc broad, fleshy,
oblique, campanulate, dilated posticously. Stamens 10 - 40; filaments connate at base,
inserted on eccentric disc, on one side of the flower. Ovary 3 - 4-carpellary, syncarpous,
1-loculed; ovules many on 3 placentas; style 3 - 4, distinct, separated. Capsules unilocu-
lar, many-sided, truncate to 3 - 4-toothed at apex, opening widely at apex; seeds reniform,
inflated, papillose or scabrous.

N. Africa, W. Asia to Western India; about 26 species, 3 species in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves always entire, rearely some upper ones divided 2

b. Leaves at least some ternate or pinnatisect 3
2a. Sepals 5 or more; seeds reniform 2. R. aucheri
b. Sepals 4; seeds globose 3. R. luteola
1993] RESEDACEAE 339

3a Filaments persistent untill fruit is ripe I. R. alba

b. Filaments caducous long before fruit is ripe 4
4a Plants 40 - 70 cm high; sepals ca 1 mm long; capsules 3 - 5 mm long. Naturally occurring
4. R. pruinosa
b Plants up to 25 cm high; sepals 4 - 5 mm long; capsules 9 - 1 1 mm long. Cultivated only R. odorata

1. Reseda alba L., Sp. PI. 449.1753; Sharma et aL in Biol. Mem. 2 (1 & 2): 14.1972.

Annual or perennial herbs, (10-) 30 - 80 cm high, erect, branching above, glabrous

or sparingly pilose. Leaves pinnatisect into 6 or more lobes; lobes linear to oblong-lan-
ceolate, entire, denticulate or undulate along margins; upper leaves smaller. Flowers
racemose, dense; bracts acicular-linear, small, persistent; pedicels 1-8 mm long, white,
3-partite, the 2 upper ones with somewhat lobulate or entire lateral lobes. Stamens
10 - 13, with long persistent filaments. Capsules narrowly obovate or elliptic-ovate,
constricted at apex, 8-15 mm long; seeds spherical-reniform, rough, tuberculate, yellow
or brown.

FL&Fr. May-Sept.

Distrib. India: Tamil Nadu (Nilgiri hills). Introduced and naturalised.

Europe, W. Asia and Siberia.

2. Reseda aucheri Boiss., Diagn. ser. 1,1:5.1«44: Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit.
India 1:181.1872.

Herbs, biennial or perennial, 20 - 60 cm tall; stems erect, branched, glabrous to

sparsely papillose. Leaves obovate to lanceolate, tapering to a long petiole at base, acute
or obtuse at apex, entire, 4 - 7 x 0.5 - 2.5 cm, sparsely pilose along margins and on veins.
Flowers small, yellowish, in dense terminal 8 - 30 cm long racemes; bracts linear-lanceo-
late, 2 - 4 mm long. Sepals 6 - 7 , obtuse or acute, 1.5 - 2 x ca 0.5 mm, caducous. Petals
yellow or cream yellow, 8 - 10 (-15)-lobed; lobes linear to spathulate, rarely divided up
to base; appendage suborbicular to obovate, asperulous at margins. Disc ca 1 mm high,
ca 1.5 mm wide, recurved along margins. Stamens ca 15, longf r than petals; filaments
persistent. Capsules oblong or ovoid, contracted and with 3 acute lobes at apex, 7 - 8.5
mm long. Seeds reniform, 0.7 - 1 mm long, brown to shiny black, rugose to scrobiculate.

FL&Fr. Feb.-April.

Distrib. India: Western India in sandy and hilly places. Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Egypt.

340 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

3. Reseda luteola L., Sp. PI. 448.1753; Gamble, F t Pres. Madras 1:34.1957 (repr.
ed.).

Herbs, erect, biennial, glabrous; stems erect, 0.5 - 1.2 m high, much branched.
Leaves simple, decurrent, linear or lanceolate, spathulate, entire, 2.5 -12 x 0.4 -1.5 cm.
Racemes 30 - 60 cm long, erect, dense-flowered, spike-like; bracts persistent, 3.5 - 4.5 x
0.75 mm in flower, elongating in fruits; pedicels ca 1.5 mm long, elongating in fruits.
Sepals 4, ovate-lanceolate, connate at base, ca 2 x 1 mm, persistent. Petals 4, 3 - 4 mm
long, yellow; the upper one clawed, with 4 - 8-lobed obovate limb; the two laterals and
lower one clawed or clawless with entire or 4-lobed limb. Disc crenate and recurved at
margin, ca 0.75 mm high, ca 1.75 mm across. Stamens 2 0 - 4 0 ; filaments persistent,
somewhat curved. Ovary 3-carpellate. Capsules erect, stipitate, obovoid, truncate,
longitudinally 6-ribbed, 3 - 4 x 5 - 6 mm, glabrous, rugose; seeds reniform, obovoid, ca 1
mm long, brown.

Fl.&Fr. Oct.-Feb.

Distrib. India: Cultivated in gardens, frequently running wild in Himachal Pradesh,

Punjab and Tamil Nadu (Nilgiri and Pulney hills).

Pakistan to W. Asia, S.W. & C. Europe and N. Africa.

4. Reseda pruinosa Del., Fl. Egypte 15.1813; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India
1:181.1874.

Herbs, perennial, 40 - 70 cm high; stem and branches pruinose to densely papillose.

Leaves linear to lanceolate, 2 - 8 x 0.8 - 1.5 cm, upper leaves 3 - 5-partite with linear
segments. Flowers small, subsessile, in dense up to 30 cm long terminal racemes; bracts
subulate, 1.5 - 4 mm long, caducous; pedicels ca 2 mm long in fruit. Sepals 5-6, elliptic,
ca 1 mm long, caducous, membranous along margins. Posterior petal with 7 - 9 (-10)
linear to spathuLli segments, the median petal slightly larger than laterals and often
3 - 4-fid; appendage ca 1.5 mm long, more or less the size of petal or shorter. Ovary
contracted below the stigmatic lobes. Capsules erect, oblong, subglobose to obovoid,
3 - 5 mm long with 3 blunt stigmatic lobes; seeds less than 1 mm long, rugose, shiny black
when mature.

Fl.&Fr. Oct.-June.

Distrib. India: Punjab and Rajasthan.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and W. Asia to Egypt.

1993] RESEDACEAE 341

CULTIVATED SPECIES

Reseda odorata L., Syst. Nat. ed. 10,2:1046.1759.

Annual or perennial herbs, 10 - 25 cm high, with ascending branches near base.

Leaves oblancolate to obovate, usuallly some with 1 - 2 lateral lobes. Sepals oblong-
spathulate, 4 - 5 mm long. Petals 4 - 4.5 mm long, the upper with flat claws; limb inserted
near apex of claw, digitate; segments 9 -15, spathulate. Capsules subglobose, 9 -11 x
7 -10 mm, nodding.

A native of N. Africa, with fragrant white or cream-coloured flowers, often culti-

vated as an ornamental plant, particularly in Rajasthan.
 VIOLACEAE
(S. P. Banerjee and B. B. Pramanik)

Herbs, shrubs or undershrubs, small trees, rarely lianas. Leaves alternate, rarely
opposite, simple, entire or toothed, rarely lobed; stipules minute or leafy. Flowers
bisexual or unisexual, rarely plants polygamous or dioecious, hypogynous or slightly
perigynous, medianly zygomorphic or actinomorphic, solitary or in axillary or terminal
racemes, spikes or panicles, often bracteolate. Sepals 5, free or slightly connate,
persistent, imbricate, often ciliate. Petals 5, free, or rarely shortly connate, generally
sessile, imbricate, unequal, the lowermost often gibbous or spurred and larger than
others and differentially shaped. Stamens 5, mostly hypogynous; filaments free or
connate, alternate with petals, closely connivent around pistil; anthers 2-loculed, basi-
fixed or adnate, introse, one of them often spurred, dehiscence by longitudinal slits;
connective produced apically; 2 abaxial anthers sometimes spurred. Ovary superior,
sessile, subglobose, unilocular with generally 3 - 5 carpels, placentae parietal with 1-2
or numerous ovules on each; ovules bitegmic, crassinucellar, anatropous; style simple,
mostly sigmoid or thickened above; stigma various, usually truncate, lobed, beaked or
simple. Fruit usually a loculicidal 3-valved capsule, or a berry or nutlet. Seeds numer-
ous, smooth or rough, rarely tomentose, often arillate, sometimes winged in woody
lianas; embryo straight; cotyledons thin, wider than radicle; endosperm moderate or
copious, rarely scanty, fleshy.

Cosmopolitan, tropical and temperate regions; ca 22 genera and ca 900 species, 3

genera and 41 species in India.

Literature. BANERJEE, S. P. & B. B. PRAMANIK (1983) Violaceae. In: Fasc. Fl. India 12: 1 -
40, ff. 1 - 39. GRIERSON, A. J. C. (1991) Violaceae. In: Fl. Bhutan 2(1): 222 - 228, ff. 26 o - x. JACOBS,
M. & D. M. MOORE (1972) Violaceae. In: Fl. Males. 1,7(1): 179 - 212. ff. 1 - 20. QAISER, M. & SAOOD
OMER (1985) Violaceae. In: Fl. Pakistan 166: 1 - 28, ff. 1 - 8. TENNANT, J. R. (1963) Notes on Tropical
African Violaceae. Kew Bull. 16(3): 409 - 435, ff. 1 - 2.

KEY TO THE GENERA

la. Shrubs or small trees; flowers actinomorphic; abaxial stamens nqt spurred at base 2. Rinorea
b. Herbs or sometimes suffruticose; flowers zygomorphic; abaxial stamens often spurred at base 2
2a. Leaves subsessile; sepals not produced at base; petals unequal in size; seeds longitudinally ribbed
1. Hybanthus
b. Leaves long-petioled; sepals pouched or produced at base; petals equal or subequal in size; seeds
smooth 3. Viola

Fam. ed. K Vivekananthan

1993] VIOLACEAE 343

1. Hybanthus Jacq.

Herbs or undershrubs, rarely small trees. Leaves alternate or rarely subopposite to

opposite, mostly sessile, herbaceous or sometimes leathery; stipules small, persistent or
mostly caducous. Flowers bisexual, irregular, rarely cleistogamous, white to orange or
purple, solitary in leaf-axils, or in more or less reduced axillary cymes or dichasia or in
raceme-like elongated monochasia, rarely in a terminal leafy panicle; pedicels articulate,
2-bracteolate below articulation. Sepals subequal, more or less triangular, persistent,
rarely the margins with deep incisions. Petals unequal, persistent; posterior ones small
and straight, middle ones longer and falcate; anterior one extended to a lip with a claw,
more or less deeply saccate to shortly spurred. Filaments free or partly coherent; anthers
free or more or less united, 2 or (4) of them gibbous or spurred; connective prolonged
into a distinct membranous appendage. Ovary ovoid, with 3 placentae bearing 3 - 24
ovules; style clavate, incurved; stigma oblique. Capsules elastically 3-valved, subglobose;
valves leathery; seeds few, ellipsoid, mostly with a small caruncula.

America, Africa, Asia and Australia in tropical and subtropical regions; about 150
species, 2 in India.

Literature. BAHADUR, B. et al. (1987) Floral biology of Hybanthus enneaspermus (L.) F. v.

Muell. (Violaceae). New Bot. 14: 29 - 45, f. 42. BENNETT, E. M. (1972) A revision of the Australian
species of Hybanthus Jacquin (Violaceae). Nuytsia 1: 218 - 241. GREY-WILSON, C. (1981) Notes on
African Violaceae. Kew Bull. 36(1): 103 -126, ff. 1 - 7.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Herbs with red flowers; sepals keeled; capsules ca 5 mm long; seeds conspicuously longitudinally
ribbed 1. H. ennaeaspermus
b. Shrubs with pink flowers; sepals not keeled; capsules ca 10 mm long; seeds obscurely ribbed
2. H. travancoricus

1. Hybanthus enneaspermus (L.) F. Muell., Fragm. Phyt. Austr. 10:81.1876. Viola

enneasperma L., Sp. PI. 2: 937.1753. V. suffruticosa L., Sp. PI. 2: 937.1753. Ionidium
suffruticosum (L.) Roemer & Schultes, Syst. Veg. 5: 394.1819; Hook. f. & Thomson in
Fl. Brit. India 1:185.1872. Fig. 64.

Beng.: Nunbora; Hindi: Ratanpuras; Mai.: Orilathamara, Kalthamara; Sans.:

Ambumha, Atichara, Avyata, Charati, Lakshmishreshta-padma, Padmacharini, Padma-
vati, Padmavaha, Pushkarna, Pushkaranadi, Pushkarini, Ramya, Sarayda, Sthalapadmi-
ni, Sthalaruha, Sugandhamula, Supuskhara; Sant.: Bir-Surajmukhi, Tondi-sol; Tam.:
Orilai-tamarai, Purusharatnam; Tel: Nilakobari.

Herbs, annual or perennial, 10 - 60 cm high; often woody at base; stems simple or

moderately branched, subglabrous to densely pubescent, terete or ridged. Leaves sessile
 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

Fig. 64. Hybanthus enneaspermus (L.) F. Muell.: "a. plant; b. flower; c. petals;
d. stamens; e. pistil; f. capsule, dehisced.
1993 ] VIOLACEAE 345

to subsessile, very variable, linear to linear-lanceolate, elliptic-lanceolate or oblong-lan-

ceolate, cuneate at base, acute to subobtuse (and often mucronate) at apex, subentire
to crenate-serrate or dentate-serrate along margins, 0.5 - 8.5 x 0.1 -1.4 cm, glabrous to
densely pubescent, hirsute or scabrid; lateral veins 4 - 7 pairs; lower leaves broader than
upper ones; stipules linear-lanceolate to subulate, 1 - 4 mm long, usually ciliate along
margins. Flowers axillary, solitary, red; pedicels slender, 0.6 - 2 cm long, glabrous or
pubescent with a pair of subulate bracteoles. Sepals subequal, lanceolate, acute, 2 - 4 x
0.75 - 1 mm, glabrous or ciliate. Petals unequal; upper two elliptic, symmetric, acumi-
nate, 3 - 5 mm long; lateral two triangular-oblong, 4 - 6 mm long, rather expanded and
obtuse at apex; lower petal 0.8 -1.9 cm long, suborbicular to subcordate. Stamens ca 2
mm long; anterior stamen with a small recurved fleshy appendage. Ovary globose,
glabrous; style thickened towards tip. Capsules 3-lobed, glabrous; seeds ovoid-ellipsoi-
dal.

Fl. & Fr. Throughout the year.

Distrib. India: Commonly seen in plains and coastal areas in grassy places in
cultivated fields, roadsides, railway tracks, wastelands and open forest lands. Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Tropical Asia, Africa, Australia and America.

Notes. Plant is considered to possess diuretic and demulcent properties. Decoction

or powder of the whole plant taken to improve memory and vitality and as a remedy in
consumption, asthma, fever and leprosy. Shampoo made from this plant removes
dandruff.

A polymorphic species, very variable in habit and leaf form. Grey-Wilson (1. c.
103 -110) has recognised several distinct varieties in tropical East Africa.

Chromosome number reported: n = 16 (Gupta & Srivastava in Taxon 20:

609 - 614.1971); 2n = 32 (Mangenot & Mangenot in Rev. Cytol. Biol. Veg. 25:411 - 447.
1962; Sanjappa, M. in Taxon 28: 265 - 279.1979; Sarkar, A. K. et al. in Taxon 29: 347 -
367.1980).

2. Hybanthus travancoricus (Beddome) Melchior in Engler & Prantl, Pflanzen-

fam. ed. 2.21:360.1925. Ionidium travancoricum Beddome, Ic. PI. Ind. Or. 1:55, t. 230.
1868-1874. Fig. 65.

Shrubs, up to 1.75 m high; branches erect, woody, glabrous, terete below, angled
towards apex. Leaves subsessile, linear-lanceolate, distantly serrate, acuminate at apex,
1 - 9 x 0.5 - 2.5 cm, glabrous; stipules subulate, glandular-puberulous. Peduncles 1-2
cm long, bibracteolate towards apex. Flowers pink. Sepals equal, subulate, recurved.
346 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

mm

Fig. 65. Hybanthus travancoricus (Beddome) Melchior: a.floweringtwig; b. flower,

split open; d. stamen, lateral view; e. stamens, dorsal and ventral views; f. pistil.
1993] VIOLACEAE 347

Petals variable, lower petal with a long claw, saccate and furnished with 2 spurs, others
falcate, upper 2 only ciliate. Stamens 5; anthers nearest to large petal with a round
gibbous spur at base. Seeds 6 - 9 , white.

tl.&Fr. Aug.-Sept.

Distrib. India: Hills of Tirunelveli and Travancore at 650 to 1000 m. Tamil Nadu
and Kerala.

Notes. Endemic to southern parts of Western Ghats.

Chromosome number reported: 2n = 32(GadeUa,Kilphusetal.inActaBot.Neerl.

18:74-83.1969),

2. Rinorea Aublet

Shrubs or small trees. Leaves alternate or rarely opposite or spiral, distichous,

entire or serrate; secondary nerves numerous and parallel; petiole short or absent;
stipules caducous to persistent, often longitudinally striate. Flowers bisexual or rarely
unisexual, sometimes plants dioecious, regular, solitary or usually racemose, cymose or
paniculate, rarely in axillary or terminal cymes; peduncles articulate. Sepals almost
equal, rigid, ciliate. Petals isomorphic or subequal, free, sessile. Stamens inserted on
margin of an annular disc; connective produced into a long or short, often broad
membranous appendage. Ovary tricarpellary, unilocular with 3 parietal placentae;
ovules 1 - 3 on each placenta, rarely numerous; style straight, with a terminal more or
less distinctly 3-lobed stigma. Fruits capsular, 3-valved, globose, subtended by floral
parts. Seeds 3 - 6 , ellipsoid, glabrous, rarely woolly with leathery testa.

America, Africa, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia to N.

Australia, Malagasy, in tropical areas; about 200 species, 4 in India.

Literature. JACOBS, M. (1967) Florae Malesianae Praecursores XLV. Notes on Rinorea

(Violaceae) from Malesia and adjacent regions. Blumea 15(1): 127 -138.

Notes. Rinorea Aublet (1775) has long been known under its later synonymAlsodeia
Thouars (1806).

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. leaves 2 - 5 cm long, subsessile; stamens exserted; anthers cohering into a cone 2. R. heteroclita
b. Leaves 5 - 25 cm long, petiolate; stamens inserted; anthers free 2
2a. Flowers in elongated racemes; anthers with a distinct ventral appendage 3. R. longiracemosa
b. Flowers fascicled or densely set on short rachis; anthers with a dorsal appendage 3
348 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

3a. Stipules 4 -16 mm long, distinctly striate; leaves greenish when dry; fruits glabrous 1. R. bengalensis
b.. Stipules 1.5 - 6 mm long, scarcely striate; leaves dark-coloured when dry; fruits sparsely hairy
4. R. macrophylla

1. Rinorea bengalensis (Wallich) O. Ktze, Rev. Gen. PI. 1: 42. 1891. Alsodeia
bengalensis Wallich in Trans. Med. Phys. Soc. Calc. 7: 224.1835; Hook. f. & Thomson
in Fl. Brit. India 1:186.1872. A. griffithii Hook. f. & Thomson, 1. c. 187. A. wallichiana
Hook. f. & Thomson, 1. c. 187. A. zeylanica (Arn.) Thwaites, Enum. PI. Zeyl. 21.1858;
Hook. f. & Thomson, 1. c. 187. Fig.66 .

And.: Kyadoo; Nep.: Kalipat.

Shrubs or trees, 5 - 20 m tall; branchlets glabrous or puberulous. Leaves elliptic-

lanceolate or ovate, acute at base, obtuse at apex, crenate or serrate along margins, 6 -
18 x 2 - 9 cm, thinly coriaceous, glabrous, except for the bearded nerve axils beneath;
midrib prominent; lateral nerves 10 - 12 pairs; petioles up to 1 cm long; stipules
appressed, linear-lanceolate to subulate, 5 - 8 mm long, ca 1 mm wide. Peduncles up to
1 cm long; bracts basal, minute, ovate, subacute, ca 1 mm long, brown. Flowers ca 4 mm
across, white. Sepals subequal, broadly ovate, ca 2 x 1 mm. Petals subequal, oblong-
ovate, ca 5 x 1 mm, fleshy. Stamens on a thick 5-lobed disc, glabrous; filaments short,
expanded at base, cohering into a tube; anthers oblong, appendage subapical, broad,
hooded. Ovary oblong, sometimes hairy, 3-ovuled; style short, straight, glabrous. Cap-
sules globose, up to 1 cm in diam., 3-valved, longitudinally dehiscing; seeds 3-4, globose,
ca 5 mm in diam., glabrous.

Fl. & Fr. Jan. - Nov.

Distrib. India: Common along river-banks and as undergrowth of semievergreen

forests up to 850 m. Abundant in leaf-shedding forests of the Andamans. Uttar Pradesh
(cult.), West Bengal (cult.), Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala
and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Bangladesh, Myanmar to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Australia and Pacific Islands.

Notes. Leaves are said to be used to adulterate tea. Wood is white and scented.

2. Rinorea heteroclita (Roxb.) Craib, Fl. Siam. Enum. 1: 89.1925. Vareca hetero-
clita Roxb., Fl. Ind. 2: 446. 1824. Alsodeia roxburghii Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit.
India 1:186.1872.

Shrubs; bark grey-brown, finely striate; branchlets terete, fulvous-puberulous.

Leaves elliptic or lanceolate, cuneate at base, obtuse to apiculate, often blunt, sometimes
with a mucro at apex, more or less crenate, but entire near base, 2-6x1.5-2 cm, glabrous,
perforate at nerve axils beneath; tertiary nerves obsolete; stipules subulate, keeled,
 VIOLACEAE 349
1993]

mm
ilk"
IJI6J r

mm

I
cm

Fig. 66. Rinorea bengalensis (Wallich) O. Ktze : a. fruiting twig; b. leaf venation; c.
inflorescence; d. flower; e.flowerwith sepals and petals removed; f. stamen;
g. pistil.
350 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

acute, 2 - 4 mm long, often ciliate. Flowers 2 - 3 mm across, white, subsessile in dense

axillary clusters. Sepals ca 2 mm long, unequal, obtuse, somewhat fleshy. Petals
lanceolate, 4 - 5 mm long, ca 0.75 mm wide, thin, revolute above, glabrous, more or less
ciliate. Filaments glabrous. Ovary glabrous with (3) or 6 ovules; style hairy at middle
portion. Capsules subglobose, tapering towards apex, ca 5 mm long; valves when open
6 - 7 mm long; seeds 1 - few, ellipsoid, ca 3 mm long, brown with distinct raphe and
hilum.

Fl.&Fr. March-Oct.

Distrib. India: In forests on slopes and bamboo-flats in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West
Bengal, Assam and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia.

Notes. Materials are scanty in herbaria and mostly from gardens. Kanjilal et al. (Fl.
Assam 1: 82. 1934) noted it from 'BEHAR' although not mentioned in Haines's flora.
They say it 'appears to have spread from Bengal into South Sylhet, Wallich'. In Wallich's
Numerical list, the place of collection and collector are not mentioned. M. Jacobs
(Blumea 15:136.1967) found, on a sheet in Cambridge, 'W. Gr.' (W. Griffith), 'Seram-
pore', and on a sheet in Paris, 'B.S.C., 14 July 1834,' the letters B.S.C. probably stands
for Bhorul Singh collector, one of Wallich's employees. No other collection is available
and hence the occurrence of this species in different states could not be confirmed.

3. Rinorea longiracemosa (Kurz) Craib, Fl. Siam. Enum. 1: 90. 1925. Alsodeia
longiracemosa Kurz in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 39 (2): 63. 1870. A. racemosa Hook. f. &
Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:187.1872.

Shrubs or small trees, glabrous; branchlets crooked. Leaves oblong-lanceolate to

elliptic-obovate, cuneate at base, acuminate at apex, serrate, 5 -16 x 2.5 - 5 cm., glabrous,
shiny above, thinly coriaceous; lateral nerves 7 - 11 pairs, slender, irregularly arched;
petioles up to 7 mm long, puberulous; stipules ca 5 mm long, subulate, scarious.
Racemes axillary, 5 -10 cm long, simple, erect or ascending; pedicels up to 5 mm long,
bibracteolate at base. Flowers yellowish-white, 3 - 4 mm in diam. Sepals subequal, ovate,
ca 2 mm long, thin, puberulous. Petals oblong, obtuse, 2 - 4 x 1 - 3 mm, thin, glabrous,
sometimes sparsely ciliate. Filaments subulate, glabrous, connate at base, forming a cup
with disc; anthers ovate, hairy at base. Capsules subglobose, 3-sided with blunt angles,
up to 1.5 cm long, glabrous; seeds 6, obconical, with a circular depression at the place
of insertion.

Fl. Feb. - April; Fr. April - May.

Distrib. India. Secondary and primary lowland tropical forests. Assam and Anda-
man & Nicobar Islands.
1993] VIOLACEAE 351

Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to Malesia.

Notes. Its occurrence in Assam is uncertain. Kanjilal et al. (in Fl. Assam 1:83.1934)
noted, "not found it anywhere in this Province". Recently this species has been collected
from Katchal Island in Nicobars (P. Chakraborty 2548 CAL, PBL).

4. Rinorea macrophylla (Decne.) O. Ktze, Rev. Gen. PI. 1: 42.1891; P. Chakrab.

in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 76(1): 212. 1979 (1980). Alsodeia macrophylla Decne.,
Nouv. Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 3: 468,1.19.1834.

Shrubs ca 2 m tall; young branchlets velvety brown to sparsely puberulous. Leaves

obovate or ellipsoid oblong, decurrent at base, acuminate at apex, 8 - 20 x 4 - 9 cm,
glabrous to sparsely hairy, mainly beneath on midrib and veins; lateral nerves 7 - 10
pairs, converging within the margin; petioles up to 2 cm long; stipules subulate, 2 - 6 mm
long. Peduncles up to 1 cm long; bracts minute, triangular. Inflorescence many-
flowered, mostly densely hairy; pedicels 3 - 9 mm long, with a joint near base. Flowers
2 - 4 mm in diam., greenish yellow. Sepals subequal, bluntly triangular to elliptic, 2 - 3
mm long, fleshy, dark coloured, hairy outside. Petals 3 - 5 mm long, fleshy, hairy outside.
Stamens 3 - 4 mm long; filaments cohering into a tube; anthers with broad dorsal
appendage. Ovary hairy, each carpel with one ovule; style glabrous. Capsules trigonus-
globose, up to 1.5 cm long, purplish brown; seeds 3, 6 - 7 x 5 mm, glossy brown with
distinct raphe.

Fl. & Fr. April - Nov.

Distrib. India: Semievergreen and secondary forests. Andaman & Nicobar Is-
lands.

Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines.

3. Viola L.

Herbs, annual or perennial, often suffruticose, rarely shrubby; rhizomes present or

absent; stem mostly present. Leaves alternate, entire to pinnatisect, ovate-triangular or
reniform, cordate, serrate or crenate; petioles sometimes winged; stipules persistent,
free or adnate to petiole, lanceolate-ovate, entire, dentate or fimbriate. Flowers irregu-
lar, 1 - 2 on long axillary bibracteolate, non-articulate peduncles, often dimorphic with
normal and cleistogamous flowers. Sepals persistent. Petals erect or spreading, flat,
subequal; lateral ones larger than others; lowermost spurred. Anthers 2-loculed, sub-
sessile, connivent around ovary, each tipped with a small triangular appendage; connec-
tives of lower 2 often produced into spurs within the spur of corolla. Ovary sessile; style
much-variable, straight or curved, often geniculate at base, filiform to clavate; stigma
variable, truncate or obtuse, lobed or triangular, straight or beaked (Fig. 67). Fruit
3-valved loculicidal capsule; seeds rounded-ovoid, shiny.
352 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

Fig. 67. Style and stigma of Indian Violas : a. V. biflora L.; b. V. cinerea Boiss. var.
stocksii (Boiss.) W. Becker; c. V. canescens Wallich; d. V. sylvatica Fries ex
Hartmanf.; e.V. tricolorL.;(.V. odorataL.; g. V.macrocerosBunge; h.V. diffusa
Ging.; i. V. betonicifolia J. Smith; j . V.philippica Cav.; k. V. inconspicua Blume;
1. V. hamiltoniana D. Don; m. V. pilosa Blume; n. V. indica W. Becker; o. V.
hookeri Thomson; p. V. glaucescens Oudem.; q. V. kunawarensis Royle; r. V.
fedtschenkoana W. Becker.
1 9 93 ] VIOLACEAE 353

Cosmopolitan, distributed chiefly in the temperate regions throughout the world;

ca 500 species, 35 species in India, distributed mostly in the northern temperate and
alpine areas; a few are confined to the lower hills.

Literature. CHATTERJEE, A. & A. K. SHARMA (1973) Cytological studies on Indian repre-

sentatives of the genus Viola. J. Genet. 61: 52 - 63. HARA, H. (1975) Viola. In: H. Ohashi, Fl. East.
Himalaya (Third Report): 82 - 85.

Notes. Pollen grains spheroidal, furrow generally three, occasionally 4 to 6, long

tapering to pointed ends; furrow membrane smooth, easily ruptured; germ-pore circular
or more or less irregular. Exine nearly or quite smooth. (Wod^house, R.P. in Pollen
Grains, New York 442 - 444.1959).

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Stipules pinnatifid or palmatifid; lateral petals directed towards the top of the flower; style expanded
and globose at top 33. V. tricolor
b. Stipules entire to long fimbriate; lateral petals spreading horizontally; style not globose at top 2
2a. Stigma without beak, with 2 laterally patent lobes 3
b. Stigma beaked, triangular marginate, truncate or subtruncate 6
3a. Leaves reniform to rotundate 4
b. Leaves ovate-lanceolate 5
4a. Sepals linear-oblong, obtuse; spur ca 2 mm long 2. V. biflora
b. Sepals subulate-acute; spur 5 - 6 mm long 34. V. wallichiana
5a. Sepals linear, obtuse, ca 3 mm long 4. V. cameleo
b. Sepals ovate-oblong, acute, ca 5 mm long 11. V. hediniana
6a. Plants without superterranean stems or stolons; stipules more or less adnate to petioles 7
b. Plants with superterranean, decumbent or ascending stems or stolons; stipules free from petioles 14
7a. Leaves deltoid or deltoid-ovate, rather acute, usually with a truncate or shallowly cordate base and
widely divergent basal lobes 8
b. Leaves ovate-oblong to orbicular, often rounded at apex, deeply cordate at base with a little divergent
or subconverging basal lobes 10
8a. Flowers up to 6 mm across 16. V. jangiensis
b. Flowers up to 15 mm across 9
9a. Calycine appendages up to 5 mm long, incised, often 1/2 as long as sepals 14. V. inconspicua
b. Calycine appendages up to 2 mm long, rounded, nearly 1/3 as long as sepals 1. V. betonicifolia
10a. Sepals linear-lanceolate, acute to acuminate 8. V. fedtschenkoana
b. Sepals ovate, ovate-lanceolate, obtuse 11
Ha. Capsules ca 3 mm long 18. V. kunawarensis
b. Capsules ca 10 mm long 12
12a. Lateral petals bearded at base 19. V. macroceros
b. Lateral petals not bearded at base 13
13a. Spur curving downwards 23. V. philippica
b. Spur curving upwards 22. V. paravaginal
354 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

14a. Stipules entire or with a few short teeth; top of style with 2 laterally patent lobes 15
b. Stipules with long acute teeth or fimbriate; top of style without laterally patent lobes 18
15a. Leaves cordate-reniform; petioles not or scarcely winged 16
b. Leaves elliptic-ovate to oblanceolate; petioles conspicuously winged 17
16a. Stems with underground tubers 3. V. bulbosa subsp. tubcrifera
b. Stems without underground tubers 10. V. hamUtoniana
17a. Peduncles bibracteolate at middle 7. V. diffusa
b. Peduncles bibracteolate at top 6. V. cinerea var. stocksli
18a. Leaves ovate-orbicular, weakly cordate at base 19
b. Leaves ovate-oblong, deeply cordate at base 24
19a. Peduncles bibracteolate at or below the middle 20
b. Peduncles bibracteolate above the middle 21
20a. Sepals acute 9. V. glaucescens
b. Sepals obtuse 20. V. moupinensis
21a. Spur 3 - 5 mm long 22
b. Spur 1-2 mm long 23
22a. Stipules fimbriate 31. V. sylvatica
b. Stipules more or less lobed at apex with a few lateral narrow teeth 28. V. rupestris
23a. Leaves silvery white beneath; veins raised below 29. V. sikkimensis
b. Leaves not silvery white beneath; veins not raised below 12. V. hooker!
24a. Flowers up to 1 cm in diam.; stipules foliaceous, up to 3.5 cm long 17. V. jordanii var. falconer!
b. Flowers up to 2 cm in diam.; stipules membranous up to 1.5 cm long 25
25a. Style not thickened upwards, decurved 26
b. Style thickened upwards, erect 27
26a.' Sepals acute I5. V. indica
b. Sepals obtuse 21. V. odorata
27a. Peduncles bibracteolate at or below the middle 28
b. Peduncles bibracteolate above the middle 31
28a. Sepals obtuse 30. V. suavis
b. Sepals acute 29
29a. Leaves canescent, obtuse 5. V. canescens
b. Leaves pilose or glabrous, acute or prolonged acuminate 30
30a. Leaves deeply cordate at base; spur ca 5 mm long 24. V. pilosa
b. Leaves shallowly cordate at base; spur 2 - 3 mm long 26. V. pogonantha
31a. Spur 3 - 5 mm long 32
b. Spur up to 2 mm long 33
32a. Stigma marginate, not papillose-hairy 32. V. thomsonii
b. Stigma beaked, papillose-hairy 27. V. reichenbachiana
33a. Lateral petals bearded at base 25. V. placida
b. Lateral petals not bearded at base 34
34a. Petioles more than twice as long as lamina 13. V. hossei
b. Petioles shorter than lamina 35. V. yunnanensis
1993] VIOLACEAE 355

1. Viola betonicifolia J. Smith in Rees, Cyclop. 37(1): Viola no. 7. 1817. V.

betonicifolia subsp. nepalensis (Ging.) W. Becker in Engler, Bot. Jahrb. 54 (Beibl. 120):
166.1917. V. patrinii var. nepalensis Ging. in DC., Prodr. 1: 293.1824. Fig. 67 i.

Herbs, perennial, 8 - 20 cm high; roots slender, unbranched; stem absent. Leaves

in rosette, variable, linear-lanceolate to triangular-hastate or triangular-ovate, cuneate,
truncate or widely shallowly cordate at base, usually decurrent on petiole, shallowly and
distantly crenate, sometimes dentate on basal lobes or rarely serrate, acute or sometimes
roundish obtuse at apex, 1.5 -10 x 0.5 - 3 cm, glabrous; petioles longer than lamina, 2 -
14 cm long, winged above, glabrous; stipules ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 2 - 15 mm
long, ca 1 mm wide, short-fimbriate, adnate to petiole up to middle point. Peduncles
equalling or exceeding leaves, 5 - 15 cm long, glabrous. Flowers white to purple, with
darker veins; bracteoles opposite, lanceolate, acute, entire. Sepals ovate-lanceolate to
oblong-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, 4 - 8 mm long, 1 - 2.5 mm wide, glabrous or ciliate,
green with scarious margins. Petals oblong-ovate, up to 15 mm long; lateral ones usually
bearded at base; spur cylindrical, straight or slightly upcurved, 2 - 6 mm long. Style
almost geniculate at base, clavate above, up to 3 mm long. Capsules ellipsoid to oblong,
up to 1 cm long, glabrous.

KEY TO THE SUBSPECIES

la. Leaves linear-lanceolate to triangular-ovate; flowers up to 1.5 cm across; sepals ca 8 mm long, oblong;
spur 2 - 4 mm long 1.1. subsp. betonicifolia
b. Leaves ovate-oblong to broadly lanceolate; flowers ca 2 cm across; sepals 4 - 6 mm long, lanceolate;
spur 5 - 6 mm long 1.2. subsp. juansarensis

1.1. subsp. betonicifolia V. patrinii sensu Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:
183. 1872, pro max. parte, non DC. 1824. V. caespitosa D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep. 205.
1825.

Leaves 2 - 8 x 1 - 3 cm, glabrous to more or less pubescent; petioles 4 -10 cm long,

usually winged above; stipules ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 5 - 1 0 mm long, sparsely
short-fimbriate. Peduncles 5 -15 cm long, bibracteolate at middle. Flowers lilac. Petals
up to 1 cm long.

Fl Jan. - April; Fr. March - June, often extending throughout the year.

Distrib. India: Usually in grasslands, river banks and damp grounds, 1400 - 2800 m.
Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim,
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mad-
hya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Malaysia to Aus-
tralia.
356 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

cm

2i

cm

0J
mm
cm

Fig. 68. Viola betonicifolia J. Smith subsp. jaunsarensis (W. Becker) Hara: a. habit; b.
stipule; c. & d. dorsal and ventral views of sepals; e. spur; f. & g. dorsal and
ventral views of stamens; h. pistil.
1993] VTOLACEAE 357

Nates. Plants bruised and applied to ulcers and foul sores. In China, Indo-China
and Malaya, the flowers of this species are said to purify blood.

Chromosome numbers reported: 2n = 48,72 (Moore in Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov.

68: 84.1963); 2n = 24 (Miyaji in Cytologia 1: 28 - 58.1929).

1. 2. subsp. jaunsarensis (W. Becker) Hara in J. Jap. Bot. 49(5): 133. 1974. V.
prionantha Bunge subsp.jaunsarensis W. Becker inEngler, Bot. Jahrb. 54 (Beibl. 120):
181.1917. Fig.68.

Leaves 2.5 - 5 x 1 - 3 cm, hirsute; petioles 2 - 8 (-12) cm long; stipules oblong-acumi-

nate, 1 -1.5 cm long, shortly dentate. Peduncles up to 8(-12) cm long, bibracteolate at
or slightly below middle. Petals ca 1.5 cm long.

Fl.&Fr. April-July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Notes. V. patrinii DC. var. suaveolens G. Watt is a synonym of V. betonicifolia J.

Smith subsp. jaunsarensis (W. Becker) Hara. The type sheet of V. patrinii DC. var.
suaveolens G. Watt in Herb. BSIS, Calcutta, with G. Watt's annotations consists of
specimens under three different field numbers, i.e. 686,970 & 2097 collected at different
times from Nag-konda forests, Chamba, and N.W. Himalaya, all mounted on a single
sheet. Of these, G. Watt 2097 with field notes have been chosen as the lectotype of var.
suaveolens by S. P. Banerjee & Pramanik in Fasc. Fl. India 12: 17. 1983. The same
specimen, viz. Watt 2097 was also considered as V. kashmiriana by W. Becker.

2. Viola biflora L., Sp. PI. 2:936.1753. Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:182.
1872, p. p. (excl. syn. V. wallichiana Ging. & V. reniformis Wallich). Fig. 67 a.

Hindi: Banfsa.

Herbs, annual or perennial, glabrous or pubescent, up to 30 cm high; stem slender,

erect or decumbent; rhizome horizontal or oblique, more or less stout. Leaves reniform
to broadly ovate, cordate at base, crenate along margins, 1 - 6 x 0.8 - 4 cm, subcoriaceous,
glabrous to hirsute along margins and nerves above, 5 - 7-nerved; petioles glabrous to
pubescent, slender, up to 10 cm long; stipules ovate or oblong, acute, up to 8 mm long,
entire or sparsely denticulate, sometimes leafy. Peduncles slender, 1 - 10 cm long,
exceeding leaves, bibracteolate above the middle; bracteoles opposite or subopposite,
setaceous, membranous. Flowers solitary, 0.6 - 1.5 cm across, spreading, yellow with
brownish purple veins. Sepals linear to linear-oblong, acute, up to 7 mm long, ciliate on
scarious margins. Petals obovate to oblong, obtuse, entire, 7 -15 x3 - 5 mm; lateral petals
358 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

slightly larger and beardless, stripped with black and brown coloured nerves; spur
cylindrical, straight, obtuse, ca 1.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous; style geniculate at base,
clavate distally, 1.2 -1.5 mm long, bilobed at top with no stigmatic beak. Capsules ovoid
to oblong-ellipsoid, 4 - 9 mm long, glabrous.

Fl. April - Aug.; Fr. July - Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine rocky grasslands and in damp Fir forest margins, 2500 - 3500
m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim
and Arunachal Pradesh.

Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Eastern & Northern Asia, Russia, Europe
and N. America.

Notes. Medicinal, roots emetic, flowers antiseptic and leaves laxative. Decoction
of the whole plant is used for cough and acute bronchitis (Kapahi in J. Econ. Tax. Bot.
14: 55.1990).

W. Becker (in Beih. Bot. Centrabl. Abt. 2, 36: 42. 1918) included most of the
Himalayan materials, having reniform and much broader than long leaves, under V.
biflora vaT.platyphylla and hirsute materials under V. biflora var. hirsuta. The materials
from the type locality and other materials of this variety have been examined and it
became clear that these are intergrading characters and do not justify distinct varietal
status.

Chromosome numbers reported: 2n = 12 (Clausen in Hereditus 8:1.1926); 2n =

48 (Taylor & Mulligan, Queen's Printer, Ottawa 148.1968); 2n = 12 (Miyaji in Cytologia
1: 28-58. 1929); 2n = 12 (Kobayashi in J. Jap. Bot. 47: 171 - 179.1972); 2n = 12, 20
(Chatterjee & Sharma in J. Genet. 61: 52 - 63.1973).

Pollen grains 3 (4) zomocolporate, prolate spheroidal (34 x 32 u); endocolpium very
faintly demarcated; exine 1 u thick, psilate. (Nair, P.K.K. in Pollen grains of Western
Himalayan plants, Bombay 13.1965).

3. Viola bulbosa Maxim, subsp. tuberifera (Franchet) W. Becker in Beih. Bot.

Centralbl. Abt. 2,34:418.1917. V. tuberifera Franchet in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 33:410.
1886; Hara in Fl. E. Himal. 2: 82.1971.

Herbs, perennial; stems 1 - 6 cm long, arising from underground rhizome, stolonife-

rous. Leaves orbicular, reniform or broadly ovate-cordate, obtuse, crenate, 1 - 3 cm
broad; petioles scarcely winged above, 1 - 4 cm long; stipules oblong-acuminate, narrow,
entire, almost adnate at base, up to 1 cm long, often ciliate along margins. Peduncles
bibracteolate above middle, up to 6 cm long. Flowers white with red or purple veins, ca
7 mm across. Sepals lanceolate, acute, ca 4 mm long. Petals ca 7 mm long, lower one
1993] VIOLACEAE 359

spurred. Style clavate, narrowed downwards from a shortly winged, minutely beaked
stigma. Capsules subglobose, ca 4 mm in diam.

Fl. & Fr. May - June.

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas, damp slopes amongst scrubs, 2000 - 4000 m.
Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and S.W. China.

Notes. V. bulbosa Maxim, subsp. bulbosa is distinguished from subsp. tuberifera by

its ovate-cordate leaves with leaf-base attenuated to a wing almost as long as the petiole.
The unique feature of both the subspecies is production of small bulbs and suprabulbous
1 - 5 cm long stems.

4. Viola cameleo Boiss. in Bull. Herb. Boiss. ser. 2 , 1 : 1074.1901; Hara in Fl. E.
Himal. 1:212.1966. '

Rhizome slender, scaly; stolons 20 - 40 cm long. Leaves ovate-cordate, crenate-ser-

rate, prolonged acute to acuminate, 1.5 - 2.5 x 1 - 2.3 cm, sparsely strigose above; petioles
up to 7 cm long in basal leaves, much smaller in upper cauline leaves; stipules ovate-
acute, foliaceous, ca 3 mm long. Peduncles bibracteolate above the middle, ca 2.5 cm
long. Flowers deep or pale yellow with slight violet tinge or entirely violet, 1.5 - 2 cm
across. Sepals linear, obtuse, ca 3 mm long. Petals obovate-oblong, striate, ca 1 cm long;
spur erect, ca 4 mm long. Stigma bilamellate, almost obhque, with dilated lobes. Fruit
not seen.

Fl. April - May.

Distrib. India: Sikkim (Lachen).

China.

Notes. This species, allied to V. hediniana W. Becker, is first recorded from Eastern
Himalaya by Hara (1. a ) , but there is a collection from Lachen, Sikkim dated May 1885
by King's collector s. n. (ace. no. 31233) in CAL.

5. Viola canescens Wallich in Roxb., Fl. Ind. 2: 450.1824. V. serpens Wallich var.
canescens (Wallich) Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:184.1872. Fig. 67 c.

Herbs, prostrate, pubescent or subglabrous; stem absent or producing runners

instead of leafy stolons; roots long, cylindrical. Leaves ovate-cordate to subreniform,
obtuse to acute, serrate-crenate, 1.5 - 4 x 1.5 - 5 cm, 5-nerved beneath; petioles 2 -10 cm
360 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

long, pubescent; stipules free, lanceolate, deeply fimbriate, up to 1 cm long, reddish at

base. Peduncles up to 10 cm long. Flowers ca 1.5 cm across, pale violet. Sepals
oblong-acute, ca 6 mm long, trinerved; lateral sepal large, up to 10 x 2 mm, dentate near
base. Petals obovate-oblong, up to 1.6 cm long, upper two cuneate, lateral two narrower,
bearded at base, marked with dark coloured streaks, lowermost shortest with dark
coloured stripes. Spur ca 4 mm long, compressed', obtuse, mostly straight or reflexed.
Ovary villous; style clavate; stigma truncate, oblique. Capsules globose, ca 4 mm in
diam., pubescent, many-seeded.

Fl. & Fr. March - June, extending up to Sept. - Oct.

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas, 1500 - 2000 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and
Tamil Nadu.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and East Asia.

Notes. This species is distinguishable from V. pilosa Blume by its glaucous pube-
scence, broadly ovate-cordate to subreniform obtuse leaves and deeply fimbriate sti-
pules.

6. Viola cinerea Boiss. var. stocksii (Boiss.) W. Becker in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. Abt.
2, 36: 37.1918. V. stocksii Boiss. Fl. Orient. 1: 453.1867. V. cinerea sensu Hook. f. &
Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:185.1872, non Boiss. (1867). Fig. 67 b.

Guj. & Punj.: Banafsha, Zinko-banaphsha.

Herbs, suffruticose; stem 3 -15 cm, much-branched. Leaves ovate, oblong-ovate to

elliptic-lanceolate, or almost spathulate, 1 - 3.5 x 0.5 - 11 cm, acute, apiculate; lamina
decurrent into petiole, crenulate to subdentate, glabrous; stipules subulate, 2 - 6 (-10)
mm long, mostly denticulate to more or less fimbriate. Peduncles up to 4.5 cm long,
bibracteolate at top. Flowers pale violet or white, ca 5 mm across. Sepals lanceolate,
ca 4 mm long, aristate, glabrous. Petals ca 6 mm long, lower petal spurred; spur very
short, rounded. Style clavate, compressed; stigma lateral, consisting of 2 oblong parallel
discs. Capsules cylindric, 4 - 6 mm long, acute; seeds ovoid, ca 1 mm in diam., white,
shiny.

Fl.&Fr. April-Oct.

Distrib. India: Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.

1993] VIOLACEAE 361

Notes. The root is a powerfully emetic; flowers are emollient and demulcent; the
whole plant is considered useful as febrifuge.

V. cinerea var. cinerea differs from var. stocksii in its cinerescent habit, smaller more
or less shortly dentate stipules; shortly cartilaginous acuminate leaves and tomentulose
capsules. Since forma stocksii andkathiawarensis show overlapping characters, they are
considered as synonyms.

7. Viola diffusa Ging. in D C , Prodr. 1:298.1824; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit.
India 1:183.1872. Fig. 67 h.

Annual or perennial, stolons up to 15 cm long, producing dense rosettes of leaves

and flowers and procumbent rooting stems; rhizome vertical, fibrillose. Leaves subor-
bicular, elliptic-ovate to oblanceolate, obtuse to acute at apex, crenate-serrate to serrate,
1.5 - 5 x 0.8 - 2 cm, decurrent, hirsute; petioles 1.5 - 7 cm long; stipules free, lanceolate,
acute, dentate to fimbriate, 6-10 mm long, ca 1.5 mm wide. Peduncles 1.5 - 6.5 cm long,
bibracteolate at the middle. Flowers ca 8 mm across, pale purple to nearly white. Sepals
ovate to lanceolate, 5 - 6 x 1 -1.5 mm, sparsely hairy. Petals ovate-oblong, ca 1 cm long,
lateral ones not bearded; spur 1-2 mm long, obtuse. Style clavate, slightly geniculate
at base; stigma with two lateral lobes, with a small beak in' .tween. Capsules ellipsoid,
4 - 6 mm long, glabrous.

Fl&Fr. Feb.-Aug.

Distrib. India: Montane warm forests and grasslands, 1300 - 2500 m. West Bengal,
Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland and Meghalaya.

Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Indo-china, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines and New
Guinea.

Notes. Flowers medicinal, applied in chest diseases.

Chromosome number reported: 2n = 26 (Miyaji in Cytologia 1: 28.1929).

8. Viola fedtschenkoana W. Becker in O. Fedtsch., Fl. Az. Ross. 8: 31.1915; S. P.

Banerjee & Pramanik in Fasc. Fl. India 12: 21 - 22.1983. Fig. 67 r.

Herbs, perennial, 6 -16 cm high; branches few, decumbent; stolons absent. Leaves
in basal rosette or on upper part of stem with the middle part of stem leafless,
ovate-subreniform, cordate or subcordate at base, obtuse at apex, crenate-serrate, 1.5 -
2.5 x 0.5 - 2 cm, glandular punctate, pubescent, 4 - 5-veined; petioles 2 - 4 cm long,
glabrous; stipules opposite, free, ovate-lanceolate, glandulose ciliate. Peduncles 2 - 6
(-8) cm long, bibracteolate at a little above the middle or near the tip. Flowers projecting
much above leaves, pale violet, up to 2 cm in diam. Sepals linear-lanceolate, up to 8 mm
362 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

long, entire, with elongated appendage. Petals oblanceolate or obovate-oblong, up to

1.5 cm long; lateral petals bearded at base; spur slender, slightly curved upwards, up to
6 mm long. Style swollen upwards, hooked above; stigma almost papillose, hairy. Fruit
not seen.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Stipules distinctly fimbriate; peduncles bibracteolate at a little above the middle; spur elongated, up to
6 mm long; style papillose hairy above 8.1. var. fedtschenkoana
b. Stipules slightly fimbriate; peduncles bibracteolate near the tip; spur short, up to 3 mm long; style non-
papillose hairy 8.2. var. muzaflarabadensis

8.1. var. fedtschenkoana

Fl. May-July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Pakistan and Central Asia.

8.2. var. muzaflarabadensis W. Becker in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. Abt. 2,40:59.1923;

S. P. Banerjee & Pramanik in Fasc. Fl. India 12: 22.1983.

Leaves ovate-orbicular, 1 - 2 x 1 -1.5 cm; stipules ca 8 mm long. Peduncles up to 7

cm long. Flowers ca 1.5 cm across. Style swollen upwards, hooked above; stigma
subtruncate, obscurely, beaked. Fruit not seen.

Fl. March-Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Endemic.

Notes. It is known only fron the type locality Muzaffarabad in Jammu & Kashmir.

9. Viola glaucescens Oudem. in Miq. Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 3: 74. 1867. V.
distans \ar.fimbriata Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:184.1872. Fig. 67 p.

Rootstock articulated; stolons up to 20 cm long. Leaves orbicular-cordate, acute to

subacuminate, 2 - 4.5 x 1.3 - 3.5 cm, basal sinus moderately wide, margin broadly and
evenly crenate, glabrous or sparsely hispid above; petioles up to 10 cm long; stipules
ovate-oblong, lacerate or fimbriate, up to 1.5 cm long. Peduncles up to 8 cm long.
Flowers 1 -1.5 cm across, white or rose purple. Sepals lanceolate, acute, ca 5 mm long.
1993] VIOLACEAE 363

Petals orbicular-obovate, ca 1 cm long; lateral ones barbate; spur saccate, ca 3 mm long.

Capsules oblong, apiculate, ca 8 mm long. Seeds globose, light brown.

FL, & Fr. Throughout the year.

Distrib. India: West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Nagaland, Mani-
pur and Mizoram.

Nepal, Bhutan and Malaysia.

Notes. This species is distinguishable from V.pilosa Blume by its orbicular-cordate,

acute, more or less glabrous leaves, marginate and shortly beaked stigma and elongate
oblong capsules. The purple-flowered materials have been described as a variety (var.
rubella) by W. Becker, subsequently reduced to a forma by Hara. In all other essential
characters they are similar. Authentic sheets of V. distans \ax.fimbriata in CAL verified
at Kew, also lead to the same conclusion.

10. Viola hamiltoniana D. Don, Prodr. FL Nep. 206. Feb. 1825. V. arcuata Blume,
Bijdr. 58, June-Dec. 1825. V. distans Wallich in Trans. Med. Phys. Soc. Calc. 7: 227.
1835; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:183.1872. V. distans Wallich var. acaulis
Hook. f. & Thomson, 1. c. 184. Fig. 671.

Herbs, perennial; stems or stolons trailing up to 30 cm long, slender, procumbent

or ascending, rooting at lower nodes. Leaves ovate to reniform-cordate, usually as broad
as long, with broad basal sinus, obtuse or rather acute at apex, crenate-serrate, 1.5 - 5 x
1 - 4.5 (-6) cm, glabrous to hirsute; petioles curved upwards, 1 - 8 cm long, glabrous;
stipules lanceolate, acute, subentire to fimbriate, 5 - 15 x 1 - 4 mm, glabrous, white to
purple. Peduncles 1-8 (-12) cm, bibracteolate above middle. Flowers 1 -1.5 cm across,
white to light violet. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, acute, entire, 2.5 - 5 x 1 - 2 mm; appendage
rounded, ca 1 mm long. Petals ovate-oblong, 2 - 4 times as long as broad, ca 1 cm long;
lateral ones slightly bearded; spur saccate, ca 4 mm long. Style more or less geniculate
at base, subclavate distally, 1 - 2 mm long; stigma of 2 small laterally patent lobes.
Capsules oblong, 0.6 - 1 cm long, glabrous.

Fl. & Fr. Feb. - June, often throughout the year.

Distrib. India: Edges of forests in grasslands and roadsides, 1000 - 2500 m. Hima-
chal Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Megha-
laya, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Malaysia and Philippines.

Notes. Chromosome number reported: 2n = 24 (Borgmann in Zeitschr. Bot. 17:

1 - 27.1964).
364 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

11. Viola hediniana W. Becker in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. Abt. 2,34:262.1916; Sparre
& C. Fischer in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1929: 252.1929.

Herbs, pubescent to glabrous; rhizome slender, horizontal; stolons up to 20 cm long,

ascending. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, cordate at base, remotely crenate, subacuminate
at apex, 3 - 7 x 1.8 - 2.5 cm, smaller above, sparsely pubescent above to glabrous; petioles
up to 1 cm long in basal leaves, shorter to sessile in upper cauline leaves; stipules
ovate-lanceolate, ca 5 mm long. Peduncles ca 7 cm long, bibracteolate at or above the
middle. Flowers ca 1 cm across, yellow. Sepals ovate-oblong, acute, ca 5 mm long,
3-nervate, shortly appendiculate. Petals oblong-ovate, ca 1 cm long, lateral petals
ebarbate; spur ca 5 mm long. Stigma bilobed. Fruits not seen.

Fl. May.

Distrib. India: Arunachal Pradesh.

China.

Notes. This species, originally described from China has been reported from
Arunachal Pradesh based on a collection from Mishmi, Delei Valley by Kingdon Ward
(Sparre & C. Fischer, 1. c).

12. Viola hookeri Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:183.1872, pro max. parte, emend.
W. Becker in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. Abt. 2, 34: 259.1916. Fig. 67 o.

Herbs, perennial, glabrous or younger parts pilose; root-stock warted; stems and
stolons short. Leaves broadly ovate-orbicular, rounded at apex, rarely subacute, broadly
crenate, 1.5 - 4 x 1.5 - 3.5 cm, basal sinus deep; lobes touching or overlapping, glabrous;
petioles up to 10 cm long, not winged; stipules lanceolate, acuminate, up to 1.2 cm long,
toothed or lacerate, glandular at tip. Peduncles up to 7 cm long. Flowers ca 1 cm across,
white with purple veins. Sepals lanceolate, obtuse, ca 5 mm long. Petals oblong-ovate,
ca 1 cm long, minutely puberulous. Style subclavate, narrowed downwards from the
obscurely beaked stigma. Capsules ca 5 mm long; valves apiculate, glandular.

Fl. April - June; Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Moist places in shaded places of forests, 2000-3000 m. West Bengal,
Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Nepal, Bhutan and China.

Notes. Chromosome number reported: n = 9 (Sharma & Sarkar in Research

Bulletin 2: 39.1967-68); n = 9, 36 (Chatterjee & Sharma in J. Genet. 61: 52 - 63.1973).
1993] VIOLACEAE 365

Thomson described V. hooked based on two collections: (i) from Bhutan by Griffith
and (ii) from Sikkim by J.D. Hooker, as mentioned in the protologue, although he was
not unaware of there being two species mixed up and if so they occur in both Sikkim and
Bhutan collections. The one with ovate-rotundate, deeply cordate or with overlapping
basal auricles, rounded, crenate, glabrous, obtuse, silvery-grey beneath and minutely
gland-dotted leaves and acute sepals has been described as V. sikkimensis by W. Becker
(1916).

13. Viola hossei W. Becker in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. Abt. 2, 34: 257. 1916; S. P.
Banerjee & Pramanik in Fasc. Fl. India 12: 25.1983.

Stoloniferous herbs, stolons up to 18 cm long. Leaves ovate or ovate-oblong,

crenate-serrate, acute at apex, 2 - 4 (-5) x 1.5 - 3 cm, sparsely white hispid to glabrous;
petioles more than twice as long as lamina; stipules lanceolate, up to 1 cm long, reddish
brown. Peduncles 2.5 - 3.5 cm long. Flowers violet, wide open. Sepals linear, acute, ca
5 mm long, glabrous. Petals obovate-oblong, ca 1 cm long. Style clavate, slightly curved.
Capsules subglobose, up to 8 mm long, papillose.

Fl.&Fr. March-Oct.

Distrib. India: Meghalaya.

Myanmar, S.W. China, Thailand and Malaysia.

14. Viola inconspicua Blume, Cat. Gew. Buitenz. 57. 1823. V. apetala auct. non
Schimdt 1791; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 185.1872, in obs. Fig. 67 k.

Herbs, perennial, acaulescent; rootstock densely articulated. Leaves in rosette,

triangular-ovate to hastate, cordate at base with prominent rounded basal lobes, acute
or roundish at apex, crenulate or serrate along margins, 1.5 - 6 x 1 - 4.5 cm, glabrous;
petioles 1 -10 (-13) cm long; stipules ovate-lanceolate, acute or acuminate at apex, 3 -
10 x 1 - 2 mm, sparsely dentate. Peduncles 1 -10 (-15) cm long, 1- flowered, bibracteolate
above the middle. Flowers 9 - 11 mm across, generally apetalous and cleistogamous,
rarely perfect, pale purple with dark throat. Sepals ovate to ovate-lanceolate, with
incised appendages, ca 5 mm long, glabrous. Petals when present up to 1.2 cm long,
oblong to obovate-oblong; lateral ones bearded at base; spur ca 3 mm long, cylindrical,
obtuse. Style geniculate at base, clavate. Capsules up to 1 cm long, ellipsoid to oblong,
glabrous.

Fl. Jan. - June.

Distrib. India: Subtropical to temperate Himalayas, 500 - 2500 m. Himachal

Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland and Meghalaya.
366 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, S.W. China.

Notes. This species is often confused with V. betonicifolia. However, it can be

distinguished by its triangular hastate leaves with subcordate and attenuate base and
generally apetalous flowers.

15. Viola indica W. Becker in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. Abt. 2, 20: 126, 1906; S. P.
Banerjee & Pramanik in Fasc. Fl. India 12: 25 - 26.1983. Fig. 67 n.

Root stock densely articulated, up to 12 cm long, stoloniferous; stolons up to 20 cm

long, leafy and flowering. Leaves ovate or ovate-oblong, crenate-serrate, subacuminate,
2 - 6 x 1.5 - 4 cm; petioles up to 10 cm long, retrose-hispid; stipules ovate-lanceolate,
acute, up to 1.5 cm long, membranaceous, ciliate. Peduncles 3 -10 cm long, bibracteolate
at about the middle. Flowers lilac, sweet scented. Sepals lanceolate, acute, ca 6 mm
long; glabrous, appendage shortly triangular. Petals obovate-oblong, ca 1.5 cm long;
lateral petal smooth, more or less bearded; spur stout, up to 8 mm long, curved upwards.
Stigma shortly beaked. Fruit not seen.

KEY TO THE FORMA

la. Lateral petals bearded at base 15.1. forma barbata

b. Lateral petals not bearded at base 15.2. forma indica

15.1. forma barbata (W. Becker) S.P. Banerjee & Pramanik in Fasc. Fl. India 12:
26.1983. V. indica var. barbata W. Becker in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. Abt. 2,40:135.1923.

FL April.

Distrib. India: Himachal Pradesh.

Endemic.

15.2. forma indica

Fl. March - July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and
Meghalaya.

Pakistan and Afghanistan.

1993] VTOLACEAE 367

16. Viola jangiensis W. Becker in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1929: 201.1929.

Herbs, acaulescent; rhizome ascending, 2 - 3 mm thick, shortly articulated. Leaves

deltoid or deltoid-ovate, obtuse, entire or remotely crenate to partly repand-crenate,
1 - 2 x 1 - 2 cm, more or less pubescent, especially on lower surface; young leaves
narrower; petioles up to 8 cm long; stipules about 1 cm long. Peduncles 5 - 7 cm long,
bibracteolate at middle. Flowers ca 5 mm across, pale violet. Sepals ovate-lanceolate,
ca 2 mm long; lateral sepals ca 3 mm long, narrower, shortly appendiculate. Lateral
petals minutely hairy at base; spur acute, ca 1 mm long. Ovary conical; style geniculate
at base, more or less clavate, not curved at apex, passing directly upwards to an
uncovered orifice. Fruit not seen.

Fl. July.

Distrib. India: Himachal Pradesh.

Endemic.

17. Viola jordanii Hanry var. falconeri (Hook. f. & Thomson) W. Becker in Beih.
Bot. Centralbl. Abt. 2,34:380.1917. V.falconeri Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India
1:185.1872.

Herbs, glabrous; stems or branches 15 - 30 cm high, erect, with long internodes.

Leaves ovate or ovate-oblong, very broadly crenate, obtuse, 2 - 4.5 x 3 - 6.5 cm,
gland-dotted, glabrate to sparsely strigose; petioles up to 5 cm long; stipules foliaceous,
up to 3.5 cm long, smaller below, gland-dotted. Peduncles 5 - 7 cm long, bibracteolate
above middle. Flowers blue, up to 1 cm across, blue, with white markings in throat.
Sepals up to 8 mm long, subulate-lanceolate, with elongate appendage. Petals orbicu-
lar-obovate; spur saccate. Style inflated above; stigma decurved, oblique. Capsules ca
1 cm long, glabrous, apiculate.

FL&Fr. May-Oct.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Endemic.

18. Viola kunawarensis Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 74, t. 18, f. 3. 1839; Hook. f. &
Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:185.1872. Fig. 67 q.

Herbs, perennial, up to 7 cm high, acaulescent, glabrous; rootstock slender, bran-

ched; stolons absent. Leaves tufted, ovate-oblong to orbicular, subentire, cuneate,
attenuate at base, 1 - 2 x 0.5 - 1 cm, glabrous; petioles 2 - 6 cm long; stipules 2 - 3 mm
long, adnate to a point above the middle, lanceolate, acuminate, shortly glandulose
368 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

fimbriate, membranaceous. Peduncles up to 8 cm long, bibracteolate at middle.

Flowers spreading, ca 1 cm in diam., purple. Sepals ca 3 mm long. Petals up to 1 cm
long, obovate-oblong; spur short, obtuse, ca 2 mm long. Style clavate, shortly incurved;
stigma subhorizontal, hardly beaked. Capsule elliptic, acute, ca 3 mm long, glabrous.

Fl.&Fr. May-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine slopes, 4500 - 5200 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal and China (Tibet).

Notes. W. Becker (in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. Abt. 2, 34: 397. 1917) described V.
kunawarensis var. angustifolia from Khambajong in Tibet based on oblong-lanceolate
leaves with long attenuate base. This is not a distinctive feature found in materials from
the area under study and hence it is considered as a synonym.

19. Viola macroceros BungeinLedeb., Fl. Alt. 1:256.1829. K/?a/n'w7sensuHook.

f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:183.1872, p. p Fig. 67 g.

Herbs, perennial, 5 -14 cm high; stem absent; rhizome short, indistinctly articulated
at apex. Leaves in rosette, ovate-oblong to orbicular, obtuse, 2.5 - 5 x 2 - 4 cm, basal
parts entire, crenate above, glabrous to pubescent; petioles 5 -16 cm long, almost winged
above; stipules ca 1 cm long, adnate to a point above the middle, fimbriate. Peduncles
ca 12 cm long, bibracteolate above the middle. Flowers ca 1 cm across, purple to white.
Sepals rotundate, ca 4 mm long, with short appendage. Petals obovate-oblong, ca 1 cm
long; lateral petals bearded at base; spur 4 - 6 mm long. Ovary glabrous, style clavate;
stigma marginate and shortly beaked; seeds purple.

FL&Fr. April-Sept.

Distrib. India: Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, Russia and Europe.

20. Viola moupinensis Franchet in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 33: 412.1886; Sparre &
C. Fischer in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1929: 252.1929.

Rhizomes thick, articulated, giving rise to a few ascending floriferous stolons.

Leaves radical and cauline, ovate-orbicular, broader than long, crenate-serrate, acute,
2 - 3.5 x 2 - 4 cm; petioles up to 10 cm long; stipules ovate-acuminate, up to 1 cm long,
subentire to shortly glandulose-fimbriate. Peduncles equalling leaves in flowering
stage, bibracteolate below middle. Flowers ca 1 cm across, white or pale violet, striate.
Sepals ovate-oblong, obtuse, up to 5 mm long. Petals obovate to oblong-obovate, up to
1993] VIOLACEAE 369

1 cm long; lateral ones hairy at base; lower petal conspicuously striate; spur saccate, 2 -
3 mm long. Style subclavate, stigma marginate, shortly beaked. Capsules ovate-oblong,
ca 1.5 cm.

Fl. April - June; Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Arunachal Pradesh.

Myanmar and China.

Notes. Report from Arunachal Pradesh is based on a collection from Mishmi, Delei
Valley by Kingdon Ward (Sparre & C. Fischer, 1. a ) .

21. Viola odorata L., Sp. PI. 934.1753; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:184.
1872, p. p. Fig. 67 f.

Beng., Guj. & Hindi: Banafsha; Eng.: Sweet Violet; Kan.: Vwlethoo; Tam.:
Vialettu; Tel: Vayilettu.

Herbs, annual or perennial, prostrate; root-stock stout, articulated; stems short;

stolons 15 - 20 cm long, slender. Leaves orbicular-reniform to broadly ovate, cordate
at base, rounded to obtuse at apex, crenate-serrate along margins, 1.5 - 3.5 x 2 - 4 cm,
glabrous to strigose; petioles 2 - 8 cm long; stipules ovate-lanceolate to subulate-lanceo-
late, 8 -12 x 3 - 5 mm, glabrous, glandular-toothed. Peduncles slender, 4 -12 cm long,
bibracteolate at middle. Flowers 1 -1.5 cm across, violet or white, tinged with purple.
Sepals ovate, obtuse, entire, up to 7 mm long, ca 2 mm wide. Petals obovate, orbicular;
lateral ones bearded or not; spur cylindric-obtuse, ca 5 mm long. Stamens 5, lower two
spurred. Ovary strigose; style ca 2 mm long. Capsules globose, ca 5 mm in diam.,
hirsute.

Fl. March - May; Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, often cultivated elsewhere, particularly in West
Bengal, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

N.W. Asia, Europe and N. Africa.

Notes. Plants medicinal, roots emetic, flowers used in lung troubles.

Chromosome number reported: 2n = 20 (Clausen in Hereditus 8:1.1926; Gadella

& Kliphus in Acta Bot. Neerl. 12:195 - 230.1963; Chatterjee & Sharma in J. Genet. 61
(1): 52-63.1973).
370 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

Pollen grains 29.6 - 31.2 u in diam. (Wodehouse, R.P. in Pollen Grains, New York
442 - 444.1959); prolate (39 x 28 u) (Nair, P. K. K. in Pollen grains of Western Himalayan
Plants, Bombay 13.1965).

22. Viola paravaginal Hara in J. Jap. Bot. 4147.1968 & Fl. E. Himal. 2:82.1971.

Herbs, perennial; rootstock 3 - 7 (-12) cm long, 4 - 7 mm thick, articulated; stems

or stolons absent. Leaves rotundate to ovate-cordate, deeply cordate at base, 2 - 5.5
(-9) x 2 - 4 (-7) cm, pilose above, only on nerves beneath; petioles 3 -12 (-16) cm long;
stipules oblong-ovate, long-attenuate, 6-10 mm long, glandulose ciliate, brown. Pedun-
cles 5 - 8 (-13) cm long, bibracteolate below the middle. Flowers ca 1 cm across, white
to purplish or mauve with purple with purple streaks. Sepals lanceolate, 3 - 4 mm long.
Petals oblong-obovate, up to 1 cm long; spur curving upwards, ca 2 mm long. Stigma
beaked. Capsules oblong-ovate, apiculate, glabrous, purple-spotted; seeds yellowish
brown.

Fl. April - June; Fr. June - Oct.

Distrib. India: Temperate E. Himalayas, often amongst bamboos, 2000 - 3500 m.

West Bengal and Sikkim.

Nepal and Bhutan.

Notes. This species is allied to V. moupinensis Franchet from which it is distinct by

the ebarbate lateral petals and absence of stolons.

23. Viola philippica Cav., Icon. Descr. 6:19.1801; W. Becker in Engler, Bot. Jahrb.
54 (Beibl.120): 174.1917. Fig. 67 j .

Herbs, perennial, acaulescent; rootstock articulated, bearing rosette of leaves and

flowers at apex. Leaves ovate-elliptic, ovate-oblong to triangular-hastate or orbicular,
subtruncate to shallowly cordate at base and usually long-decurrent on petiole, obtuse
or rounded at apex, crenate-serrate, 1 - 4 x 0.5 - 3 cm, glabrous or puberulent beneath;
petioles 1 - 6 cm long; stipules ovate-lanceolate, acute, up to 1 cm long, shortly dentate,
adnate to petiole up to or slightly above the middle. Peduncles 5 - 8 cm long, much
exceeding leaves, bibracteolate at middle. Flowers 1 -1.5 cm across, pale to dark violet.
Sepals ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acute, 3 - 5 mm long. Petals obovate, up to 1.5 cm long;
spur tapering and curved downwards, 3 - 5 mm long. Style geniculate at base, clavate
distally; stigma of 3 partially fused lobes with anterior beak. Capsules ellipsoid-oblong,
5-10 mm long, glabrous.

Fl. & Fr. Oct. - July, often extending throughout the year.
1993] VIOLACEAE 371

Distrib. India: Grasslands, 300 -1800 m. Uttar Pradesh and Manipur.

Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, China and Eastern Asia.

Notes. An examination of type materials of V. philippica subsp. munda and subsp.

munda var. garhwalensis reveals that they can be considered synonymous with subsp.
philippica.

Chromosome number reported: 2n = 12 (Kishore in Ind. J. Genet. & PI. Breed. 11:
217.1951).

24. Viola pilosa Blume, Cat. Gew. Buitenz. 57.1823. V. serpens Wallich ex Ging.
in D C , Prodr. 1:296.1824; Hook.f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:184.1872. V. serpens
var. glabra Hook. f. & Thomson, 1. c. 184. Fig. 67 m.

Hindi &Punj.: Banafsha; Garh.: Thungtu.

Herbs, prostrate to subprostrate; stems or stolons usually long, leafy. Leaves ovate
to deltoid, shallowly cordate at base, 1.5 - 8 x 1 - 6 cm, serrate; petioles 2 -10 cm long,
pubescent; stipules ovate-acuminate, subentire to dentate, 6 -15 mm long. Peduncles 3
- 8 cm long, pilose; bracts 2, placed above middle, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, entire,
ca 6 mm long. Flowers white or pale violet. Sepals linear-lanceolate, acute, entire or
denticulate, 4 - 8 x 1 - 2 mm; appendage ca 3 mm long, pointed. Petals obovate-oblong,
2 - 4 times as long as broad, 1 - 2 cm long; basal one obovate, slightly bearded; lateral
ones oblanceolate, bearded at base; spur ca 5 mm long, obtusely cylindrical. Style
subclavate, subtruncate and shortly beaked at apex, 1.5-3 mm long. Capsules ellipsoid,
ca 5 mm in diam., glabrous.

Fl. March - May; Fr. May - July. Often throughout the year.

Distrib. India: Moist places around forests and margins of culivation, in grasslands
and alpine meadows, 1500 - 3500 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram,
Meghalaya, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Thailand and Indonesia (Sumatra and
Java).

Notes. Medicinally useful as febrifuge, flowers used in lung troubles; petals made
mto a syrup and used as a remedy for infantile disorders; roots emetic.

A variable species. Taller forms grow in shaded humid places and shorter forms
grow in rock-crevices. V. serpens subsp. serpens var. deltoidea W. Becker and V. serpens
subsp. garhwalensis W. Becker are considered synonymous with V. pilosa, being a
372 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

smaller form of the same species. This is clear from a study of the specimens from
Garhwal and other places.

Chromosome number reported: 2n = 18,48 (Chatterjee & Sharma in J. Genet. 61

(1): 52 - 63.1973).

25. Viola placida W. Becker in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. Abt. 2, 36: 58. 1918; S. P.
Banerjee & Pramanik in Fasc. Fl. India 12:31.1983.

Herbs, acaulescent, hispid-pilose; rhizome thick, densely articulated, stoloniferous.

Leaves radical, rotundate-ovate, rounded-crenate along margins, acuminate at apex,
1 -1.5 cm across, densely hispid; petioles ca 3 cm long, retrosely hispid-pilose; stipules
free, lanceolate to triangular-ovate, 6 - 8 mm long, hairy on both sides, glandulose-fim-
briate to ciliate along margins. Peduncles scarcely exceeding the leaves, retrorse-hispid.
Flowers small, lilac. Sepals narrow, oblong, appendages sub-rotundate. Petals oblong,
up to 5 mm long; lateral petals bearded at base; lowest petal almost boat-shaped. Ovary
glabrous; style geniculate at base, subclavate, horizontal, passing into a subemarginate
shortly beaked stigma. Fruit not seen.

Fl. May.

Distrib. India: Sikkim.

Notes. This species is allied to V. hookeri Thomson in general, in hairyness of leaves

to V. alba Besser and in the form of leaves to V. odorata L.

26. Viola pogonantha W. Smith in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 12:228.1920; Sparre
& C. Fischer in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1929: 252.1929.

Herbs, 10 -15 cm high; rootstock articulated. Leaves ovate or ovate-oblong, 6 - 8 x

3 - 4 cm, serrate-crenate, setose with white hairs; petioles 8 - 12 cm long; stipules
linear-lanceolate, ca 1.5 cm long, subenlire to glandular fimbriate. Peduncles 6 - 8 cm
long. Flowers ca 1.5 cm across, white with purple striations. Sepals linear- oblong, ca 7
mm long; spur quadrate, 2 - 3 mm long, pilose. Petals oblong-obovate, ca 1 cm long,
lateral ones bearded at base; spur obtuse. Ovary villous; stigma terminal, truncate.
Capsules globose, villous.

Fl. April - May.

Distrib. India: Arunachal Pradesh.

China.
1993] VIOLACEAE 373

Notes. This species is reported from Arunachal Pradesh based on a single collection
from Mishmi, Delei valley by Kingdon Ward (Sparre & C. Fischer, 1. a ) .

27. Viola reichenbachiana Jordan ex Boreau, Fl. Centr. France, ed. 3, 2:78.1857;
S. P. Banerjee & Pramanik in Fasc. Fl. India 12: 32.1983.

Eng.: Wood-Dog Violet.

Herbs, caulescent; rootstock articulated. Leaves in rosette, ovate or ovate-oblong,

obtuse, crenate, 1.5 - 3 x 1.5 - 2 cm, glabrous; petioles up to 2.5 cm long; stipules narrowly
lanceolate, fimbriate, ca 1 cm long. Peduncles ca 5 cm long. Flowers 1.5 cm across,
violet. Sepals lanceolate, acute, ca 5 mm long, appendage short, truncate. Petals
obovate-oblong; spur ca 5 mm long. Stamens 5, lower two spurred. Ovary glabrous;
style clavate; stigma beaked, papillose-hairy. Capsules ovate-acute, ca 1 cm long.

Fl. & Fr. not known.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Central Asia, Europe and N.W. Africa.

Notes. Chromosome number reported: 2n = 20 (Valentine in New Phytol. 49:

193 : 212.1950. Larsen in Bot. Tidsskr. 50:163 -174.1954); 2n = 40 (Majovsky et al. in
Acta Fac. Rerum Nat. Univ. Comeninae Bot. 23:1 - 23.1974).

28. Viola rupestris F W.Schmidt in Neue. Abh. Bohm. Ges.l: 60.1791. V.arenaria
D C , Prodr. 1: 298.1824.

Herbs, grey papillose hairy to glabrous, caulescent. Leaves ovate-orbicular or

rotundate-ovate, truncate at base, obtuse at apex, crenulate, 1 - 2 x 0.5 - 1.5 (2) cm,
glandular punctate, shortly pilose; petioles 1.5 - 3 cm long; stipules lanceolate, more or
less lobed at apex; up to 1 cm long. Peduncles up to 4.5 cm long, bibracteolate near apex.
Flowers ca 1.5 cm across, violet or white. Sepals oblong-lanceolate, acute, 5 - 7 mm long.
Petals oblong to obovate-oblong, ca 1 cm long; spur cylindric, ca 4 mm long. Style
clavate; stigma beaked.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Plants almost glabrous; leaves rotundate ovate, deeply cordate at base 28.1. var. himalayensis
«• Plants covered all over with grey papillose hairs; leaves ovate-orbicular, slightly cordate at base
28.2. var. rupestris
374 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

28.1. var. himalayensis (W. Becker) S. P. Banerjee & Pramanik in Fasc. Fl. India
12: 33 - 34.1983. V. himalayensis W. Becker in Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov. 17:72.1921.

Herbs, acaulesent, caespitose. Leaves in rosette, 1 -1.8 x 1 - 2 cm, crenulate; petioles

up to 2.5 cm long; stipules lanceolate, deeply fimbriate, up to 1 cm long. Flowers 1.5 cm
across. Sepals lanceolate, ca 7 mm long. Petals obovate-oblong, ca 1 cm long; late.; A
ones not hairy; spur ca 4 mm long, slightly recurved. Style clavate; stigma shortly beaked.
Fruit not seen.

Fl. not known.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Notes. V. himalayensis W. Becker represented only by the type in CAL and

resemble V. nipestris in general characters and it is difficult to maintain it as a distinct
species. Therefore, it is reduced to a variety under it.

28.2. var. nipestris

Stems up to 4 cm long, simple. Leaves 1 - 2 x 0.5 -1.5 (-2) cm. Lateral petals bearded
at base. Capsules elliptic-oblong, acute, ca 8 mm long, hairy.

Fl. & Fr. April - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

• *

Asia, Europe and America.

29. Viola sikkimensis W. Becker in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. Abt. 2, 34: 260.1916. V.
hookeri Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:183.1872, p. p. (quoad spec. Sikkim, J.D. Hooker).
Fig. 69.

Herbs, perennial; rootstock woody, erect, densely articulated; stolons up to 18 cm

long with distantly placed leaves. Leaves ovate-orbicular, cordate with broad sinus at
base, acute, crenate, 1.5 - 5 x 1.5. - 3.5 cm, palmately 3 - 5-nerved at base, glabrous,
silvery-white beneath; petioles up to 8 cm long, not winged; stipules lanceolate, subulate,
acuminate, up to 1 cm long, long-fimbriate, scarious. Peduncles up to 9 cm long; bracts
2, medianly placed, subulate, lanceolate, laciniate along margins, ca 5 mm long. Flowers
ca 1.5 cm across, creamy-white, with purplish tinge. Sepals linear-lanceolate, acute,
5 - 7 x 2 mm. Petals unequal, oblong-obovate, spathulate, ca 13 x 3 - 5 mm; lower spurred,
spur ca 2 mm long. Stamens ca 3 mm long, ca 2 mm broad; filaments short, broad;
connective broadly ovate with minutely ciliate margins, produced beyond anther into an
ovate subacute membranous appendage of ca 1 mm long. Style subclavate, ca 1.5 mm
long, narrowed downwards from the marginate obscurely 3-lobed beaked stigma. Cap-
1993] VIOLACEAE 375

I
mm mm
cm

mm
J [
cm mm

Fig. 69. Viola sikkimensis W. Becker : a. habit; b. flower; c. flower with sepals and
petals removed; d. stamen; e. gynoecium; f. ovary, t.s.; g. fruit; h. seed.
376 I'LORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

sules oblong-ellipsoid, beaked, 5 - 8 mm long, minutely granular, with persistent sepals;

valves apiculate.

Fl. March - June; Fr. July - Oct.

Distrib. India: Grasslands and pine forests, 12(30 - 3000 m. West Bengal, Sikkim,
Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya.

China and Indonesia.

30. Viola suavis M. Bieb., Fl. Taur.-Cauc. 3: 164.1819; E. E. Todd, in J. R. Hort.

Soc. 55: 223.1930.

Herbs, acaulescent, almost glabrous; rhizome thick, densely articulated, stolonife-

rous. Leaves radical, ovate or ovate-oblong, rotundate, crenulate, 1 - 3.5 x 1.2 - 3 cm,
hispid mainly on nerves beneath; petioles up to 7 cm long, retrose-hispid; stipules
lanceolate, acuminate, glandulose-fimbriate to ciliate. Peduncles up to 10 cm long.
Flowers ca 1.5 cm across, violet with white centre. Sepals obtuse, ca 5 mm long. Petals
ca 1.2 cm long, lateral ones not hairy; spur saccate, ca 4 mm long. Ovary glabrous; style
horizontal, stigma beaked. Capsules globose, adpressed-pubescent.

Fl. & Fr. March - April.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

C. & W. Asia and Europe.

Notes. Differs from V. odorata L. in its broadly lanceolate distinctly fimbriate

stipules, ovate-cordate leaves, light blue-violet flowers with a white centre and non-un-
cinate style.

Chromosome number reported: n = 40 (Schmidt in Osterreich Bot. Zeitcher 108:

20 - 88.1961).

31. Viola sylvatica Fries ex Hartman f. in Bot. Notiser 81.1841. V. canina L. var.
svlvatica (Fries ex Hartman f.) Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:185.1872.
Fig. 67 d.

Herbs, perennial; rootstock short or absent; stem arising from a short central axis.
Leaves ovate-orbicular, crenate-serrate, 1.5 - 4x 1.5 - 3 cm. glabrous; petioles 1 - 5.5 cm
long; stipules leafy, fimbriate, up to 1 cm long. Peduncles 2 - 5 (-7) cm long, equalling
or exceeding leaves, 1-flowered. Flowers up to 2 cm across, violet. Sepals lanceolate,
acute; appendage ca 2 mm long, subtruncate. Petals orbicular, obovate; spur ca 5 mm
1993] VIOLACEAE 377

long, straight or curved. Style inflated above; stigma decurved, ending in an uncurved
orifice. Capsules ovate-acute, ca 5 mm long, glabrous.

Fl&Fr. June-Sept.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Central Asia and Europe.

Notes. Plant used in chest troubles; stem, leaves and flowers bruised and applied
to wounds.

32. Viola thomsonii Oudem. in Miq., Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 3: 74.1867; Hara
inRE.Himal.213.1966.

Rootstock articulated; stolons up to 20 cm long. Leaves ovate-cordate, acute, 2.7

x 1.5 - 4 cm, serrate-crenate, glabrous to sparsely strigose; petioles 2 - 12 cm long,
glabrous; stipules lanceolate, up to 1.5 cm long, deeply fimbriate. Peduncles up to 13
cm long, not extending above leaves; bracteoles linear, acuminate with a few teeth along
the margin, up to 1.5 cm long. Flowers ca 1.5 cm long. Sepals lanceolate, acute, ca 6
mm long. Petals obovate to ovate-oblong, ca 1.5 cm long, pale violet; lower petal spurred,
spur saccate. Style geniculate at base; stigma marginate, rarely shortly beaked. Capsules
oblong, apiculate, ca 1 cm long.

Fl. &. Fr, March - Sept. Often throughout the year.

Distrib. India: West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur.

Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.

Nofes. This species shows some similarities with V. pilosa Blume but can be
distinguished by its ovate-cordate acute glabrous leaves and petioles, deeply fimbriated
stipules and peduncles bibracteolate above the middle, with longer bracteoles teethed
along margins.

33. Viola tricolor L., Sp. PI. 935. 1753; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:
182.1872, in obs. Fig. 67 e.

Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial, glabrous to puberulous, up to 80 cm high; stem

erect, diffusely branched from base. Leaves variable, ovate-lanceolate, 1.5 - 4 x 0.5 -1.5
cm; basal leaves ovate, subcordate, those of the stem becoming ovate-spathulate,
obovate-oblong, or lanceolate, broadly crenate-dentate, obtuse; petioles 1 - 2.5 cm long,
often winged above; stipules lanceolate, deeply pinnately lobed, foliaceous, up to 2.5 cm
long. Flowers up to 4.5 cm across, smaller in feral forms, multicoloured or a mixture of
378 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

yellow, blue, purple and violet; peduncles 3 - 10 cm long, exceeding leaves. Sepals
linear-lanceolate, subulate, mucronate, 7 -15 x 2 - 5 mm. Petals orbicular-obovate, 1 -
2 times as long as broad; lateral ones bearded at base; spur 5 - 8 mm long, straight,
obtuse. Style geniculate at base, clavate distally, ca 2 mm long; stigma laterally beaked,
hairy. Capsules ellipsoid or ovoid, acute, 8 -12 mm long.

Fl. Nov. - May; Fr. April - June.

Distrib. Cultivated in India as an ornamental plant with a number of horticultural

varieties, rarely as an escape from cultivation.

Asia, Europe, America and Australia.

Notes. Plants medicinal, used in rheumatism and in skin diseases; roots used as a
substitute for Ipecacuanha.

Chromosome number reported: 2n = 26 (Love & Love in Acta Hort. Gothob. 20:
65 - 291. 1956, Clausen et al. in Rhodora 66: 32 - 46.1964, Mukherjee & Khoshoo in
Nucleus 12:178 -186.1969); 2n = 42,46 (Chatterjee & Sharma in J. Genet. 61: 52 - 63.
1973).

Pollen grains various in size, oblately flattened, about 85 x 63 u with furrows, more
or less equally spaced around equator and nearly or quite meridionally arranged.
Furrow long and tapering to pointed ends, furrow membrane flecked. Germpore
irregular in outline but tending to be circular. Texture finely granular (Wodehouse, R.
P. in Pollen Grains, New York 442 - 444.1959).

34. Viola wallichiana Ging. in D C , Prodr. 1: 300.1824. V. reniforniis Wallich in

Roxb. Fl. Ind. 2:457.1824. V. biflora auct. non L.; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India
1:183.1872, p. p.

Stems 5-15 (-25) cm, erect or decumbent. Leaves cauline, reniform to rotundate,
rounded-crenate along margins, 0.7 - 2.5 (-4.5) x 1 - 3 (-5) cm long, glabrous; petioles
0.5 - 6 cm long. Stipules ovate, denticulate, ca 3 mm long. Peduncles 0.8 - 5 cm long,
bibracteolate above the middle. Flowers ca 1 cm across, yellow. Sepals subulate-acute,
ca 5 mm long. Petals elliptic-obovate, ca 1 cm long; spur linear, 0.5 - 6 mm long, obtuse.
Stigma bilamellate, with spreading lobes. Capsules oblong, apiculate, ca 4 mm long.

Fl.&Fr. May-Sept.

Distrib. India: Temperate E. Himalayas, along margins of forests, 2000 - 3300 m.

West Bengal and Sikkim.

Nepal and Bhutan.

1993 ] VIOLACEAE 379

Notes. This species is distinguished from V. biflora L., by its rounded-crenate leaves,
subulate acute sepals, petals pure yellow outside without purple reticulations and with
slender 5 - 6 mm long spur.

35. Viola yunnanensis W. Becker & Boiss. in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 8: 740.1908; S. P.
Banerjee & Pramanik in Fasc. F!. India 12: 37.1983.

Rootstock articulated; stolons up to 20 cm long. Leaves in rosette, ovate-oblong,

acute, crenate-serrate, 2.5 - 7 x 1 - 3.5 cm, pilose; petioles 1 - 6 cm long, pilose; stipules
lanceolate, acuminate, fimbriate to subciliate. Peduncles 3 - 6 (-11.5) cm long. Flowers
white. Sepals linear, acute, up to 1 cm long, densely ciliate, trinervate, appendage shortly
truncate. Petals obovate oblong, up to 1.5 cm long. Ovary glabrous; style clavate; stigma
shortly oeaked above. Fruits not seen.

Fl. April - May.

Distrib. India: Arunachal Pradesh (BM) and Nagaland.

Myanmar and China.

Notes. Allied to V. hossei W. Becker but easily distinguishable by its somewhat

densely tHose, -:,ate-oblong leaves, larger flowers and longer trinervate densely ciliate
sepals.
 BIXACEAE
(N. P. Balakrishnan)

Shrubs or small trees, with mucilaginous canal producing yellow, orange or reddish
sap or gum, often deciduous. Leaves spirally arranged, simple, entire or palmatipartite
or digitate, serrate, palmately or pinnately nerved; stipules small, caducous. Flowers
bisexual, actinomorphic, showy in terminal or axillary racemes, corymbs or panicles,
often thyrsoid. Sepals 4 - 5, free, imbricate, caducous soon after anthcsis leaving 5 basal
glands. Petals 4 - 7 , free, imbricate or contorted. Stamens many; filaments long, free or
basally connate; anthers 2-loculed, basifixed or dorsifixed, dehiscing by short slit at about
the middle or by 1 or 2 apical pores or short slit at apex. Disk present, annular or absent.
Ovary superior, entire or 1-loculed or falsely 2-loculed or 3 - 5 loculed in lower half;
ovules many, on 2 or 3 - 5 parietal placentae, bitegmic, anatropous; style 1, elongate,
filiform, recurved in bud; stigma apical, bilobed or denticulate. Fruit a loculicidal 2 -
5-valved capsule; compressed; endocarp membranous, septifrugal, 2 - 5-valved. Seeds
many, erect or pendant, reniform or obovoid, often pilose or woolly, narrowed at base
on elongated funicle, covered by red fleshy testa or long white wool; endosperm copious,
oily or not; embryo straight or curved; cotyledons broad.

Tropical America, Africa, India to Malesia and N. Australia; 3 genera and ca 28

species, 2 genera and 2 species in India.

Literature. BACKER, C. A. (1951) Bixaceae. In: Fl. Males. 1,4: 239 - 241, ff. 241, tt. 1 - 2. PAUL,
T. K. & M. P. NAYAR (1988) Cochlospermaceae. In: Fasc. Fl. India 19: 16 -19, t.l, f.3. STEENIS, C. G.
G. J. van (1949) Cochlospermaceae. In: Fl. Males. I, 4: 61 - 63, f. 1.

KEY TO THE GENERA

la. Leaves emire, petals pink; disk annular; ovary and capsules covered densely by thick flexible bristles;
ripe seeds with a thick red testa 1. Bixa
b. Leaves palmatipartite, petals yellow; disk absent; ovary and capsules not covered by such bristles; ripe
seeds wrapped in long white wool 2. Cochlospermum

1. Bixa L.

Shrubs or small trees with mucilaginous canals of reddish sap. Leaves simple, entire,
palmately nerved. Flowers in terminal corymbs or panicles, often thyrsoid; pedicels
thickened upwards. Sepals 4 - 5 , free, imbricate, with 2 basal glands on outside of each
sepal; all sepals caducous soon after anthesis, leaving 5 basal glands. Petals 4-7. Stamens
inserted on hypogynous annular disk; filaments long, free, connate at base; anthers
2-loculed, dehiscing by short slit about the middle, seemingly apical. Ovary 1- or falsely
2-loculed; ovules many, on 2 opposite parietal placentae. Capsule loculicidal, com-
pressed, 2-valved from apex downwards, mostly soft prickly; valves persistent; endocarp
1993] BIXACEAE 381

membranous, separating from valves; seeds many, obovoid, impressed at apex, narrowed
at base on enlarged funicle, covered by red testa; endosperm not oily; embryo straight.

Tropical America, West Indies and widely cultivated in tropics; 3 - 4 species, one in
India.

Bixa orellana L., Sp. PI. 512. 1753; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 190.
1872. Fig.70.

Engl.: Anatto-tree, Amatlo; Hindi: Sinduriva; Kan.: Rangamala; Mar.: Sendri;

Tarn.: Japhara.

Shrubs or small trees, 2 - 9 m tall; young branches densely dark scaly; wood pale
yellow, soft. Leaves ovate, subcordate or truncate at base, long-acuminate at apex, 7 -
24 x 4 - 16 cm, at first scaly beneath, afterwards glabrous, glossy above, densely
red-dotted; lateral nerves 4 - 5 pairs; petioles slender, 4 -10 cm long; stipules 5 - 6 mm
long. Corymbs or panicles 8 - 50-flowered, scaly; pedicels 7-10 mm long; flowers 4 - 5
cm in diam. Sepals concave, broadly ovate to suborbicular, purple, scaly. Petals 5 - 7,
unequal, obovate, rounded at apex, 2 - 3 x 1 - 2 cm, light red, pink to white. Filaments
slender, yellow at base, red at apex; anthers purple. Ovary densely covered with thick
red bristles; styles thickened upwards, 12 -15 mm long, red. Capsules globose or broadly
ovoid, nearly truncate at base, abruptly short-acuminate at apex or elongate-ovate with
narrowly long-acuminate apex, 2 - 4 x2 - 4.5 cm, with dense long stiff but soft and flexible
bristles, green when young, brownish red with age. Seeds obpyramidal, ca 5 mm long,
4 - 5 mm wide, orange-red:

Fl.&Fr. Aug.-Feb.

Distrib. India: Cultivated as an ornamental, sometimes run wild, below 2000 m.

Most parts of India.

Native of tropical America, now widespread in tropics.

Notes. Seeds provide a red dye used for colouring foodstufts, butter, cheese,
chocolate, cosmetics, oils, varnishes, soap and in ancient times wool and silk. Due to
availability of synthetic dyes this plant is now not used commercially. The leaves and
roots are used as a digestive tonic in S.E. Asia and S. America.

It occurs in two forms, one with white flowers and green capsules and another with
pink flowers and red capsules.

The chromosome number reported by Mukherjee (in Bull. Bot. Soc. Bengal 29:25.
1975) is 2n = 14.
382 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

del
NPB
1968

Fig. 70. Bixa orellana L.: a. twig; b. ovary; c. stamen; d. t.s. of ovary; e. l.s. of ovary;
f. fruit.
1993] BIXACEAE 383

2. Cochlospermum Kunth ex D C , nom. cons.

Trees or shrubs or rarely somewhat herbaceous with more or less subterranean

swollen stems, often deciduous, producing gums and orange-coloured sap. Leaves
spreading, palmately lobed or digitate, pubescent or glabrous, deciduous. Flowers in
terminal or subterminal racemes, corymbs or panicles or these in the upper leaf axils,
appearing before the leaves. Sepals 5, free, broadly ovate, obtuse, persistent or cadu-
cous. Petals 5, free, imbricate or contorted, usually emarginate, large, yellow, showy.
Stamens many, equal or unequal; filaments free or shortly connate at base; anthers
oblong to linear, basifixed, 2-loculed, dehiscing by confluent pore-like slits. Ovary
1-loculed above with 3 - 5 parietal laminate placentae or incompletely 3 - 5-loculed at
basal half; style filiform; stigmas barely thicker than style, usually obscurely denticulate.
Capsules 1-loculed, 3 - 5-valved, longitudinally dehiscing, each of the inner endocarp
bearing along its centre the placentae. Seeds cochleate-reniform to somewhat horse-
shoe shaped, woolly pubescent.

Mostly in tropical and subtropical America, some in Africa, and S.E. Asia; ca 11
species, one in India.

Cochlospermum religiosum (L.) Alston, Handb. Fl. Ceyl. 6: 14. 1931. Bombax
religiosum L., Sp. PI. 552. 1753. C. gossypium D C , Prodr. 1: 527. 1824; Hook. f. &
Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:190.1872. Fig. 71.

Eng.: Golden-Silk-Cotton-Tree; Hindi: Galgal, Kumbi; Kan.: Arishina-boorage;

Mai.: Apparutakka; Mar.: Ganeri; Tel.: Kidagogu, Kindagogu.

Shrubs or trees, up to 10 m tall, often with crooked branches, more or less deciduous.
Leaves orbicular in outline, 7 - 20 cm in diam., 3 - 5-lobed to more than half-way down,
cordate and 5 - 7-nerved at base, pubescent to subtomentose beneath; lobes undulate
or obscurely crenate along margins, acuminate at apex; midlobe 5 - 1 1 x 1 - 9 cm; petioles
articulate, 8 - 25 cm long; stipules linear-subulate, 5 - 1 0 mm long, hairy, caducous.
Flowers greenish yellow, up to 8 cm across, in terminal racemes or loosely arranged
panicles, short hairy, one flower opening at a time on each branch; pedicels 2 - 3 cm
long; bracts triangular, acute, 4 - 5 mm broad at base, caducous. Sepals deltoid-ovate,
acute, 2 - 2.5 x 1 - 2 cm, hairy, partly purplish, caducous. Petals obovate, notched at
apex, 3 - 6 x 2 - 3 cm, yellow, with distinct odour, thickened at base. Stamens slightly
S- curved, unequal; filaments ca 1 cm long, yellow; anthers orange, linear, falcate, ca 5 x
1 mm broad. Ovary globose, glabrous; style 1.5 - 2 cm long, glabrous. Capsules obovoid,
5 -10 cm long, 2.5 - 8 cm broad; valves 5, striate-ribbed. Seeds reniform to cochleate,
5 - 6 mm across, brown, woolly.

Fl. Jan. - March; Fr. March - June (leafless when in flower, leaves appear in May).

Distrib. India: Tropical dry deciduous forests, in dry gravelly soil, up to 1000 m.
384 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

Fig. 71. Cochlospermum religiosum (L.) Alston: a. flowering twig; b. new shoot; c. fruit
showing dehiscence.
1993] BIXACEAE 385

Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Maharashtra and throughout South
India.

Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines.

Notes. Often planted as a temple plant. Ornamental tree for gardens. Bark yields
an edible gum, called 'Kutara gum'. Fibre covering seeds used for stuffing mattresses.
 FLACOURTIACEAE
(R. L. Mitra) .

Tress or shrubs (also scandent), sometimes armed with axillary thorns (in some
genera the term spine has been used), often producing cyanogenic glycosides, and/or
cyclopentenyl fatty acids. Leaves simple, mostly alternate, spirally arranged or disti-
chous, sometimes aggregated towards apices of branchlets, entire or gland-toothed,
occasionally also with glands at base, pinnately veined, often also 3 - 5-plinerved at base;
stipules usually small and caducous, rarely absent. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual or
unisexual (plants mostly dioecious, rarely polygamous or monoecious), variously ar-
ranged in subterminal or axillary (sometimes on tubercles from old nodes) racemes,
spikes, panicles, corymbs, cymes, or reduced to glomerules or fascicles, or even solitary.
Sepals (2-) 3 - 6 (-15), connate into calyx-tube or wholly connate into a calyx closed in
bud and irregularly splitting at anthesis, imbricate or valvate, mostly persistent, rarely
accrescent, sometimes gradually merging into petals, rarely expanded and wing-like.
Petals absent or present, 3 - 8 (-15), distinct and alternating with sepals, or spirally
arranged and poorly differentiated from sepals, sometimes persistent and accrescent,
rarely gradually transitional to stamens, occasionally with an adaxial scale at base. Torus
often expanded into annular, sometimes glandular disc. Stamens as many as petals or
more, or numerous, antipetalous or not arranged in relation to petals; filaments usually
free or connate in antisepalous bundles or all connate into a tube or into a central
column; anthers 2-loculed, basifixed or dorsifixed, dehiscing longitudinally, connective
sometimes produced into an apiculate appendage; pollen tricolpate to tricolporidate or
tricolporate, prolate to spheroidal, shed singly. Disc often present, extrastaminal or in
between stamens, annular, lobed or composed of distinct glands. Carpels (2-) 3-6 (-10),
connate into unilocular (incompletely multilocular in Flacourtia, because of deeply
intruding placentae), superior, semiinferior or inferior ovary; ovules anatropous, amphi-
tropous or rarely orthotropous, bitegmic, crassinucellar, 1 - many in parietal placentae;
styles 1 -10, free or connate, sometimes absent; stigma simple or often obscurely lobed.
Fruit capsular, berry or dry and indehiscent, rarely a drupe or samara, sometimes
winged, prickly or spiny. Seeds 1 - many, occasionally arillate, pulpy outside or covered
with silky hairs; endosperm copious, oily; embryo straight; cotyledons usually broad and
foliaceous.

Pantropical or subtropical, a few temperate; ca 79 genera and ca 880 species, 10

genera and 38 species in India.

Fam. ed. N.P. Balakrishnan

1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 387

Notes. Flacourtiaceae have been used in the past as a refuge for indeterminate
elements, and are still relatively poorly known. Following morphological, anatomical
and phytochemical studies, though a number of anomolous elements could be satisfac-
torily removed from the family, yet there remains much to be acheived. Thus, the family
are still being distinguished from other families by a set of atypical characters. - In the
recent review, Lemke (1988) while recognising the family as comprising of 79 genera
with approximately 880 species in 10 tribes, admitted that the family as could be
circumscribed with our current state of understanding, 'are rather heterogenous assort-
ment of more or less homogeneous tribes'.

Literature. CHAKRABARTY, T. & M. GANGOPADHYAY (1992) The Flacourtiaceae of

Andaman - Nicobar Islands. J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 16: 715 - 722. KEATING, R. C. (1973) Pollen morphology
and relationships of the Flacourtiaceae. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60: 273 - 305. KEATING, R. C. (1975)
Trends of specialization in the pollen of Flacourtiaceae with comparative observations of Cochlospermaceae
and Bixaceae. Grana 15: 29 - 49. LEMKE, D. E. (1983) Tribal redefinition in Flacourtiaceae. Amer. J.
Bot. 70: 121. LEMKE, D. E. (1988) A synopsis of Flacourtiaceae. Aliso 12: 29 - 43. MILLER, R. B.
(1975) Systematic anatomy of the xylem and comments on the relationships of the Flacourtiaceae. J. Am.
Arb. 56: 20 - 102. MUKHERJEE, N. (1972) Revision of the family Flacourtiaceae of India, Burma and
Ceylon. Bull. Bot. Soc. Bengal 26: 31 - 45. SLEUMER, H. (1954) Flacourtiaceae. In: Fl. Malesiana 1, 5: 1
- 106. SLEUMER, H. (1980) Flacourtiaceae. In: Fl. Neotropica 22: 1 - 499. SPENCER, K. C. & D. S.
SEIGLER (1985) Cyanogenic glycosides and systematics of the Flacourtiaceae. Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 13:
421 - 431.

KEY TO THE GENERA

la. Petals absent 2

b. Petals present 6
2a. Flowers bisexual 3
b. Flowers unisexual (plants usually dioecious) 4
3a. Stamens alternating with as many staminodes, connate below to form a perigynous ring adnate to calyx
tube 2. Casearia
b. Stamens not alternating with staminodes, free 3. Flacourtia p. p. (F. inermis)
4a. Branchlets and peduncles conspicuously girdled with perular bracts at base; sepals usually 3,
caducous; male flowers with pistillodes; female flowers with staminodes; disc broken up into glands
between stamens in male flowers and staminodes in female flowers 1. Bennettiodendron
b. Branchlets and peduncles not with such bracts; sepals 4 - 5 , subpersistent; pistillode absent in male
flowers; staminodes rarely present in some female flowers (Flacourtia montana and F. rukkam);
disc extra-staminal of distinct glands in male flowers, annular or lobed in female flowers 5
5a. Anthers usually dorsifixed and versatile; ovary incompletely (2-) 3 - 6 (-lO)-loculed with deeply intrud-
ing placentae; styles 3 or more, free or nearly so; berry with indurate endocarp, globose when fresh,
becoming characteristically obtusely cubiform-angular and constricted in middle when dry with 2
superposed pyrenes in each locule 3. Flacourtia
t>. Anthers basifixed; ovary of 2 (-3) carpels, connate into a unilocular ovary, styles simple or branched
only in upper part; berry 1-loculed, globose or ellipsoid both when fresh and dry 10. Xylosma
388 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

6a. Petals with a scale at base inside; flowers unisexual (plants dioecious, rarely male inflorescences with
1-2 bisexual but functionally female flowers, as in Pangium) y
b. Petals without a scale at base inside; flowers bisexual 10
7a. Sepals more or less free, imbricate 6. Hydnocarpus
b. Sepals wholly connate into a closed calyx in bud - g
8a. Calyx sheds off as an irregular calyptra, leaving a cupular calyx 5-lobed or toothed at apex
4. Gynocardia
b. Calyx irregularly splitting into 2 - 5 calyx lobes at anthesis, caducous or persistent 9
9a. Leaves crowded at apices of branches, 3 - 5-pliveined at base; stamens numerous; filaments free
7. Pangium
b. Leaves not crowded at apices of branches, pinnately veined from base; stamens 4 - 5 ; filaments connate
into a column 8. Ryparosa
10a. Leaves pinnately veined; sepals with an episepalous nectar gland; stamens antipetalous, solitary or in
clusters; anther connectives not exserted; both ovary and fruit adnate to hypanthium below, free
above; fruit a dry capsule 5. Homalium
b. Leaves 3 - 5-plinerved at base; episepalous nectar glands absent; stamens irregularly arranged, not in
relation to petals; anther connectives produced into an apiculate appendage; hypanthium absent,
both ovary and fruit free; fruit a fleshy berry 9. Scolopia

1. Bennettiodendron Merr.

Trees or shrubs, dioecious; branchlets and peduncles girdled with perular bracts at
base. Leaves spirally arranged, usually aggregated in distant groups, glandular-serrate,
chartaceous, shiny, 3 - 5-pliveined at base, pinnately veined above, basal primary and
secondary veins upturned, gradually diminishing apically to join superadjacent veins by
a series of irregularly branched cross-veins and giving rise to branchlets to terminate in
a gland beneath serrate teeth; petioles rather long, sometimes with two glands at apex;
stipules minute. Flowers apetalous, small; bracteoles arranged in umbellate clusters on
axillary and terminal divaricately branched panicles. Sepals 3 (-5), imbricate, caducous.
Disc broken up into numerous small fleshy glabrous glands between stamens and
staminodes. Male flowers: Stamens numerous; filaments filiform, pilose to about middle
from base; anthers dorsifixed; pollen tricolporate, reticulate, subprolate. Ovary ru-
dimentary. Female flowers: Staminodes numerous, about half as long as stamens, pilose
at base. Carpels 3, connate into unilocular ovary with deeply intruding placentae; ovules
2 - 3 , parietal; styles 3, diverging, caducous; stigma bilobed. Berry small, globose or
subglobose, minutely reticulate.

Tropical rain forests of N.E. India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, S. China and Indonesia;
ca 3 species, one in India.

Bennettiodendron leprosipes (Clos) Merr. in J. Arn. Arb. 8: 11.1927; Sleumer in

Fl. Males. 1, 5: 64. 1954. Xylosma leprosipes Clos in Ann. Sci. Nat. 4, 8: 230. 1857.
Bennettia longipes Oliver in Hook., Icon. PI. 16: t.1596.1887; Burkill in Rec. Bot. Surv.
India 10: 238.1925.
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 389

Shrubs or trees, 3 - 6 m tall; branchlets scabridulous in younger parts; perular bracts

triangular-ovate, concave, ca 2 mm long, pubescent. Leaves oblanceolate or elliptic-
oblong, narrowed but obtuse (at very base) and 3 - 5-pliveined at base, short acuminate
at apex, remotely glandular-serrate, 4.5 -18 (-35) x 1.5 - 7 (-14) cm, chartaceous, shiny
and glabrous or scabridulous along midrib near base; basal primary and secondary veins
together 7 - 9 pairs; tertiary veins randomly reticulate and giving rise to branched
quarternary veins forming incomplete meshes apparent on both surfaces; petioles (0.3-)
1.5 - 2 (-4) cm long, densely scaridulous. Male flowers greenish yellow, fragrant, ca 7 mm
across, 3 - 5 (-9) each in subumbellate clusters and several such arranged in divaricately
branched panicles, 5 - 1 2 (-21) cm long; rachis and rachiules densely scabridulous, at
length glabrescent; peduncles 3 - 7 mm long, thickened at apex, densely scabridulous;
pedicels 3 - 4 mm long, densely scabridulous. Sepals ovate-elliptic or ovate-rotund,
ciliolate along margins, ca 3 mm long. Stamens numerous, yellowish, ca 1.5 mm long.
Female flowers: Sepals similar to but smaller than in male flowers. Staminodes ca 1.5 mm
long. Ovary ovoid, ca 3 x 2 mm; styles 3, divergent, 1 -1.5 mm long; stigma obscurely
bilobed. Berries subglobose, 6 - 9 mm across, reddish when ripe.

Fl. Jan.

Distrib. India: Evergreen rain forests at ca 450 m. Arunachal Pradesh (Pasighat,

Yumbung). Rare.

Bangladesh (Sylhet), Myanmar, S. China, Thailand and Indonesia.

2. Casearia Jacq.

Shrubs or small trees. Leaves alternate, distichous, often pellucid-punctate and

lineolate, serrato-crenate or entire, pinnately veined, rarely also 3 - 5-pliveined at base;
secondary veins upturned, gradually diminishing apically to join superadjacent veins by
a series of cross-veinules and giving rise to branchlets to terminate in a gland below
serrate-crenate teeth or at margins; stipules minute, caducous. Flowers bisexual, mostly
clustered in axillary fascicles (sometimes reduced to a solitary flower); pedicels articu-
lated above base, surrounded at base by scale-like bracts. Calyx 5-lobed, imbricate,
persistent. Stamens usually 8 -10, alternating with as many staminodes, connate below
to form a perigynous ring adnate to calyx-tube; staminodes well-developed, usually
tufted hairy at top; pollen grains tricolporate, subprolate to suboblate. Carpels 3,
connate into unilocular superior ovary; ovules few to many; style short; stigma capitate,
sometimes obscurely 3-lobed. Fruits capsular, (2-) 3-valved, succulent, 3-angled when
fresh, usually 6-ribbed when dry. Seeds usually numerous and bright red, arillate.

Pantropical; ca 160 species, 12 in India.

Notes. In Casearia, the flowers are minute and usually uniform in gross morphology
except for minor details. The species are therefore primarily distinguished on vegetative
390 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

characters. But the variablility in leaf shape and indumentum often make the task of
recognising peripheral elements of some population extremely difficult. The pattern of
leaf venation evident under a hand lens has however often proved very useful and helped
in delimiting some of the taxa satisfactorily.

In general, however, more stress has been given on the characters of typical elements
of a population while formulating the key characters.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Mature leaves conspicuously hairy, at least along midrib and veins beneath 2
b. Mature leaves apparently glabrous 5
2a. Leaves at least 3 times longer than broad; calyx glabrous 10. C. vareca
b. Leaves not 3 times longer than broad 3
3a. Mature leaves chartaceous, long acuminate at apex, attenuate at base 11. C. wynadensis
b. Mature leaves subcoriaceous, obtuse or shortly acuminate at apex, usually obliquely rounded at base 4
4a. Indumentum along midrib and veins beneath spreading pilose; pedicels 5-12 mm long; stamens 10
6. C. kurzii
b. Indumentum along midrib and veins soft or velutinous tomentose; pedicels 4 - 5 mm long; stamens 8
9. C. tomentosa
5a. Young shoots pubescent; immature leaves puberulous along midrib and secondary veins; mature
leaves sometimes very minutely puberulent along midrib and veins near base 6
b. Young shoots and both immature and mature leaves completely glabrous 8
6a. Leaves 3 - 5-pliveined at base 5. C. grewiaefolia var. gelonoides
b. Leaves pinnately veined from base 7
7a. Leaves subcoriaceous, shiny, acute at apex, closely arranged; nodes usually 5 - 7 (-10) mm apart;
pedicels ca 1 mm long; calyx hairy on both sides; ovary hirsute at least towards apex 12. C. zeylanica
b. Leaves chartaceous, acuminate at apex, not shiny, not closely arranged; nodes 10 - 20 mm or more
apart; pedicels 4 - 6 mm long; calyx hairy outside; ovary glabrous 3. C. glomerate
8a. Pedicels (at least below articulations) and calyx hairy 9
b. Pedicels and calyx glabrous 10
9a. Leaves usually broadly elliptic to elliptic-oblong, rounded at base, shallowly crenate along margins,
prominently reticulate, especially beneath when mature; reticulum coarse to touch 4. C. graveolens
b. Leaves usually narrowly elliptic-oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, usually cuneate or attenuate and
unequal sided at base, entire and revolute along margins, indistinctly reticulate even when mature;
reticulum smooth to touch 7. C. rubens
10a. Leaves coriaceous or subcoriaceous, never membranous, usually obovate, obtuse or rounded at apex,
entire and revolute along margins 8. C. Uiwaitesii
b. Leaves membranous, chartaceous when mature, never obovate, acute or acuminate at apex, crenato-
repand to subentire along margins 11
11a. Leaves 7 -16.5 cm long, attenuate at base, acutely acuminate at apex; acumen often twisted;
secondary veins 6 - 8 pairs; petioles 4 - 7 mm long; pedicels 2 - 4 mm long 2. C. championii
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 391

b Leaves 15 - 32 cm long, obtuse or cuneate and usually inequilateral at base, not acutely acuminate at
apex; acumen never twisted; secondary veins 10 -13 pairs; petioles 10-25 mm long; pedicels ca 6 mm
|ong 1. C. andamanlca

1. Casearia andamanica King in J. Asiat.Soc. Bengal 67:16.1898; C. E. Parkinson,

For. Fl. Andaman Is. 181.1923. Fig. 72.

Trees, 8 - 15 m tall; bark yellowish brown; branchlets terete, compressed when

young, pale brown, glabrous. Leaves oblong to oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate, rarely
broadly elliptic, obtuse or cuneate and usually inequilateral at base, acute or short
acuminate at apex, crenato-repand, undulate* to subentire along margins, (9-) 15 - 32
(-35) x (4.5-) 6 - 1 0 (-12) cm, chartaceous when mature, glossy, glabrous, green above,
pale beneath, turning to olivaceous or brown when dry; secondary veins (6-) 10 -13 pairs,
raised beneath, upturned; tertiary and quarternary veins together form dense reticulum
which is prominent beneath; petioles 1 - 2.5 cm long, sulcate. Flowers ca 6 mm across,
greenish white in densely bracteate glomerules on short tubercles; pedicels ca 6 mm
long, glabrous; bracts ovate, minute. Calyx lobes broadly elliptic, concave, ca 4 mm long,
glabrous. Stamens 10,1 -1.5 mm long; staminodes ca 1.5 mm long, with a tuft of hairs
at apex. Ovary elongate-ellipsoid, densely hairy; style short; stigma capitate. Capsules
ellipsoid or ovoid, 3 - 5 x 1.5 - 2 cm, green, yellow when ripe; aril white, turns pink on
drying.

Fl. Jan. - April; Fr. ripens during Aug. - Sept.

Distrib. India: Evergreen forests. Andaman & Nicobar Islands (South and Middle
Andamans).

Endemic.

2. Casearia championii Thwaites, Enum. PL Zeyl. 19.1858. C. esculenta auct. non

Roxb. 1832; C. B. Clarke in Fl. Brit. India 2:592.1879, p. p. C. bourdillonii N. Mukherjee
in Bull. Bot. Soc. Bengal 19(2): 109.1965 (1967), p. p.

Mai.: Vella-kunnan.

Shrubs or small trees, up to 4 m tall; bark greyish smooth; young shoots glabrous.
Leaves elliptic, elliptic-oblong or oblanceolate, attenuate at base, acutely acuminate at
apex (acumen often twisted), crenato-repand to subentire, (4.5 -) 7 -16.5 x (2.2-) 3 - 7.8
cm, glabrous, membranous when young, chartaceous, green and glossy when mature;
secondary veins 6 - 8 pairs with a few intersecondary veins; quarternary veins irregularly
branched with free endings and together with tertiary veins form dense imperfect
reticulum of incomplete meshes, prominent on both surfaces; stipules foliaceous, cadu-
cous; petioles (2-) 4 - 7 mm long, glabrous. Flowers greenish yellow, ca 5 mm across, in
axillary pubescent racemose clusters; pedicels ca 2 mm long, elongating to ca 4 mm in
392 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Fig. 72. Casearia andamanica King : a.floweringtwig; b. flower; c. stamens, stami

nodes and pistil.
!993 ] FLACOURT1ACEAE 393

fruits. Calyx broadly ovate, ca 2.5 mm long, glabrous, ciliolate along margins. Stamens
8- filaments ca 1 mm long, hairy; staminodes a little shorter than filaments, oblong, hairy.
Ovary ovoid, ca 1 mm long, glabrous; stigma recurved on short style, obscurely lobed.
Capsules ellipsoid, subglobose, ca 1.4 cm long, yellow when ripe, dehiscing by 2 valves.

Fl. May - June; Fr. June - Sept.

DistHb. India: Moist deciduous and degraded evergreen forests of Western Ghats,
up to 1050 m. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Sri Lanka.

Notes. The plants compare well with the types of C. championii Thwaites (Thwaites
2608 in CAL !), especially in the type of leaf reticulation.

3. Casearia glomerata Roxb. ex D C , Prodr. 2: 49.1825; C. B. Clarke in Fl. Brit.

India 2:591.1879.

Shrubs or trees, up to 15 m tall; young shoots pubescent. Leaves elliptic, oblong-

elliptic or oblanceolate to obovate, usually cuneate (rarely in a few leaves subobtuse) at
base, acuminate at apex, distantly serrulate-crenulate to subentire, 5.5 -15 x 2.5 - 6 cm,
chartaceous (subcoriaceous in specimens form twiggy shrubs), puberulous along midrib
and secondary veins when young, at length glabrous or minutely puberulent along midrib
near base above, glabrous beneath; secondary veins 7 - 9 pairs; petioles 6-10 mm long.
Flowers yellowish, ca 5 mm across; pedicels 4 - 6 mm long, appressed pubescent. Calyx
broadly elliptic to suborbicular, 2 - 3 mm long, appressed hairy outside. Stamens 8;
anthers cordate; filments ca 1.75 mm long, hairy; staminodes ca 1 mm long, scale-like,
tufted hairy at top. Ovary ovoid, ca 2 mm long, glabrous; style less than 1 mm long; stigma
subpeltate, obscurely lobed. Capsules ovoid-subglobose, ca 1.5 x 1.2 cm, bright yellow
when ripe.

Fl. April - May; Fr. ripens during July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Mixed evergreen forests, 1000 - 3000 m. West Bengal (Darjeeling),
Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

Bhutan.

Notes. In juvenile shoots the leaves are much larger (23 x 8.5 cm) and coriaceous
with very few flowers in axils. The glabrescent forms of C. kurzii are sometimes difficult
to distinguish from C. glomerata but can be delimited satisfactorily by obliquely rounded
leaf-bases and spreading hairs on pedicels in the former and cuneate leaf-bases and
appressed hairs on pedicels in the latter.
394 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Specimens of both C. glomerata and C. kurzii with seemingly subentire subcoria-

ceous glabrous leaves have been recorded as C. esculenta Roxb. in Fl. Assam 1:93.1934.

C. sikkimensis N. Mukherjee (in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 69:392.1973) could not
be satisfactorily distinguished from C. glomerata and hence not regarded as distinct. It
appears to be a form of C. glomerata with oblanceolate leaves minutely pubescent along
midrib and with numerous (up to 25) slender flowers in dense glomerules found in
Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas.

4. Casearia graveolens Dalz. in Hook. J. Bot. 4:107.1852; C. B. Clarke in Fl. Brit.

India 2: 592.1879.

Hindi: Chilla; Mar.: Bokhada; Or.: Beniman, Jamurdhi, Kokra.

Shrubs or deciduous trees, up to 10 m tall; branchlets glabrous. Leaves broadly

elliptic to elliptic-oblong, usually rounded at base, rarely in a few leaves cuneate,
subtruncate or subcordate at base, obtuse or short acuminate at apex, shallowly crenate
along margins, 8.5 - 20 x 4.5 - 12.5 cm, coriaceous, membranous when young, often
conspicuously pellucid striated, glabrous; secondary viens 8-12 pairs, widely upcurved;
tertiary veins forming dense reticulum, prominent especially beneath (coarse to touch);
petioles 7-12 mm long, glabrous; stipules lanceolate-subulate, 5 - 8 mm long, caducous.
Flowers 5 - 6 mm across, greenish, foetid, usually in dense clusters from leafless axils;
pedicels ca 2 mm long, elongating to ca 4 mm in fruits, hairy below articulation, glabrous
or rarely subglabrous above. Calyx ovate-oblong, ca 3 mm long, gland-dotted, pubescent
outside at base. Stamens 8, ca 2.5 mm long; filaments glabrous, alternating with
linear-oblong villous disk scales; staminodes oblong, ca 1 mm long, villous-pubescent.
Ovary ovoid, ca 3 mm long, glabrous; style short; stigma capitate. Capsules ellipsoid-
oblong, 2 - 2.5 cm long, orange yellow when ripe.

Fl. March - April; Fr. April - July.

Distrib. India: Widespread at low elevations in both deciduous and mixed forests,
in open hills, valleys and ravines, sometimes ascending to 1800 m. Himachal Pradesh,
Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Orissa, Madhya
Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indo-china and Thailand.

Notes. The flowers exude a disagreeable odour.

5. Casearia grewiaefolia Vent. var. gelonoides (Blume) Sleumer in Fl. Males. I, 6:

944.1972; N. Mukherjee in Bull. Bot. Surv. Indial4:183.1972 (1975). C. hexagona Decne
var. gelonoides Blume, Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 1:225.1850. C. grewiaefolia var. deglabrata
Koord. & Val., Bijdr. Booms. Java 1:174.1894; Sleumer in Fl. Males. I, 5: 95.1954. C.
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 395

leucolepis Turcz. in Bull. Soc. Nat. Moscou 31: 463.1858; C. B. Clarke in Fl. Brit. India
2: 591.1879.

Shrubs or trees, 2 - 12 m tall; bark greyish brown; branchlets terete, compressed

when young, pubescent in younger parts. Leaves variable, ovate-oblong, ovate-lanceo-
late elliptic-oblong or broadly elliptic, broadly cuneate, rounded, subtruncate or sub-
cordate and always inequilateral and 3 - 5-plinerved at base, shortly acuminate at apex,
shallowly crenate or repand to subentire, 6 - 19 x 3 - 8.5 cm, chartaceous, appressed
pubescent especially beneath when very young, at length glabrous or saparsely pubescent
along midrib beneath, dark green and glossy above, pale beneath, turning olivaceous or
reddish brown when dry; basal primary and secondary veins (6-) 8 -10 pairs, prominent
beneath; lower ones straight, upper ones curved ascending; tertiary veins more or less
transverse; quaternary veins dichotomously and irregularly branched to form incom-
plete meshes in the areole, both little prominent; petioles 6 -12 mm long, puberulous or
glabrescent. Flowers whitish to yellowish green, usually many in axillary fascicles;
pedicels ca 4 mm long, appressed pubescent. Calyx lobes obovate-concave, ca 2 x 1.5
mm, appressed pubescent outside. Stamens 8 (-10); filaments ca 1 mm long, glabrous;
staminodes almost equal to filaments, with a tuft of hairs at apex. Ovary ovoid, ca 2 mm
long, pilose especially towards apex or glabrous. Capsules in axillary clusters, on ca 5
mm long stalks, ellipsoid, 2 - 3 x 1.2 -1.8 cm, green, turn orange-yellow when ripe; aril
orange-red.

Fl. Sept. - April; Fr. Nov. - May.

Distrib. India: Coastal and inland forests and thickets, often on sandy, rocky or
calcareous soils at low elevations. Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Rare in Andaman and
common in Nicobar Islands.

Thailand, Indo-china, Malayan peninsula, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea and

Melanesian Islands.

Notes. The fruits are sweet to taste.

The plants reported as C. fuliginosa (Blanco) Blanco from Car Nicobar Islands
(Nair in Geobios 4: 221.1977) belong to this highly variable taxon.

C. insularis Vasud. & T. Chakrab. (in J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 5: 991. 1984) has been
reduced to a variety, C. grewiaefolia Vent. var. insularis (Vasud. & T. Chakrab.) T.
Chakrab. & Gang, (in J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 16: 717.1992) with the remark,'... represents a
form with stunted growth, characteristic of the plants growing on the Saddle Peak range
in North Andamans.' In C. insularis the staminodes have been described as yellowish
pilose. The yellowish portion of the staminodes however represents vestiges of anther
(Balakrishnan 5425 !), a feature whether constant or not could not be ascertained. In
all other features C. insularis fall well within the range of variability of this taxon, and
396 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

hence pending examination of more specimens, I am reluctant to accord any distinct

taxonomic status to this plant.

6. Casearia kurzii C. B. Clarke in Fl. Brit. India 2:594.1879.

Trees, 7 - 20 m tall; young shoots pubescent. Leaves lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate

or oblong-elliptic, obliquely rounded or narrowed at base, acute or short acuminate at
apex, serrulate to distantly crenate or subentire along margins, 5 - 17.5 x 2.5 - 6 cm,
chartaceous or subcoriaceous, glabrous or minutely puberulent along midrib near base
above, densely spreading yellowish pilose, especially along midrib, or sometimes even
glabrescent beneath; secondary veins 7 - 9 pairs; petioles 5 - 1 0 mm long, densely
spreading hairy or glabrescent. Flowers whitish, ca 4 mm across, (2-) 4 - 6 in fascicles
or axillary tubercles; pedicels ca 5 mm long, densely spreading hairy to glabrescent,
becoming ca 12 mm long in fruits. Calyx lobes broadly elliptic, 2-3x1-1.5 mm, minutely
pubescent outside. Stamens 10; filaments ca 1.5 mm long, hairy; staminodes oblong, ca
1 mm long, tufted hairy at apex. Ovary ellipsoid, ca 2 mm long, glabrous; style ca 1 mm
long; stigma discoid. Capsules ellipsoid. 1 -1.7 cm long, black.

Fl. (Jan.-) March - May (-Nov.); Fr. ripens during Jan. - Feb. (-May).

Distrib. India: Tropical rain forests, 500 -1500 m. West Bengal (Darjeeling), Sikkim,
Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura.

Bangladesh and Myanmar.

7. Casearia rubens Dalz. in Hook., J. Bot. 4: 108. 1852; C. B. Clarke in Fl. Brit.
India 2: 593.1879. C. rubens Dalz. var. gamblei N. Mukherjee in J. Bombay Nat. Hist.
Soc. 69: 393.1973. C. bourdillonii N. Mukherjee in Bull. Bot. Soc. Bengal 19:109.1965
(1967), p. p.

Evergreen shrubs or trees, up to 15 m tall; young shoots glabrous. Leaves usually

narrowly elliptic-oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, rarely broadly elliptic, usually unequal
sided and cuneate or attenuate at base, obtusely short or long acuminate at apex, entire
and revolute along margins, (4-) 7 -19 (-20) x (2.4-) 3 - 7.5 (-9) cm, glabrous, subcoria-
ceous or coriaceous and shiny when mature, often turn blackish above on drying;
secondary veins 7 - 12 pairs with numerous well-developed intersecondary veins form
sparse imperfect reticulum usually indistinct on upper surface, irregularly branched;
quarternary veins with free endings from moderately dense incomplete meshes inside
the areole, but appear indistinct being concealed in fleshy mesophyll; petioles 7-12 mm
long, glabrous. Flowers ca 4 mm across, greenish white; pedicels ca 1.5 mm long,
minutely appressed pubescent. Calyx elliptic, ca 2 mm long, hairy outside. Stamens 8;
filaments ca 1 mm long, narrowed towards apex, hairy; staminodes shorter than fila-
ments, scale-like, hairy at apex. Ovary ovoid, ca 1.5 mm long, glabrous; style almost
absent; stigma capitate. Capsules globular, ca 2 mm long, orange yellow when ripe.
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 397

Fl. Aug. - Nov.; Fl. March - June (ripe fruits in Oct.).

Distrib. India: Semievergreen and evergreen forests of Western Ghats, 200 - 2500
m. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Endemic.

Notes. A number of old and authentic specimens of C. rubens could be examined

in CAL. These appear to be more coriaceous and broadly elliptic leaved (with indistinct
reticulum concealed within fleshy mesophyll!) forms, commonly identified as C. esculen-
ta in Indian herbaria.

8. Casearia thwaitesii Briq., Ann. Cons. Jard. Bot. Geneve 62. 1898; Alston in
Trimen, Handb. Fl. Ceyl. 6(suppl.): 131. 1931. C. coriacea Thwaites, Enum. PI. Zeyl.
20.1858, non Vent. 1803; C. B. Clarke in Fl. Brit. India 2: 592.1879; Gamble, Fl. Pres.
Madras 521.1919.

Trees, 4 - 20 m tall; young shoots glabrous. Leaves usually obovate, sometimes (in
some leaves) oblanceolate or broadly elliptic to suborbicular, cuneate or attenuate at
base, obtuse, rounded or in a few leaves even retuse or emarginate at apex, entire and
revolute along margins, 4.5 - 11.5 x 2 - 7.5 cm, coriaceous or subcoriaceous, shiny,
glabrous; secondary veins 6 - 7 pairs, prominently forming a sparse imperfect reticulum
apparent on lower surface; irregularly branched; quarternary veins with free endings ,
sometimes forming dense reticulum of incomplete meshes together with tertiary veins;
petioles 5 - 1 2 mm long, glabrous. Flowers light green, ca 4 mm across, 4 - 6 in clusters
mostly from younger axils. Calyx ca 2 mm long, broadly elliptic to suborbicular, glabrous,
ciliolate along margins. Stamens 8; filaments ca 1 mm long, glabrous; staminodes equal
to filaments, alternate ones slender and clavate, thick and oblong, densely hairy with a
tuft of hairs at top. Ovary ovoid, ca 1 mm long; style short; stigma capitate. Capsules
ellipsoid, ca 1.7 cm long or orange yellow when ripe, 2-valved,

Fl. Sept.; Fr. March.

Distrib. India: Montane evergreen shola forests of Nilgiri, Anamalai and Palni hills,
1700 -2000 m. Tamil Nadu.

Sri Lanka.

9. Casearia tomentosa Roxb., Fl. Ind. 2: 421.1832; C. B. Clarke in Fl. Brit. India
2: 593. 1879. Anavinga lanceolata Lam., Encycl. 1: 148.1783, non C. lanceolata Miq.
1844. C. elliptica Willd., Sp. PI. 2:628.1799, nom. superfl. (based onA lanceolata Lam.).

Beng.: Maun; Hindi: Chilla, Churcha; Mar.: Karei; Or.: Kokra; Tam.: Kodichai;
Tel.: Chilaka-duddi.
398 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Shrubs or small trees, up to 8 m tall; branchlets tomentose or pubescent, rarely

glabrescent; younger parts sometimes velutinous tomentose. Leaves ovate-lanceolate,
usually rounded, rarely cuneate or subtruncate and always somewhat oblique at base,
obtuse or obtusely short acuminate at apex, coarsely but distantly serrate or crenate to
subentire, 5 - 22 x 2.5 - 8.5 cm, subcoriaceous when mature, sparsely but softly pubescent
to velvety tomentose (usually more dense along midrib and beneath) or glossy and
glabrescent, often subdensely pellucid-punctate and lineolate (apparent in glabrescent
young leaves); secondary veins 8 - 12 pairs; petioles 3 - 8 (-10) mm long, densely
tomentose to sparsely pubescent. Flowers greenish white, 5 - 8 mm across, few or
numerous in dense axillary glomerules; pedicels 4 - 5 mm long, densely tomentose to
sparsely pubescent. Calyx broadly elliptic, ca 3 mm long, densely to sparsely so inside.
Stamens 8; filaments ca 2 mm long, glabrous; staminodes shorter than filaments, clavate,
villous pubescent at apex. Ovary ovoid, ca 1 mm long, glabrous; style short; stigma
discoid. Capsules 1.5 - 2.8 cm long, ellipsoid.

Fl. (Jan.-) Feb. - April (-May); Fr. April - Aug.

Distrib. India: Common throughout from subhimalayan tracts to peninsular India

up to an elevation of 900 m in dry deciduous forests, scrub jungles, waste lands and river
valleys.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Notes. The South Andaman record (Thothathri in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 2: 365.
1960) of this species is based on the erroneous identification of specimens olGlochidion
hirsutum (Roxb.) Voigt (Euphorbiaceae).

10. Casearia vareca Roxb., Fl. Ind. 2: 418.1832; C. B. Clarke in Fl. Brit. India 2:
593.1879.

Asm.: Bhagni, Bon-jhalukia.

Shrubs, rarely small trees, up to 7 m tall, often branched from base; bark grey, warty
with white blotches outside; branchlets angular, pubescent. Leaves oblong, oblong-
elliptic or oblanceolate, cuneate at base, obtuse or abruptly apiculate to acuminate at
apex, closely spinulose-serrate along margins, 7.5 - 16.5 x 2.5 - 5.5 cm, subcoriaceous,
minutely puberulent along midrib or glabrous above, densely spreading ferruginous
pilose to puberulous at least along costa beneath; midrib ridged benath; secondary veins
7 -12 pairs, arcuate, ridged and prominent beneath; petioles (3-) 5 -10 mm long, densely
to sparsely hairy. Flowers ca 3 mm across, greenish grey or whitish, in dense axillary
fascicles; pedicels 2 - 3 mm long, becoming 4 mm in fruits, densely clothed with brownish
hairs below articulation, glabrous or nearly so above. Calyx lobes broadly ovate to
suborbicular, ca 2 mm long, glabrous. Stamens 6 - 12; filaments united into a tube,
alternating with as many pubescent broad staminodes, a little shorter than anthers;
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 399

staminodes broad, hairy at apex. Ovary ovoid to oblong; style short; stigma capitate.
Capsules ovoid, 7 - 10 mm long, bright orange yellow when ripe. Seeds 4 - 6 , oblong,
attached to the middle of the valves; aril fleshy, scarlet.

Fl. May - Sept.; Fr. Aug. - April.

Distrib. India: Subtropical rain forests, 100 -1000 m. West Bengal (Cooch Behar,
Jalpaiguri), Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Notes. In Assam, fruits are made into a paste and given to those suffering from
worms. The juice of the fruits are often used as ear drops when attacked by ticks.

11. Casearia wynadensis Beddome, Icon. PI. Ind. Or. 1.160.1874; C. B. Clarke in
Fl. Brit. India 2: 594.1879.

Mai.: Kari-kunnan.

Shrubs or small trees, up to 9 m tall; branches softly pubescent; younger parts

aureo-villous. Leaves narrowly elliptic to elliptic-oblong, acute to cuneate at base,
long-acuminate or rarely acute at apex, sharply serrate to serrulate along margins, except
at basal part, 8.5 - 15.5 x 3 - 5 cm, membranous, becoming chartaceous with age,
subdensely pellucid-punctate and lineolate, aureo-villous along midrib and veins and
elsewhere pubescent when young, at length glabrescent above except the midrib and
softly pubescent beneath especially along midribs and veins; secondary veins 7 - 9 pairs;
petioles 7-10 mm long, softly brown pubescent. Flowers ca 5 mm across, 6 - 8 in axillary
few-flowered fascicles; pedicels slender, ca 3 mm long, hairy. Calyx broadly elliptic, ca
2.5 mm long, pubescent outside, sparsely so inside, pellucid-punctate, ciliolate along
margins. Stamens 8; filaments ca 1.5 mm long, connate at base with 8 alternating
staminodes shorter than filaments, villous pubescent at top. Ovary oblong-ovoid, atte-
nuated into a style, both hairy; stigma 2 - 4-lobed. Fruits ovoid to oblong-ellipsoid,
shortly apiculate at apex, 13 -16 mm long, 8-10 mm thick, orange.

Fl. May-June; Fr. July-Dec.

Distrib. India: Evergreen forests of Western Ghats, 700- 1000 m. Tamil Nadu and
Kerala. Rare.

Endemic.

12. Casearia zeylanica (Gaertner) Thwaites, Enum. PI. Zeyl. 19. 1858; Alston in
Trimen, Handb. Fl. Ceyl. 6 (suppl.): 131.1931. Vareca zeylanica Gaertner, Fruct. 290,
t. 60.1788. C. esculenta Roxb., Fl. Ind. 2:422.1832; C. B. Clarke in Fl. Brit. India 2:592.
400 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

1879, p. p. C. bourdillonii N. Mukherjee in Bull. Bot. Soc. Bengal 19(2): 109.1965 (1967),
quoad C. varians Beddome, excl. descr. et specim. cit.

Tam.: Kottagovai.

Evergreen shrubs or small trees, 6 - 8 m tall; bark white; young shoots angular
appressed hairy. Leaves closely arranged at apices of branches, elliptic to oblong-ellip-
tic, cuneate at base, acute at apex, distantly crenate to subentire along margins, 7 -14.
5 x 2.5 - 5 cm, glabrous, subcoriaceous and shiny when mature, often becoming blackish
green on drying; tertiary veins irregularly branched to join other tertiary veins forming
dense imperfect reticulum; quaternary veins not developed; petioles 7 - 12 mm long.
Flowers axillary, ca 4 mm across, yellowish; pedicels ca 1 mm long, appressed pubescent.
Calyx elliptic, ca 2 mm long, pellucid-punctate and lineolate, hairy both inside ( 3 - 4
rows) and outside, ciliolate along margins. Stamens 8; filaments ca 1 mm long, hairy;
staminodes shorter than filaments, broad, oblong, tufted hairy at tip. Ovary ovoid, ca
1.5 mm long, densely hirsute at least towards apex; stigma recurved on a short style,
obscurely lobed. Capsules ellipsoid, ca 2.5 cm long; aril bright red.

Fl. July - Sept.; Fr. Oct. - Nov.

Distrib. India: East Coast of peninsular India and southwestwards to Anamalai

hills, up to 800 m. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Sri Lanka.

Notes. In CAL, there is a specimen collected by Beddome, mounted on a blue sheet

(Ace. no. 179582) with the label, 'Casearia varians, Anamallay 1872'. This specimen
agrees well with the plant figured in Beddome, Fl. Sylv. t. 208. 1873 and was correctly
referred to C. esculenta Roxb. by C. B. Clarke. This specimen also agrees with Thwaites
415 (CAL!) from Sri Lanka (identified as C. zeylanica), Gamble 12832 from Sriharikota,
Fischer 4680 & 4682 from Sriharikota, Fischer 3145 from Karandemale and Fischer 4471
from Karianshola, Annamalais (all in CAL!). In these specimens the young shoots are
appressed pubescent and angular; the leaves are closely set in the apical region (nodes
usually 5 - 7 mm or rarely 10 mm apart), glossy and greenish black. Though Beddome
(1. c.) mentions the ovary as glab tus, in the above-mentioned specimen of Beddome the
ovary is in fact hirsute towards apex (vide Thwaites, 1. c. 19).

Gamble (Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1920: 56) mistook Bourdillon 104, Travancore (K,
CAL !) to represent the plant figured as C. varians Thwaites by Beddome (1. c. t. 208)
and 'pending the possibility of examining more and better specimens' called the plant
'C. varians Bedd. not of Thw.' This specimen, however represents C. championii
Thwaites from Sri Lanka.
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 401

Mukherjee (1. c. 109) proposed the name C. bourdillonii for the plant and created
further taxonomic confusion. The description of C. bourdillonii applied to the elements
recognised here as C. rubens Dalz., and of the three speciemns cited by him (1. c. 110),
Talbot 483 belongs to C. rubens Dalz., while Talbot 535 and Bourdillon 104 belong to C.
championii.

3. Flacourtia L'Herit.

Trees or shrubs; trunk often armed with simple and branched thorns; branches
usually with axillary thorns when young, at length unarmed. Leaves alternate, crenato-
serrate or entire, pinnately veined, sometimes also 3 - 5-pliveined at base; secondary
veins upcurved, diminishing near margin, joining superadjacent veins by a series of
cross-veins and giving rise to lateral branches, each to end in a gland beneath the teeth
or at margins; stipules absent. Flowers unisexual (plants dioecious), rarely bisexual in
axillary or terminal short bracteate racemes or racemose fascicles; pedicels articulated.
Sepals 4 - 5, imbricate, subpersistent. Petal absent. Disc extrastaminal, usually consist-
ing of distinct glands inserted before sepals, and annular or lobed in female. Male
flowers: Stamens numerous; anthers oblong or globular, usually dorsifixed and versatile;
pollen tricolporate, reticulate, subprolate. Pistillode absent. Female flowers: Carpels
(2-) 3 - 6 (-10), connate into as many incompletely loculed ovary with deeply intcuding
placentae; ovules usualy 2 in each locule inserted on dividing walls. Styles free or
connate, rarely absent; stigma retuse or shortly bilobed. Fruit fleshy, an indehiscent
berry with indurate endocarp, globose when fresh, characteristically becoming obtusely
cubiform-angular and constricted in middle when dry with 2 superposed pyrenes in each
locule. Seeds 1-2, ovoid to obovoid; testa thinly coriaceous; cotyledons orbicular.

Tropical Africa, Asia and Polynesia; ca 15 species, 5 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves 15 cm or more long, pinnately veined from base; secondary veins 10-12 pairs 1. F. helferi
b. Leaves mostly less than 15 cm long, 3 - 5-pliveined from or near base; basal primary and secondary
veins together 4 - 6 pairs 2
2a. Inflorescence glabrous; style fully connate into a distinct column with shallowly lobed stigma at apex,
contracted into a solid beak in fruit, with radiating stigmas as minute points 3. F. jangomas
b. Inflorescence usually pubescent; styles completely free or basally connate, conspicuously spreading
and recurved both in flowers and fruits, or absent 3
3a. Styles absent (stigma sessile) 4. F. latifolia
b. Style distinct and conspicuous 4
4a. Leaves 8 -15 (- 25) cm long, short or long acuminate at apex, coriaceous or subcoriaceous turning red-
dish brown on drying 5. F. montana
b. Leaves 1.5-5 (-7) cm long, not acuminate at apex, membranous to subcoriaceous, not reddish browm
on drying 2. F. indica
402 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

1. Flacourtia helferi Gamble ex Ridley in J. Bot. 74: 223. 1936. F. sumatrana

Planch, ex Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Brit. India 1:192.1872, p. p.; Kanjilal et al., Fl. Assam
1: 90.1934.

Trees, small, unarmed, dioecious; young shoots usually puberulous. Leaves oblong-
elliptic or oblong-ovate, rarely a few oblanceolate, usually cuneate, rarely rounded or
subtruncate at base, acutely acuminate at apex, coarsely (somewhat deeply) crenato-
serrate (gland-tipped beneath) along margins, 15 - 28 x 6.5 -12 cm, subcoriaceous, shiny,
minutely puberulent along veins especially beneath or glabrate; secondary veins 10 -12
pairs, impressed above, raised beneath; tertiary veins more or less perpendicular to
midrib; petioles 10 - 15 mm long, minutely puberulent. Flowers in slender pubescent
bracteate racemes or panicles (sometimes clustered), 3 - 5 cm long; pedicels ca 2 mm
long, hairy. Sepals minute, hairy on both surfaces. Male flowers: Stamens numerous.
Female flowers: Ovary ovoid, glabrous; styles 4, slender, recurved; stigma minute. Berry
ovoid or oblong, ca 4 mm long.

Fl. July; Fr. Sept.

Distrib. India: Assam (Sibsagar, Moriani forest). Rare.

Myanmar (Tenasserim).

2. Flacourtia indica (Burm. f.) Merr., Interpr. Rumph. Herb. Amb. 377. 1917;
Sleumer in Fl. Males. 1,5:76.1954. Gmelina indica Burm. f., Fl. Ind. 132, t. 39, f.5.1768.
F. sepiaria Roxb., PI. Corom. 1: 48, t. 68. 1796; Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Brit. India 1:
194. 1872. F. ramontchii L' Herit., Strip. Nov. 3: 59, t.30 & 30 B. 1786; Hook. f. &
Thomson, Fl. Brit. India 1:193.1872, pro maj. parte excl. var. latifolia.

Kan.: Hettari-mullu; Mai.: Cherru-mulUkka-chedi, Kuramullu, Kuramulli; Tam.:

Kattukalai, Kodumundi, Sottukalai.

Shrubs or small trees, dioecious, polymorphous, deciduous, up to 15 m tall; trunk

in older trees often armed with branched thorns; juvenile shoots and branches with
simple thorns; branchlets glabrous or pubescent. Leaves usually clustered towards
apices on older branches, variable in shape, size, texture and indumentum, obovate,
ovate, oblong or suborbicular, usually cuneate and 3 - 5-pliveined at base, acute, obtuse
or sometimes emarginate at apex, coarsely crenate to subentire along margins, 1.5 - 5
(-7) x 1 - 3 (-4) cm, membranous to subcoriaceous, glabrous above and glabrous or more
or less pubescent along midrib and veins beneath, or pubescent to softly tomentose on
both surfaces; basal primary and upper secondary veins together 4 - 6 pairs; petioles (3-)
5-10 mm long, red, usually hairy. Flowers ca 4 mm across, yellowish green, solitary, or
few in axillary bracteate glabrous racemose clusters or terminating in short lateral 3 -
4-leaved thorny twigs, or in distinct puberulous or tomentose panicles up to 3 cm long;
pedicels articulated near middle, 3 - 5 mm long, puberulous or glabrous. Sepals 4 - 5,
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 403

slightly connate at base, ovate, obtuse, subglabrous outside, hairy inside. Male flowers:
Stamens numerous; filaments ca 2.5 mm long, minutely hairy at base; anthers versatile;
disc lobed. Female flowers: Disc entire; ovary globular, somewhat attenuate at apex,
with 3 - 6 radiating ca 1 mm long terete thick styles little or not connate at base, with
slightly bilobed recurved stigmas. Berries ellipsoid to subglobose, with 6 - 7 pyrenes,
5-10 mm across, dark purple or red when ripe; seeds trigonous, pale yellow to brown.

Fl. Dec. - March; Fr. ripens from May - Aug.

Distrib. India: Throughout in dry thickets, scrub jungles, dry deciduous and mixed
forests, up to 1200 m. Common.

Widespread in S.E. Asia and tropical Africa.

Notes. Fruits of some varieties are sweet and eaten raw. Fruits are also used
medicinally for jaundice and enlarged spleen.

Twiggy forms are sometimes grown as impenetrable hedges.

Following Sleumer (1. c.) F. indica is here accepted in a wider sense. F. ramontchii
is usually a small tree with larger leaves, distinct paniculate inflorescences, and found in
dry deciduous and mixed forests. F. indica (F. sepiarid) on the other hand is usually a
twiggy shrub with smaller leaves, few flowers in axillary clusters and found in dry thickets
and scrub forests.

In some regional floras though certain sets of characters have been proposed to
segregate the two as distinct, these did not yield any satisfacotry result when put to test
on a larger collection with baffling intergrading forms.

3. Flacourtia jangomas (Lour.) Raeusch., Nom. Bot. ed. 3: 290.179"; Sleumer in

Fl. Males. 1,5: 72.1954. F. cataphracta Roxb. ex Willd., Sp. PI. 4:830.1806; Hook. f. &
Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:193.1872. Fig. 73.

Asm.: Paniol, Luck-luki; Beng. & Hindi: Paniala; Or.: Baincha; Tel: Kanji.

Trees, 6 - 1 0 (-20) m tall, dioecious, deciduous; trunk and branches densely beset
with simple and branched thorns when young, becoming more or less thornless with age;
young shoots usually minutely puberulent. Leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate, cuneate to
rounded and 3 - 5-pliveined at base, obtusely acuminate at apex, serrato-crenate along
margins, 5 - 10.5 x (2-) 3 - 5 cm, thinly chartaceous, glabrous and shiny green above,
minutely puberulent along midrib beneath; basal primary and secondary veins together
4 - 5 pairs; petioles 4 - 7 mm long, usually puberulent. Flowers greenish white, 5 - 6 mm
across, few in glabrous bracteate racemes or corymbose 1 -1.5 cm long fascicles. Sepals
4 (-5), subequal, broadly ovate, ca 2 mm long, minutely puberulous outside, densely so
404
FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

NPB

Fig. 73. Flacourtia jangomas (Lour.) Raeusch.: a. branch with male flowers; b. male
flower; c. stamen; d. female flower; e. ovary, t.s.; f. fruit; g.^& h. seeds, two
views.
X993 ] FLACOURTIACEAE 405

inside. Male flowers: Stamens numerous; filaments glabrous. Female flowers: Ovary
flask-shaped to subglobose; styles 4 - 6 , connate into a distinct column and contracted
into a solid beak in fruits; stigma as many, dilated and shallowly bilobed, recurved,
radiating as minute points in fruits. Berries subglobose, 1.5 - 2.5 cm across, dark red or
purple when ripe.

Fl. March - May (-June); Fr. Aug. - Oct.

Distrib. India: Frequently semiwild in Brahmaputra Valley and adjoining areas in

the North-east (probably originally from Bangladesh - Assam - Upper Myanmar),
elsewhere cultivated. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur,
Tripura, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

Widely cultivated in S.E. Asia and E. Africa.

Notes. Fruits are pleasantly acidic, eaten raw and made into jelly.

4. Flacourtia latifolia (Hook. f. & Thomson) Cooke, Fl. Bombay Pres. 1:56.1901.
F. ramontchii L'Herit. var. latifolia Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:193.1872.

Kan.: Kal-champigai, Naga-champigai; Mar.: Tambat.

Trees, 5 - 12 m tall, deciduous; main stem often ferociously armed at base, with
simple and branched thorns, up to 11 (-25) cm long, usually unarmed above; young shoots
tomentose. Leaves usually broadly elliptic to oblong-elliptic, sometimes ovate or oblan-
ceolate, usually cuneate or sometimes subcordate and 3-pliveined at base, obtusely short
or long (rarely also acutely) acuminate, rarely obtuse at apex, coarsely shallowly to
obscurely crenate along margins, 5.5 - 14.5 x 2.8 - 7.5 (juvenile ones 19 x 9) cm,
membranous when young, chartaceous or subcoriaceous at maturity, shiny, glabrous
except minutely pubescent on both surfaces along midrib and veins; basal primary and
secondary veins together 4 - 5 pairs; quarternary veins irregularly branched, together
with tertiary veins form dense reticulum, more prominent beneath; petioles (5-) 7 - 1 2
mm long, densely puberulent. Flowers yellowish green, sweet scented, usually in slender
lax pubescent bracteate racemes, up to 2 cm long, rarely solitary or in racemose clusters;
pedicels 3 - 5 mm long, articulated at middle, pubescent. Sepals ca 1 mm long, broadly
ovate to suborbicular, densely clothed with spreading hairs inside, minutely pubescent
outside. Ovary urceolate, ca 1 mm long, glabrous, obscurely 3 - 4-lobed at apex with
stigma at top. Berries subglobose, ca 9 mm across, green, dark purple when ripe, with
obscurely bilobed stigmas, sessile at top.

Fl. (March-) April - May; Fr. (May -) July - Sept.

Distrib. India: Semievergreen and moist deciduous forests of Western Ghats, up

to 1200 m. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala.
406 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Endemic.

Notes. Fruits are edible.

In CAL there are a few Herb. Blatter specimens of F. latifolia from Maharashtra
and Karnataka determined as F. indica by Sleumer in Dec. 1955. Quoting observations
of Sleumer on these speciemens, Santapau (Fl. Khandala 10.1960) did not recognise F.
latifolia as distinct fromF. indica complex. The stigmas (3 - 4) which are clearly sessile
and unique in this Indian species, amply justifies its segregation as a distinct species.

I have examined a few specimens oiXylosma latifolium Hook. f. & Thomson (Fl.
Brit. India 1:194.1872) in CAL including one male specimen from 'Bababoodan Hills,
Malabar, Law* (Ace. no. 33129 - Type coll. !) and failed to distinguish them from F.
latifolia. Surprisingly, the description oiXylosma latifolium Hook. f. & Thomson hardly
differs from those provided for F. latifolia (Hook. f. & Thomson) Cooke, except perhaps
in one character - 'style very distinct' (Hook. f. & Thomson, 1. c. 195). In Xylosma,
normally the style is very short and cylindrical or absent and there are only 2 stigmas. It
is therefore presumed that the short neck of the young urceolate ovary ofF. latiflia might
have been mistaken for a style in Xylosma latifolium. Pending examination of more and
authentic specimens, the species is therefore not recognised under Xylosma for the
present.

5. Flacourtia montana Grahams, Cat. PI. Bombay 10.1839; Hook. f. & Thomson,
Fl. Brit. India 1: 192.1872. .

Kan.: Hennu-sampigi, Gajale, Nayibela; Mai.: Chalirin-pazham, Charal-maram;

Mar.: Atlak, Tar-bor, Champari.

Trees, (5-) 10 - 15 (-20) m tall, dioecious; trunk, sucker shoots and branches
frequently armed with 5 - 8 cm long thorns; young shoots and branches often densely
tomentose, sometimes minutely puberulous to glabrescent. Leaves broadly elliptic,
oblong-elliptic, ovate-lanceolate, usually cuneate and conspicuously 3 - 5-pliveined at
base, acute or rarely long acuminate at apex, coarsely serrate or crenate to subentire,
8 - 22 x 3.5 - 9.5 cm, coriaceous or subcoriaceous, shiny green, turning reddish brown,
especially beneath on drying, glabrous or sometimes densely to sparsely tomentose along
midrib near base above, usually sparsely to densely along midrib and veins beneath; basal
primary and secondary veins together 5 - 6 pairs, usually set widely apart; tertiary veins
more or less perpendicular to midrib, together with quarternary veins form reticulum
conspicuous beneath; petioles 4 - 8 mm long, densely tomentose to glabrescent. Flowers
unisexual, creamy white, in short slender bracteate pubescent lax racemes or dense
paniculate clusters, up to 2 cm long; pedicels ca 3 mm long, up to 4 mm in fruits, hairy.
Sepals minute, sparsely hairy or glabrescent outside, densely spreading hairy inside
(appears ciliolate from above). Male flowers: Stamens numerous; filaments ca 3 mm
long, glabrous. Female flowers: Ovary urceolate, ca 1.5 mm long, glabrous, sometimes
1993] FLACOURTTACEAE 407

surrounded by a few staminodes at base; styles 5 (-6), spreading and recurved, bifid at
apex; stigma minute. Berry ca 1.7 cm across, globose, obtusely ribbed, reddish purple
when ripe; seeds 6, in 2 rows, compressed, hard, woody and rough.

Fl. Nov. - Feb. (June); Fr. Feb. - April.

Distrib. India: Semievergreen and moist deciduous forests of Western Ghats, up

to 1000 m (1800 m). Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Endemic.

Notes. Fruits are pleasantly acidic, eaten raw and made into jelly. Wood is heavy,
used locally for building purposes.

CULTIVATED TAXA

1. Flacourtia inermis Roxb., PL Corom. 3:16, t.222.1811; Hook. f. & Thomson in

Fl. Brit. India 1:192.1872.

An unarmed small tree with oblong-ovate, ovate-lanceolate or elliptic leaves, bisex-

ual flowers in short racemose fascicles and red globose berries, ca 2.5 cm across with
remnants of stamens at base.

Probably a native of Malaya, cultivated in some parts of Maharashtra, Kerala and

elsewhere for the acidic fruits seems to be good for jams and pickles.

2. Flacourtia rukkam Zoll. & Mor., Syst. Verz. 33.1846; Hook. f. & Thomson in
Fl. Brit. India 1:192.1832.

A small tree, often ferociously thorny on trunk, with coarsely crenate oblong-ovate
or oblong-elliptic leaves, greenish yellow flowers in short racemes and globose berries
ca 2.5 cm across, crowned with peg-like free styles.

A native of Malaya, sometimes cultivated for the edible acidic fruits palatable by
rubbing between palms.

4. Gynocardia R.Br.

Monotypic; description and distribution as for the species below.

Gynocardia odorata R. Br. in Roxb., PI. Corom. 3: 95, t. 299. 1820; Hook. f. &
Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:195.1872. Fig. 74.
408 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL.2

Fig. 74. GynocardiaodorataR. Br. : a. leaf; b. portion of venation on upper leaf surface
showing granular depositions.
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 409

Ass.: Bonsha, Lemtem; Beng.: Chaulmugra; Kh.: Dieng-soh-phailing; Garo: Sike-

lulpi.

Trees, dioecious, evergreen, 10 - 30 m tall, glabrous. Leaves alternate, entire,

oblong, rarely ovate-oblong or obovate-oblong, rounded or cuneate at base, short or
long acuminate, rarely even caudate-acuminate at apex, entire but somewhat uneven
along margins, 10 - 33 x 3.5 -10.5 cm, dark green above, paler beneath, glabrous, pinnately
veined; secondary veins 5 - 9 pairs, arcuate, gradually diminishing apically close to
margin, connected to superadjacent veins by a series of cross veins; tertiary and quar-
ternary veins conspicuously impregnated with granular depositions; tertiary veins more
or less perpendicular, giving rise to repeatedly dichotomously branched radially spread-
ing lateral branches, facing especially midrib and together with quaternary veins forming
incomplete meshes; petioles 0.7 - 2.2 cm long; stipules caducous. Male flowers pale
yellow, 2.5 - 3.5 cm across, fragrant, solitary or few in axillary bracteate corymbs or
numerous aggregated together in several corymbose clusters on tubercles on stems and
older branches; pedicels 2.5 - 5 cm long. Calyx-lobes 5, connate into a cupular calyx,
5-lobed at apex, obtuse, ca 7 mm long. Petals 5, oblong, obtuse at apex, ca 15 x 7 mm,
fleshy, epipetalous scales oblong, obtuse and densely ciliate along margins, ca 6 x 4 mm.
Stamens ca 100; filaments broadened towards base, ca 10 mm long, woolly; anthers
linear-oblong, basifixed, ca 5 mm long. Pistillode absent. Femaleflowers few on tubercles
on stems and older branches. Sepals and petals similar to but bigger than those in males.
Stammodes 10 15, villous. Carpels 5, connate into a globose unilocular superior ovary;
ovules numerous in parietal placentae; styles 5 ; ' tigmas hastate. Berry globose, 8 - 1 2
cm across; pericarp thick, hard, rugose, greyish, glabrous. Seeds numerous, variable,
usually ovoid or el!;psoid, irregularly compressed, 2.5 - 3 x 1.8 - 2.2 cm; testa rough and
pitted except for the flesLy silvery grey hilar region occupying about half of the seed
surface; endosperm oily, cotyledons flat, fleshy.

Fl. March - May; Fr. ripens during Nov. - Dec.

Distrib. India: 300 -1200 m. West Bengal (Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling), Sikkim, Assam,
Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland.

Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Notes. The granular depositions on the tertiary and quaternary veins, which is
unique to this species in Flacourtiaceae and is evident under a hand lens, easily
distinguishes sterile specimens or this species from Hydnocarpus kurzii with which it is
often mistaken in the herbaria.

The seeds, though once thought to be the source of chaulmoogra oil, yield gynocar-
dia oil, which does not contain any chaulmoogric acid or its homologue. The seeds also
contain cyanogenic glycoside-gynocardine and used as fish poison.
410 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

5. Homalium Jacq.

Trees or shrubs, sometimes buttressed at base. Leaves usually coriaceous or

subcoriaceous, crenate to subentire, pinnately veined; secondary veins branched to-
wards margin to join superadjacent veins and to terminate in a gland beneath each teeth
or at margin. Flowers bisexual, subtended by caducous' or persistent bracts, spirally
arranged, singly or in glomerules in terminal or subterminal racemes, panicles or spikes.
Hypanthium funnel-shaped, adnate to lower half of ovary; sepals and petals in separate
whorls, perigynous, somewhat accrescent in fruit. Sepals 4 - 8 (-12), with an episepalous
nectar gland opposite each. Petals as many, often similar to and alternating with sepals,
inserted at throat of calyx-tube. Stamens solitary before each petal or 2 or more in
fascicles on and or before each petal, between disc lobes and often alternating with
staminodes; anthers didymous, dorsifixed, extrorse; pollen tricolporate, endoaperture
lalongate. Carpels 2 - 5 , connate into unilocular, half inferior ovary usually hairy outside
and sometimes also inside, maturing into a coriaceous or bony fruit, beaked at apex;
ovules 1 - many, pendulous on parietal placenta, confined to apex; styles (2-) 3 - 9, free
or shortly connate at base; stigma capitellate. Fruits ovoid or subglobose, splitting into
valves at apex or indehiscent. Seeds 1 - few, minute, angular, oblong; endosperm fleshy;
cotyledons foliaceous.

Pantropical; ca 200 species, 6 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Stamens solitary before each petal 2

b. Stamens in groups of 3 or more, on and or before each petal 4
2a. Tertiary veins prominently raised beneath, oblique to midrib; flowers sessile, in glomerules of 2 - 5 in
pendulous spikes 4. H. tomentosum
b. Tertiary veins not prominently raised beneath, more or less perpendicular at least along midrib;
flowers pedicelled, arranged singly or in glomerules in racemes or panicles 3
3a. Flowers arranged singly in divaricately branched panicles 3. H. nepaulense
b. Flowers in glomerules of 2 -15 or more in simple racemes rarely shortly branched towards base
I. H. ceylanicum
4a. Flowers sessile in spikes 6. H. Iravancoricum
b. Flowers pedicelled in racemes or panicles 5
5a. Racemes simple, sparsely flowered 2. H. jainii
b. Panicles divaricately branched, moderately flowered 4. H. schlichii

1. Homalium ceylanicum (Gardner) Benth. in J. Proc. Linn. Soc, Bot. 4: 35.1860

(as "zeylanicum"); C. B. Clarke in Fl. Brit. India 2: 596. 1879. Blackwellia ceylanica
Gardner in Calc. J. Nat. Hist. 7: 452.1846.

Evergreen trees, 8 - 30 m tall; bark smooth, grey, peeling off in irregular flakes; trunk
reaching up to 80 cm in diam. Leaves narrowly to broadly elliptic, rarely elliptic-oblong,
!993 ] FLACOURTIACEAE 411

lanceolate or oblanceolate, cuneate at base, short or long acuminate at apex, coarsely

crenate to subentire along margins, 7 -19 x 3.5 -10 cm, usually subcoriaceous, sometimes
also membranous; secondary veins 5-7 pairs; tertiary and quaternary veins forming fine
reticulum; petioles 7 - 1 2 mm long, usually puberulent. Racemes slender, axillary and
subterminal, pendent, simple, rarely slightly branched towards base, 10 - 35 cm long.
Flowers greenish white, foetid; pedicels ca 2 mm long, articulated below the calyx.
Sepals 4 - 6 , linear-oblong. Petals as many and a little longer and broader than sepals.
Stamens as many and opposite to each petal, alternating with densely hairy episepalous
glands, ciliate along margins; filaments 2 - 3 mm long. Ovary densely pilose to sparsely
pubescent; styles 4 (-5), spreading, hairy, 1.5 - 2 mm long; stigmas capitate.

KEY TO THE SUBSPECIES

la. Indumentum grey, minute and appressed; sepals and petals moderately to densely pubescent or tomen-
tose outside, more densely so inside 1.1. subsp. ceylanicum
b. Indumentum whitish, short and spreading; sepals and petals moderately to sparsely hirtellous outside,
sparingly hirtellous to glabrate inside 1.2. subsp. minutiflorum

1.1. subsp. ceylanicum

Kan.: Hulikaddi-mara, Kala; Mai.: Manthala-mukki.

Young twigs puberulous. Leaves usually abruptly acuminate at apex, coarsely to

repando- crenate along margins, 7 -15 x 3.5 - 7 cm, shiny above, glabrous on both surfaces
or minutely puberulous along midrib and veins towards base beneath. Racemes up to
22 cm long, appressed pubescent to densely tomentose. Flowers 3 - 4 mm across;
pedicels 1 - 1.5 mm long, appressed tomentose. Hypanthium 1 - 1.5 mm long, often
obscurely ribbed, appressed pubescent to tomentose. Sepals 1 -1.7 mm long. Petals
spathulate, both densely bearded pilose along margin. Ovary densely pilose.

Fl. (Feb.) March - May; Fr. Oct. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Evergreen forests of Western Ghats, 200 -1300 m. Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Sri Lanka.

Notes: Ornamental; the timber is hard, heavy and durable, used for beams, poles,
masts and building purposes.

1.2. subsp. minutiflorum (Kurz) Mitra, stat. nov. H. minutiflorum Kurz, For. Fl.
Brit. Burma 1: 532.1877; C. B. Clarke in Fl. Brit India 2: 596. 1879. H. bhamoense
Cubbitt & Smith in Rec. Bot. Surv. India 6: 33.1913. H. bhamoense var. debbarmani
412 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Kanjilai et al. in Fl. Assam 1: 85.1934, incl. forma glabra. H. ciliatum N. Mukherjee in
J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 69: 390.1973.

Young twigs glabrescent to densely hirsute. Leaves coarsely to repando-crenate or

subentire along margins, 8 -19 x 4 - 10 cm, glabrous or nearly so on both surfaces or
minutely hirsute along midrib and veins above, moderately to densely hirsute on veins
and sparsely so elsewhere beneath. Racemes up to 35 cm long, glabrescent to densely
hirsute. Flowers 2-5 mm across; pedicels ca 2 mm long, slender, sparsely to moderately
hii tellous. Hypanthium 1-2 mm long, faintly to moderately ribbed, sparsely to moder-
ately hirtellous. Sepals 0.8 - 2.5 mm long, densely pilose to sparsely ciliate along margins.
Petals 1 - 3 mm long, oblong, spathulat e or oblanceolate, hairy, like sepals, along margins.

Fl. March - May; Fr. Oct. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Semievergreen and evergreen subtropical forests, 50 -1500 m. West

Bengal (Darjeeling), Sikkim, Assam (Cachar), Meghalaya (Garo Hills) and Mizoram.
Bhutan, Bangladesh (Sylhet, Chittagong), Myanmar and Thailand.

Notes. The subspecies minutiflonim proposed here constitutes a distinct population

of H. ceylanicum subsp. ceylanicum. The various forms often named asH. bhamoense,
H. bhamoense var. debbarmani (H. ciliatum), H. bhamoense var. debbarmani forma
glabra and the less known H. minutiflonim, in fact represent some of the typical elements
of this highly variable intergrading population. Thus, Kanjilai et al. (I.e. 86) even while
describing two such forms as distinct taxa expressed the apprehension that H. bha-
moense together with those two infraspecific taxa may consititute a northeastern race of
H. ceylanicum and might have to be combined with it.

The typical/f. minutiflonim (Pegu-Type, CAL!) compares well withif. bhamoense

var. debbarmani forma glabra (Sylhet, Chittagong) except that in the former some of the
flower clusters in the lower part of the racemose inflorescence further develop into small
racemose branchlets, a character, though not reported, is also noticed in two specimens
of H. ceylanicum from Sri Lanka (Thwaites 388, CAL). However, the general tendency
of the common stock of flower clusters to develop into rudimentary rachiules is clearly
discernable in a number of specimens of both the subspecies.

Further, in H. bhamoense var. debbarmani forma glabra, though the flowers are
usually smaller like H. bhamoense and H. minutiflonim, in a number of glomerules in
two specimens from Sylhet (Kanjilai 7639, CAL) both small and much bigger (sterile !)
flowers are noticed. These bigger flowers resemble those of H. bhamoense var. debbar-
mani.

2. Homalium jainii A.N. Henry & Swamin. in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 78: 570.
1981.
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 413

Trees, up to 30 m tall; young twigs glabrous. Leaves narrowly elliptic to elliptic-

oblong, cuneate or subobtuse at base, acuminate at apex, crenato-repand to subentire
along margins, 4 -11 x 1.5 - 4.5 cm, coriaceous, glabrous, shiny above; secondary veins
7 - 9 pairs, tertiary and quarternary veins forming distinct reticulum on both surfaces;
petioles 6 -12 mm long. Racemes up to 20 cm long, grey tomentose. Flowers 10 -12 mm
across, greenish yellow. Hypanthium ca 4 mm long, grey tomentose. Sepals 6 - 9 ,
oblong to spathulate, obtuse at apex, 5 - 8 x 1.5 - 3 mm, tomentose. Petals triangular-
ovate-oblong, 4 - 7 x 1 . 5 - 3 mm, tomentose, connivent over ovary after anthesis. Stamens
6 - 7 in fascicles on and before each petal (3 between nectar glands and rest on petal
above the level of glands); filaments 4 - 5 mm long, sparsely pilose. Ovary tomentose;
styles 6 - 9. Fruits not seen.

Fl. Oct.; reported to flower very rarely, possibly once in many years.

Distrib. India: Evergreen forests of S. Western Ghats, ca 1000 m; also in rocky

lowlands along streams. Tamil Nadu (Kanniyakumari). Rare.

Endemic.

3. Homalium napaulense (DC.) Benth. in J. Proc. Linn. Soc, Bot. 4: 34.1866; C.

B. Clarke in Fl. Brit. India 2: 596. 1879, as "nepalense". Blackwellia napaulense D C ,
Prodr. 2: 54.1825.

Trees, 8 - 15 m tall; young twigs usually puberulous. Leaves ovate, ovate-elliptic,

cuneate, rounded or even subtruncate at base, acuminate at apex, crenate, 6 -16 x 4.5 -
10 cm, subcoriaceous, usually glabrescent to moderately velutinous especially along
midrib and veins rarely densely so both above and beneath; secondary veins 6 - 8 pairs,
branched to terminate somewhat conspicuously into glands at margin; petioles 1.5 - 2.5
cm long, densely ferruginous tomentose. Panicles axillary, densely pyramidal, 5 -15 cm
long, densely ferruginous tomentose. Flowers ca 5 mm across, white, foetid; pedicels ca
1.2 mm long, densely hairy. Hypanthium ca 1.5 mm long, densely appressed hairy,
slightly ribbed in fruits. Sepals 6 - 8 , linear, densely pilose outside, sparsely so inside.
Petals as many and slightly longer and broader than sepals, spathulate or oblanceolate,
ca 2 x 0.7 mm, densely pilose outside, sparsely so or even glabrate inside, somewhat
bearded along margins. Stamens as many and opposite to each petal, alternating with
densely hairy episepalous glands; filaments ca 1.5 mm long. Ovary densely pilose
outside, sparsely pubescent inside; styles 3 - 4 . Fruit not seen.

Fl. May - June.

Distrib. India: Tropical and subtropical mixed and evergreen forests, 700 - 2100 m.
Nagaland, Bihar (Singhbum), Orissa (Mayurbhanj, Ganjam, Koraput and Puri) and
Andhra Pradesh (Vishakhapatnam and E. Godawari).
414 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Nepal.

4. Homalium schlichii Kurz, For. Fl. Brit. Burma 1: 532.1877; C. B. Clarke in Fl.
Brit. India 2: 597.1879; Kanjilal et al., Fl. Assam 1: 86.1934.

Kh.: Dieng-soh-mara.

Evergreen or semievergreen trees, up to 35 m tall, buttressed at base when old; bark

rough, dark brown; young twigs glabrous. Leaves elliptic to elliptic-oblong, rarely ovate,
cuneate at base, obtusely short or long acuminate at apex, coarsely to repando-crenate
along margins, 7 -18 x 4 - 6.5 cm, subcoriaceous, glabrous; secondary veins 8-10 pairs;
petioles 7 - 1 2 mm long. Panicles axillary or terminal, divaricately branched, 5 -10 cm
long, grey tomentose. Flowers white, ca 4.5 mm across, singly disposed; pedicels 1.5 - 3
mm long, tomentose; bracts small, early caducous. Hypanthium ca 1.25 mm long,
tomentose. Sepals 5 - 6, connate or adnate to ovary at base, linear-oblong, ca 2 x 0.8 mm,
densely tomentose on both sides with a densely hairy gland at base. Petals 5-7, slightly
broader than sepals, oblanceolate or spathulate, densely tomentose outside, woolly
tomentose inside and somewhat bearded along margin. Stamens antipetalous in groups
of 3; filaments ca 2 mm long; anthers small, didymous. Ovary densely pilose; styles 4,
filiform, hairy. Fruit a 2 - 5-valved capsule with coriaceous walls. Seeds few, oblong.

Fl. March - May; Fr. Oct. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Subtropical mixed and evergreen forests up to 1300 m. Assam and
Meghalaya.

Bangladesh (Sylhel and Chittagong) and Myanmar.

5. Homalium tomentosum (Vent.) Benth. in J. Proc. Linn. Soc, Bot. 4: 34.1860;

C. B. Clarke in Fl. Brit. India 2:596.1879. Blackwellia tomentosa Vent., Choix57, t. 57.
1803.

Deciduous trees, 20 - 40 m tall, buttressed with straight up to 1 m diam. trunk when

old; bark thin greyish white, peeling off in irregular flakes showing green epidermis
beneath; young twigs more or less tomentose. Leaves subsessile, broadly obovate to
obovate-oblong, rarely elliptic, cuneate but ultimately rounded at base, rounded or short
acuminate at apex, shallowly and distinctly crenate along margins, 10 - 25 x 5 -13.5 cm,
coriaceous or subcoriaceous, minutely tomentose to glabrescent above, minutely pube-
scent to woolly tomentose beneath; secondary veins ca 12 pairs, prominently raised
beneath, branched to terminate conspicuously into glands at margin; petioles 3 - 7 mm
long, thick. Spikes stout, pendulous, 10 - 30 cm long, densely ferruginous tomentose.
Flowers 3 - 4 mm across, greenish with a disagreeable odour, arranged in laxglomerules.
Hypanthium ca 1.25 mm long, woolly tomentose, becoming ca 2 mm in fruits. Sepals
5 - 6 , oblong-linear, ca 1.25 mm long, tomentose. Petals as long as sepals, more or less
1993] FLACOURT1ACEAE 415

spathulate, tomentose. Stamens as many and opposite to each petal, alternating with
densely hairy episepalous glands; filaments ca 2 mm long. Ovary densely woolly tomen-
tose outside, minutely appressed hairy inside; styles 3. Fruits ovoid or subglobose, ca 2
mm long, indehiscent, 1-seeded.

Fl. May - June; Fr. Oct. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Mixed forests of low elevations. Orissa (Ganjam and Puri).

Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indo-China, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Notes. Ornamental; wood is hard and heavy, sometimes used like H. ceylanicum.

6. Homalium travancorium Beddome, Fl. Sylv. 2: t. 211.1872; C.B. Clarke in Fl.

Brit. India 2: 596.1879. Fig. 75.

Evergreen trees, 7 -12 m tall; young twigs glabrous. Leaves ovate, broadly elliptic
or oblong-elliptic, rounded or subacute at base, coarsely to repando-crenate, 7 -10 x
3 - 5.5 cm, coriaceous or subcoriaceous, shiny, glabrous; secondary veins 5 - 8 pairs;
tertiary veins more or less oblique to midrib, forming reticulum with quaternary veins;
petioles 8-12 mm long. Spikes dense, 5 -10 cm long, ferruginous tomentose. Flowers
greenish white, ca 5.5 mm across, subtended prominently by a cushion of imbricate
bracts, singly disposed. Hypanthium ca 1.5 mm long, densely grey appressed pilose.
Sepals 5 - 6 , triangular-linear-oblong, ca 1.75 mm long, densely appressed outside,
appressed pilose inside, with a densely hairy gland at base. Petals as many as sepals,
spathulate, ca 3 mm long, appressed pilose outside, densely bearded along margins and
inside. Stamens antipetalous in groups of 3 - 4; filaments ca 2.25 mm long, sparsely
pilose. Ovary densely bearded pilose outside, white floccose inside; styles 3 - 4, ca 3 mm
long, pilose towards base. Fruits ca 2 mm long, ovoid or subglobose, indehiscent,
1-seeded; seeds globose, 0.5 mm across.

Fl. March - May; Fr. Oct. - Feb.

Distrib. India: Evergreen forests of Southern Western Ghats at lower elevations

between 300 - 700 m. Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Endemic.

6. Hydnocarpus Gaertn.

Trees or rarely shrubs, evergreen, usually dioecious. Leaves alternate, entire or

serrate, coriaceous or subcoriaceous, pinnately veined; secondary veins upturned, grad-
ually diminishing apically close to margin, connected to superadjacent secondaries by a
series of cross veins; petioles often thickened at apex; stipules foliaceous, caducous.
416 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Fig. 75. Homalium travancoricum Beddome : a.floweringtwig; b. flower; c. flower

showing hypanthium; d. part of flower; e. stamen.
1993 ] FLACOURTIACEAE 417

Racemes axillary, few-flowered; flowers unisexual or bisexual, regular, 5- or rarely

4-merous. Male flowers in 1 - 4 bracteate racemose or cymose fascicles on short axillary
peduncles. Sepals usually 4 - 5 , free or slightly connate at base, imbricate, subequal,
concave, caducous. Petals 4 - 5, or in multiples there of up to 16, free or connate at base,
with a somewhat fleshy pilose scale at base inside. Stamens 5 - many, free; filaments
broadened towards base at least at anthesis; anthers oblong, reniform or sagittate,
basifixed; pollen tricolporate, reticulate, suboblate to subprolate. Ovary rudimentary,
densely pilose, or absent. Female flowers solitary, or a few in fascicles on short axillary
peduncles often arising from older nodes. Sepals and petals similar to but slightly bigger
than those in males. Staminodes 5 - many, sterile anthers mostly reduced in size. Carpels
(3-) 4 - 5 (-6), connate into unilocular superior ovary; ovules 2 - many in 6,4 or 3 parietal
placentae; stigmas as many as placentae, sessile, radially spreading, recurved, deeply
bifid or bilobed and dilated at apex, glabrous above, pilose beneath. Fruit an indehiscent
berry, large, globose or ovoid; pericarp thick and hard, or thin and fragile; exocarp
sometimes radially fibrous. Seeds angular-ovoid-oblong, usually with membranous aril,
crustaceous testa, oily endosperm and foliaceous cotyledons.

Rain forests of S. & S.E. Asia; ca 40 species, 4 in India.

Literature. SLEUMER, H. (1938) Monographic der Gattung Hydnocarpus Gaertner. Bot. Jahrb.
69: 1 - 94, tt. 1 - 4.

Notes. Taraktogenos Hassk. and Asteriastigma Beddome are treated as synomyms

of Hydnocarpus Gaertn.

Among Indian species, the seeds otH. alpina, H. kurzii and H. pentandra produce
oils commonly known as chaulmoogra oil, having high percentages of cyclopentenyl fatty
acids. The true chaulmoogra oil is used extensively in the treatment of cutaneous
diseases, especially leprosy. It has been replaced by the more preferred Hydnocarpus
oil obtained from H. pentandra. However, at present sulphur drugs have replaced the
usage of Hydrocarpus oil and its derivatives in the treatment of leprosy. Besides fatty
acids, the seeds also contain cyanogenic glycosides discharging hydrocyanic acid and
are used as fish poision.

The fruits set irregularly which remain on the tree and are harvested once in 2 - 3
years. They are suitable for planting as avenue trees in the hills and yield timber used
for constructional purpose.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Sepals 4, petals 8 or more, stamens 15 - many 2

b. Sepals, petals and stamens 5 each 3
418 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

2a. Leaves shiny, tertiary veins perpendicular, irregularly branched, perceptible on both surfaces; quater-
nary veins well developed, irregularly branched, forming a dense reticulum with tertiary veins and
pinnately branched to end freely in the areole; petals 8 2. H. kurzii
b. Leaves not shiny; tertiary veins perpendicular, seldom branched, conspicuous only on the lower sur-
face; quaternary veins scarcely develop reticulation and never end freely in the areole; petals 12
3. H. macrocarpa
3a. Branchlets stellately puberulent; leaves entire, glabrous; tertiary veins somewhat irregularly arranged,
together with quaternary veins form close reticulum; reticulum distinctly elevated and foveolate
1. H. alpina
b. Branchlets simply puberulent; leaves serrate to remotely crenato-serrate, rarely subentire, minutely
appressed pubescent at least along midrib and veins beneath; tertiary veins perpendicular, together
with quaternary veins form sparse reticulum; reticulum neither elevated nor foveolate
4. H. pentandra

1. Hydnocarpus alpina Wight, Icon. PI. Ind. Or. t. 942.1845; Hook. f. & Thomson
in Fl. Brit. India 1:197.1872. Fig. 76 & 77.

Kan.: Sanusotti, Torathi; Mai.: Mala-maravetti, Mala-marotti; Mar.: Kastel; Tam.:

Attuchankalai.

Trees, 10 - 30 m tall, evergreen, buttressed when old; trunk ca 30 cm in diam.; outer

bark cream-coloured; inner bark pinkish cream, ca 1 cm thick; twigs glabrous. Leaves
variable, usually ovate-lanceolate, sometimes elliptic, ovate-oblong, or broadly ovate,
cuneate or even subrotund and inequilateral at base, obtusely long or short acuminate
at apex, entire, 6 - 25 x 2 - 9 cm, reddish when young, turns dark green with age; secondary
veins 7 - 8 pairs; petioles 7-15 mm long. Male flowers 1.5 - 2 cm across, greenish white,
few in 2 - 4 cymose fascicles on axillary 5 - 8 mm long ferruginous tomentose peduncles;
pedicels up to 2 cm long, ferruginous tomentose. Sepals connate at base, ovate or
elliptic-oblong, obtuse at apex; reflexed at anthesis, ca 7 x 4 mm, densely ferruginous
tomentose. Petals oblong-lanceolate, concave with involute margins, reflexed at an-
thesis, 10 - 12 mm long, glabrous; epipetalous scales ca 2 mm shorter than petals,
subulate, softly white pilose along margin. Stamens 4 - 5 ; filaments ca 2.5 mm long,
shorter than petals. Ovary rudimentary, densely pilose. Female flowers solitary, axillary,
rarely binate. Staminodes 5, linear-oblong, obtuse, appressed to ovary. Ovary ovoid-
ellipsoid, faintly 5-angular, beaked at apex, densely yellowish white tomentose; stigmas
5, appressed to ovary. Berries ovoid-globose or globose, 5 - 7 cm across; pericarp woody,
brownish tomentose. Seeds 10 -12, embedded in white pulp, ellipsoid or subglobose,
irregularly compressed, 1.5 - 2 x 1.3 -1.7 cm; testa hard.

Fl. Feb. - April (July, Aug., Oct.) probably throughout the year in flashes; fruiting
afterwards.

Distrib. India: Evergreen forests of S. Western Ghats up to 2000 m. Karnataka,

Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 419

Fig. 76. Hydrocarpus alpina Wight (male) : a.floweringtwig; b. portion of upper leaf
surface showing venation; c. male flower.
420 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

fBM&k

18111
n 1

%t^^w%4SHH
8
,**•
HI m v JS&. 1 mam

Fig. 77. Hydnocarpus alpina Wight (female) : a. flowering twig; b. fruit.

1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 421

Endemic.

2. Hydnocarpus kurzii (King) Warb. in Engler & Prantl, Pflanzenfam. 3, 60: 21. f.
M-N. (fig- erroneo sub Gynocardia odorata). 1893; Kanjilal et al., Fl. Assam 1: 87.1934.
Taraktogenos kurzii King in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 59(2): 123.1890.

Ass.: Lantern; Beng.: Chaulamugra, Dalmungri; Garo: Bilibu; Kh.: Dieng-soh-

lap; Lus.: Malta; Man.: Chalmugra, Uthou; Nep.: Bandre; Tipp.: Matta.

Trees, 10 - 20 (-30) m tall, with narrow crown and hanging branches; bark plain grey,
brown or almost black outside, often with white patches, yellow or yellowish brown
inside; branchlets tawny tomentose, soon glabrescent. Leaves bifarious, variable, lan-
ceolate, oblong-lanceolate, elliptic-oblong, obovate-oblong or even elliptic, usually
cuneate, rarely rounded and somewhat inequilateral at base, obtusely short or abruptly
long acuminate, or even obtuse at apex, entire, 9 - 25 (-30) x 3 - 7 (-10) cm, membranous
and minutely appressed pubescent when young, soon glabrescent; secondary veins 7 - 9
pairs; petioles swollen and slightly geniculate at upper end, 1 - 3 cm long. Male flowers
8 -12 mm across, pale yellow, 3-5 each in two compact fascicles atop a common peduncle
7 -15 mm long; peduncles 2 - 3 mm long, pedicels 7 -10 mm long, all strigosely fulvous
tomentose. Sepals ovate-orbicular, concave, ca 5 x 4 mm, fulvous tomentose. Petals
broadly ovate to ovate-orbicular, cuneate at base, ciliate along margins, ca 4 mm long;
epipetalous scales obovate, densely white pilose at apex. Stamens (15-) 20 - 30; fiaments
ca 4 mm long, densely pilose. Female flowers 2 - 5 in a compact fascicle atop a ca 5 mm
long peduncle, rarely solitary by abortion; pedicels ca 12 mm long, strigosely fulvous
tomentose. Sepals and petals often fewer than in male flowers. Staminodes 10 - 16.
Ovary ovoid, obscurely 6 - 7-ribbed, densely fulvous tomentose, with 4 parietal placentae;
stigmas 4. Berries globose, somewhat protruded at apex, 8 - 10 cm across; pericarp
reddish brown, velvety tomentose, afterwards scurfy. Seeds 12 - 18, tightly packed in
fruit, angular-ovoid, 2.2 - 3.2 x 1.6 - 2 cm.

Fl. Feb. - April (Nov.), probably throughout the year in flashes; fruiting afterwards.

Distrib. India: Evergreen rain forests. Upper Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and
Tripura.

Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Notes. The seeds of this tree yield the proper Chaulmugra oil, much used for all
cutaneous complaints.

3. Hydnocarpus macrocarpa (Beddome) Warb. in Engler & Prantl, Pflanzenfam.

3, 3: 21.1893. Asteriastigma macrocarpa Beddome, For. Man. Bot. t. 266. anal. pi. 27.
1873; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 1: 52. 1915. Taraktogenos macrocarpa (Beddome)
Balakr. in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 67: 57.1970.
422 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Trees, 15 - 40 m tall, evergreen; outer bark light brownish with aromatic cyanide-like
smell; inner bark ca 5 mm thick, pale purple brown; branchlets minutely yellowish
pubescent. Leaves oblong, elliptic-oblong or oblanceolate, cuneate and inequilateral at
base, usually abruptly short acuminate at apex, entire, 15 - 30 x 4.5 - 10 cm, glabrous,
except sometimes sparsely hirtellous beneath along midrib and veins near base, pustulate
below; secondary veins ca 7 pairs, prominently raised beneath; petioles 1 - 2 cm long,
hirtellous. Flowers polygmous, foul-smelling, greenish white. Male flowers 2 - 2.5 cm
across, 3 - 4 each in 2 - 3 racemose fascicles on a moderately thick common axillary ca
10 mm long peduncle; pedicels ca 8 mm long, ferruginous tomentose. Sepals ovate-
suborbicular or suborbicular, ca 9 x 4 mm, minutely appressed puberulous, ciliate along
margins. Petals elliptic-oblong to obovate-oblong, ca 6 x 4 mm, densely ciliate along
margins; epipetalous scales obovate, 3-ribbed inside and 3-fid at apex, ca 4 mm long,
densely pilose. Stamens 50 - 60 (-70), many-seriate, shorter than petals. Female flowers
few in racemose fascicles on short peduncles arising from older nodes; pedicels ca 10
mm long. Staminodes usually as many as stamens. Ovary ovoid, densely brownish
tomentose; stigmas 6. Berries globose, 12 -15 cm across; pericarp woody, dark brown,
rugose, minutely pubescent; exocarp radially fibrous, 10 - 15 mm thick. Seeds ca 50,
ovoid-oblong and variously angular, ca 3 x 2 cm, dark brown.

Fl. Feb. - April; probably throughout the year in flashes; fruiting afterwards.

Distrib. India: Evergreen forests of S. Western Ghats between 100-2000 m. Kerala

(Idukki and Thiruvananthapuram) and Tamil Nadu (Kanniyakumari).

Endemic.

4. Hydnocarpus pentandra (Buch.-Ham.) Oken, Allg. Naturgesh. 3,2:1381.1841.

Chilmoriapentandra Buch.-Ham. in Trans. Linn. Soc, Lond. 13:501.1822. H. wightiana
Blume in Rumphia 4: 22. 1848; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 197. 1872.
Munnicksia laurifolla Dennst., Schluess. Hort. Ind. Mai. 27. 1818, nom. invald. H.
laurifolia (Dennst.) Sleumer in Engler, Bot. Jahrb. 69: 33. 1938, nom. invalid.; Rama-
moorthy in Fl. Hassan Dist. 164.1976.

Kan.: Chaulmoogra, Suranti, Surti, Toratti, Yenna-mara; Kon.: Kavanthi; Mai.:

Kodi, Koti, Maravetti, Marotti, Niralam, Nirvetti, Tamana, Vetti; Mar.: Kadu-kavata,
Kantel, Kastel, Keti, Kobased, Kowti; Sans.: Garudaphala, Tuvrak; Tarn.: Maravattai,
Maravetti, Niradi-mattu; Tel.: Adi-badam, Niradi.

Trees, evergreen, 5 - 25 m tall; trunk often fluted; bark brownish, rough; young parts
brown pubescent. Leaves variable, ovate-elliptic, elliptic-oblong, oblong to oblanceo-
late, rarely ovate to ovate-lanceolate, cuneate or obtuse at base, obtusely short or long
acuminate at apex, subserrate, 5 - 25 x 3.5 - 10 cm, dark green and shiny above, paler
beneath, minutely appressed pubescent along midrib and veins above when young, at
length glabrate, minutely appressed puberulous beneath, sparsely so with age; secondary
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 423

veins 5 - 8 pairs; petioles 7 - 15 mm long, ferruginous pubescent; stipules linear,

puberulous, caducous. Male flowers ca 6 mm across, greenish, 3 - 6 each in 2 - 3 racemose
fascicles atop a densely ferruginous tomentose peduncle, up to 1 cm long (sometimes
thyrsoidly branched at base); pedicels ca 7 mm long, ferruginous tomentose. Sepals
unequal, longest; outer ones broadly ovate to elliptic-orbicular; inner ones suborbicular,
ca 2.5 mm across, densely appressed rusty puberulous outside, glabrous inside. Petals
ovate to suborbicular, concave, ciliate along margins, smaller than sepals; epipetalous
scales almost equal to petals. Stamens 5, ca 2 mm long at anthesis; anthers reniform and
filaments filiform at first, at length anthers didymous and filaments thickened and
gradually dilated towards hairy base. Ovary rudimentary, densely pilose. Female flowers
ca 1 cm across, solitary or binate atop a common ca 8 mm long peduncle. Staminodes 5.
Ovary ovoid, obscurely 5-ribbed, beaked at apex, densely yellowish pilose; stigmas
5-lobed. Berries globose or obovoid, protruded at apex, 5 - 10 cm across; pericarp
reddish brown, scurfy, tomentose. Seeds 15 - 20, embedded in pulp, ovoid-oblong,
obtusely angular, longitudinally striated, 1.7 - 2.2 x 1 -1.5 cm.

Fl. Feb. - June (Sept.); fruiting afterwards.

Distrib. India: Moist deciduous and semievergreen forests of Western Ghats up to

850 m, often near water courses. Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala;
elsewhere cultivated.

Endemic.

Notes. Timber used for building purposes. Seeds yield a yellow oil used for burning
lamps and in medicine for leprosy, arthritis and swellings. Fruits are used as fish poison.

Since mere reference to an earlier description or diagnosis do not conform with the
provision of a combined generico-specific description, the genus Munnicksia as well as
the species M. laurifolia Dennst. (1818) is not considered as validly published.

EXCLUDED SPECIES

1. Hydnocarpus castanea Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:197.1872.

In CAL a number of collections from Andamans have been identified either as

Hydnocarpus sp. or H, castanea; all these however belong toDrypetes longifolia (Blume)
Pax & Hoffm. (Euphorbiaceae).

Hook. f. & Thomson (I.e.) cited one of the type localities as 'King's Island, Anda-
mans, ... Heifer;...' On one of the type sheets, (Herb. E.I.C. no. 4364 - K, Photo !) the
words 'Tennaserim and Andamans' printed on the Kew distribution label has been cut
probably by J.D. Hooker himself and written in ink 'King's Island'. On one corner of
the label the word 'Andamans' is also written on the sheet. Sleumer (Bot. Jahrb. 69: 39.
424 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

1938) while excluding Andamans from the distribution of the species erroneously
referred Heifer's collection to Malay Peninsula. Heifer was actually stationed at Ten-
nasserim in Myanmar (Burma) and made a brief journeys to Andamans where he lost
his life. The island in question therefore appears to be the one in Mergui Archipelago,
off Tennasserim coast.

2. Hydnocarpus sharmae P. S. N. Rao & Sreek. in Nord. J. Bot. 12: 225.1992.

It represents Siphonodon celastrineus Griffith (Celastraceae) found in India (West

Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Andamans), Myanmar (including Great
Cocos islands) and Malesia.

An open flower kept in a packet attached to the holotype (Rao 20661, CAL!) clearly
showed two most distinctive characters of the genus Siphonodon. Ovary half immersed
in and adnate to a hemispherical disc and hollowed at apex with the central recepticular
column resembling a style protruding through it. The protruded tip of the recepticular
column has been mistaken for stigma and filaments of staminodes for epipetalous scales.
Many other details of the flower provided in the protologue are grossly erroneous. J.
D. Hooker's (Trans. Linn. Soc. London 22: t. 26. 1857) plate and the accompanying
discussion gives a clear insight into its floral structure.

7. Pangium Reinw.

Monotypic; description and distribution as for the species below.

Pangium edule Reinw., Syll. Ratisb. 2:13.1825; Hore et al. in J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 6:
417.1985.

Trees, usually dioecious, (10-) 20 - 45 m tall, with a dense crown and drooping
branches; trunk up to 1 m in diam., buttressed when old; bark brownish, smooth;
branchlets fistular, rufus tomentose, becoming glabrous and marbled with leaf scars
when old. Leaves crowded at apices of branches, alternate, broadly ovate, cordate to
subtruncate at base, acutely acuminate at apex, entire, (10-) 12 - 30 (-60) x 7.5 - 20 (-40)
cm, chartaceous, dark green, shiny and glabrous above, paler and rusty scurfy, especially
along veins beneath, palmately 5 - 7-veined from base; primary basal veins upcurved,
gradually diminishing apically inside margin and joining superadjacent primary and
secondary veins by a series of cross veins; petioles swollen at base, (7-) 10 - 30 (-50) cm
long. Male flowers waxy pale green, 4 - 9 in rusty tomentose 6 - 24 cm long corymbs;
pedicels 2.5 - 4 cm long. Calyx at first closed, globose, irregularly splitting into 2 - 3 (-4)
caducous reflexed segments at anthesis, rusty tomentose in bud. Petals 4 - 9, imbricate,
patent, ovate-oblong with recurved ciliate margins, 1.5 - 2.5 cm long, fleshy, waxy white,
patent, reflexed afterwards; epipetalous scales ovate-orbicular, arched, 5 - 9 mm long,
densely appressed brownish sericeous pilose. Stamens 20 - 25 (-30), free, half as long
as petals, waxy white; anthers ovoid, dorsifixed; filaments broad; pollen tricolporate,
1993] FLACOURT1ACEAE 425

lanceolate, oblate to spheroidal. Pistillode absent. Female flowers solitary or 2 - 4

together in corymbs on main stem or older branches, slightly bigger than males; pedicels
6 - 11 cm long. Calyx and petals similar to those in males but petals somewhat bigger.
Staminodes as many as petals, inantherous. Carpels 2-4, connate into unilocular ovary,
ovoid, brownish sericeous pilose; ovules many in parietal placenta; stigma sessile,
obscurely 2 - 4-lobed. Berry 2 - 4 together, arising from trunk, pendulous, asymmetric,
mostly ovoid-oblong or ellipsoid-oblong, beaked at apex, 15 - 25 x 7.5 -12 cm and ca 1 -
2 kg in weight, indehiscent; pericarp brown, rufus pubescent. Seeds ca 20, enclosed by
a white fleshy aril and embedded in sweet aromatic edible pulp, triangular-ovoid, 3.5 -
5 cm long, conspicuously marked with loosely branched ribs; testa hard, ribbed; endos-
perm oily; cotyledons foliaceous.

Fl. April - June, probably in flashes throughout the year; Fr. ripens mostly at the
beginning of rainy season.

Distrib. India: Coastal and lowland interior forests along river banks. Great
Nicobar Island (Laful forest).

Throughout Malesia, extending to Melanesia and Micronesia.

Notes. Trees producing male flowers are occasionally reported to bear both male,
as well as one or two bigger terminal female flowers (apparently bisexual with 20 - 25
stamens with empty anthers) on the same inflorescence.

The fruits are aromatic and edible when ripe. The seeds and other parts of the plant
contain cyanogenic glycoside-gynocardine and are used as fish and dart poison. In
Malesia seeds are eaten after removing hydrocyanic acid by washing, boiling, etc., and
an oil extracted from seeds is used as cooking medium and as an illuminant.

A potentially useful tree for afforestation and ecorestoration in Andaman & Nico-
bar Islands

8. Ryparosa Blume

Trees or shrubs, dioecious. Leaves alternate, often seemingly distichous or subop-

posite, exstipulate, entire, coriaceous, pinnately veined; secondary veins upturned,
gradually diminishing apically inside the margin and connected to superadjacent veins
by a series of cross veins; petioles rather long, thickened at both ends. Male flowers small,
bracteate, in axillary or cauline elongated racemes arising singly or in fascicles of 2 - 3.
Calyx at first closed, globose, irregularly splitting into 3 -5 reflexed lobes at anthesis.
Petals 4 - 5 , imbricate, afterwards reflexed with a densely hirsute scale at base inside.
Stamens as many as petals; filaments often connate into a central column enclosing the
rudimentary ovary with anthers at top, rarely free and alternate with petals; anthers
ovate, basifixed, reticulate; pollen tricolporate, finely reticulate, prolate to spheroidal;
426 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

pistillode absent. Ovary rudimentary or absent. Female flowers in shorter racemes.

Calyx and petals similar to those in males. Staminodes 4 - 5, much reduced, often
inantherous; filaments shortly connate at base into an annular disc or free. Carpels 2 -
3, connate into unilocular densely hairy ovary; ovules 1 - 2 on parietal placentae; stigma
2 - 3 , sessile, radiating. Fruit a capsular berry, globose or variously angular, scantily
pulpy; pericarp thinly coriaceous. Seeds 1 - 3 (-6), embedded in a little pulp, ellipsoid
or subglobose, ribbed-reticulate or smooth.

Rain forests of S.E. Asia; ca 18 species, one in India (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).

Ryparosa javanica (Blume) Kurz in J. Bot. 11: 234.1873, 'Ryparia'; Sleumer in Fl.
Males. I, 5: 45. 1954. Bergsimia javanica Blume, Rumphia 4: 23, t. 178C, f.2. 1849.
Ryparosa caesia auct. non Blume 1825; Kurz in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 45: 117. 1876,
'Ryparia' & For. Fl. Brit. Burma 1: 78. 1877, 'Ryparia'. R. kurzii King in J. Asiat. Soc.
Bengal 59(2): 125.1890 & in Ann. R. Bot. Gard. Calc. 5:130,1.154.1896; C. E. Parkinson,
For. Fl. Andaman Is. 84.1923.

Trees, evergreen, 4 - 1 5 (-30) m tall; bark grey to pale brown, rather smooth;
branchlets striate, lenticellate, ferruginous appressed puberulous in younger parts.
Leaves variable, elliptic, oblong-elliptic, ovate-lanceolate or oblong-obovate, cuneate or
obtuse at base, usually short acuminate at apex, entire and revolute along margins, 18 -
35 (-45) x 6 -17.5 cm, puberulent especially along midrib on both surfaces when young,
afterwards glabrous, shiny and green above, paler beneath but turns yellowish when dry;
midrib impressed above, raised beneath; secondary veins 6 - 7 pairs, mostly arcuate,
raised beneath; tertiary veins forming fine reticulum, conspicuous on both sides; petioles
1.3 - 4 (-6) cm long, striate, puberulent or glabrescent. Male flowers 4 - 5 mm across,
pale yellowish, in ferruginous tomentose slender pendulous 8 - 30 (-70) cm long racemes,
arising singly or 2 - 3 together in fascicles, mostly from older axils of fallen leaves; pedicels
2 - 3 mm long, ferruginous tomentose; bracts subulate, minute. Calyx lobes ovate,
acuminate, 2 - 2.5 mm long, ferruginous pubescent outside. Petals ovate-lanceolate,
oblong-ovate or broadly ovate, 3 - 3.5 x 1.5 - 2 mm, ferruginous pubescent outside,
glabrous inside; epipetalous scales ca 1.5 mm long, densely appressed ferruginous pilose.
Stamens connate into a colum with reflexed anthers at tip; staminal tube ca 3.5 mm long,
sparsely appressed pilose. Female flowers in much shorter racemes. Staminodes ca 1.5
mm long, inantherous, appressed pubescent, connate only at base into an annular disc.
Ovary ovoid, contracted at both ends, ca 5 x 4 mm, densely ferruginous tomentose; stigma
2 (-3), flattened and reflexed. Berry globsoe, 1.5 - 2.5 (-3) cm across, greyish, scurfy
lenticellate, crowned with knob-like remnants of stigmas. Seeds 1 (-2), ellipsoid, slightly
curved, 1.5 (-2) cm long, yellowish white; aril fleshy, light yellow.

Fl. Jan. - April (July - Aug.); Fr. (May) July - Dec.

Distrib. India: Inland rain forests, often near streams Andaman & Nicobar
Islands.
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 427

Malay Peninsula, Indonesia and New Guinea.

Notes. Since Ryparia Blume (1828) is considered as an orthographic variant of

Ryparosa Blume (1825), Kurz (1873) though originally transferredBergsimia javanica to
Ryparia, the combination, according to Code is deemed to have beeen made under
Ryparosa.

9. Scolopia Schreb., nom. cons.

Trees or shrubs, mostly evergreen; trunk and sucker shoots usually armed with
simple and branched spines; branchlets of older trees usually unarmed. Leaves alter-
nate, serrate-crenate to subentire, usually short or long acuminate at apex, 3 - 5-pliveined
at base, coriaceous, or subcoriaceous, usually dark green and glossy above and generally
glabrous, sometimes with a pair of distinct glands at lamina base or apex of petiole; basal
primary and secondary veins upturned, gradually diminishing apically to join superad-
jacent veins by a series of cross veins and give rise to branchlets to terminate in a gland
beneath serrate-crenate teeth or at margin; stipules minute, caducous. Flowers normally
bisexual, usually laxly arranged in axillary or terminal bracteate racemes or paniculate
cymes. Sepals 5 - 8 , imbricate, ciliolate along margins, connate at base. Petals similar
to but usually narrower and alternate with sepals. Receptacles flat, hairy around the
base of ovary and Filaments, or glabrous, sometimes with a row of extrastaminal glands.
Stamens numerous, much longer than petals, incurved in buds; anthers ovoid, dorsifixed,
connective produced into an apiculate appendage; pollen tricolporate, reticulate, sub-
oblate to subprolate. Carpels 2 - 4 (-5) connate into an unilocular ovary; ovules few or
each placenta protruded to about middle of the locule; styles connate, rather long,
persistent in fruits; stigma subcapitate, shallowly 3-lobed, each again obscurely bilobed.
Berry ellipsoid or globose, apiculate, 2 - 3 (-20)-seeded, with withered floral appendage
at base. Seeds exarillate, with abundant albumen and foliaceous cotyledons.

Tropical and subtropical Africa, S.E. Asia to N.E. Australia; ca 37 species, 4 in India.

Literature. SLEUMER, H. (1972) A taxonomic revision of the genus Scolopia Schreb. (Flacourt-
iaceae). Blumea 20: 25 - 63.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves with a pair of distinct glands at lamina base or apex of petiole 2
b. Leaves without such distinct glands at lamina base or apex of petiole 3
2a. Quinternary veins conspicuous only on upper surface, ultimate reticulum inside areoles thus more
dense on upper surface than the lower; inflorescence sparsely to densely pubescent; extrastaminal
disc glands absent; anther connectives hairy 4. S. spinosa
b. Quinternary veins not apparent on either surfaces, ultimate reticulum inside aeroles thus similar on
both surfaces; inflorescence practically glabrous; extrastaminal disc composed of a row of short,
thick glands before petals; anther connectives glabrous 3. S. kermodii
428 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

3a. Leaves usually subentire, rarely repando-crenate; petioles 3 - 4 (-6) mm long; quinternary veins
conspicuous only on upper surface, ultimate reticulum inside areoles thus more dense on upper
surface than the lower; extrastaminal disc composed of a few to rather numerous short, thick, distinct
papillae before petals 1. S. acuminata
b. Leaves usually coarsely serrato-crenate to crenato-repand, rarely subentire; petioles 6-12 mm long;
quinternary veins not apparent on either surface, ultimate reticulum inside areoles thus similar on
both surfaces 2. S. crenata

1. Scolopia acuminata Clos in Ann. Sci. Nat. 4, 8: 251.1857. S. crenata auct. non
'(Wight) Clos', 1857: Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:191.1872, p. p., quoad syn.
S. acuminata et specim. Ceylon. S. gaertneri auct. non Thwaites; Rama Rao, Fl. PI.
Travancore 22.1914. S. schreberi auct. non Gmelin; Bourdillon, For. Trees Travancore
17.1908. Fig. 78.

Mai.: Chera-kanji.

Trees 5 -15 m tall; young stems and branches of older trees unarmed; branchlets
puberulent. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, obtusely short or
subobtusely long acuminate at apex, cuneate and somewhat inequilateral at base,
subentire, rarely repando-crenate, 5 - 9 x 2 - 4.5 cm, glabrous; secondary veins 4 - 5(-6)
pairs; petioles 3-4 (-6) mm long. Flowers 6-7 mm across, pinkish white, 5 -15 in axillary
or subterminal puberulous 2 - 5 cm long racemes; pedicels 4 - 8 (-12) mm long, grey
puberulous. Sepals ovate-oblong or elliptic-oblong, obtuse and ciliolate along margins,
ca 2 mm long, puberulent to subglabrous outside. Petals similar to sepals, but narrowly
oblong to obovate, with markedly thinner margins, 1.5-2 mm long. Receptacle densely
hairy. Disc glands of club-shaped ca 1.5 mm long papillae, ciliolate at apex. Stamens
40 - 60; anther connectives glabrous. Ovary glabrous; style slender, ca 4 mm long. Berry
ovoid-globose, apiculate, up to 1.8 cm across, green, bright scarlet when ripe.

Fl. March - April; Fr. May - July.

Distrib. India: S. Western Ghats at low elevations. Kerala (Kulathuphuzha, 750 m,

Quilon, Vivekananthan 66184 - CAL!, MH !); Peninsular India, sine loc, Herb. Wight
(Kew Distrib. no. 82, p. p. (CAL !).

Sri Lanka.

Notes. The above two collections segregated from among the specimens identified
as S. crenata (in CAL) agrees well with the duplicates of the type of S. acuminata
(Thwaites 1077 - 3 sheets) from Sri Lanka in CAL, especially in the venation of upper
leaf surface. Plants reported as S. pusilla (Gaertn.) Willd. from erstwhile Travancore
under the names S. schreberi Gmelin (Bourdillon, 1. c.) and S. gaertneri Thwaites (Rama
Rao, 1. c.) represent this species.
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 429

Fig. 78. Scolopia acuminata Clos : a.floweringtwig; b. portion of venation on upper

leaf surface.
430 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

2. Scolopia crenata (Wight) Clos in Ann. Sci. Nat. 4, 8: 250.1857, excl. specimen.
Philippin.; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:191.1872, p.p. excl. syn. S. acuminata,
S. chinensis & S. crassipes et specim. China, Ceylon & Philippin. S. crenata var. brevifolia
N. Mukherjee in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 69: 394. 1973. Phoberos crenatus Wight in
Wight & Arn., Prodr. 29.1834.

Kan.: Kodali-mara; Kon.: Laban-kavanthi; Mai.: Caralu, Sarelmaram; Tarn.:

Charalu, Kodali, Terunai.

Trees 5 - 20 m tall; bark smooth, grey, rough and pustullar by raised lenticels; trunk,
young stem and branches with simple or branched spines up to 3 cm long; branches of
older trees unarmed; branchlets 4-angled when young, terete in age. Leaves variable,
ovate, ovate-lanceolate, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, cuneate, attenuate, or even obtuse
and usually inequilateral at base, obtusely short or subobtusely long acuminate at apex,
coarsely serrato-crenate to crenato-repand, or even subentire, 5 -15 x 2.5 - 7.5 cm, dark
green and glossy above, paler beneath, glabrous; secondary veins 5 - 8 pairs; petioles
6 - 12 mm long, minutely biglandular at junction of lamina. Flowers 7 - 8 mm across,
white to yellowish white, fragrant, in lax puberulous simple racemes or paniculate cymes,
2.5 -10 cm long; pedicels 5 - 1 2 mm long, grey puberulous; bracts caducous. Sepals 5,
ovate-oblong or elliptic-oblong, obtuse and ciliolate along margin, ca 2.5 mm long,
puberulent to subglabrous outside. Petals similar to sepals, but narrowly oblong to
obovate, ca 2.5 mm long. Receptacles pubescent; disc glands absent. Stamens 60 -100;
anther connectives glabrous. Ovary glabrous; style ca 6 mm long. Berry subglobose,
apiculate by stylar base, 1.5 -1.7 cm across, shiny green. Seeds 2 - 8 , semilunar.

Fl. (Feb.-) March - May(-July); Fr. ripens from July - Oct.

Distrib. India: Moist deciduous and evergreen forests in Western Ghats up to 1800
m. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Endemic.

Notes. Though no collection of S. crenata from Andamans could be examined, the

description of the plants ('Leaves ... ovate or ovate-oblong, acute, ... glands at the
insertion of the petiole,... glandular-crenate to almost entire,... stamens ... with yellow
glands outside them ...') recorded as S. crenata (C. E. Parkinson, For. Fl. Andaman Is.
84.1923) and their distribution strongly suggest it to belong to S. kermodii.

3. Scolopia kermodii C. Fischer in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1935: 574. 1935. S.
burmanica N. Mukherjee in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 69: 391.1973.

Trees 8 - 25 m tall; main stem armed with simple and branched, up to 3 cm long
spines; branchlets of older stems usually lenticellate, unarmed and glabrous; sucker
shoots and their branches armed with simple spines and somewhat puberulent in
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 431

younger parts. Leaves, ovate-, elliptic-, or oblong-lanceolate, cuneate or obtuse at base,

acute, subacute, or obtusely short or long acuminate at apex, remotely serrate to entire,
7 - 20 x 1.2 - 6.5 cm, glabrous; secondary veins 7 - 9 pairs, more prominent beneath;
petioles 5 - 1 2 mm long, with a pair ef thick glands at apex. Flowers 7 -10 mm across,
white, 5 -15 in axillary or terminal lax 4 -10 cm long racemes; pedicels 7 -18 mm long;
bracts ovate-lanceolate, ciliolate along margins. Sepals broadly ovate to suborbicular,
ciliolate along margins, ca 2 mm long. Petals similar to sepals but ovate-oblong. Disc
glands numerous, short and thick. Anther connectives glabrous. Receptacle pubescent.
Ovary glabrous; style ca 4 mm long. Berry ellipsoid or globose, 2 - 2.5 cm across; seeds
3-4.

Fl. Jan.- March; Fr. afterwards.

Distrib. India: Rain forests at low elevations. Andaman & Nicobar Islands. (S.
Andaman Is., Rutland Is.)

Myanmar.

4. Scolopia spinosa (Roxb.) Warb. in Engler & Prantl, Pflanzenfam. 3,62:29.1893;

Thothathri in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 2: 344.1960. Ludia spinosa Roxb., Fl. Ind. 2: 507.
1832. Phoberos roxburghii Bennett in Bennett & Br., Fl. Jav. Rar. 192.1840, nom. illegit.
(based onLudia spinosa Roxb.). S. roxburghii (Bennett) Clos in Ann. Sci. Nat. 4,8:250.
1857, nom. illegit.; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:190.1832. Fig. 79.

Trees, 3 -10 (-20) m tall; main stem armed with simple and branched spines up to
7 cm long, unarmed and sometimes buttressed when old; branchlets of older stems
unarmed; sucker shoots and their branches armed with simple spines. Leaves elliptic,
ovate-elliptic, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, cuneate or rounded at base, obtusely
short or long acuminate, sometimes even broadly obtuse at apex, subentire to remotely
crenate with a basal pair of glands, 10 - 20 (-28) x 3.5 - 8 (-14.5) cm, rose-coloured when
young, turns glossy dark green, glabrous; secondary veins 4-6, more prominent beneath;
petioles 6-12 mm long, puberulous when young. Flowers ca 7 mm across, pale pinkish
white, fragrant, in sparsely to densely pubescent lax racemes, 2.5 - 4.5 cm long; pedicels
6-18 mm long, pubescent. Sepals 4 - 6 , shortly connate at base, ovate, ca 2.5 mm long,
softly pubescent outside, ciliolate along margins. Petals similar to sepals, but usually
narrower, ovate-oblong. Disc glands absent. Receptacle pubescent. Stamens numer-
ous; anther-connectives hairy. Ovary glabrous; styles 4 - 6 mm long; stigma minute.
Berry subglobose to ovoid, 15 - 20 cm across, green, black when dry.

Fl. Jan. - April (Nov.); reported to flower in flashes throughout the year in Malesia;
Fr. old fruits (March, May, Aug.).

Distrib. India: Inland low forests. Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Car Nicobar Is.).
432 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Fig. 79. Scolopia spinosa (Roxb.) Warb. : a. flowering twig; b. portion of venation on
upper leaf surface; c. flower; d. stamens, dorsal and ventral views.
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE 433

Myanmar, Thailand, Indo-China and Malesia.

Notes. The leaves turn characteristically reddish brown especially beneath on

drying; the primary and secondary veins are somewhat impressed above and prominently
raised like ribs beneath.

CULTIVATED SPECIES

Scolopia chinensis (Lour.) Clos in Ann. Sci. Nat. 4, 8: 249.1857.

Shrubs or small trees with strong simple 1 - 5 cm long spines, elliptic to orbicular
leaves with a pair of distinct glands at lamina base. A native of Indo-china and S. China,
sometimes cultivated in S. India to form impenetrable hedges.

10. Xylosma G. Forster, nom. cons.

Trees or shrubs, deciduous; trunks often armed with simple and branched thorns
at base; branchlets usually with axillary thorns. Leaves alternate, chartaceous or subco-
riaceous, crenato-serrate to subentire with glands beneath teeth or at margins, pinnately
veined; stipules absent. Flowers in axillary, bracteate racemes, racemose clusters or
panicles on short branches or reduced to solitary flower; pedicels articulated near
insertion. Sepals 4 - 8 , imbricate, scale-like, subequal, subpersistent. Petals absent.
Disc fleshy, extra-staminal, of distinct glands, annular or lobed in females. Male flowers:
Stamens numerous, often surrounded by glandular disc; anthers subglobose, basifixed;
pollen tricolporate, reticulate, prolate to spheroidal. Pistillode absent. Female flowers:
Carpels 2 (-3), connate into unilocular ovary; ovules 2 to few on 2 - 4 parietal placentae;
style usually connate, rarely free or absent; stigma dilated, usually 2 - 3-lobed. Fruit
small, a rather dry berry, globose; pericarp thin coriaceous. Seeds few, obovoid; aril
thin; testa smooth, crustaceous; cotyledons broad.

Tropical and subtropical regions, except Africa; ca 104 species, 3 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves usually oblong-elliptic, elliptic-lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, long-acuminate at apex, 7 - 22

cm long, pinnately veined from base 2
b. Leaves usually broadly ovate or ovate-elliptic, not long acuminate at apex, 3 - 5 cm long, usually 3 - 5 -
pliveined at base 1. X. congestum
2a. Leaves chartaceous, subnitidus, dark reddish brown on drying, mostly attenuate at base; secondary
veins 6 - 7 pairs, abruptly curved upwards towards apex and gradually diminishing near margin; styles
in fruits 0.75 - 1 mm long 2. X. controversum
b. Leaves coriaceous, conspicuosly glossy, blackish green above on drying, mostly cuneate at base;
secondary veins 8-12 pairs, gradually curved upwards towards margin and branch to end near margin;
styles in fruits up to 0.25 mm long or absent (stigma sessile) 3. X. longifolium
434 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

1. Xylosma congestum (Lour.) Merr. in Philip. J. Sci. 15: 247. 1919; Raizada in
Indian For. 67:16.1941. Croton congestum Lour., Fl. Cochinch. 582.1790, excl. descr.
fruct.

Shrubs or trees, up to 3 m tall; stems and branches often armed with sharp stout
thorns, up to 2 cm long; young shoots usually minutely hairy. Leaves broadly ovate,
cuneate and usually 3 - 5-pliveined at base, acute or acuminate at apex, shallowly
crenato-serrate along margins, 3 - 5 x 1.5 - 3.6 cm, subcoriaceous, shiny, minutely
puberulent along midrib near base on both sides, elsewhere glabrous; basal primary and
secondary veins together ca 5 pairs; tertiary veins together with irregularly branched
quarternary veins with free endings form dense reticulum often apparent on both
surfaces; petioles 3 - 5 mm long, puberulent. Flowers yellowish, 3 - 4 mm across, usually
crowded in densely pubescent, axillary, bracteate racemes (sometimes 2 - 3 clustered
together) 1 - 1.5 cm long; bracts lanceolate, concave, glandular along upper margin,
pubescent outside; pedicels ca 2 mm long, pubescent. Sepals 4, subequal, hairy outside,
ciliolate along margins, ca 2 mm long; outer ones ovate-lanceolate; inner ones subor-
bicular. Stamens numerous; filaments ca 3 mm long; anthers basifixed. Berry globose,
ca 6 mm across, turn black on drying.

Fl. July - Aug.; Fr. Oct.

Distrib. India: Montane forests of Kumaon at 1600 m. Uttar Pradesh (Almora,

Pittoragarh). Rare.

China, Taiwan and Japan.

2. Xylosma controversum Clos in Ann. Sci. Nat. Hist. ser. 4,8: 231.1857; Hook. f.
& Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:194.1872. Fig. 80.

Trees, 5 - 10 m tall; bark greyish brown, fairly smooth or somewhat rough; young
stem usually beset with simple thorns near base. Leaves elliptic-oblong, ovate-lanceo-
late or elliptic, rarely a few obovate or oblanceolate, somewhat attenuate at base, usually
long acuminate at apex, shallowly and distantly glandular serrate along margins, 4 - 1 8
x 2.5 - 7 cm, glabrous, chartaceous, subnitidus, shiny, green, turning reddish brown on
drying; secondary veins 6 - 8 pairs, abruptly curved upwards towards apex and gradually
diminishing near margins; tertiary veins often conspicuously subparallel and perpen-
dicular to midrib; ultimate reticulum fine and usually prominent beneath; petioles 5-10
mm long, glabrous. Flowers ca 4 mm across, in axillary pubescent bracteate panicles,
up to 4 cm long; pedicels ca 2 mm long, hairy. Sepals 4 (-5), subequal, 1.5 - 2 mm long,
broadly ovate to ovate-orbicular, erose-ciliolate, puberulent outside, densely appressed
pubescent inside. Disc fleshy, 4 - 8-lobed, glandular, extra-staminal. Male flowers:
Stamens 25 - 40, exserted; filaments filiform; anthers subglobose, basifixed; pistillode
absent. Female flowers: Ovary sessile on disc, ovoid, ca 1 mm long, glabrous with a
distinct style of 0.75 -1 mm long; stigmas 2 - 3-lobed. Berries globose, ca 4 mm across,
1993] FLACOURTIACEAE

mm

mm

NPB cm

Fig. 80. Xylosma controversum Clos : a. branch with female flower; b. branch with
female flowers; c. maleflower;d. stamen; e. femaleflower;f. ovary, l.s.; g. fruit;
h. seed.
436 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

red when ripe, turning black on drying, with a persistent style, usually 1 mm long. Seeds
2 - 8 , plano-convex, smooth, shiny.

Fl. Nov. - Dec. (Feb.); Fr. April (Nov., Dec).

Distrib. India: Moist evergreen subtropical forests, up to 1500 fn. West Bengal,
Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Meghalaya.

Nepal.

3. Xylosma longifolium Clos in Ann. Sci. Nat. 4,8:231.1857; Hook. f. & Thomson
in Fl. Brit. India 1:194.1872. Fig. 81.

Asm.: Kata-koli, Kata-ponial, Mota-koli; Hindi: Katai, Kattari; Kh.: Dieng-kani;

Punj.: Chirunda.

Trees, evergreen, 5-15 (-20) m tall; bark smooth with long black warts; trunk often
beset with robust thorns, 2.5 cm or more long. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, oblong-lan-
ceolate, rarely elliptic, ovate-lanceolate or oblanceolate, usually long-acuminate, rarely
short-acuminate or obtuse at apex, cuneate at base, glandular crenato-serrate along
margins, (5-) 7 - 22 x (1.8-) 2.5 - 6.5 cm, glabrous, coriaceous, glossy, dark green above,
turning blackish green on drying; secondary veins 8-12 pairs, gradually curved upwards
towards margin and branch to end near margin; ultimate reticulum coarse, little raised
beneath; petioles 5 -10 mm long, glabrous. Flowers ca 5 mm across, greenish yellow in
axillary pubescent bracteate racemes (sometimes 2 - 3 clustered together), 1.5 - 2.5 cm
long, or reduced to corymbose clusters forming dense glomerules; bracts ovate, acumi-
nate; pedicels 3 - 6 mm long, articulate near base, pubescent. Sepals 4 (-5), ovate or
orbicular, subequal, 1.5 - 2 mm long, erose-ciliate along margins, otherwise glabrous.
Male flowers: Stamens 15 - 20; filaments filiform; disc fleshy, of ca 10 shallowly lobed
glands. Female flowers: Ovary globular, ca 1 mm long, glabrous; disc lobulate; style
short or absent; stigma 2 - 3 , obscurely lobulate. Berry globose, 4 - 7 mm across, on 4 -
6 mm long pedicels, red when ripe, sweetish bitter, turning black on drying; persistent
style ca 0.25 mm long. Seeds 3 - 8 , angled.

Fl. Oct. - Jan.; Fr. (Jan. -) Feb. - April (- May).

Distrib. India: Moist evergreen ravines in sub-Himalayan zone, Khasi hills, Chota-
nagpur plateau and E. Ghats, up to 1500 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,
Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,
Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu (Nilgiri hills),

Pakistan, Nepal, Indo-china, Thailand and China.

 FLACOURTIACEAE 437

cm

Fig. 81. Xylosma longifolium Clos : a.floweringtwig; b. flower; c. X. controversum,

leaf showing secondary and tertiary veins.
 PITTOSPORACEAE
(M. P. Nayar and G. S. Giri)

Trees, shrubs or sometimes climbers, rarely epiphytic, evergreen, usually with

lenticels and rarely with spines. Leaves spirally arranged, alternate or whorled, often
crowded at ends of branches, entire or rarely sinuate-toothed, petiolate, rarely sessile,
exstipulate, simple, penninerved. Inflorescence axillary, terminal or pseudoterminal or
lateral, mostly in thyrses, rarely simple cymes or corymbs, bracteate. Flowers actinomor-
phic, bisexual, rarely functionally unisexual, pedicellate. Sepals 3 - 5 , free or connate to
various degrees. Petals 3 - 5 , free, rarely basally coherent, imbricate. Stamens 3 - 5 ,
free, alternipetalous, episepalous, erect; filaments filiform-subulate, free or sometimes
connivent below; anthers erect, oblong, basifixed, introrse; loculi 2, parallel, opening by
longitudinal slits or rarely by 2 apical pores; disc absent or rarely present. Ovary
superior, sessile or stipitate, 1-loculed, sometimes completely or incompletely 2 -
5-locular due to the projection of placentae; carpels 2 (3 - 5); placentae 2 - 5, parietal or
basal, rarely axile; style simple, short or long, glabrous; stigma apical, capitate, thickened
or obscurely 2 - 5-lobed; ovules 2 to many in each locule, parietal or basal, anatropous.
Fruits 2 - several valved, loculicidal or sometimes septicidal capsules or berries, rarely
dry and indehiscent, usually containing viscous pulp; seeds 2 - many, erect, rarely winged;
embryo minute, linear; endosperm copious, firm-fleshy.

Tropical and subtropical regions of Old World, Africa,

Asia, Australia and the New Zealand; 9 genera and ca 250 species, 1 genus and 11
species in India.

Literature. NAYAR, M. P. & G. S. GIRI (1980) Pittosporaceae. In: Fasc. Fl. India 6: 1 -15.

Pittosporum Banka ex Solander, nom. cons.

Trees, shrubs or undershrubs, erect, sometimes epiphytic, often aromatic; branch-

ing forked or verticillate. Leaves exstipulate, simple, alternate or whorled, often
crowded in pseudo-whorls towards ends of branches. Inflorescence umbels, corymbs
or panicles, terminal, pseudoterminal or lateral in axils of fallen leaves, rarely flowers
solitary. Flowers bisexual, at times functionally unisexual. Sepals 5, free or coherent at
base, recurved above. Petals 5, generally ligulate, free or connivent up to or beyond the
middle in lower part; free segments recurved or spreading. Stamens 5, free, alternating
with petals, occasionally coherent with corolla-tube; anthers dorsifixed, introrse, open-
ing by longitudinal slits, much shorter than filaments. Ovary sessile or stipitate, uni-

Fam. ed. N. P. Balakrishnan

1993] PITTOSPORACEAE 439

locular or incompletely 2 - 5-locular with parietal placentae or rarely with placentae

intruding to the middle; style glabrous; stigma capitate. Capsules 2 - 3-valved, globose,
ellipsoid or obovoid; valves thin or woody of varying thickness, transversely ribbed or
striate inside; seeds 2 to many, embedded in viscid, resinous pulp, irregularly angular,
compressed, wrinkled or smooth, reddish or blackish.

Tropical and subtropical regions of Old World, Africa, Asia, Australia and New
Zealand; ca 100 species, 11 species in India.

Literature. GOWDA, M. (1951) The genus Pittosporum in Sino-Indian region. J. Arn. Arb. 32:
263 - 343.1951.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Capsules 3-valved 9. P. podocarpum

b. Capsules 2-valved 2
2a. Inflorescence glabrous 3
b. Inflorescence puberulous or tomentose 5
3a. Leaves verticillate, 3-nate towards ends of branches, linear-lanceolate, attenuate at apex;
inflorescence simple, umbellate 1. P. anamallayense
b. Leaves alternate, loosely crowded at ends of branches, ovate to broadly elliptic or oblanceolate,
obtuse to acuminate at apex; inflorescence paniculately umbellate or sometimes simple racemes 4
4a. Leaf-apex obtuse or rounded; peduncles equal to or longer than the subtending leaves
2. P. ceylanicum
b. Leaf-apex acute or acuminate; peduncles shorter than subtending leaves 8. P. neelgherrense
5a. Valves of capsules thin and coriaceous; funicles basal or suprabasal 6
b. Valves of capsules thick and woody, funicles distributed up to middle of the placenta 8
6a. Inflorescence few-flowered; flowers usually less than 10 in each inflorescence 10. P. tetraspermum
b. Inflorescence many-flowered; flowers 10 to 50 or more per inflorescence 7
7a. Leaves small, 3 - 7 x 0.8 -1.2 cm, narrowly lanceolate; ovary glabrous 6. P. humile
b. Leaves large, 5 - 20 x 2 - 8 cm, elliptic-oblong or elliptic-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate; ovary
pubescent 7. P. napaulense
8a. Stems and leaves glabrous 11. P. viridulum
b. Stems and leaves rusty tomentose 9
9a. Flower buds ovate, 4 - 6 mm long; sepals narrowly lanceolate 5. P. ferrugineum
b. Flower buds oblong, 8 - 9 mm long; sepals triangular or ovate-lanceolate 10
10a. Leaves elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 5 -14 x 2 - 3 cm, broad at the middle 3. P. dasycaulon
b. Leaves broadly oblong-obovate, oblong-oblanceolate, 6 - 8 x 3 - 5 (-9) cm, broad above the middle
4. P. eriocarpum

1. Pittosporum anamallayense Nayar & Giri in Fasc. Fl. Ind. 6: 4, ff. 1 - 5.1980.
Fig. 82.

Shrubs. Leaves verticillate, linear-lanceolate, cuneate at base, attenuate at apex,

440
FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Fig. 82. Pittosporum anamallaycnse Nayar & Giri: a. branch with flowers; b. calyx;
c. petal; d. stamen; e. pistil.
1993] PITTOSPORACEAE 441

entire, 10 - 20 x 1.5 - 2.3 cm, membranous; lateral nerves 1 9 - 2 0 pairs, transversely

horizontal, distinct beneath; petioles 8-12 mm long. Inflorescence terminal, umbellate;
flower buds 4 - 6 mm long, glabrous; pedicels 8 - 1 2 mm long, puberulous or glabrous;
bracts linear, 4 - 5 mm long, puberulous. Sepals 5, free, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate,
3 - 3.5 x 1 mm, puberulous or glabrous outside. Petals 5, oblong, obtuse or rounded at
apex, 8 - 8.5 x 1.5 - 2 mm. Stamens 5; filaments ca 3 mm long; anthers ca 2 mm long.
Ovary ca 2 mm in diam., densely tomentose; style minutely puberulous; stigma incon-
spicuously 2-fid. Capsules not seen.

Distrib. India: Tamil Nadu (Anamalai Hills).

Endemic.

Notes. Holotype and isotypes collected by R. H. Beddome from Anamalai Hills (ca
1500 m) are in MH. It is allied to P. tetrarspermum Wight & Arn. but differs in having
linear-lanceolate leaves in whorls of threes and 19 - 20 pairs of horizontal lateral veins
and longer acuminate sepals. It can be superficially confused with P. podocarpum var.
angustatum Gowda by the linear-lanceolate leaves but can be readily recognised by the
horizontal lateral veins placed almost at right angles to the midrib and free sepals.

2. Pittosporum ceylanicum Wight, Illus. 1:173. 1839; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl.
Brit. India 1:198.1872.

Shrubs or small trees, 4 - 8 m tall with warty bark; stems lenticellate, glabrous.
Leaves crowded at ends of branches, alternate, oblong-elliptic, obovate-oblanceolate,
much tapering towards base, slightly obtuse or rounded at apex, sometimes acute, often
rather recurved along margins, 4 - 9 x 1 - 2.5 cm, membranous, glabrous; petioles 5-18
mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence terminal or pseudo-terminal, in peduncled panicu-
lately compound umbels, glabrous; peduncles 4 - 6.5 cm long; pedicels 5 - 8 mm long;
flower-buds oblong, 5 - 8 mm long; flowers bisexual, light yellowish. Sepals ovate-lan-
ceolate, subacute at apex, ca 3 x 1 - 1.5 mm, minutely ciliate along margins. Petals
linear-oblong, obtuse at apex, 8 -10 x 2 mm. Filaments ca 5 mm long; anthers oblong,
1 -1.5 mm long. Ovary ca 3 mm in diam., densely brown tomentose; ovules 8; styles 4 -
5 mm long, glabrous. Capsules subglobose, 9 -14 mm long, subcompressed, yellowish,
black when dry; valves woody, resinous, hard, with a strong mango-like smell; seeds 6 -
8, angular, orange-red, pulpy.

Fl. & Fr. Mar. - June.

Distrib. India: Tamil Nadu (Nilgiri Hills at Dodabetta Peak).

Sri Lanka.
442 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

3. Pittosporum dasycaulon Miq., Anal. Bot. Ind. 3: 5.1850; Hook. f. & Thomson
in Fl. Brit. India 1:199.1872. Fig. 83.

Kan.: Boogri; Mar.: Gapsundi.

Small trees; young branches densely tomentose. Leaves cuneate at base, acute at
apex, entire; petioles 8-18 mm long, puberulous. Inflorescence terminal or pseudoter-
minal, umbellate or racemose, densely brownish tomentose. Sepals 2 - 3 x 1 mm,
tomentose. Petals oblong, 10 -12 x 2 - 2.5 mm, yellow. Filaments 6 - 7 mm long; anthers
ca 2 mm long. Ovary ca 3 mm long, densely tomentose; style 4 - 5 mm long, glabrous.
Capsules globose, 8 -10 mm in diam., woody; seeds 4 - 6 , black or pinkish black.

Fl.&Fr. Sept.-Feb.

Distrib. India: Shola forests of Western Ghats, above 800 m. Maharashtra, Kar-
nataka and Kerala.

Endemic.

Notes. An extract of the stem bark shows antibacterial and antifungal properties
(Bhatnagar et al. in Indian J. Med. Res. 49: 799.1961).

4. Pittosporum eriocarpum Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 1: 77. 1834; Hook. f. &
Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:199.1872.

Hindi: Garsilug, Garshuma, Meda-tumra; Nep.: Kakria.

Shrubs or small trees; branches densely tomentose. Leaves cuneate at base, acute
to acuminate at apex, entire; petioles 15 - 20 mm long, tomentose. Inflorescence
paniculately corymbose; peduncles 2 - 4 cm long; flowers yellow. Sepals ca 2 x 1 mm,
pilose. Petals oblong, 9 -10 x 2 - 2.5 mm. Filaments slender, ca 5 mm long; anthers 2 -
2.5 mm long. Ovary ca 2 mm long, ovoid, densely tomentose; style ca 3 mm long; stigma
capitate. Capsules large, 12 - 15 mm in diam., densely pilose tomentose; seeds many,
blackish red.

Fl. Mar. - May; Fr. Apr. - Oct.

Distrib. India: Uttar Pradesh in Garhwal Himalayas.

Endemic.

Notes. The bark is aromatic when freshly cut and is said to possess narcotic
properties and is used in chronic bronchitis.
 PITTOSPORACEAE 443
1993]

Fig. 83. Pittosporum dasycaulon Miq.: a. fruiting twig; b.floweringtwig.

444 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

5. Pittosporum ferrugineum Aiton, Hort. Kew. ed.2:27.1811; Hook. f. & Thomson

in P I Brit. India 1:199.1872.

Trees, 10 - 20 m tall, branching trifurcately; bark warty with prominent light brown
lenticels; young branches and leaves densely ferruginous tomentose. Leaves spirally
arranged, slightly crowded towards ends of branchlets, elliptic, narrowly obovate or
ovate-lanceolate, acute to cuneate at base, acute to acuminate at apex, entire and slightly
revolute and wavy along margins, 5-10 (-15) x 2 - 4 (-5) cm, glabrescent; lateral nerves
6 - 1 0 pairs, finely reticulate; petioles 1 - 2 cm long, channelled above. Inflorescence
terminal, subumbellate or dense corymbose, rusty puberulous; peduncles 1 - 3 cm long,
pubescent; pedicels 3 - 4 mm long; flowers bisexual or functionally unisexual, white or
pale green. Sepals free or slightly connate at base, narrowly lanceolate, accuminate at
apex, ca 3 mm long, puberulous outside, subglabrous inside. Petals free, linear-lanceo-
late, widened towards apex, 4 - 6 mm long, distinctly 3-nerved. Filaments linear,
subulate, 3 - 5 mm long, glabrous; anthers oblong, sagittate, 1 - 1.5 mm long. Ovary
subsessile, oblong, up to 3 mm long, densely brown-tomentose; styles short, stout, 1 -1.5
mm long, glabrous. Capsules globose-ellipsoid, slightly compressed on sides, generally
notched and mucronate at tip, 8 -12 mm in diam, orange-red when fresh, black and warty
when dry, densely tomentose; valves 2, rather thin; funicles short, inserted up to half-way
on the valves; seeds 8 - 24, scarlet-red, 3 - 4 mm long, embedded in very viscid bright red
fluid, becoming brown when dry.

Fl. Feb. - Aug.; Fr. Apr. - Dec.

Distrib. India; Seashores, swamp forests and secondary forests, up to 1500 m.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia to Australia.

Notes. Leaves and fruits are used as fish poison.

6. Pittosporum humile Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:198.1872.

Shrubs or undershrubs, bushy, 1 - 2 m tall; bark greyish; branchlets lenticellate,

glabrescent; young parts glabrous. Leaves narrow-lanceolate, cuneate at base, acute or
gradually acuminate at apex, entire and recurved along margins, 3 - 7 x 0.8 - 1.2 cm,
coriaceous, glabrous, dark green and glossy above, pale beneath; secondary nerves
oblique, faint; tertiaries impressed above, finely reticulate; petioles 5 - 10 mm long,
channelled above. Inflorescence terminal or upper axillary, 2 - 5-flowered, racemose;
peduncles up to 1.5 cm long; pedicels up to 5 mm long; bracts lanceolate, 5 - 6 x 1 -1.5
mm, pubescent, often glandular ciliate; flower-buds 4 - 5 mm long. Sepals free, broadly
lanceolate, oblong or ovate-lanceolate, acute or obtuse, ca 2.5 mm long. Petals free,
oblong, strap-shaped, recurved at apex, 6 - 7 x 2 mm, yellowish green. Filaments ca 3
mm long, glabrous; anthers ca 2 mm long. Ovary glabrous; placentae 2; ovules several;
1993] PriTOSPORACEAE 445

style ca 3 mm long, glabrous. Capsules subglobose, tipped by persistent style, rugose

outside, red and horizontally striate inside; seeds 6-9, compressed laterally, covered by
red aril, reddish black.

Fl.&Fr. April-Nov.

Distrib. India: Meghalaya.

Endemic.

Notes. Sometimes shoots smell of garlic.

7. Pittosporum napaulense (DC.) Rehder & Wilson in PI. Wilson. 3: 326. 1916.
Senacia napaulensis D C , Prodr. 1: 347.1824. P. floribundum Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal.
1: 77.1834. P. floribundum Wight & Arn., Prodr. 154.1834; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl.
Brit. India 1:199.1872.

Asm.: Dieng-mulo, Shi-ing; Hindi: Bagh-muta, Kisan; Kan.: Tammatha; Kh.:

Dieng-Duma, Dieng-thyllong; Mar.: Yekkuddy, Yekadia, Vikhari; Tarn.: Kattu-sampangi,
Nangundai; Tel.: Rakamuti; Or.: Debosundu.

Shrubs or small trees, 2 - 8 m high; bark light grey, with large warty lenticels;
branchlets subverticillate, often whorled. Leaves crowded at ends of branches, some-
times subverticillate, oblong-lanceolate, oblanceolate, acute to acuminate at apex, entire
or slightly wavy along margins, 5 - 20 x 2 - 8 cm, subcoriaceous, glabrous; nerves
impressed above; lateral nerves rather obscure, 7 - 1 1 pairs, oblique; petioles 1-2 (-3)
cm long, channelled above. Inflorescence simple, umbellate, corymbose or paniculate,
tomentose with white or brown hairs, glandular-pubescent; peduncles up to 3.5 cm long;
pedicels up to 6 mm long; bracteoles ovate, oblong, ca 3 mm long; flowers 6 - 8 mm long,
pale yellow, sweet-scented. Sepals free, bi oadly ovate or oblong, elliptic, 1.5 - 2.5 mm
long, ciliate or not. Petals narrowly oblong, obtuse at apex, 6 - 7 x 2 mm. Filaments ca
3 mm long; anthers ca 1.5 mm long. Ovary appressed brownish-pubescent; style gla-
brous. Capsules globose, crowned by style remains, 2-valved, 6 - 8 mm in diam.,
orange-yellow; valves striate with horizontal lines; seeds 4 - 8 per capsule, covered with
scarlet pulp.

Fl.&Fr. Feb.-Dec.

Distrib. India: Throughout, except Rajasthan.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China (Tibet) and Madagascar.

Notes. The bark has ginger-like smell when freshly cut and hence often called
"ginger-tree". The decoction of bark is used for skin diseases and chest infections
446 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

(Krishna & Badhwar in J. Sci. Industr. Res. 6(3), (suppl.): 41.1947). Wood yields useful
timber.

This is a highly variable species in size and shape of leaves and inflorescence. The
number of seeds varies from 4 to 8 and attachment of funicles is either basal or
suprabasal. There are intermediate forms and it is considered that P. floribundum of
both Royle and Wight & Arn. are synonymous to P. napaulense.

8. Pittosporum neelgherrense Wight & Arn., Prodr. 1: 154. 1834; Hook. f. &
Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:198.1872.

Kan.: Kushimavu.

Shrubs or small trees, up to 3 m tall; twigs glabrous. Leaves entire, oblong-lanceo-

late, 3 - 8 x 2 - 4.5 cm, glabrous, coriaceous; petioles 5 - 1 5 mm long. Inflorescence
subumbellate or in simple racemes; peduncles slender, 2 - 2.5 cm long; pedicels 8 - 1 5
mm long. Flowers pale yellow, fragrant. Sepals subulate, 1.5 - 2 x ca 1 mm. Petals
oblong-lanceolate, obtuse or rounded at apex, 1.5 - 2 mm long, pale yellow. Filaments
3 - 4 mm long, slender; anthers 1-2 mm long. Ovary densely brown tomentose with 1 -
2 mm long hairs; styles ca 3 mm long. Capsules 8 - 10 mm in diam., with thick valves;
seeds 4 - 8 per capsule; funicle basal to subbasal.

Fl. & Fr. Feb. - June.

Distrib. India: Shola forests of Western Ghats, above 1200 m. Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu, and Kerala.

9. Pittosporum podocarpum Gagnepain in Notul. Syst. 8: 211.1939. P. glabratum

auct. non Lindley 1846; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:198.1872.

Kh.: Dieng-thyllong, Dieng-sanyar-um, Dieng-lo-shiring-synrang, Dieng-soh-tyllul.

Shrubs, 1 - 3 m tall; bark light grey to blackish; branchlets often whorled; young
shoots and inflorescence covered with tufted glandular hairs. Leaves opposite or
whorled, some alternate, oblong-lanceolate, elliptic, oblanceolate or linear-lanceolate,
attenuate at base, acuminate or acute at apex, entire, 3 - 22 x 1 - 3.5 cm, glossy above,
glabrous, coriaceous; lateral nerves oblique, faint, impressed above; petioles channelled,
5 - 1 6 mm long. Inflorescence subumbellate, or single-flowered; flowers with short
stamens usually solitary, flowers with long stamens subumbellate; plants polygamo-
dioecious; pedicels slender, 6 -12 mm long. Sepals ovate, 2 - 3 mm long, glandular hairy.
Petals clawed and coherent at base into a tube, sometimes free, 8 - 16 mm long; limb
obovate-oblong, subacute, slightly hairy. Filaments 4 - 9 mm long; anthers oblong or
shrivelled, apiculate, ca 2.5 mm long, opening by slits. Ovary globose or linear-oblong,
densely tomentose; ovules many; style 3.5 - 5 mm long; stigma capitate. Capsules
1993] PITTOSPORACEAE 447

obovoid, ovoid, oblong or ellipsoid, narrowed at base, tipped by persistent style base,
2 - 3.5 x 1.5 cm; valves wrinkled, prominently striate inside; seeds somewhat compressed,
facetted ventrally, ca 8 x 5 mm, reddish, remaining attached by funicles long after
dehiscence.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 6 - 22 x 1 - 2.5 cm 9.1. var. angustatum

b. Leaves oblanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, 5 -16 x 2 - 3.5 cm 9.2. var. podocarpum

9.1. var. angustatum Gowda in J. Arn. Arb. 32: 295.1951.

This variety is also allied to P. glabratum var. neriifolium Rehder & Wilson of China,
but differs in having dense tomentose ovary.

Fl.&Fr. Mar.-July.

Distrib. India: Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya.

Endemic.

9.2. var. podocarpum

Fl.&Fr. Mar.-Dec.

Distrib. India: E. Himalayas and N.E. India, 1000 - 2000 m. Assam, Arunachal
Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya.

Myanmar, Vietnam and China.

Endemic.

10. Pittosporum tetraspermum Wight & Arn., Prodr. 1: 154. 1834; Hook. f. &
Thomson in Ft. Brit. India 1:198. 1872.

Kan.: Kuyimavu; Mai.: Kachapatta, Kaccapatta; Tam.: Sunari.

Shrubs or small trees, branching dichotomously or in a whorl at top; young branches

puberulous, young leaves and inflorescences ferruginous hirsute. Leaves densely
crowded at ends of branches, subverticillate, ovate-oblong, acute at base, subacute or
obtuse at apex, entire or sometimes revolute along margins, 4 - 8 x 1 . 5 - 4 cm, puberulous
in juvenile state, coriaceous or glabrous when mature; petioles 4-10 mm long, slender.
Inflorescence pseudoterminal in umbellate or subumbellate cymes, 4 - 8-flowered in
each, puberulous, subsessile or on up to 10 mm long peduncles. Flowers bisexual,
448 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

L-0
cm

1*

Fig. 84. Pittosporum viridulum Nayar et al.: a. branch with capsules; b. capsule; c.
valve of the capsule, showing funicles; d. seeds.
1993] PITTOSPORACEAE 449

yellowish-green; buds oblong, 8 - 1 0 mm long; pedicels up to 1 cm long, puberulent.

Sepals free, triangular-subulate, 2 - 3 x 1 mm, pubescent, ciliate along margins. Petals
linear-oblong or strap-shaped, 6 -10 x 2.5 mm. Filaments erect, 2.5 - 3 mm long; anthers
1.5 - 2 mm long, yellowish green. Ovary ovoid-oblong, up to 3 mm long, densely
brown-tomentose; ovules 4 per ovary; styles up to 2 mm long, glabrous. Capsules
subglobose, tipped by withered style, ca 1 cm diam.; valves 2, rather thin, striate inside;
seeds 4 per capsule, subtrigonous, dark red with an orange-red aril and sticky pulp.

Fl.&Fr. Feb.-Dec.

Distrib. India: Shola forests of Western Ghats, near streams and disturbed areas,
1200 - 2500 m. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Sri Lanka.

11. Pittosporum viridulum Nayar et al. in Fasc. Fl. India 6: 11, ff. 1 - 4 . 1980.
Fig. 84.

Small trees. Leaves elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate at apex, cuneate at

base, entire, 8 -12 x 2 - 4 cm; lateral nerves 9 -12 pairs, distinct beneath; petioles 10 -18
mm long, channelled above, glabrous. Infrutescence terminal, pseudo-umbellate, pube-
rulous. Capsules slightly compressed with stout-mucronate beak, pitted outside, 9 - 1 3
mm in diam.; valves yellowish green, thick; funicles with 4 attachments at the base and
4 at the middle; seeds 6 - 8, irregularly angled, reddish brown.

Fr. Aug. - Sept.

Distrib. India: Tamil Nadu (Nilgiri Hills).

Endemic.

Notes. The species is allied to P. dasycaulon but differs in having glabrous branches,
leaves and capsules; leaves remaining greenish on drying and the capsules with 1.5 - 3
mm long mucronate beak.
 POLYGALACEAE
(R. N. Banerjee)

Herbs, shrubs or woody climbers, rarely small trees, saprophytes or parasites.

Leaves simple, entire, alternate, rarely opposite, distichous or rarely (partly) verticillate
or whorled or reduced to scales or absent, pinnately nerved, exstipulate or rarely
spinosely or discoidly stipulate. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, racemes, spikes or
panicles or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, basically 5-merous, 3-brac-
teate. Sepals 5 or rarely 4, imbricate in bud, free or rarely partly or entirely connate, the
2 inner ones mostly larger, petaloid, wing-like, deciduous or persistent. Petals 3, free or
variously connate, sometimes minute and scale-like or absent; the upper 2 free or basally
connate to staminal tube, the lowermost one keeled, boat-shaped, often with a dorsal
2 - many lobed crest or appendage at beneath the top, rarely absent. Stamens basically
10, usually 8 (rarely 2 - 7) in 2 rows, monadelphous; sheath split above, often adnate to
petals; anthers small, 1-loculed or rarely 2-loculed, basifixed, sessile or filamented,
dehiscing by an apical or subapical pore or often by longitudinal or tangential slits. Disc
absent or well-developed, annular or sometimes represented by intrastaminal glands.
Ovary 2-carpelled, 2-locular, rarely 1-locular; style 1, curved; stigma entire or lobed;
ovules 2, one in each on pendulous or axile placenta. Fruit a loculicidal capsule,
2-loculed, rarely seemingly 1-loculed, a samara, drupe, nut or berry. Seeds 2, arillate
and sometimes strophiolate, often pilose; embryo straight, as long as the endosperm;
cotyledons moderately thick, 1.5 - 3 times wider than radicle; endosperm copious,
moderate or rarely absent.

Cosmopolitan, centred in American and African tropics; 12 genera and ca 800

species, 4 genera and 31 species in India.

Literature. CHODAT, R. (1890) Monograhia Polygalacearum. Mem. Soc. Phys. Hist. Nat. Geneva.
Suppl. 7: 1 -143, tt. 1 -12; ibid. 31: 1 - 500, tt. 1 - 23. 1893. DAR, M. I. (1973) Polygalaceae. In: Fl. W.
Pakistan 52: 1 -11. MEIJDEN, R. van der (1988) Polygalaceae. In: Fl. Males. 1,10: 455 - 539, ff. 1 - 26.

KEY TO THE GENERA

la. Low herbs; flowers sessile, in spikes; sepals equal or subequal in shape and size; keel petals without
appendages; stamens 3-6; fruits sessile; seeds glabrous 2
b. Tall herbs, shrubs or climbing shrubs; flowers pedicellate in racemes or panicles; sepals unequal in
shape and size, 2 inner sepals much larger than outer ones and concolourous with the petals; keel
petal with a dentate or lobed crest or without laciniate appendages at apex; stamens 8; fruits
pedicellate; seeds pilose 3

f»tn. ed. N. P. Balakrishnan

1993] POLYGALACEAE 451

2a. Saprophytic plants with minute scale-like non-green leaves; stamens 2 - 4 or 5; style straight or slightly
curved; fruit enclosed by calyx, slightly compressed, inermous, with pellucid pericarp, indehiscent
1. Epirixanthes
b. Autotrophic plants with green leaves; stamens 4 - 5 or 6; style sigmoid; fruit not enclosed by calyx, flat-
tened, dehiscing along the muricate margin 3. Salomonia
3a. Robust shrubs; flowers panicled; ovary 1-ovuled; fruit samaroid or winged; seed 1, exarillate and
ecarunculate 4. Securidaca
b. Herbs or non-climbing shrubs; flowers racemed; ovary 2-ovuled; fruits capsular; seeds 2, with aril or
caruncle 2. Polygala

1. Epirixanthes Blume

Herbs, annuals, erect, saprophytic, yellow, brown or violet. Leaves absent or

minute, scale-like, appressed, spirally arranged, ovate or oblong-ovate. Flowers minute
in terminal dense spikes, bracteate and minutely bracteolate. Sepals 5, persistent, free
or connate, subequal. Petals 3, connate for about halfway or less, adnate to staminal
sheath in lower half; the lowermost one (keel) broader than others, strongly vaulted
without a crest; lateral ones somewhat longer and less vaulted. Stamens 2 - 4 or 5,
monadelphous; tube adnate to corolla-tube; anthers opening by terminal pore. Ovary
2-loculed; locules 1-ovuled; style short or filiform, straight or slightly curved. Fruit
enclosed by accrescent calyx, slightly compressed, inermous, indehiscent; ripe pericarp
pellucid. Seeds black, glabrous, without a caruncle.

India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia; 3 species, 1 in India.

Epirixanthes elongata Blume, Cat. Gew. Buitenz. 25. 1823. Salomonia aphylla
Griffith in Proc. Linn. Soc. 1: 221.1844 & in Trans. Linn. Soc. 19: 342.1845; Bennett in
F t Brit. India 1: 207.1872. Fig. 85.

Herbs, slender, 6 - 25 cm high, simple or sparingly branched above, terete, reddish

to violet, glabrous to puberulent; roots much-branched, deep lying stems with rigid erect
branches, glossy, violet or yellowish brown. Leaves sessile, scaly, ovate-lanceolate, broad
at base, acute to acuminate at apex, 1.2 - 1.7 mm long, ca 1 mm wide, violet or yellow;
lower ones bearing vegetative buds with imbricating scales in axils; upper ones almost
erect. Spikes terminal, rather dense-flowered, conical or cylindrical, acute or rather
obtuse at apex, 2 - 9 cm long, fertile portion 1 - 3.5 cm long, fruiting part 2.5 - 3 mm thick;
bracts ovate, acuminate, ca 1 mm long, early caducous, yellowish white with a violet
median streak or blotch. Flowers 1.5-2 mm long, cream-yellow, ovoid-globose in bud.
Sepals free, subequal, ovate to elliptic-ovate, ca 1 x 0.5 mm. Petals 3, narrowly lanceolate,
1.5 - 2 mm long, up to 0.7 mm wide, yellowish white. Stamens 4 - 5 , monadelphous;
anthers rounded, sessile at mouth of hyaline tube of filaments. Ovary sessile, laterally
compressed, 1 - 2 mm in diam., glabrous, 2-ovuled; style slightly curved, 0.5 - 1.2 mm
long, thin, equal to ovary or somewhat longer; stigma globose, dark red. Capsules
452 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

mm

r2

mm

0J
cm
cm

Fig. 85. Epirixanthes elongate Blume : a. habit; b. flowering spike; c. vegetative bud;
d. flower with calyx and corolla split open; e. fruit, enclosed in calyx.
1993] POLYGALACEAE 453

ellipsoid to broadly obcordate, sightly shorter than and enclosed by sepals, ca 1 mm wide.
Seeds ellipsoid, shiny black, glabrous.

Fl&Fr. Sept.-Dec.

Distrib. India: Shaded humid localities, in humus-rich soils, up to 1200 m. Assam,

Meghalaya and Mizoram.

Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Malaysia.

Notes. Joseph (in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 12: 73.1970 & Fl. Nongpoh and Vicinity,
p. 37.1982) reports it from Nongpoh, along the northern slopes of Meghalaya towards
Guwahati, with descriptions and illustrations.

2. Polygala L.

Herbs, shrubs or treelets, sometimes spiny, annuals or perennials. Leaves simple,

alternate or spirally arranged, exstipulate. Flowers in terminal or lateral racemes;
bracts small, persistent or caducous, bracteoles 2, caducous or persistent. Sepals 5,
caducous or usually wholly or partially persistent, unequal; wing sepals (inner) the
largest, often petaloid. Petals 3, 2 upper ones (lateral) basally adnate to the staminal
tube; lower one (keel) boat-shaped, clawed at base with the basal part above claw
sometimes auricled, entire or bearing a dorsal crest consisting of 2 lobes, each entire or
divided into various number of appendages. Stamens 8, monadelphous with filaments
united basally for varying lengths into a tubular staminal tube split on one side; anthers
sessile on mouth of tube or with free filaments above the tube. Ovary laterally com-
pressed, 2-loculed, each with one anatropous ovule, pendulous from apex; style terminal,
variously curved, flattened and dilated towards apex; stigma lateral, oblique or spaced
into 2 spots. Capsules flattened-compressed, mostly margined, sometimes with a double
wing, dehiscing loculicidally by marginal split, 2-seeded, often enclosed in persistent
sepals or wing sepals. Seeds oblong, mostly dark, densely or sparsely hairy with a
cap-like entire or lobed caruncle at micropylar part close to the attachment of the
funicle, sometimes with a black glossy strophiole (appendage) at the other end.

Around the World in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions, herbaceous

species usually not seen in primary forests, common in woodlands, grasslands, roadsides,
wastelands and cultivated fields; ca 500 species, 27 in India.

Notes. The fragrance of the roots when pulled out fresh from the soil is a sure generic
character (Mathew, Fl. Tamilnadu Carnatic 1: 64.1983).
454 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Literature. ADEMA, F. (1966) A review of the herbaceous Polygala in Malesia (Polygalaeae).

Blumea 14: 253 - 356, ff. 1 - 19. CHANDRABOSE, M. & N.C. NAIR (1981). The genus Polygala L.
(Polygalaceae) in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu (South India). Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Plant
Sci.) 90: 107 -127, ff. 1 -176. MUKERJEE, S. K (1958) A synopsis of Indian and Burmese Polygala. Bull.
Bot. Soc. Bengal 12: 29 - 49, t. 1. PAUL, S. R. & A. L. KHARBANDA (1975) Revision of the genus
Polygala from India (Polygalaceae) 1. The species of the Bihar and Orissa. Bangladesh J. Bot. 4: 49 - 58.
PAL, G. D. & G. S. GIRI (1990) Distributional notes on Polygala Linn. (Polygalaceae) from Arunacha!
Pradesh. J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 14: 225 - 228. SMITH, R. R & D. B. WARD (1976) Taxonomy of the genus
Polygala, series Decurrentes (Polygalaceae). Sida 6(4): 284 - 310. SHARMA, M. L. & P. N. MEHRA
(1978) Chromosome numbers in some northwest Indian species of Polygala. Cytologia (Japan) 43: 589 -
593.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Sepals caducous after flowering 2

b. Sepals or at least wing sepals persistent in fruits 4
2a. Keel petal split at apex, not crested; capsules notched, bipapillate at apex 23. P. tartarinowii
b. Keel petal entire at apex, crested; capsule not bipapillate at apex 3
3a. Herbs, up to 25 cm high; wing sepals clawed at base; keel petal crested with 2 flap-like appendages
10. P. furcata
b. Shrubs, more than 1 m high; wing sepals not clawed at base; keel petal crested with more than 8
flattened forked appendages 2. P. arillata
4a. Leaves usually petiolate; petioles 5 -15 mm long 5
b. Leaves usually sessile or subsessile; petioles up to 2 mm long 9
5a. Herbs, less than 1 m tall; stems weak; crest-usually 2-lobed; disc flat 26. P. umbonata
b. Shrubs, 2 m or more high; stems woody; crest much branched; disc cupular 6
6a. Stems with projecting cicatrices of fallen leaves; leaves coriaceous; racemes paniculate, erect;
outer solitary sepal gibbous; anthers conical 25. P. tricholopha
b. Stems smooth; leaves membranous or chartaceous; racemes unbranched, drooping; outer sepals
concave, not gibbous; anthers linear, oblong 7
7a. Leaves not glaucous beneath, green on drying; crest consisting of plicate convolute appendages; seeds
glabrous 11. P. globulifera
b. Leaves glaucous beneath, not green on drying; crest consisting of linear forked appendages; seeds
hairy 8
8a. Branches blackish in colour; leaves membranous; flowers pale lilac in colour; ovary sessile,
subglobose; fruits suborbicular; seed hairs less than 1 mm long, whitish 16. P. karensinm
b. Branches greenish; leaves subcoriaceous; flowers greenish yellow or brown; ovary oblong, stipitate;
fruits clavate; seed hairs ca 5 mm long, brownish 19. P. mariesii
9a. Wing sepals broader above the middle, acute to obtuse at apex 10
b. Wing sepals broader below the middle, acute to acuminate at apex 17
10a. Wing sepals falcate, acute; petals lavender blue; lateral lobes linear-oblong; middle lobe rounded
9. P. sibirica
b. Wing sepals not falcate, or if falcate, then obtuse; petals purple or yellow; lateral lobes obovate; middle
lobe acute 11
1993] POLYGALACEAE 455

11a. Capsules glabrous 12

b. Capsules hipsid puberulous or at least ciliate along margins 14
12a. Stems sharply angular and deeply furrowed; racemes dense-flowered; wing sepals symmetric
18. P. longifolia
b. Stems terete; racemes lax-flowered; wing sepals asymmetric 13
13a. Stems with conspicuous cicatrices of fallen leaves; bracts and sepals hairy; lateral petals equal to or
longer than keel petal; caruncle 2-lobed 12. P. irregularis
b. Stems without such cicatrices; bracts and sepals glabrous; lateral petals much shorter than keel petal;
caruncle 3-lobed 1. P. abyssinica
14a. Stems and racemes dichotomously branched above; wing sepals symmetric, suborbicular, rounded, not
mucronate at apex 20. P. persicariifolia
b. Stems and racemes not dichotomously branched; wing sepals asymmetric, elliptic-oblong, obtuse and
mucronate at apex 15
15a. Leaf margins recurved; wing sepals with anastomosing veinlets forming a hyaline zone along margins;
petals pink; crest consisting of 2 bundles of appendages 9. P. erioplera
b. Leaf margins flat; wing sepals not with hyaline zone along margins; petals blue, purple or purplish
white; crest consisting of one or three bundles of appendages 16
16a. Stems terete throughout; leaves large, up to 6 x 2.8 cm; flowers ca 7 mm long; bracts persistent; outer
sepals ca 2.5 mm long; wing sepals 9 - 11-nerved; petals 6 - 8 mm long, purple or purplish white
15. P. crotalarioides
b. Stems terete below, angled above; leaves smaller, ca 3 x 0.8 cm; flowers ca 3 mm long; bracts caducous;
outer sepals ca 1.5 mm long; wing sepals 3 - 5-nerved; petals ca 4 mm long, blue 24. P. telephioides
17a. Racemes longer than leaves 18
b. Racemes shorter than leaves 22
18a. Wing sepals symmetric, triangular, obovate, elliptic, blunt at apex, petaloid 19
b. Wing sepals asymmetric, subfalcate, oblong to elliptic, acute at apex, green, not petaloid 20
19a. Wing sepals triangular, hairy, anthers on filaments at mouth of staminal tube; fruits oblong, subquad-
rangular, notched at both ends, narrowly winged around, puberulous. 15. P. javana
b. Wing sepals elliptic, glabrous; anthers sessile at mouth of staminal tube; fruits suborbicular,
obcordate, broadly winged at apex, glabrous 14. P. japonica
20a. Middle lobe of petals distinctly auricled at base; ovary glabrous; style with 2 wings near apex; filaments
above tube grouped into 3 bundles, consisting of 2 half united bundles in middle and 3 each on either
side 27. P. wightiana
b. Middle lobe of petals not auricled at base; ovary hairy or ciliate at apex; style not winged; filaments
above tube not so grouped 21
21a. Racemes 10 - 20 cm long; middle lobe of petals hairy at clawed base; capsules asymmetric, unequally
lobed at apex, oblong-rhomboid; seeds long hairy 8. P. elongata
b. Racemes up to 9 cm long; middle lobe of petals glabrous at base; capsules symmetric, equally lobed at
apex, suborbicular, seeds short hairy 4. P. bulbothrix
22a. Free portion of filaments on staminal tube of much different lengths; filaments in 3 groups with 2 free
filaments in centre and 2 bundles of 3 connate filaments each on either side 5. P. buxiformis
b. Free portion of filaments on staminal tube of almost same length; all filaments free almost to the
mouth of tube 23
456 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

23a. Branching erect upwards; racemes and flowers erect; outer sepals obovate-oblong, mucronulate at
apex 21. P. rosmarinifolia
b. Branching prostrate, decumbent or ascending; flowers drooping; outer sepals ovate-falcate,
acuminate at apex 24
24 a. Caruncle with broad membranous winged appendages, covering more than half the length of seeds
13. P.jacobii
b. Caruncle with shortly toothed or linear to narrowly oblong appendages covering less than half the
length of seeds 25
25a. Prostrate or decumbent weak herbs; leaves orbicular or oblong-obovate, up to 4 cm long; caruncle
appendages subequal 3. P. arvensis
b. Erect stout herbs; stems woody; leaves linear to linear-lanceolate or oblong-ovate to oblong-lanceo-
late, 4 - 9 cm long; caruncle appendages equal 26
26a. Leaves up to 10 mm broad, linear or linear-lanceolate, outer sepals obovate-oblong; petals yellowish
or dull orange; stigma hooded 17. P. linarifolia
b. Leaves 10-25 mm broad, oblong-elliptic; petals white with purple or violet tips; stigma bilobed
6. P. chinensis

1. Polygala abyssinica Fresen. in Mus. Senck. 2:273.1837; Bennett in FL Brit. India

1: 202.1872.

Herbs, suffruticose, perennial, (5-) 30 - 48 cm high, pubescent or glabrous; stems

slender, erect, many from woody rootstock. Leaves sessile, obovate or oblong, linear to
linear-lanceolate, acute or acuminate and apiculate at apex, (6-) 10 - 20 x (0.5-) 2 - 3 mm,
glabrous. Flowers in bifurcate slender lax-flowered terminal (5-) 20 - 30 mm long
racemes; pedicels 1-2 mm long, spreading; bracts linear-lanceolate, acute, ca 1.5 mm
long, membranous, deciduous. Sepals persistent, glabrous; outer solitary sepal obovate
to linear-lanceolate; outer paired sepals linear, ca 1 mm long, glabrous; wing sepals
obliquely obovate, obtuse at apex, 4 - 6 x 3 - 4 mm, enlarged in fruit, 3-nerved with
anastomosing veinlets, pale grey with pinkish veins, glabrous. Middle lobe of petals ca
6 mm long, purple or pink, with ca 2 mm long tubercled crest; lateral lobes orbicular,
unguiculate, much shorter than middle lobe. Staminal sheath ca 4 mm long. Ovary ca
1.5 mm long, glabrous; style ca 6 mm long; stigma bilobed. Capsules obovate, emargi-
nate, 3 - 4 mm long, 2 - 2.5 mm wide with ca 0.5 mm broad wing along margins, glabrous.
Seeds oblongoid, pilose; caruncle 3-lobed, 2-appendiculale with minute appendages.

FL April - July; Fr. Aug. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Open or shaded grassy hill slopes. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, West Asia to Africa.

1993 ] POLYGALACEAE 457

2. Polygala arillata D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep. 199.1825; Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1:
200.1872, p. p. P. angustifolia (Chodat) R. N. Banerjee in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 26: 2 -
3.1985. Fig. 86.

Nep.: Marcha.

Shrubs or small trees, erect or subscandent, up to 4 m tall; branches greyish when

fresh, smooth; young branches puberulous. Leaves elliptic, oblong or ovate-lanceolate,
rounded, acute or cuneate at base, acute-mucronate at apex, revolute or not along
margins, (4-) 7 -11 (-18) x (2 -) 3 - 4 (-6) cm, subcoriaceous, glabrous except on nerves
beneath, dull green to dark tan on drying; lateral nerves 5 - 1 2 pairs, arcuate, forming
loops near margins, impressed or not above, raised beneath, reticulations prominent
beneath; petioles 5 - 1 5 mm long, puberulous or glabrous. Flowers 12 - 18 mm long,
bright yellow to deep orange, in simple or rarely paniculate (3-) 5 - 8 (-12) cm long axillary
terminal or supra-axillary pendulous glabrous or sparsely hairy racemes; pedicels 2-10
mm long, glabrous; bracts linear-subulate, 2 - 2.5 mm long, deciduous; bracteoles 3,
lanceolate, ciliate along margins, 1.5 - 2 mm long. Sepals 5, caducous; outer 3 sepals
ovate-elliptic, obovate, acute, acuminate or rounded at apex, 3 - 8 x 2 - 6 mm, unequal,
puberulous or glabrous; inner 2 sepals (wings) elliptic-obovate, concave, attenuate at
base, obtuse or rounded at apex, 10 - 14 x 6 - 7 mm, purplish green, distinctly veined,
glabrous, except the ciliate margins. Petals 3-lobed, 1 - 2 cm long; lateral petals oblong,
obovate, obtuse, up to 4 mm broad, connate with keel petal for almost half the length,
hairy inside; keel petal crested at the back of apex with a tuft of 15 - 20 linear shortly
notched appendages. Stamens 8, shorter than petals; sheath 8-12 mm long, adnate to
keel and split into 2 short free bundles, each bearing 4 free 2 - 3 mm long filaments;
anthers oblong or ovate. Ovary suborbicular, obcordate, ca 2 mm long, sparsely ciliate
or not along margins; style slightly curved at apex, ca 8 mm long, broadened at middle,
glabrous; stigma flat. Infructescence glabrous or pubescent. Capsules suborbicular or
broadly reniform, compressed, deeply notched at apex, narrowly and thinly winged along
margins, 10 -12 x 12 -15 mm, pink, prominently veined, puberulous or glabrous. Seeds
2, one in each locule, subglobose, minutely tubercled, 4 - 8 mm in diam., brown-black,
glabrous or sparsely white silky with appressed hairs; caruncle cupular, hood-shaped,
with 2 - 3 winged appendages, covering one-third to two-third of the seed, orange-red
to yellow.

Notes. A very variable species. The following varieties are discernible though
sometimes there are intermediaries and the distinctions tend to break down.

The roots are often used in fermentation of alcoholic drinks in Nepal.

458 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 86. Polyala arillata D. Don: a. shoot withflowerand fruit; b.flowerwith 2 outer
and one inner sepals removed; c. staminal sheath adnate to keel petal; d. pistil.
1993 ] POLYGALACEAE 459

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Main nerves of leaves impressed above, reticulations prominent and forming distinct areolate structure
2.4. var. purpurascens
b. Main nerves of leaves not impressed above, with obscure reticulations 2
2a. Leaf margins revolute 2.5. var. revoluta
b. Leaf margins not revolute 3
3a. Leves broadly oblanceolate, broadest above middle, cuspidate at apex 2.2. var. chartacea
b. Leaves lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, broadest at or below middle, acuminate at apex 4
4a. Leaves dull green on drying; flowers glabrous; infructescences glabrous; fruits glabrous
2.3. var. laevicarpa
b. Leaves dark green or tan on drying; flowers hairy; infructescences pubescent; fruits hairy
2.1. var. aril lata

2.1. var. arillata

Fl. Mar.-May; Fr. June-Aug.

Distrib. India: Subtropical evergreen forests, 1000 - 2000 m. Sikkim, Arunachal

Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, S. China, Malaysia and Phillippines.

2.2. var. chartacea (Mukerjee) Giri in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 26:5.1984 (1985). P.
arillata forma chartacea Mukerjee in Bull. Bot. Soc. Bengal 12:32.1958.

Fl.&Fr. Jan-Dec.

Distrib. India: Subtropical evergreen forests, 1000 - 2000 m. Tamil Nadu and
Kerala.

Endemic.

2.3. var. laevicarpa R. N. Banerjee & Giri in Candollea 42: 555 - 558, f. 1.1987.

Fl.&Fr. June-Dec.

Distrib. India: Subtropical and temperate regions, amongst shrubs, 300 - 2000 m.
Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

E. Nepal.

2.4. var. purpurascens Clarke ex Mukerjee in Bull. Bot. Soc. Bengal 12:32.1958.
P. arillata forma sikkimensis Mukerjee, 1. c, p. p.
460 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fl. & Fr. Feb. - Aug.

Distrib. India: Subtropical evergreen forests, 1000 - 2500 m. West Bengal, Sikkim,
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya.

Bhutan.

2. 5. var. revoluta (Mukerjee) Giri in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 25: 5.1984 (1985). P.
ariilata forma revoluta Mukerjee in Bull. Bot. Soc. Bengal 12: 32.1958.

Fl. & Fr. Mar. - Aug.

Distrib. India: Subtropical forests, 1500 - 2000 m. Tamil Nadu (Nilgiris).

Endemic.

3. Polygala arvensis Willd., Sp. PI. 3(2): 876.1803. P. chinensis auct. nonL. 1753;
Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1: 204.1872, p. p. P. chinensis var. linarifolia sensu Mukerjee
in Bull. Bot. Soc. Bengal 12: 40.1958. Fig. 87.

Hindi: Maradu; Kon.: Negli; Mar.: Phutani; Sant.: Gaighura.

Herbs, procumbent or erect, 5 - 30 (-40) cm high; branches arising from base,

glabrous or pubescent. Leaves subsessile, orbicular, obovate, oblanceolate to oblong,
narrowed towards base, subacute, obtuse or emarginate and mucronate at apex, 10-40
(-50) x 5 - 20 mm, fleshy when fresh, coriaceous when dry, glabrous to densely pubescent
or hirsute, subchartaceous; petioles up to 3 mm long. Flowers ca 4 mm long, usually
yellow, sometimes purplish white and pink-streaked, solitary or in 3 - 15-flowered 5 -
20 mm long axillary or lateral racemes, rarely subcapitate; bracts oblong-ovate, acute,
ca 1 mm long, ciliate, persistent; pedicels 2 - 3 mm long. Sepals persistent; outer sepals
broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, acute, mucronate, 1.5 - 2.5 x 1 -1.5 mm,
pubescent outside, white-hyaline and ciliate along margins, 1-nerved; wing sepals ob-
liquely ovate, falcate, narrowed at base, acute or acuminate, straight at upper margin,
rounded at lower margin, 4 - 7 x 2 - 4 mm, sparsely puberulous, membranous and hairy
along margins, persistent. Petals yellow; middle lobe keeled, auricled at base, with a
crest of shortly multifid or notched, up to 1 mm long appendages; lateral lobes of petals
suborbicular or broadly obovate, ca 3 mm long. Staminal sheath free, 1.5 - 2 mm long;
free portion of filaments up to 2 mm long, united at same level. Ovary obovoid, hairy
along margins, ca 1 mm across; style curved, flat, dilated and hooked at apex forming a
hood with lateral broad capitate stigma at its concavity. Capsules ovoid, orbicular or
obliquely obcordate, compressed, emarginate at apex, narrowly winged along margins,
3 - 5 x 2.5 - 4 mm, glabrous on walls, patently hairy along margins. Seeds oblong-ellip-
soid, ca 3 x 2 mm, black, pilose; caruncle hood-shaped, 3-fid almost to base with short
appendages.
1993] POLYGALACEAE 461

Fig. 87. Polygala arvensis Willd.: a. habit; b. flower; c. & d. flower, split, showing
stamens and pistil; e. pistil; f. seed, showing hood-shaped caruncle.
462 FLORA OF INDIA [VQL. 2

Fl. June - Aug.; Fr. Aug.-Jan.

Distrib. India: Wastelands, cultivated fields, roadsides, in plains and hills up to 2000
m. Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Orissa, Madhya
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
and Kerala.

Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and S.E. Asia to N. Australia.

4. Polygala bulbothrix Dunn in Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 1: 58. 1915 & in Bull.
Misc. Inf. Kew 1916:13.1916. P. ciliata Wight & Arn., Prodr. 1: 38.1834. P. ramaswa-
miana Mukerjee in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 53: 55.1955.

Herbs, annual, diffuse, erect or ascending; branches up to 50 cm long, puberulous

or glittering velutinous, mixed with strigose spiny bulbous-based hairs. Leaves elliptic,
obovate, oblong, narrowed or cuneate at base, obtuse, rounded or emarginate and often
mucronate at apex, entire and revolute along margins, 8 - 37 x 5 -15 mm, subcoriaceous.
Flowers 4 - 7 mm long, pink, few or many in lax slender leaf-opposed axillary or
extra-axillary 2-9 cm long patent velutinous racemes; pedicels 2 - 4 mm long, tomentose;
bracts 3, opposite, deltoid, lanceolate, acuminate at apex, 1-3 mm long, unequal. Outer
sepals ovate-lanceolate, setaceous, acuminate at apex, 2 - 3 x 0.7 - 1 mm, membranous,
ciliate outside; wing sepals obliquely elliptic-ovate, narrowed at base, subacute to
acuminate at apex, 4.5 - 5 x 2 - 2.5 mm, 5 - 7-nerved, velutinous outside, hyaline along
margins. Petals 3-lobed, pink or yellow, lobed up to base; middle lobe ca 3.5 mm long,
auricled, keeled, with a crest of filiform forked appendages; lateral lobes oblong,
suborbicular, emarginate, clawed and ciliate-margined at base, ca 2.5 mm long. Staminal
sheath free, ca 2.5 mm long; free portion of filaments ca 1.7 mm long, connate at slightly
different levels. Ovary orbicular, slightly oblique, compressed, hispid along margins;
styles curved, widened and horse-shoe shaped at apex, ca 2.5 mm long, with lateral
hooded stigma. Capsules suborbicular, emarginate, longitudinally grooved at middle,
3 - 4 mm across, stiff hairy, emarginate and unequally halved. Seeds oblongoid, obtusely
truncate at apex, 2.5 - 3.5 x 1.2 - 2 mm, black, pilose; caruncle hood-shaped with 3 obtusely
toothed appendages.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Inflorescence leaf-opposed, or extra-axillaiy, many flowered 4.2. var. devicolamensis

b. Inflorescence axillary, 2 - 3-flowered 2
2a. Hairs on the stem somewhat spiny, bulbous at base 4.3. var. pulniensis
b. Hairs on the stem not spiny (hispid), not bulbous at base 4.1. var. bulbothrix
1993 ] POLYGALACEAE 463

4.1. var. bulbothrix

Fl. April - May; Fr. June - Dec.

Distrib. India: Grasslands in hills and plains, up to 1000 m. Andhra Pradesh,

Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

4.2. var. devicolamensis (Mukerjee) R. N. Banerjee, comb. nov. P. ramaswamiana

Mukerjee forma devicolamensis Mukerjee in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 53: 56.1955.

Fl. Mar. - Apr.; Fr. Apr. - May

Distrib. India: Tamil Nadu and Kerala (Devicolam range).

Endemic.

4. 3. var. pulniensis (Mukerjee) R. N. Banerjee, comb. nov. P. ramaswamiana

Mukerjee -vai.pulniensis Mukerjee in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 53: 56.1955.

Fl. Feb.-July.

Distrib. India: Tamil Nadu and Kerala (Pulney- Devicolam range).

Endemic.

5. Polygala buxiformis Hassk. in Miq., Ann. Mus. Lugd.- Bat. 1:161.1864; Bennett
in Fl. Brit. India 1: 205.1872.

Herbs, weak, decumbent-ascending. Leaves erect, usually imbricating at base of

upper ones, narrowly oblong or oblanceolate or elliptic-oblong, obtuse at both ends,
apiculate at apex, recurved along margins, 4 - 14 x 2 - 5 mm, subcoriaceous, glabrous
except the thinly crispy hairs beneath. Flowers ca 5 mm long, sessile in leaf-opposed or
lateral 3 -10 cm long spikes; rachis angular, tomentose with raised semicircular cicatrices
of fallen pedicels; bract 1, ovate-oblong, obtuse, ca 2 mm long, ciliate, caducous;
bracteoles 2, linear, sharply acute or acuminate, ciliate, caducous; pedicels up to 1 mm
long. Outer sepals 3, ovate-acuminate, 1-1.5 mm long, ciliate hairy, accrescent, up to
1.8 mm long in fruits; wing sepals falcate to elliptic-falcate, acuminate at apex, 2.5 - 3
mm long, hispid hairy, accrescent, up to 3.5 mm long in fruits, 5- nerved, ciliate along
margins. Petals violet or blue; middle lobe boat-shaped, clawed, auricled at base,3 - 5
mm long; crests 20 - 30, forked in 3 bundles; lateral lobes obovate, truncate and
emarginate at apex, ca 2 mm lor.^. Stamens 8, monadelphous; sheath adnate at base to
midlobe of petal, divided halfway down into 3 bundles with the middle bundle of 2
anthers and 2 lateral bundles of 2 anthers each; anthers oblong, ca 3 mm long. Ovary
sessile, orbicular, ciliate hairy; style ca 2 mm long; stigma hooked. Capsules orbicular,
464 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

ca 2 mm in diam., silky stiff hairy; caruncle hood-shaped, unequally 3-partite; the longer
arm membranous, appressed to seed.

Fl.&Fr. Aug.-Feb.

Distrib. India: Common in dry shaded places near forests in grasslands and
wastelands, up to 1500 m. Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh,
Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Kamorta Is.).

Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar to China, Malaysia and Philippines.

6. Polygala chinensis L., Sp. PL 2:704.1753; Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1:204.1872.
P. glomerata Lour., Fl. Cochinch. 426.1790; Bennett, 1. c. 206. Fig. 88.

Herbs, perennial, up to 75 cm high, erect or ascending; stem woody at base; branches

terete, hairy. Leaves elliptic, linear-lanceolate, oblong or obovate, acute or narrowed at
base, acute and mucronulate at apex, (1-) 4 - 9 x (0.4-) 1 - 2.5 cm, glabrous or sparsely
puberulous; lateral nerves faint; petioles 1 - 2 mm long, pubescent. Flowers 6 - 7 mm
long, pale blue or greenish white with pink violet blotches, arranged densely in 5 - 20
mm long, supraaxillary few-flowered, 3 -14 fasciculate erect or patent racemes; pedicels
1 - 2 mm long; biacts lanceolate, acute, ca 1 mm long, 6 - 7-nerved, ciliate, caducous.
Sepals persistent; outer sepals unequal, ovate-lanceolate, elliptic, falcate, acute to
acuminate and long mucronate or aristate at apex, ciliate along margins, 1.5 - 3 x 0.8 -
1 mm; wing sepals falcate, obliquely ovate, broad at base, acute or acuminate and
mucronulate at apex, 6 - 7 x 3 - 4 mm, 5-nerved, green to greenish brown, ciliate along
margins. Petals 3-lobed; middle lobe 4 - 8 mm long, keeled, white with purple or violet
apex, crested with 16 - 20 filiform appendages in 2 bundles; lateral lobes obovate, as long
as middle. Staminal sheath free or adnate to base of petal, 2.5 - 3 mm long, hairy; free
portion of filaments arising at different levels on sheath, 1.5 - 2.5 mm long. Ovary
orbicular, emarginate at apex, ca 1 mm long, ciliate; style recurved, 4 - 5 mm long; stigma
bilobed, horse-shoe shaped. Capsules suborbicular, notched at apex, 5 - 7 mm across,
pubescent pilose, strongly ciliate along narrow marginal wings. Seeds obovoid or
ellipsoid, black, white silky hairy; caruncle hood-shaped, with 2 narrowly oblong mem-
branous appendages and a short tooth, yellowish.

Fl. & Fr. April - Jan.

Distrib. India: Moist evergreen forest edges, amidst grasses, 1500 m. Bihar, West
Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, S. China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia,

Philippines and New Guinea.
1993] POLYGAIACEAfi 465

del.
npb
1968

Fig. 88. Polygala chinensis L.: a. plant; b.flower;c. sepal; d. wing petal; e. keel petal;
f. stamens; g. ovary; h. fruit; i. seed.
466 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Notes. The photographs of type specimen of P. chinensis L. (Herb. Linnaeus 882.

6 at LINN) and off. glomerata Lour. ( at P) have been examined and compared with
authentic specimens of both species at CAL, and it became evident that both are
conspecific.

7. Polygala crotalarioides Buch.-Ham. ex D C , Prodr. 1:327.1824; Bennett in Fl.

Brit. India 1: 201.1872. P. crotalarioides var. glabrescens Collett & Hemsley in J. Linn.
Soc, Bot. 28: 22.1890.

Herbs or undershrubs, perennial, 10 - 30 cm high, erect; rootstock woody, tuberous;

stems woody and branched at base, villous; branches erect or spreading, terete, crisp
hairy. Leaves subsessile, elliptic, ovate, oblong or obovate to oblanceolate, cuneate or
acute at base, obtuse, rounded and often apiculate at apex, 1.5 - 6 x 0.8 - 2.8 cm, faintly
pellucid-dotted and finely villous on both surfaces. Flowers purple or purplish white,
short-pedicellate, 6 - 8 mm long, in leaf-opposed lateral or extra-axillary 1 - 3 cm long
dense-flowered pubescent racemes; bracts 2, subulate, ovate-lanceolate, 2 - 3 mm long,
persistent. Outer sepals lanceolate, 2.5 - 3 x 1.5 - 2 mm, hairy on margins; wing sepals
asymmetrical, obovate or oblanceolate, attenuate at base, obtuse, shortly mucronate at
apex, 4 - 6 x 3 - 3.5 mm, persistent, enlarging to 8 - 9 mm in fruit, ciliate along margins,
pinkish green with 9-11 subparallel nerves. Petals 6 - 8 mm long, pink, purple or purplish
white; middle lobe ciliate-margined from base upwards, 4 - 5 mm long, keeled with 3
bundles of linear filiform appendages; lateral lobes obovate, orbicular, ca.2.5 mm long,
hairy. Staminal sheath 2 - 4 mm long, adnate to lower portion of petals; free portion of
filaments less than 0.5 mm long. Ovary broadly obovoid to oblong, notched at apex, less
than 1 mm long, ciliate-margined; style curved, 4-5 mm long; stigma bidentate. Capsules
broadly oblong or orbicular, notched at apex, narrowly winged and ciliate along margins,
4 - 5 x 6 - 7 mm. Seeds ovoid, ca 3 x 2 mm, shiny black, densely appressed white silky;
caruncle hood-shaped, deeply 3-fid into narrow appendages, one-third as long as seed.

Fl. & Fr. May - Nov.

Distrib. India: Grasslands, forest edges and wastelands, 1000 - 2000 m. Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya,
Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, S. China, Vietnam and Thailand to E. Asia.

8. Polygala elongata Klein in Willd., Sp. PI. 3: 879.1802; Bennett in Fl. Brit. India
1: 203.1872, p. p.

Mai.: Periyanka; Tamil: Periyanka, Parappu-chedi.

Herbs, annual, erect, ascending or prostrate; branches 15 - 40 cm long; stems angled

near apex. Leaves subsessile, oblong or elliptic, oblanceolate to linear-lanceolate,
1993] POLYGALACEAE - 467

cuneate or attenuate at base, obtuse, subacute or retuse at apex, entire and reflexed
along margins, 3 - 60 x 1 -12 mm, glabrous on both surfaces or puberulous, chartaceous;
petioles up to 1.5 mm long. Flowers 6 - 8 mm long, yellow, in supra-axillary or terminal
up to 12 cm long racemes; pedicels 6 - 8 mm long, tomentose; bracts ca 1 mm long,
persistent. Outer sepals ovate, elliptic, acute and mucronate at apex, 1.5 - 2.5 x 0.6 -1.5
mm, ciliate along margins, glabrescent otherwise; wing sepals obliquely falcate, ovate or
elliptic, acute and mucronate at apex, 4 - 5 x 2 - 3 mm, sparsely ciliate or glabrous,
persistent. Petals 5 - 6 mm long, 3-lobed, yellow with brown streaks; middle lobe keeled,
with a crest of branched and shortly forked and notched appendages; lateral lobes
obovate, suborbicular, clawed at base, rounded at apex, ca 6 x 4 mm. Staminal sheath
free, up to 3 mm long; free portion of filaments up to 2 mm long, joined at different
levels. Styles curved, up to 4 mm long, hooked at apex, with stigma inside. Capsules
rhombate, obliquely emarginate at apex, inequilateral at base, narrowly margined, 4 -
6.5 x 2.5 - 4.5 mm, glabrous, ciliate. Seeds oblong-obovoid, 2.7 - 3.5 x 1.2 - 2 mm, black,
white silky pilose; caruncle pale brown, hood-shaped with 3 toothed or linear append-
ages.

Fl. July - Sept.; Fr. Sept. - Jan.

Distrib. India: Waste places, grasslands, roadsides, in plains and hills, on exposed
slopes, up to 1000 m. Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Goa,
Daman & Diu, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Notes. A decoction or the powder of the leaves is reported to be useful for

bileousness and constipation (Rama Rao, Fl. Travancore 26.1914).

9. Polygala erioptera D C , Prodr. 1: 326. 1824; Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1: 203.
1872. Fig. 89.

Herbs, annual or perennial, erect, ascending or prostrate, somewhat pubescent;

branches up to 60 cm long. Leaves subsessile, oblong to linear, elliptic-obovate, oblan-
ceolate, narrowed at base, revolute along margins, acute or obtuse and emarginate at
apex, 6 - 45 x 1 - 8 mm, glabrescent above, patently hairy near margins, tomentose
beneath. Flowers ca 4.5 mm long, pink or purple, solitary or in up to 3.5 cm long
condensed leaf-opposed or extra-axillary racemes; pedicels up to 2 mm long; bracts
persistent, shorter than pedicels. Sepals persistent; outer sepals ovate-lanceolate to
ovate-elliptic, acute-mucronate at apex, concave, 1.5 - 2.5 x 0.7 -1.2 mm, unequal, hyaline
along margins, glabrous to densely hairy outside; wing sepals elliptic-obovate, oblong,
obtuse to subobtuse, sometimes apiculate, 4 - 5 x 2 - 2.7 mm, 3 - 5-nerved with
anastomosing veinlets leaving a hyaline zone along margins, sparsely patently hairy
outside, membranous in fruit. Petals 3-lobed, pink; middle lobe keeled, 2.5 - 4.5 mm
long, with a crest of 2 bundles of filiform pale pink appendages; lateral lobes deltoid,
ovate, subacute, ca 3 x 4 mm. Staminal sheath free or slightly adnate to middle lobe of
petal, ca 1.5 mm long; free portion of filaments ca 1.5 mm long. Ovary ovoid, ca 1 mm
468 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 89. Polygala erioptera DC.: a. branch with flowers; b. sepals; c. petals; d. corolla;
e. crest of keel petal; f. appendage of crest; h. filament and anther; h. pistil;
i. capsule; j . seed.
1993] POLYGALACEAE 469

long, pilose; style curved, broadened at middle, up to 3 mm long; stigma capitate.

Capsules oblong, ellipsoid, obliquely notched, margined, 3.5 - 5 x 2 - 2.5 mm, pubescent.
Seeds oblong, ca 3 x 1.5 mm, black, densely pilose; caruncle galeate, bristly crustaceous,
lined by 3 membranous appendages.

FL&Fr. Jan.-Dec.

Distrib. India: Waste places, cultivated fields, fallow lands, roadsides, scrub jungles.
Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajas-
than, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

Myanmar, Pakistan, West Asia and Africa.

10. Polygala furcata Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 3:78, t. 19B (1 - 4). 1834. P. triphylla
D. Don, Prodr. 200.1825, non Burm. f. 1768. P. triphylla \zr.glaucescens (Royle) Bennett
in Fl. Brit. India 1: 201.1872, p. p.

Nep.: Phabare-ghans.

Herbs, erect, 4 - 25 cm high, glabrous; stems slender, narrowly winged in upper

portions, dichotomously branched at apex, often bearing a raceme at the point of
dichotomy. Leaves opposite below, crowded towards top, elliptic or ovate-lanceolate,
attenuate at base, subacute at apex, 1 - 6 x 0.5 - 3.5 cm, membranous, ciliate along
margins, appressed pubescent above, glabrous beneath; lateral nerves 5 - 6 pairs; petioles
5 - 1 0 mm long, glabrous. Flowers yellow, 4 - 5 mm long, usually secund in axillary,
terminal or lateral, long-peduncled up to 8 cm long, glabrous racemes; bracts 2-3, linear,
1-2 mm long, glabrous, caducous. Outer sepals unequal, ovate or narrow-ovate, clawed
at base, obtuse or subacute at apex, 2 - 3 mm long; wing sepals oblong, clawed-attenuate
at base, obtuse at apex, 1.5-2 mm long, petaloid, deciduous. Petals 3 - 3.5 mm long;
lateral petals oblong, obtuse; keel petal crested with 2 flap-like appendages at back near
apex. Stamens 6 - 8; sheath almost completely adnate to petals; filaments free, ca 1.5
mm long. Ovary laterally compressed, ca 2 mm long; styles curved, broadened towards
apex, 3.5 - 4 mm long; stigma urceolate, 2-lipped. Capsules obovate, suborbicular,
truncate or emarginate at apex, narrowly winged, ca 2.5 x 2 mm across, glabrous; wings
1 - 2 mm wide above, lesser towards base. Seeds ellipsoid, oblong or rounded, ca 1.7 x
0.8 mm, shiny black with white hairs; caruncle hood-shaped, usually with 2 (-4) mem-
branous appendages, white; strophiole cylindric, obliquely truncate.

Fl. & Fr. (Jan.-) June - Dec.

Distrib. India: Subtropical to temperate regions, grassy slopes. Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Aruna-
chal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Orissa, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra
and Andhra Pradesh.
470 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and S. China.

11. Polygala globulifera Dunn in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 35:486.1903; Mukerjee in Bull.
Bot. Soc. Bengal 12:33.1958. Fig. 90.

Shrubs, 2 - 3 m tall; branches glabrous or sparsely puberulous. Leaves elliptic-lan-

ceolate, ovate-elliptic, acute at base, acute to long acuminate or apiculate at apex, entire,
(8-) 1 0 - 2 0 (-24) x (2-) 5 - 7 (8.5) cm, glabrous above, sparsely pubescent on nerves
beneath; lateral nerves 10 -15 pairs; petioles 8 -15 mm long, glabrous. Flowers 8 - 1 0
mm long, in terminal or leaf-opposed, 8 - 35 cm long racemes; pedicels 6-10 mm long,
sparsely puberulous. Outer lateral sepals ovate, 2 - 2.5 mm long; solitary sepal keeled,
4 - 4.5 mm long; wing sepals narrowly oblong, 7 - 1 0 mm long. Petals joined above the
middle; lobes almost similar in length, midlobe keeled with a globular crest of plicate
convolute appendages. Capsules red when fresh, blackish when dry, 10 -15 mm in diam.;
wing 1 - 2.5 (-3) mm broad, glabrous. Seeds 5-6 mm in diam., smooth; caruncle cupular,
covering half portion on one side and almost completely on the other side.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Leaves elliptic or ovate-elliptic, acute or apiculate at apex; racemes usually shorter than leaves
11.1. var. globulifera
b. Leaves lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, long acuminate at apex; racemes elongated, lax, usually much
longer than leaves 11.2. var. kachinensis

11.1. var. globulifera

Fl. May - July; Fr. Aug. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

Nepal, Myanmar and China.

11.2. var. kachinensis (Mukerjee) R. N. Banerjee in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 26: 6.
1985. P. arillata forma kachinensis Mukerjee in Bull. Bot. Soc. Bengal 12: 30.1958.

Fl. Feb. - April; Fr. Aug. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Arunachal Pradesh.

Myanmar.
1993 ] POLYGALACEAE 47*

Fig. 90. Polygala globulifera Dunn: a. flowering branch; b. flower; c. crest of keel petal;
d. corolla opened to show pistil and stamens; e. pistil.
472 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

12. Polygala irregularis Boiss., Diagn. ser. 1,1: 8.1842 & Fl. Orient. 1: 469.1867;
Cooke, Fl. Pres. Bombay 1: 61.1901.

Herbs, perennial or annual, pubescent with usually spreading or widely ascending

15 - 40 cm long branches from woody base; stems with conspicuous cicatrices of fallen
leaves. Lower leaves obovatc, 1 5 - 2 0 x 2 - 3 mm; upper leaves linear-oblong, lanceolate,
attenuate at base, retuse, obtuse or acute, mucronate at apex, recurved along margins,
25 - 40 x 3 - 5 mm, pubcrulous on both surfaces, coriaceous. Flowers in 5 -12 cm long
lateral or terminal racemes; pedicels 1.5-2 mm long, hairy, pendulous, thickened at
apex; bracts 3, ovate, strongly keeled, acute, ciliolate, 1.5-2 mm long, hairy, cadu-
cous. Sepals persistent, hairy; outer sepals linear-oblong to ovate, hyaline and ciliolate
along margins, ca 2 mm long; wing sepals obliquely ovate or obovate, gibbous at base,
ca 4.5 x 2.5 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy above, greenish white with purple or green
arched veins. Petals pink or purple; middle lobe 3.5 - 5 mm long with crested keel; lateral
lobes obovate, cuncate at base, truncate at apex, obscurely undulate along margins, 3 -
5 x 3 - 4 mm, ciliate at base. Staminal sheath 1.5 - 2 mm long. Ovary orbicular, glabrous;
styles ca 3 mm long; stigma hooded, concave. Capsules obliquely obovate or orbicular,
emarginate, winged, 3 - 4 mm in diam., glabrous. Seeds obovoid, conical, acute at apex,
sericeous, crowned by bulbous-based hairs; caruncle lateral, 2-lobed, inconspicuous,
cuneiform, pendent.

Fl. Dec; Fr. Jan. - Oct.

Distrib. India: Sandy plains and open gravely ground. Jammu & Kasmir, Punjab,
Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajaslhan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Pakistan, Iran and West Asia to N.E. Africa.

13. Polygala jacobii Chandrab. in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 9:288 - 290.1967. P. dunnii
Panigr. in Kew Bull. 29: 655.1974.

Herbs, perennial; branches arising from rootstock, slender, sparsely branched, erect
or decumbent-ascending, 5 - 60 cm long; slightly grooved, brownish, tomentose, glandu-
lar. Leaves oblong-obovate, elliptic to oblanceolate, narrowed at base, obtuse, rounded,
retuse or emarginate and mucronate at apex, 3 - 45 x2 -15 mm, glabrous above, glaucous
and sparsely pubescent on nerves beneath; petioles 1 -1.5 mm long, pubescent. Flowers
ca 6 mm long, yellow, solitary or in axillary, extra-axillary or often leaf-opposed, 1 - 3.5
cm long 5 - 10-flowered racemes; bracts persistent; pedicels 2 - 3 mm long, accrescent,
up to 3.5 mm long, winged. Outer sepals ovate, lanceolate, acute or acuminate, 1 - 3 x
1 -1.8 mm, 1-nerved, ciliate, hyaline along margins; wing sepals falcate, obliquely ovate,
acuminate, mucronate, 3 - 8 x 1.5 - 4.5 mm, 5 - 7-ncrved, persistent. Petals yellow;
midlobe glabrous at base, undulate along margins, ca 4 mm long, keeled, crested behind
near apex, with stalked bifurcate filiform forked fimbriate appendages; lateral lobes
suborbicular, clawed at base, ca 4 mm across. Staminal sheath ca 1.5 mm long, free from
1993] POLYGALACEAB 473

petals; free portion of filaments ca 2 mm long, bears 8 anthers at different levels. Styles
laterally compressed, curved, widened and hooked at apex. Capsules suborbicular or
laterally elliptic, oblique at base, notched at apex, unequally bilobcd, 3 - 5 x 4 - 6.5 mm,
ciliate along narrow margins. Seeds ovoid or obovoid, ca 4 mm long, black brown,
appressedly stiff silky hairy; caruncle hood-shaped, 3-lobed; lobes flat, covering almost
two-third the length of seed, membranous, creamy white.

Fl.&Fr. May-Dec.

Distrib. India. Weed among grasses in wet lands, riversides and waste places.
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Sri Lanka.

14. Polygala japonica Houtt., Handl. 10, t. 62, f. 1. 1779. P. khasyana Hassk. in
Miq., Ann. Mus. 1:176.1864. P. sibirica auct. non L. 1753; Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1:
205.1872, p. p.

Herbs, perennial, prostrate or ascending; rootstock thickened, woody, rhizomatous;

stems terete, short hairy, 10 - 20 cm long. Leaves subsessilc, ovate, elliptic to linear-
lanceolate, acute, 2 - 15 x 3 - 8 mm, recurved along margins, prominently reticulate-
veined, mostly pubcrulous on midrib and margins, faintly pellucid-dotted; petioles up
to 1 mm long. Flowers purple to lavender blue, in lateral 1 - 3 cm long, few-flowered
racemes; bracts small, pubcrulous, caducous. Outer sepals lanceolate, acute, puberu-
lous; wing sepals ovate-elliptic, acute, mucronate, up to 6 mm in fruit, 3 - 5-nerved.
Lateral lobes of petals suboblong, ciliate and hairy at the adnation with the staminal
tube; midlobe keeled with 2 bundles of fringe-like appendages. Staminal tube short
ciliate at the adnation with lateral petals; anthers sessile. Ovary suboblong, glabrous;
style long, somewhat curved, not widened above; stigmas 2, spaced, 1 apical and the
other lateral on slightly knob-like base. Capsules suborbicular, emarginate at apex,
winged along margins, 4 - 5 mm across, slightly shorter than wing sepals. Seeds
flattened-ovoid, ca 3 mm long, black, puberulous; caruncle hood-shaped with 3 mem-
branous appendages covering almost half the seed.

Fl. Aug. - Sept.

Distrib. India: Roadsides, grasslands, 500 - 2000 m. Mcghalaya.

China, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines and New Guinea.

15. Polygala javana D C , Prodr. 1:324.1824; Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1:201.1872.
P. raoii R. N. Banerjee & L. K. Banerjee in Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 21(B): 218 - 220.
1975. P. sibirica var. heyneana Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1:205.1872, p. p. P. javana var.
angustifolia Thwaites, Enum. PI. Zeyl. 22.1864.
474 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Tam.: Selagachedi.

Herbs and undershrubs, erect-ascending, 15 - 100 cm high; stems woody at base;

branches slender, divaricate. Leaves subsessile, obovate, oblanceolate or elliptic-oblong
to linear-oblong, cuneate or attenuate at base, obtuse or rounded and mucronulate or
apiculate at apex, entire, (5-) 15 - 45 x (2-) 5 - 2 0 mm, rusty strigose on both surfaces;
petioles 1-2 mm long, puberulous. Flowers 7 - 8 mm long, yellow with purple crest, in
extra-axillary terminal or leaf-opposed, erect or pendulous, 2 - 9 cm long 5 - 15-flowered
racemes; bracts 3, ovate, 1 - 3 x 0.5 - 1 mm, puberulous, persistent or rarely caducous;
pedicels up to 6 mm long. Sepals 5, unequal, puberulous, yellow; outer sepals broadly
ovate or lanceolate to elliptic-oblong, acute or subacute and mucronate at apex, 1.5 -
4 x 1.2 - 2.5 mm, puberulous; wing sepals broadly ovate, triangular, cordate at base,
obtuse or subacute and mucronate at apex, 6 -12 x 4 - 9 mm, distinctly veined, puberulous,
yellowish at first, afterwards pale green or reddish violet, persistent. Petals 3, adnate at
base for half the length, yellow; lateral petals ovate or elliptic-oblong, ca 3 mm long; keel
petal 4 - 5 mm long, pale yellowish or green with violet multifid filiform ca 2 mm long
crest at back of apex. Stamens 8, pinkish; sheath 2 - 4 mm long, encircling the style; free
portion of filaments 0.5 - 0.7 mm long; anthers oblong-ovoid. Ovary stipitate, obcordate,
up to 1 mm long, velutinous; style curved, broadened towards the middle, up to 5 mm
long; stigma subterminal, funnel-shaped, violet. Capsules enclosed in persistent wing
sepals, broadly oblong or suborbicular, notched at apex, margined, 4 - 6 x 3 - 5 mm,
puberulous. Seeds oblongoid, ca 4 x 2.5 mm, densely stiff-pubescent; caruncle hood-
shaped, 3-armed, with 2 arms larger and winged, as long as and covering the seed.

Fl.&Fr. March - Sept.

Distrib. India: Dry regions, grassy fields, roadsides and forest edges,on exposed
slopes, up to 1000 m. S. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia.

16. Polygala karensium Kurz in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 41(2): 292. 1872; Mukerjee
in Bull. Bot. Soc. Bengal 12: 32 - 33.1958. Fig. 91.

Shrubs, erect, ca 2 m high, glabrous; stem and branches slender, blackish. Leaves
ovate-lanceolate, attenuate at base, acuminate at apex, 8 -10 x 2.5 - 3.5 cm, olive green
above, glaucous beneath, thin, membranous; petioles up to 15 mm long. Flowers in up
to 10 cm long axillary or terminal racemes; pedicels ca 4 mm long, recurved; bracts 3,
linear-lanceolate, 2 - 3 mm long; flowers white, tipped purple. Outer sepals obovate, 3
- 3.5 x 2 mm; outer solitary sepal boat-shaped, hooded, ca 3.5 mm long; wing sepals
obovate, ca 17 x 6 mm. Petals up to 28 mm long, pinkish red; lateral lobes ca 5 mm long;
crest 2 - 5-lobed. Staminal sheath membranous; free portion of filaments ca 2 mm long.
Styles filiform below, expanding and curved towards apex, ca 25 mm long; stigma
capitate, opposite to a blunt projection. Disc cupular, wavy along margins, ca 1.5 mm
1993] POLYGALACEAE 475

Fig. 91. Polygala karensium Kurz : a. branch; b. flower with inner sepals removed; c.
petals; d. keel petal; e. pistil; f. outer sepal; g. capsule; h. seed.
ilf, FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

across. Capsules orbicular, broadly winged, emarginate, ca 5 mm across. Seeds obo-

void, ca 2 mm long, densely white hairy; caruncle 3-appendiculate, white.

Fl. Nov. - Jan.; Fr. March - Oct.

Distrib. India: Grassy slopes and edges of forests, 1000 - 2000 m. Sikkim, Arunachal
Pradesh and Meghalaya.

Bhutan, Myanmar and Vietnam.

17. Polygala linarifolia Willd., Sp. PI. 3: 877. 1803. P. chinensis L. var. linarifolia
(Willd.) Chodat in Mem. Soc. Phys. Nat. Hist. 31 (2): 386.1893. Fig. 92.

Herbs, erect, prostrate or ascending, up to 35 cm high; branches arising from base,

terete or somewhat angled above, tomentose. Leaves subsessile, linear to narrowly
lanceolate, apiculate at apex, 4 - 5 x 0.5 - 1 cm, strongly single-nerved, glabrous and dark
green above, pale and scarcely ciliate on nerves beneath; petioles ca 1 mm long. Flowers
yellow, 5 - 7 mm long, in leaf-opposed up to 2 cm long many-flowered glabrous racemes;
bracteoles minute, caducous; pedicels drooping, 2 - 3 mm long, glabrous. Outer sepals
oblong-obovate, ca 2 mm long; wing sepals green, ovate-lanceolate, asymmetrical,
curved, apiculate, ca 7 mm long, ciliate hairy outside, glabrous inside. Midlobe of petal
ca 5 mm long; lateral lobes ca 3 mm long. Ovary subsessile, obovate, ca 1.5 mm long,
ciliate at apex. Capsules obcordatc, unequal and emarginate at apex, narrowly winged,
glabrous on surface, patently ciliate along margins; caruncle of seeds 3-lobed.

Fl. & Fr. April - Nov.

Distrib. India: Along slopes of dried up water courses, moist meadows near forests,
up to 1000 m. Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Megha-
laya, Tripura, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil
Nadu and Kerala.

Nepal, S.W. China, Thailand, Vietnam and Malesia.

18. Polygala longifolia Poiret in Lam., Encycl. 5:501.1804. P. leptalea D C , Prodr.

1: 325.1824; Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1: 202.1872.

Herbs, 20 - 60 cm high; stems slender, erect, usually unbranched, sometimes

branched, sharply angular or deeply furrowed, ribbed, glabrous. Leaves subsessile,
1-nerved, pale beneath; basal leaves obovate, linear to elliptic or oblong-lanceolate,
attenuate at base, rounded at apex, revolute along margins, 10 - 25 x 5 mm; upper leaves
linear-oblong or linear-lanceolate, narrowed at base, acute to subacute and mucronulate
at apex, 15 - 40 x 2 - 4 mm, glabrous. Flowers 2 - 3 mm long, pink or purplish white,
densely arranged in terminal 3 -18 cm long racemes, bracts linear to subtriangular, acute,
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478 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

ca 1 mm long, caducous, puberulous; pedicels ca 1 mm long. Sepals persistent; outer

sepals elliptic-obovate or lanceolate to oblanceolate, obtuse or acute, 1.5 - 3 mm long,
puberulous along margins, green; wing sepals broadly elliptic, narrowed at base, obtuse
at apex, 2.5 - 4 x 1.5 - 2.5 mm, broader above the middle, 3-nerved. Petals purple or
pinkish red; middle lobe keeled, ca 2 mm long, crested with one bundle of 4 - 6 flattened
incised appendages; lateral lobes obliquely subtriangular to obovate, 2.5 - 3.5 mm long,
hairy inside. Staminal sheath 1 - 2 mm long; free portion of filaments up to 1 mm long,
united at same level; anthers ca 1 mm long, oblong. Ovary obovate, ca 1 mm long,
glabrous; style curved, ca 1 mm long; stigma rounded. Capsules oblong or broadly
obovate, notched at apex, narrowly winged along margins, 3 - 4 mm long, ca 2.5 mm
wide, glabrous, enclosed in persistent up to 5 mm long wing sepals. Seeds narrowly
oblong-ellipsoid, ca 2 x 1 mm, black with short appressed white silky hairs; caruncle
small, membranous, 3-fid to the base, with very narrow sinuses and short lobes.

Fl. & Fr. June - Jan.

Distrib. India: Along borders of forests, shaded places, amidst grass. Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh,
Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and
Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, S. China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Phil-
ippines and Australia.

19. Polygala mariesii Hemsley in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 23: 61, t. 2B, ff. 7 -13. 1886;
Sparre & Fischer in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1929: 252.1929; Chowdhuri in Bull. Bot. Surv.
India 12: 263.1970. Fig. 93.

Shrubs, ca 3 m tall; branches greenish. Leaves crowded at ends of branches,

elliptic-lanceolate, attenuate at base, acute at apex, 4.5 -12 x 1.2 - 2.9 cm, glabrous on
both surfaces, subcoriaceous; petioles 1 -1.5 cm long. Flowers greenish yellow or brown,
in 2 - 22 cm long pendulous axillary or terminal glabrous racemes; bracts caducous;
pedicels 3 - 4 mm long. Outer solitary sepal 3 - 4 x 2 - 3 mm; outer paired sepals 2 - 3 x
1-2 mm; wing sepals 1 1 - 1 3 x 5 - 7 mm. Petals 3-lobed, yellow, turning purple; middle
lobe 1.5 -1.7 cm long; lateral lobes 2 - 3 mm long; sinus rounded Filaments 3 - 4 mm
long. Ovary oblong, stipitate, 2 - 3 mm long, glabrous; style 1.3 - 1.5 cm long; stigma
capitate. Disk cupular. Capsules compressed, clavate, winged. Seeds brown pilose,
hairs ca 5 mm long.

Fl. March - May; Fr. June - Oct.

Distrib. India: On rocky slopes along the river banks above flood level. Arunachal
Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya.
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480 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Bhutan and China.

20. Polygala persicariifolia D C , Prodr. 1: 326. 1824; Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1:
202.1872 ( as persicariaefolia).

Herbs, 10 - 65 cm high; stems terete, erect or decumbent, dichotomously branched

at top or simple and arising directly from base, finely crisp-haired. Leaves alternate,
subsessile, ovate-oblong, lanceolate, elliptic or linear-oblong, subacute or cuneate at
base, acute or subacute and mucronate at apex, 15 - 65 x3 - 20 mm, revolute or flat along
margins, glabrous, sparsely pubescent or strigose along nerves below; basal leaves
smaller. Flowers 3 - 5 mm long, rose-purple or reddish-violet with pink streaks, in 4 -
14 cm long terminal and extra-axillary or leaf-opposed, erect or patent racemes; pedicels
1 - 3 mm long, downwardly directed; bracts 3, lanceolate, 1 - 2 mm long, persistent.
Sepals persistent; outer sepals elliptic-oblong, lanceolate, obtuse, subequal, 2.5 - 3 mm
long, puberulous on margins; wing sepals rounded, broadly obliquely obovate to subor-
bicular, rounded at apex, 5 - 6 mm long, 4 - 5 mm wide, petaloid, glabrescent or
puberulous on margins, 3 - 5-nerved, reddish. Petals pink, purple or yellowish with
purple streaks, hairy inside; middle lobe ca 6 mm long, keeled with a crest of 2 - 3 bundles
of linear membranous forked appendages; lateral lobes obliquely oblong, smaller.
Staminal sheath adherent to petals, 1.5 - 2.5 mm long; free portion of filaments ca 1.2
mm long. Ovary obovoid, less than 1 mm long, ciliate along margins; style curved,
widened towards middle, broadened at apex, ca 3 mm long; stigma oblique, lateral.
Capsules elliptic, obcordate, symmetrical at base, very narrowly winged, emarginate at
apex, compressed, 5 - 6 x 4 - 4.5 mm, membranous, marginally winged, ciliate along
margins towards upper portion. Seeds oblong-ellipsoid, 3 - 3.5 x 1.3 - 1.5 mm, shiny
reddish black, hirsute with dense silky light brownish or white hairs; caruncle hood-
shaped, 3-lobed with short blunt lobes and very narrow sinuses.

Fl. May - July; Fr. Aug. - Nov.

Distrib. India: In grassy shaded slopes on black humus soil. Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,
Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Orissa, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

» Nepal, Bhutan, S. China, Vietnam, Indonesia (Java only), Philippines, N. Australia

and Tropical E. Africa.

21. Polygala rosmarinifolia Wight & Arn., Prodr. 1: 37.1834; Bennett in Fl. Brit.
India 1: 204.1872.

Herbs, erect, decumbent or prostrate, up to 45 cm high, branching upwards;

branches densely appressed-pubescent. Leaves sessile or subsessile, linear, elliptic or
very rarely oblong or oblanceolate, attenuate at base, thickened and recurved along
1993 ] POLYGALACEAE 481

margins, acute or acuminate and apiculate at apex, (5-) 10 - 40 (-55) x 2 - 4 (-6) mm,
erect, hairy on upper surface, pubescent beneath, densely so on midrib; petioles up to
0.5 mm long. Flowers ca 4.5 mm long, yellow, rarely solitary or in lateral extra-axillary
or axillary, erect, up to 3 cm long 3 - 8-flowered racemes; bracts caducous; bracteoles
3, ovate, ca 1 mm long, tomentose, ciliate along margins, persistent; pedicels erect,
pubescent, ca 1.5 mm long in flowers, up to 2.5 mm long in fruit. Oulri sepals with pale
yellow or chocolate-coloured tips, ovate to obovate or lanceolate, acute-mucronate at
apex, 2 - 2.5 x 0.4 -1.2 mm, ciliate along margins, patently hairy; wing sepals obliquely
oblong or elliptic, acute or short acuminate at apex, ca 4.5 x 2 - 3 mm, glabrous, ciliate
along margins, subparallely 5-nerved, persistent. Petals yellow with red markings;
middle lobe up to 3 mm long, keeled with a crest of forked filiform appendages on back,
3.5 - 4 mm long; lateral lobes suborbicular, spathulate, truncate, 2.5 - 3 x 2 mm,
membranous, prominently nerved, wrinkled. Staminal sheath up to 1.5 mm long; lateral
pairs of filaments subconnate, terminal filaments free or up to 0.6 mm long; anthers
oblong, up to 0.4 mm long. Ovary obliquely obcordate, emarginate, ca 3 mm across,
ciliate along margins; style up to 3 mm long, curved, broadened towards the horse-shoe
shaped apex; stigma lateral, capitate. Capsules rhombate or obliquely obcordate,
inequilateral at base, emarginate at apex, narrowly winged and ciliate along margins,
4 - 5 x 2.5 - 3 mm. Seeds oblong, subcylindrical, truncate at apex, 2.5 - 3 x 1 -1.5 mm,
black, brownish hirsute; caruncle hood-shaped with 2 oblong curved ca 0.8 mm long
appendages and a short tooth.

Fl. & Fr. Jan. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Open hilly grasslands, roadsides, cleared areas, 500 -2000 m. Orissa,
Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Sri Lanka.

22. Polygala sibirica L., Sp. PI. 702.1753; Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1: 205.1872, p.
p. P. heyneana Wight & Am., Prodr. 1: 38.1834, p. p. Fig. 94.

Herbs, perennial, erect or decumbent, 10 - 45 cm lonf, pubescent; stems slender,

many, deep-rooted, ascending from base, crispate-pubescent Leaves linear-oblong to
elliptic-lanceolate, rounded or attenuate at base, acute-mucronulate at apex, flat or
recurved along margins, 6 - 35 x 2 -10 mm, coriaceous, scabrid above, hairy on nerves
beneath; lateral nerves 3 - 9 pairs, veinlets prominently reticulate; petioles ca 1 mm long,
hairy. Racemes leaf-opposed or terminal, 2 - 10 cm long, elongating in fruit; bracts
linear-lanceolate, 3 - 4 mm long, puberulous, caducous; pedicels 3 - 4 mm long, slender,
elongating and recurved in fruit, pubescent. Flowers deep bluish purple, 6 - 7 mm long.
Sepals green with purple edges, pubescent, persistent; outer sepals subequal, oblong-
ovate to linear-lanceolate, concave, subacute, 2.5 - 3.5 x 1.5 - 2 mm; wing sepals falcately
ovate-lanceolate or obovate, narrowed at base, acute, obtuse or rounded at apex, falcate
or oblique, 5 - 8 x 2 - 4 mm, membranous, 3 - 7-nerved, glabrous, ciliate or puberulous
482 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

b cm

Fig. 94. Polygala sibirica L.: a. habit; b. flower; c. sepals; d-e. petals,with stamens and
pistil; f. stamens and pistil.
1993] POLYGALACEAE 483

along margins. Petals lavender blue; lateral lobes linear-oblong, obtuse, mucronate, 4 -
5 mm long; middle lobe rounded, keeled, 5 - 6 mm long, with a much-branched
linear-appendaged white crest on back near apex. Stamens 8; filaments connate at
different levels in a sheath, more or less encircling the ovary, not adherent to petals, up
to 2.5 mm long, free portion up to 1 mm long. Ovary subglobose, glabrous; style ca 6
mm long, enlarged and curved at apex; stigma terminal, bidentate, superposed. Cap-
sules suborbicular, obcordate, narrowly 1 - 2 mm wide winged along margins, notched
at apex, 4 - 5 x 5 - 6 mm, glabrous. Seeds oblong-ellipsoid, 3 - 4 x 2 - 2.5 mm, sparsely
minutely white pilose, dark brown; caruncle 3-fid, the longer arm ca 2.5 mm long, the
shorter arms ca 1.5 mm long, covering half to two-third the length of the seed.

Fl.&Fr. Mar.-Dec.

Distrib. India: Grasslands, cleared forests, roadsides in damp soil, 1500 to 2800 m.
Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, entire N.E.
India, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, S. & S.W. China and E. Asia, extending to
Europe.

23. Polygala tartarinowii Regel in Bull. Soc. Nat. Moscou 34(2): 523. 1861. P.
triphylla auct. non D. Don; Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1: 201.1872; Pal & Giri in J. Econ.
Tax. Bot. 14: 226, ff. A - C. 1990. Fig. 95.

Herbs, annual, erect, 5 -18 cm high; stems slender, simple or sparingly branched,
glabrous, faintly ribbed. Leaves ovate to broadly obovate, suborbicular, spathulate or
rounded, obtuse or acutely decurrent at base, obtuse-mucronulate or acute at apex, 7 -
40 x 2 - 20 mm, shortly hairy, ciliate; petioles 3 - 10 mm long, up to 15 mm in fruit,
sometimes subulate, ciliate along margins. Flowers rose-red to purple, ca 3 mm long, in
1 - 8 cm long terminal or axillary dense racemes; peduncles 3 - 2 5 mm long, subtended
by 2 - 3 leaves; pedicels ca 1 mm long in fruits; bracts 2 - 3 , lanceolate, 1.5 - 2 mm long,
membranous, caducous; bracteoles lanceolate, 0.5 - 1 mm long, early caducous. Sepals
caducous, rugose; outer sepals concave, subovate, blunt, 1.5 - 2 mm long; wing sepals
orbicular, obovate or spathulate, narrowed below, obtuse at apex, 2 - 3.5 mm long, 3 -
5-nerved. Petals deep yellow or pinkish; middle lobe keeled, orbicular at apical part,
3 - 4 mm long, split at apex, not crested, papillose; lateral lobes oblong, longer than keel
petal. Staminal sheath adnate to lower part of petals, glabrous inside; anthers globular.
Ovary subglobose; style flattened, curved, trumpet-shaped and obliquely cut at apex, ca
2.5 mm long; stigma hooded at the shortest end of the trumpet. Capsules discoid,
rounded, subquadrangular, narrowly winged along margins, notched or emarginate at
apex with a short blunt acumen, ca 2 x 2.5 mm, 2-papillate at apex, rugose. Seeds
oblong-ellipsoid, black, shortly white silky hairy; caruncle small, hooded, 3-lobed with 2
minute rounded thin appendages.
484 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

r4 4i

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E20£ M)
mm
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Fig. 95. Polygala tartarinowii Regel.: a. habit; b. flower with sepals separated; c.
petals, split open; d. stamens, adnate to corolla; e. pistil; f. fruit, with 2 seeds.
1993] POLYGALACEAE 485

Fl. March - Aug.; Fr. April - Oct.

Distrib. India: Subtropical open grassy places, 600 - 2000 m. Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh,
Assam, Meghalaya, and Madhya Pradesh.

Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and China to Japan and S.E. Asia, up to
Philippines.

24. Polygala telephioides Willd., Sp. PI. 3(2): 876.1802; Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1:
205.1872.

Herbs, 5 - 30 cm high, with a woody rootstock; stems usually unbranched, prostrate,

ascending or rarely erect, terete below, angled above, velutinous or sericeous. Leaves
sessile, or subsessile, elliptic, obovate, oblong or linear-oblanceolate, attenuate at base,
obtuse or acute and mucronate at apex, recurved along margins, 5 - 30 x 2 - 8 mm,
glabrous or sericeous on both surfaces; nerves prominent beneath, obscure above;
petioles up to 1 mm long, spreading, exposing internodes. Flowers ca 3 mm long, violet
or blue, crowded in leaf-opposed or lateral up to 12 mm long racemes; bracts caducous.
Outer sepals linear-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, acute, mucronate, concave, 1 - 2 x
0.5 - 1.2 mm, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, ciliate along margins; wing-sepals
obliquely elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, apiculate at apex, ca 5 x 3 mm, 3 -
5-nerved, glabrous or sericeous, persistent. Petals blue, ca 4 mm long; middle lobe
keeled, crested with stalked capitate finger-like appendages on back near apex; lateral
lobes obovate, subobtuse, ca 1.5 mm long. Staminal sheath adherent to base of petals,
ca 1.8 mm long, split for two-third the length; filaments 8, arising at different levels from
sheath, with 2 free filaments in the middle and 2 bundles of 3 connate filaments on either
side with sessile anthers. Ovary orbicular, flat, pilose along margins; styles bent, broad-
ened at middle and apex, ca 3 mm long, glabrous; stigma hooded. Capsules enclosed in
wing sepals, broadly ovoid or suborbicular, emarginate at apex, ca 2.5 mm across,
glabrous, sericeous along margins. Seeds oblongoid or cylindrical, obtuse, ca 3 mm long,
silky hairy; caruncle hood-shaped, with 3 linear short appendages.

Fl. & Fr. Aug. - Jan.

Distrib. India: Sandy humus soil in open grasslands along moist situations, up to
1000 m. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Sri Lanka, S. China, Malaysia and Philippines.

25. Polygala tricholopha Chodat in Mem. Soc. Phys. Geneva 31(2): 98,1.17, f. 20.
1898. P. arillata sensu Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1: 200.1872, p. p. Fig. 96.

Mani.: Yup-Nga-Lap.
486 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 96. Polygala tricholopha Chodat: a. branch with flowers and fruits; b. flower with
sepals separated; c. petals, split open; d. capsule.
1993 ] POLYGALACEAE 487

Shrubs, often straggling; stems with projecting cicatrices of fallen leaves. Leaves
elliptic, oblong, 9 - 15 x 3 - 5 cm, coriaceous, glabrous above, pale and subglaucous
beneath; petioles 5 - 1 0 mm long. Flowers 16 - 17 mm long, in leaf-opposed or
extra-axillary or sometimes terminal 9 - 10 cm long paniculate racemes with zig-zag
rachis; bracts and bracteoles caducous; petioles 5 - 1 0 mm long. Sepals ciliolate,
caducous; outer paired ones ovate to suborbicular, obtuse and often emarginate at apex,
3 - 4 mm long, ciliate; outer solitary sepal gibbous, 5 - 7 mm long; wing sepals elliptic,
revolute along margins, 6 - 6.5 mm long, many-nerved. Petals 3-lobed, 10 -13 mm long;
middle lobe keeled, 6 - 8 mm long with 1-3 mm long pedicellate crests. Stamens 3 -
3.5 mm long; filaments free above; anthers conical. Ovary ovate; styles ca 6 mm long,
dilated above; stigma unequally bilobed, pointed above, capitate. Capsules elliptic to
suborbicular, winged, beaked, 4 - 7 x 6 - 7 mm, dark reddish purple, glabrous. Seeds
subglobose, black; caruncle large, helmet-shaped.

Fl. June - Aug.; Fr. Sept. - Jan.

Distrib. India: 1000 - 2000 m West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya.

Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia (Sumatra).

26. Polygala umbonata Craib in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1916: 260.1916; Mukerjee in
Bull. Bot. Soc. Bengal 12: 35. 1958. P. triphylla sensu Haines in Bot. Bihar Orissa 42.
1925, non Burm. f. 1798, nee D. Don 1825.

Herbs, annual, 15 - 20 cm high; stems weak, grooved, glabrous, dichotomous above.

Leaves lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate, tapering at base, mucronate at apex, 4.5 - 6 x 2 - 3
cm, setulose along margins, membranous, glabrous above, sparsely pubescent and pale
beneath; petioles 8-10 mm long. Flowers 4 - 5 mm long, in axillary or terminal glabrous
racemes; pedicels 1 - 1.2 mm long; bracts longer than pedicels, narrow, deciduous.
Sepals 5, outer paired sepals 1 -1.5 mm long; outer solitary sepal ovate, ca 2 mm long;
wing sepals obovate, cuneate at base, rounded at apex, 3.7 - 4x3 - 3.5 mm. Petals 3-lobed,
ca 4 mm long; lateral petals acute; keel petal with 2-lobed rounded crests. Stamens
2.5 - 3 mm long; filaments coherent below, glabrous; free portion 1 - 2 mm long, hyaline.
Ovary ovoid; style flat, bent at middle, 2.5 - 3 mm long, flat; stigma minute. Capsules
obovate or orbicular, 3 - 3.5 mm across, narrowly winged, emarginate at apex. Seeds
oblong, 1 - 2 mm long, black, pubescent, minutely and copiously tubercled; caruncle
3-lobed, gelatinous; strophiole black, shiny, hollow, about one-third as long as seed,
narrower than seed, curved slightly at apex, ending in an orbicular sunken membranous
lamella.

Fl. Oct.-Nov.

Distrib. India: Nagaland.

488 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

27. Polygala wightiana Wight & Arn., Prodr. 38.1834; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras
59.1915. P. elongata auct. non Klein 1802; Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1: 203.1872, p. p.

Herbs, erect or ascending; branches 10 - 40 cm long, often dichotomous at apex,

glabrous, glaucous. Leaves subsessile or shortly petioled, linear-oblong or narrowly
oblanceolate, narrowed towards base, entire, flat or recurved along margins, obtuse,
subacute and mucronate at apex, 3 - 35 x 1 - 3 mm, chartaceous, glabrous. Flowers 3 -
4 mm long, yellow, in extra-axillary or leaf-opposed 1 - 8 cm long racemes; bracts ca 1
mm long. Sepals persistent; outer sepals unequal, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, acute-
mucronate at apex, 2 - 2.5 x 0.5 -1.2 mm, glabrous; wing sepals obliquely ovate, falcate,
subacute and mucronate or apiculate at apex, ca 4.5 x 2.5 mm, 5-nerved, glabrous,
petaloid. Petals 2 - 2.5 mm long, greenish, tinged with pink; middle lobe keeled, auriclcd
at base, up to 3.5 mm long, with a crest of linear forked appendages on back; lateral lobes
obovate, clawed and hairy at base, rounded at apex, up to 2.5 mm. Staminal sheath free,
ca 1.5 mm long; filaments connate into 3 bundles; the lateral ones bearing 3 sessile
anthers each and the middle one bearing 2 anthers with filaments united for half way.
Ovary ovoid, glabrous, ciliate along margins; style slender, curved, hooked at apex with
membranous wings, up to 3.5 mm long; stigma dilated. Capsules overtopped by wing
sepals, oblong, emarginate at apex, margined, 2.5 - 4 x 1.5 - 2.5 mm, glabrous. Seeds
oblongoid, truncate at apex, 2 - 3 x 0.5 - 1 mm, black, densely silky hairy; caruncle
hood-shaped, with 3 curved small toothed appendages.

Fl.&Fr. Aug.-Dec.

Distrib. India: Wastelands, cultivated fields, roadsides in hills and plains, up to 1000
m. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Malesia to N. Australia.

3. Salomonia Lour., nom. cons.

Herbs, annual, small, erect or ascending; stems angular. Leaves alternate, sessile
or petiolate, entire, 3-nerved. Flowers sessile, small, crowded in terminal or axillary
spikes, opposite or superposed, each in axil of an acute caducous bract, minutely
bibracteolate at base. Sepals 5, subequal; inner 2 larger, persistent; 2 anterior ones
shorter; segments pointing backwards, acute. Petals 3, connate at base into a tube and
adnate to staminal tube, cleft above, violet; lower petal keeled, vaulted, subentire, longer
than the outer ones without a crest. Stamens 4 - 5 or 6, monadelphous; filaments united
in lower half, adnate to corolla-tube at base; anthers confluent in one rectangular mass,
opening by terminal pore. Ovary 2-loculed; ovule 1 in each locule, pendulous; style
incurved at apex, thickened upwards. Capsules laterally compressed, obcordate, thin-
1993] POLYGALACEAE 489

walled, transversely oval or subreniform, loculicidally dehiscing along the muriculate

margins. Seeds orbicular, black, glabrous; strophiole very small, gelatinous or absent.

Tropical S., E. and S.E. Asia to Australia, Europe and N. Mexico; ca 12 species, 2
in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves shortly petiolate, ovate, truncate or cordate at base, 8 - 25 x 5 -18 mm; lower sepal equalling
or smaller than other sepals; anthers 6; fruits transversely oval, muricate at lower margin; seeds
estrophiolate 1. S. cantoniensis
b. Leaves sessile, oblong-lanceolate, rounded or obtuse at base, 3 - 1 1 x 2 - 4 mm; lower sepals larger
than other sepals; anthers 4; fruits obreniform, not muriculate at lower margin; seeds gelatinously
strophiolate 2. S. ciliata

1. Salomonia cantoniensis Lour., Fl. Cochinch. 17.1790. S. eduntula D C , Prodr.

1: 334.1824; Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1: 207.1872.

Herbs, annual, erect or ascending, 5 - 25 cm high, glabrous; stems angular or

narrowly winged, much-branched, dichotomously branched at tips producing spikes;
roots aromatic. Leaves ovate, lanceolate, cuneate, broadly rounded, truncate or cord-
ate at base, obtuse or subacute at apex, 5 - 25 x 4 - 16 mm, often pinkish above, pale
beneath, flaccid, glabrous or sparsely ciliate, 3 - 5-nerved at base; petioles up to 4 mm
long, winged. Inflorescence 2 - 10 cm long, terminal or rarely upper axillary spikes;
rachises winged or not; bracts lanceolate, fugaceous, ca 1 mm long. Sepals 5, scaly,
linear-subulate, subequal, ca 1 mm long, persistent; lateral sepals as long as keel. Petals
3, equal or subequal, connate at base into a cleft tube, 1.5 - 2.5 mm long, light violet or
pink. Stamens 4, rarely 6, monadelphous; filaments ca 1 mm long, connate at base and
adnate to corolla; anthers opening by apical pores. Ovary obcordate, ca 1 mm long; style
sigmoid, curved at apex, ca 2 mm long, hyaline, not exserted. Capsules sessile, obcordate
or orbicular, flat, not winged but with a row of curved triangular teeth or minute hairs
along margins, 1 -1.5 x 2 mm, thin-walled. Seeds lenticular, ca 1 mm across, shiny red
or blackish brown, with a very small strophiole or estrophiolate.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Inflorescences 5 -10 cm long; margins of fruits minutely toothed 1.1. var. cantoniensis
b. Inflorescences up to 4.5 cm long; margins of fruits microscopically haiiy or ciliate 1.2. var. edentula

1.1. var. cantoniensis

Fl. Jan. - April; FT. May - Oct.

490 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Distrib. India: Wastelands, marshy places, on sandy soil, up to 1600 m. Uttar

Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizo-
ram, Tirpura, Meghalaya and Madhya Pradesh.

Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam and S. China.

1. 2. var. edentula (DC.) R. N. Banerjee, stat. et comb. nov. P. edentula D C ,

Prodr. 1: 334.1824; Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1: 207.1872.

Leaves cordate-triangular. Rachises winged. Lateral sepals nearly as long as keel.

Fl. Feb. - May; Fr. May - Oct.

Distrib. India: West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Nepal.

2. Salomonia ciliata (L.) D C , Prodr. 1:334.1824; Bennett in Fl. Brit. India 1: 206.
1872. Polygala ciliata L., Sp. PL 705. 1753. S. oblongifolia D C , Prodr. 1: 334. 1824;
Bennett, 1. c. 207. Fig. 97.

Herbs, slender, erect or decumbent, 6 - 26 cm high; stems simple or sparingly

branched, angular, fluted, often glabrous. Leaves sessile, elliptic to oblong-lanceolate,
rounded-obtuse or subcordate at base, acute to obtuse and mucronate at apex, entire
and ciliate along margins, 4 -14 x 2 - 8 mm, sparingly ciliate or glabrous, usually 3-nerved.
Inflorescences terminal and axillary, 10 -17 cm long; rachis winged; bracts linear, ca 1.5
mm long. Flowers opposite, superposed, crowded, 2 - 3 mm long, pink. Sepals unequal,
linear-lanceolate, acute at apex, 1.5 - 2 mm long, up to 0.5 mm broad, persistent, ciliate,
2 inner somewhat larger. Petals 3, pink or white and purplish tipped; median petal
keeled, ca 3 mm long; lateral ones lanceolate, up to 1.8 mm long, adnate to keel petal.
Stamens 4, monadelphous, with ca 2 mm long sheath; anthers 2-loculed, undifferen-
tiated. Ovary compressed, sessile, obcordate or orbicular, spinulose; style ca 2 mm long,
flat, hyaline, curved; stigma capitate. Capsules obreniform, deeply notched or 2-lobed
at base, winged along margins, ca 1 x 2 mm; central area with subparallel margins; upper
prickles 0.5 - 0.75 mm long, erecto-patent; lower margin inermous. Seeds gelatinously
strophiolate, rounded, ca 0.5 mm in diam., shiny dark brown or black.

Fl. & Fr. Aug. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Slightly shaded damp waste places, grasslands and along borders of
cultivated fields, up to 1500 m. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Meghalaya,
Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Daman & Diu, Karnataka and Kerala.

Myanmar, Sri Lanka, E. Asia, Malaysia, Philippines and Europe.

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492 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

4. Securidaca L.

Scandent shrubs or lianas. Leaves alternate, distichous, entire, sometimes biglan-

dular. Inflorescences terminal and axillary, simple racemes or panicles; bracts present,
often with 2 bracteoles. Sepals 5, unequal, deciduous, 2 inner ones (wings) largest,
petaloid. Petals 3; 2 lateral ones free or shortly connate with the lowermost one at base,
violet with citrine top; lowermost one (keel) strongly folded, dorsally crested, pink.
Stamens 8, monadelphous; filaments united at base into a split sheath adnate at back to
petals; anthers 2-locular; each locule dehiscing by a terminal oblique, intorse pore.
Ovary 1-loculed; 1-ovuled; style subterete, dilated and incurved at apex; stigma emargi-
nate or somewhat 2-lobed. Fruit 1-seeded indehiscent samara, apically winged or not;
wings broad, coriaceous. Seeds ecarunculate, estrophiolate, exalbuminous, glabrous;
cotyledons thick and fleshy.

Tropics and subtropics of Asia, Africa, Australia and America; ca 80 species, one
in India.

Securidaca inappendiculata Hassk., PI. Jav. Rar. 295.1848. S. tavoyana Bennett

in Fl. Brit. India 1: 208.1872. Fig. 98.

Asm.: Phackcena-lata.

Robust lianas with dark brown stem; stem fibres strong, silky; branchlets puberu-
lous. Leaves elliptic, obovate, oblong or oblanceolate, cuneate at base, cuspidate or
abruptly acuminate at apex, entire, 5 -13 x 2 - 5 cm, coriaceous, glabrous and deep green
above, finely pubescent and pale beneath; lateral nerves 8 -12 pairs, oblique; petioles
5 - 7 mm long. Flowers lax in 10 - 22 cm long subcorymbose panicles; pedicels filiform,
2 - 5 mm long, lower pedicels longer than upper, up to 15 mm long; bracts ovate, ca 1
mm long, hairy. Outer sepals 3, ovate-elliptic to rounded, slightly oblique at base, ca
3 x 2 mm, ciliate; inner wing sepals 2, elliptic, patent, alternate at base, rounded at apex,
concave, 5 - 6 x 3 - 5 mm. Petals 3; middle petal 5 - 6 mm long, keeled, crested; lateral
petals 2, adnate at base to keel, truncate. Stamens 8,4 - 5 mm long. Ovary sessile, terete,
1.5 - 2 mm long excentric; style ca 5 mm long, geniculately bent at top; stigma bilobed.
Fruit 6 -10 x 1.5 - 2.5 cm, strongly corrugate; wings oblique, entire, oblong to obovate,
straight on one side, rounded or obtuse at apex, rugose, closely strongly arcuate-nerved.
Seeds suborbicular, compressed, ca 7 mm long.

Fl. June - Oct.; Fr. Sept. - Feb.

Distrib. India: Evergreen forests, up to 2000 m. West Bengal, Assam, Tripura,

Meghalaya and Orissa.

Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, S. China and Malaysia.

1993] POLYGALACEAE 493

m m ^ C

Fig. 98. Securidaca inappendiculata Hassk.: a. branch with inflorescence; b. bract;

c. outer sepal; d. inner sepal; e. petal with stamens; f. pistil; g. fruit.
 XANTHOPHYLLACEAE
(R. N. Banerjee and N. P. Balakrishnan)

Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, coriaceous or chartaceous, often

drying yellowish; petioles thick, channelled above. Racemes axillary, extra-axillary or
terminal, simple or paniculate, patently branched; flowers 2 - 3-nate, shortly pedicelled.
Sepals 5, nearly equal, free, inner 2 larger. Petals 5, or rarely 4, free, declinate, subequal,
glabrous; the lowest one keeled, boat-shaped, not crested, sometimes softly pubescent;
the other 4 subequal, narrowly oblong, glabrous; 2 upper ones recurved in upper half.
Stamens mostly 8 (-10), usually all free or 2 partially adnate to keel, 4 coherent with other
petals singly at base, and the remaining 2 quite free, inserted on disk; filaments strigose-
ciliate at base or not, upcurved; anthers 2-locular, erect, longitudinally dehiscing by
double slits. Disk hypogynous, annular. Ovary 1-loculed or imperfectly 2-loculed,
stalked or sessile, woolly or glabrous; stigma terminal, small. Fruits usually 1-seeded
indehiscent drupes, globose, exalate, fleshy when fresh, woody and coriaceous on drying;
seeds globose or subglobose, estrophiolate; endosperm copious or absent; cotyledons
thick, fleshy, plano-convex.

South and S.E. Asia from India to N. Australia and Solomon Islands; one genus and
ca 40 species, 4 species in India.

Literature. MEIDEN, R. Van der (1982) Systematics and evolution of Xanthophyllum (Polyala-
ceae). Leiden Botanical Series 7: 1 -159, ff. 1 - 22.

Xanthophyllum Roxb., nom. cons.

(Description and distribution as for the family)

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves recurved along margins; sepals glabrous outside, ciliate along margins; ovary glabrous; 2
stamens adnate to petals and 6 attached to disc 1. X. andamanicum
b. Leaves flat or undulate along margins; sepals pubescent throughout; ovary densely pubescent or
strigose; stamens not so 2
2a. Leaves not glossy, pale green; racemes singly arranged; rachis thin; two stamens connate to each other
at base, one adhering to middle petals and rest free 2. X. burkillii
b. Leaves glossy green; racemes branched; rachis thick or strongly flattened; stamens all free or shortly
connate at base or 6 adnate to petals or 2 on disc 3
3a. Branchlets puberulous, with spinular protuberances in 2 - 3 vertical rows above petiole; flowers white or
yellowish; petals without white incrustations; keel petals glabrous outside; fruits glabrous
3. X. flavescens
b. Branchlets glabrous, without such spinules; flowers pale violet; turning to yellow, brown or dark red;
petals often with white incrustations; keel petals appressed hairy outside; fruits hairy 4. X. vitellinum
1993 ] XANTHOPHYLLACEAE 495

1. Xanthophyllum andamanicum King in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 59(2): 135. 1891;

C.E. Parkinson, For. Fl. Andaman Islands 85.1923. Fig. 99.

And.: Chonoo, Thit-phew.

Trees, evergreen, up to 25 m tall; trunk up to 3 m in d.b.h.; bark pale grey, smooth,

yellowish brown when cut; branches black. Leaves elliptic-ovate to lanceolate, cuneate
at base, subacute at apex, recurved along margins, 8 -13 x 3 - 5 cm, glabrous and dark
green above, glaucous beneath, membranous or subcoriaceous; lateral nerves irregular,
not much more prominent than the reticulate venation; petioles 8 - 9 mm long, glabrous.
Inflorescences lax, paniculate, 4 - 9 cm long, branched, puberulous upwards, glabrous
below, pedicels 5 - 7 mm long; flowers ca 1.2 cm across. Sepals ca 4 x 2 mm, glabrous
outside, ciliate along margins. Petals oblong, ca 11 x 4 mm, white with pink flush; 2 petals
reflexed and dashed with yellow, 2 spreading and keel petal ca 9 mm long. Stamens ca
6 mm long; 2 filaments adnate to keel petals and 6 filaments attached to the disc. Ovary
sessile, glabrous. Fruits globose, shiny green when young, yellowish when ripe, not
verrucose when dry.

Fl.: Feb. - March; Fr.\ April-May.

Distrib. India: Tropical lowland evergreen forests. Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Bangladesh and Myanmar.

2. Xanthophyllum burkillii J.R. Drumm. & Dunn in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1920:
145.1920; Burkill in Rec. Bot. Surv. India 10(1): 45, 74.1924 & ibid. 10(2): 239.1925.

Trees, moderate-sized. Leaves lanceolate, ovate, oblong or elliptic, cuneate or

subrotund at base, acuminate at apex, 6 -12 x 3 - 6 cm, glabrous on both surfaces; lateral
nerves about 10 pairs, two marginal nerves forming thick margins; young ones lilac-
flushed, pendent; matured petioles ca 7 mm long. Flowers in 3.5 cm long racemes;
pedicels ca 8 mm long; bracteoles ca 15 mm long. Sepals ca 3 x 5 mm, pubescent. Petals
oblong, ca 14 mm long, pale yellow or cream-coloured, becoming golden-brown.
Stamens ca 9 mm long; 2 filaments connate to each other at base, one adhering to middle
petal, the rest free; connectives hairy. Ovary stipitate, conical, strigose; style ca 3 mm
long; ovules up to 8, arranged in two series. Fruits not seen.

FL: March-May; Fr.: May-Aug.

Distrib. India: Submontane wet hillslopes, on gravelly soil. Arunachal Pradesh

(Daphla, Abhor & Mishmi Hills).

Endemic.
—
496 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

<M<5><5>©

Fig. 99. Xanthophyllum andamanicum King: a. twig; b. flower; c. sepals; d. petals

with adnate stamens; e. pistil with free stamens.
1993 ] XANTHOPHYLLACEAE 497

3. Xanthophyllum flavescens Roxb., PI. Corom. 3: 81, t. 284.1820; Bennett in Fl.

Brit. India 1: 209.1874. X. virens Roxb., Fl. Ind. 2: 221.1832.

Mai.: Kamngali, Madakka; Tarn.: Mattel, Karunali.

Evergreen trees, 3 - 10 m tall; bark grey, warty and corky with fine fissures;
branchlets slender, pendulous, puberulous with ca 1 mm long blunt spinular protube-
rances in vertical series of 2 - 3 above the axils of petioles. Leaves elliptic or oblong-lan-
ceolate, acute or subacute at base, bluntish long-acuminate at apex, entire to
subundulate along margins, 5 - 20 x 3 - 6 cm, coriaceous, glabrous, glossy above,
yellowish green when dry; main lateral nerves 5 - 9 pairs, with short intermediaries,
scattered, often with a few perforated glands at axils of nerves or at angles of nervules;
petioles 5 - 1 0 mm long, rugose, grooved above, glabrous. Flowers white or yellowish,
10 - 12 mm across, in 9 - 15 cm long upper axillary or terminal pubescent panicle of
racemes; pedicels ca 5 mm long, puberulous. Sepals subequal, elliptic, suborbicular,
3-5x2 mm, brownish yellow, densely pubescent, fleshy. Petals (4-) 5, subequal, narrowly
oblong, obtuse, 7 - 10 x 3 - 4 mm, yellowish; 2 upper ones with recurved upper half.
Stamens 8, 7 - 9 mm long, strigose-ciliate at base, rarely glabrous, 6 adnate to petals, 2
on disc; filaments green; anthers white. Disk hypogynous, annular, deeply lobed. Ovary
shortly stipitate or sessile, ovoid, densely brownish strigose; ovules 4 -12; style covered
with brown hairs, curved with truncate white stigma. Fruits globose, 1.5 - 2.2 cm in
diam., rugose when dry, olive-coloured when young, yellow when mature, glabrous;
seeds oblongoid to ovoid, ca 1.5 cm in diam.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Leaves narrowly lanceolate, undulate along margins, 5 - 9 x 1.6 - 2.5 cm; ovules 4
3.1. var. anguslifolium
b. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, flat, not undulate along margins, 9 - 20 x 3 - 6 cm;
ovules 9 -12 3.2. var. flavescens

3.1. var. angustifolium (Wight) Bennett in Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 209.1874. X.
angustifolium Wight, Illus. 1: 50, t. 23.1840. X. amottianum Wight, I. c.

Fl.&Fr. Feb.-Sept.

Distrib. India: Tamil Nadu (Courtallum in Tirunelveli Dist.).

Endemic.

3.2. var. flavescens Fig. 100.

Fl: Feb.-May; Fr. May-Oct.

498 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Fig. 100. Xanthophvllum flavescens Roxb. var. flavescens : a. twig; b. flower; cl-4.
petals with adnate stamens; d. pistil with free stamens; e. fruits; f. seed.
1993] XANTHOPHYLLACEAE 499

Distrib. India: Evergreen lowland forests, swamp forests, up to 1500 m. Assam,

Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar
Islands.

Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Malaysia.

4. Xanthophyllum vitellinum (Blume) Dietr., Syn. PI. 2:1277.1840; Vasudeva Rao

& T. Chakrab. in J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 6:444.1985. Jakkia vitellina Blume, Cat. 17,64.1823.

Shrubs or trees, up to 30 m high, with glabrous branches; axillary buds varying from
narrowly triangular with strongly thickened base and 1.5-3 mm long ones to Ovoid-rhom-
boid or oblong-ovoid and then often 6-11 mm long ones. Leaves ovate-oblong, rounded
or subacute at base, shortly acuminate at apex, flat or undulate along 'margins, 8 - 2 5
(-30) x 3.5 -10 (-11) cm, glabrous, shiny, greyish green above, yellowish green beneath,
drying to yellowish brown; secondary nerves (6-) 7 - 9 (-11) pairs, forming an indistinct
intramarginal nerve near apex; glands mostly more than 10, situated near midrib or
scattered; basal glands mostly present; petioles 6 -15 mm long. Inflorescences branched,
8 - 20 cm long; branches often in pairs in lower part; rachises mostly strongly flattened
and grooved near bases, glabrous to densely shortly hairy; flowers in triads in basal part,
but solitary in apical part; lower bracts nearly opposite; pedicelsl.5 - 5.5 mm long,
grooved, densely shortly appressed hairy. Sepals more or less wrinkled and thickened
at base, 2 - 4 (-5) x 2 - 4 (-5) mm. Petals at first pale violet, later turning to yellow or
brown or to dark reddish and often with white incrustations; the longest one (7-) 8 -13
(-15) mm long; keel petal densely appressed hairy outside; outer petals glabrous outside,
or with a few hairs at apex. Stamens 8, rarely 9; filaments free or shortly connate at base,
widened above with a knob-like rather densely hairy appendage at inner side. Ovary
subsessile, up to 1 mm long, stipitate, densely short-pubescent; style hairy at basal half;
ovules 4. Fruits globular, ca 2 cm in diam, often wrinkled when dry, dull or shiny, usually
light brown, sometimes dark reddish brown, hairy; pericarp thin.

Fl. March; Fr. June.

Distrib. India: Lowland evergreen tropical forests. Andaman & Nicobar Islands
(Great Nicobar Is.).

Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines.

Notes. Reported from Great Nicobar Island by Vasudeva Rao & Chakrabarty (in
J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 6: 444.1985).
 FRANKENIACEAE
(N. P. Balakrishnan)

Herbs or undershrubs, annual or perennial, sometimes with articulate stems and

branches. Leaves opposite, simple, entire, exstipulate. Inflorescence in terminal and
axillary dichasia or scorpioid cymes, sometimes flowers solitary at forks of branches,
regular, small, bisexual, or rarely plants polygamo-monoecious. Calyx gamosepalous,
hypogynous, persistent, 4 - 6 (-7)-lobed, induplicate-valvate in bud. Petals 4 - 6 (-7),
hypogynous, free, clawed at base; claw with an adherent ligular scale, imbricate in bud.
Stamens 4 - 6, or more in 2 series, free or shortly connate at base; anthers small, versatile,
2-loculed, dorsifixed. Ovary free, sessile, composed of 3 - 4 carpels, unilocular; style
slender; stigmas 3 (2 - 4), linear; ovules many in 2 - 3 parietal placentae, anatropous or
amphitropous; funicles slender, long. Fruit a loculicidal capsule, enclosed in persistent
calyx, opening by as many valves as there are placentae; seeds oblong or ovoid, with
subterminal hilum, linear raphe and crustaceous testa; embryo straight, in the centre of
mealy endosperm.

Mediterranean (S. Europe & N. Africa), S.W. Asia, S. Africa, S. United States to
SAmerica, W. and S.E. Australia and New Zealand; 5 genera and ca 75 species, one
genus and one species in India.

Frankenia L.

Herbs or undershrubs, annual, halophytic; stems with jointed nodes. Leaves oppo-
site, decussate, small. Flowers solitary, axillary or in cymes, sessile, pink. Sepals 4 - 6 ,
induplicate or valvate, persistent. Petals 4 - 5 , imbricate, claw with a ligular scale on the
inner side. Stamens 4 - 6 . Stigmas 2 - 3, forked. Capsule unilocular, splitting by 3 valves.

Tropical and subtropical coastal and interior saline areas, around the world; ca 70
species, one in India.

Frankenia puberulenta L., Sp. PI. 332.1753; Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 212.1874.

Herbs, slender, exceedingly branched, procumbent, diffuse, puberulous; branches

wiry, leafy, 15 - 50 cm long. Leaves subsessile or short-petioled, obovate, or spathulate,
retuse, 4 - 6 x 1 - 3 mm, inrolled, hoary pubescent beneath; petiole base sheathing, ciliate.
Flowers sessile, axillary, solitary or in dichasial cymes, pink, shorter than leaves. Calyx-
tube cylindric, funnel-shaped, strongly ribbed outside, 5-fid, ca 4 mm long, puberulous;
each sepal acute, ca 1 mm long, glabrous. Petals 5, wedge-shaped, cuneate at base,
obtuse and slightly fimbriate at apex, ca 4 mm long with a membranous appendage at
base, pink. Stamens 6, free; filaments flat and broad at base, narrowed above, ca 2.5
mm long. Capsules oblong, ca 3 mm long, splitting by 3 valves; seeds many, ovoid, less
than 1 mm long.
1993 ] FRANKENIACEAE 501

Fl&Fr. Mar.-May.

Distrib. India: Saline sandy habitats, up to 1700 m. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar

Pradesh and Gujarat.

Pakistan, West Asia, S. Europe, Senegal and S. Africa.

 CARYOPHYLLACEAE
( N. C. Majumdar )

Herbs, subshrubs, rarely shrubs, annual, biennial or perennial, dichotomously

branched; stems often swollen at nodes. Leaves usually opposite, sometimes alternate,
rarely whorled, simple, entire, rarely serrulate, often connate at base; stipules scarious,
sometimes connate, rarely absent. Inflorescences usually terminal, paniculate, racemi-
form or capitate dichasial cymes or cincinni, sometimes few-flowered or single-flowered;
bracts often scarious. Flowers actinomorphic, usually bisexual, rarely unisexual. Sepals
4 - 5 (-25), rarely spirally arranged, free or united into a tube, often scarious-margined.
Receptacle often prolonged into an anthophore carrying petals, stamens and ovary.
Petals (4-) 5 (-12), free, entire, emarginate or 2-fid, rarely 4-fid, often basally clawed,
sometimes with appendages on inner face, sometimes small or absent. Stamens (3-) 10
(-13), free, usually in 2 series, mostly obdiplostemonous; filaments free, filiform, those
opposite sepals sometimes with a glandular thickening at base; anthers 2-locular,
dorsifixed; locules parallel, sometimes separate, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary supe-
rior, unilocular or rarely incompletely 2 - 5-locular at base; ovules 2-many, rarely one,
campylotropous or semianatropous; placentation free-central, axile or basal; styles 1 -
5, free or partially connate. Fruit a capsule, opening by as many or twice as many apical
teeth or valves as there are styles, sometimes fleshy (Cucubalus) and dehiscing irregularly
or indehiscent, sometimes an achene or nutlet; seeds usually many, rarely few to one,
endospermous; embryo usually curved or straight.

Cosmopolitan, mainly confined to temperate and alpine regions, some tropical; ca

70 genera and ca 1750 species; 25 genera and 122 species in India.

Notes. Following the family delimitation proposed by Cronquist (1981), the family
Illecebraceae is included in the Caryophyllaceae.

Literature. GHAZANFAR S. A. & Y. J. NASIR (1986) Caryophyllaceae. In: Nasir & AH, Fl. W.
Pakistan 175: 1 - 125. GRIERSON, A. J. C. (1984) Caiyophyllaceae. In: Grierson & Long, Fl. Bhutan
1(2): 197 - 216. HARA, H. & M. C. TEBBS (1979) Caiyophyllaceae. In: Hara & Williams, Enum. Fl. Pi-
Nepal 2: 51 - 59. MCNEILL, J. (1962) Taxonomic studies in the Alsinoideae I. Generic and infrageneric
groups. Notes R Bot. Gard. Edinb. 24:79 -155. MCNEILL, J. (1963) Taxonomic studies in the Alsinoideae
II. A revision of the species in the Orient. Ibid. 24: 241 - 404. PAX, F. & K. HOFFMANN (1934)
Caiyophyllaceae. In: Engler & Prantl, Pflanzenfam. ed. 2,16c: 273 - 364. WILLIAMS, F. N. (1909) The
Caiyophyllaceae of Tibet. J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 38: 395 - 407.

Fam. ed. P. Daniel

1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 503

KEY TO THE GENERA

la. Sepals free 2

b. Sepals united forming a distinct calyx tube or united partially at base only 18
2a. Petals usually absent; fruit an indehiscent nutlet or achene; seeds 1 or 2 3
b. Petals present; fruit a dehiscent capsule; seeds few to many 4
3a. Leaves free at base, stipulate; fruit an achene with a membranous wall 8. Herniaria
b. Leaves connate at base, exstipulate; fruit a nutlet with a hardened wall 19. Scleranthus
4a. Leaves stipulate 5
b. Leaves exstipulate 9
5a. Styles 3 - 5 , free up to base 6
b. Styles 3, united at base 7
6a. Axillary fascicles of leaves borne on both sides of nodes; stipules not connate; styles 3 - 5
21. Spergula
b. Axillary fascicles of leaves borne on one side of nodes only, stipules connate; styles 3
22. Spergularia
7a. Leaves usually cordate at base; petals deeply 2-fid 6. Drymaria
b. Leaves not cordate at base; petals not 2-fid 8
8a. Herbs diffuse; sepals keeled or hooded • 16. Polycarpon
b. Herbs erect; sepals neither keeled nor hooded • 15. Polycarpaea
9a. Capsule valves as many as styles 10
b. Capsule valves twice as many as styles 13
10a. Styles fewer than sepals 11
b. Styles as many as sepals 12
Ha. Styles 3; capsules 3-valved 12. Minuartia
b. Styles 2; capsules 2-valved 10. Lepyrodiclis
12a. Leaves linear-subulate; sepals less than 3 mm long; capsule teeth entire 18. Sagina
b. Leaves ovate; sepals more than 5 mm long; capsule teeth 2-fid 13. Myosoton
13a. Petals 2-fid to halfway or more (rarely emarginate, sometimes minute or absent) 23. Stellaria
b. Petals 2-fid to one-third or entire, emarginate or lacerate, rarely absent 14
14a. Plants with napiform or fusiform bulbs or tubers arising laterally from rhizomes; fertile cleistogamous
flowers present 17. Pseudostellaria
b. Plants without bulbs or tubers; cleistogamous flowers absent 15
15a. Inflorescence an umbel-like cyme; petals irregularly toothed 9. Holosteum
b. Inflorescence a dichotomous cyme or panicle, sometimes reduced to a single flower; petals entire,
emarginate or 2-fid 16
16a. Petals 2-fid up to one-third, rarely emarginate; capsules cylindrical 3. Cerastium
b. Petals entire or subentire, rarely absent; capsules not cylindrical 17
17a. Herbs climbing; petioles becoming curved and hard; capsules globose; seed one per capsule
2. Brachystemma
b. Herbs not climbing; petioles neither becoming curved nor hard; capsules not globose, various, other
than cylindrical; seeds few to many per capsule 1. Arenaria
18a. Calyx tube with commissural veins alternating with midnerve of sepals; styles 3 - 5 19
b. Calyx tube without commissural veins; styles usually 2, rarely 3 21
504 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

19a. Fruits fleshy, berry-like, dehiscing irregularly 4. Cucubalus

b. Fruits dry, capsular, dehiscing by 3 - 6 valves 20
20a. Capsule teeth 2-fid, twice as many as styles 20. Silene
b. Capsule teeth entire, as many as styles 11. Lychnis
21a. Calyx tube with scarious intervals between nerves 22
b. Calyx tube without scarious intervals between nerves 23
22a. Seeds peltate, dorso-ventrally compressed with a facial hilum 14. Petrorhagia
b. Seeds not peltate, subreniform, flattened on both sides with a lateral hilum 7. Gypsophila
23a. Bracteoles (epicalyx) present 5. Dianthus
b. Bracteoles (epicalyx) absent 24
24a. Plants forming hard cushions; leaves densely crowded; petals borne on calyx tube
24. Thylacospermum
b. Plants not forming cushions; leaves not densely crowded; petals hypogynously inserted on a short thick
receptacle 25. Vaccaria

1. Arenaria L.

Herbs, annual or perennial, erect, prostrate or often cushion-forming. Leaves

opposite, rarely somewhat whorled, exstipulate, oblong, oblong-elliptic, oblong-lanceo-
late, ovate, orbicular, elliptic, elliptic-lanceolate, linear, linear-lanceolate or linear-
subulate. Flowers solitary, terminal or in dichasial terminal or axillary cymes, usually
5-merous. Sepals 4 or 5, free, herbaceous throughout or scarious-margined. Petals
entire or lacerate, white or pink, rarely absent. Stamens 2 -10, on a hypogynous disc,
those opposite to sepals glandular-thickened at base. Ovary 1-locular; styles 2 or 3 (-4),
filiform. Capsules 2- 6-valved, short, rarely exceeding sepals; seeds few or many.

Temperate and arctic regions; ca 250 species, 24 species in India.

Notes. Growing at various altitudes, at high altitudes sometimes forming very

dense, globose tufts of the size of a human head. In alpine regions smaller stunted forms
are found.

Literature. WILLIAMS, F. N. (1898). A revision of the genus Arenaria. J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 33: 326
-437.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Styles 2; capsules 4-valved (styles 2 - 3; capsules 4 - 6-valved in A. melandryiformis) 2

b. Styles 3; capsules 6-valved 6
2a. Flowers solitary 3
b. Flowers in cymes (solitary in A. littledalei) 4
3a. Pedicels less than 1 cm long; petals 10 -14 mm long 16. A. melandryoides
b. Pedicels more than 1.5 cm long; petals 7 -10 mm long IS. A. melandryiformis
ta. Petals longer than sepals 5. A. debilis
1993] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 505

b. Petals shorter than sepals or absent 5

5a. Sepals 4; petals present; stamens 2 - 3 14. A Uttledalei
b. Sepals 5; petals absent; stamens 5 24. A thangocnsis
6a. Leaves hardened and coriaceous or membranous along margins and apex 7
b. Leaves herbaceous or with scarious margins, otherwise pungent and setaceous 12
7a. Leaves not densely imbricate, oblong-lanceolate, elliptic or ovate-elliptic, acute or acuminate; sepals
acute, usually hardened along margins and apex 8
b. Leaves densely imbricate, linear to linear-subulate or lanceolate; sepals obtuse or subacute,
membranous along margins and apex 10
8a. Plants perfectly glabrous 23. A stracheyi
b. Plants hairy 9
9a. Hairs sparse, long, stiff, ciliate 2. A ciliolata
b. Hairs dense, glandular 11. A glanduligera
10a. Sepals oblong-orbicular 19. A oreophila
b. Sepals ovate-elliptic 11
11a. Petals linear 6. A densissima
b. Petals obovate 20. A polytrichoides
12a. Leaves mostly linear to subulate, markedly scarious- margined; sepals mostly variously
lanceolate 13
b. Leaves mostly not linear to subulate, not markedly scarious-margined; sepals mostly variously ovate
19
13a. Flowers in cymes 14
b. Flowers solitary 16
*
14a. Petals longer than sepals 10. A festucoides
b. Petals shorter than sepals 15
15a. Leaves 25-55 mm long; sepals 8-10 mm long 4. A curvlfolla
b. Leaves 5 - 9 mm long; sepals 5 - 6 mm long 9. A ferruginea
16a. Sepals 1 -nerved; anthers black 13. A kansuensis
b. Sepals 3-nerved; anthers not black 17
17a. Bracts foliaceous 8. A edgeworthiana
b. Bracts absent 18
18a. Leaves 1-nerved, minutely ciliate 1. A biyophylla
b. Leaves nerveless, strongly ciliate 21. A pulvinata
19a. Leaves subulate, setaceous and pungent; sepals markedly hard at base, becoming ligneous in fruit
12. Agriffithii
b. Leaves not subulate, herbaceous, sometimes coriaceous; sepals neither hard at base nor becoming lig-
neous in fruit 20
20a. Perennials with sterile leafy shoots along with flowering shoots 21
b. Annuals without sterile leafy shoots 22
21a. Leaves linear to lanceolate, acute or obtuse at apex; seeds winged 3. A compressa
b. Leaves ovate to orbicular, rounded at apex; seeds not winged 23
22a. Herbs suberect; flowers many in cymes 22. A serpyllifolia
b. Herbs diffuse; flowers few or solitary 7. A depauperate
506 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

23a. Sepal with a dorsal pubescent nerve; petals longer than sepals; seeds transversely striate
17. A. neelgherrensis
b. Sepal without a dorsal pubescent nerve; petals shorter than sepals; seeds smooth 18. A. orbiculata

1. Arenaria bryophylla Fernald in Rhodora 21:5.1919. A. musciformis Wallich ex

Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 237.1874, non Triana & Planchon 1862.

Herbs, forming matted hard dense glabrous tufts; roots long and hard; stems very
short, densely leafy. Leaves subulate with a broad scarious sheathing base, 4.5 - 8.5 mm
long, spreading, recurved, rigid, subsquarrose, minutely ciliate, 1-nerved beneath.
Flowers solitary, sessile, ca 8.5 mm across. Calyx narrow, somewhat truncate and hard
at base; sepals oblong-lanceolate, acute at apex, 7 - 8 mm long, broadly scarious-mar-
gined, green, 3-nerved. Petals linear-obovate, rounded at apex, longer than sepals,
persistent. Styles 3. Capsules globose, 6-valved.

Fl. Aug. - Sept.; Fr. Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, 4200 - 5200 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh
andSikkim.

Nepal and China (Tibet).

2. Arenaria ciliolata Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1:240.1874. A. ramellata F. Williams

in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 38:399.1909.

Herbs, perennial, laxly caespitose, 2 - 7 cm high, hairy; stems with 2 obscure lines
of hairs on either side. Leaves spreading, sessile, oblong or elliptic, rounded or narrowed
at base, sharply acute at apex, 7 - 9 x 2 - 3 mm, thickened and pale alongrnargins, pungent,
with long jointed yellowish hairs chiefly confined to margins and beneath. Flowers
solitary or few in leafy cymes; pedicels 1 (-2) cm long, erect or recurved. Sepals
lanceolate, acute at apex, 6 - 8 x 2 - 3 mm, thick and hard along margins and apex,
scattered yellowish ciliate. Petals obovate-rounded, 7 - 9 x 3 mm, white. Stamens ca 2.5
mm long; filaments flat, connate at base. Styles 3, slender, ca 3 mm long, recurved.
Capsules globose, 6-valved.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Pedicels erect 2.1. var. ciliolata

b. Pedicels recurved 2.2. var. pendula

2.1. var. ciliolata

Fl. July-Sept.
1093 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 507

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, 3000 - 5000 m. Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

2.2. var. pendula Duthie ex F. Williams in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 33: 373.1898.

Distrib. India: Western Himalayas, ca 3900 m. Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal.

3. Arenaria compressa J. McNeill in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 24:118.1962. A.

trichotoma Royle ex Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 235.1874, non Boiss. 1853.

Herbs, perennial, dichotomously branched, 30 - 45 cm high; glabrous to finely

pubescent. Leaves in distant pairs or somewhat whorled, sessile, linear or linear-
lanceolate, 1.2 - 3.6 cm long, glabrous, thick, 1-nerved. Peduncles trichotomous, long,
slender, erect. Flowers erect, ca 6 mm across; pedicels slender; bracts scarious. Calyx
rounded; sepals ovate-oblong, acute at apex, 3 - 3.5 mm long, glabrous. Petals linear-
lanceolate, longer than sepals, white. Stamens 5 fertile, 5 sterile. Capsules thin, with 6
long teeth, coriaceous; seeds ovate-discoid, compressed, winged.

Fl. June.

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas, 2400 - 3000 m, on rocks. Himachal Pradesh.

Afghanistan.

4. Arenaria curvifolia Majumdar in Blumea 26: 446, f.l a-h. 1980. Fig. 101.

Herbs, 30 - 60 cm high, branching at upper nodes; stems cylindrical, minutely

puberulent. Leaves linear, subulate or linear-lanceolate, acuminate at apex, 25 - 55 x 1
- 3 mm, scabro-puberulent at base, usually curved. Flowers few, in terminal cymes;
pedicels up to 3.2 cm long; bracts foliaceous, 4 - 6 mm long. Sepals 5, ovate to
ovate-lanceolate, 8 -10 mm long, glabrous. Petals 5, oblong, entire, obuse at apex, 5 - 6
mm long. Stamens 4 - 6 mm long; anthers elliptic. Ovary globose, 1 - 2 mm in diam.;
styles 3. Capsules obovate, 6-valved, 4 - 5 mm long; seeds ovate-oblong, ca 3 mm long,
flat, rough.

Fl. July - Aug.; Fr. Sept.

Distrib. India: Western Himalayas, 3340 - 3650 m. Uttar Pradesh (Kauri Pass,
Garhwal).

Endemic. So far known from the type locality only.

 508 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 101. Arenaria curvifolia Majumdar : a.floweringshoot; b. calyx; c. sepal; d.

petal; e. stamens; f. mature pistil; g. dehisced capsule; h. seed.
1993] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 509

5. Arenaria debilis Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 242.1874. A. benthamii Edgew. in
Fl. Brit. India 1: 242. 1874, non Fenzl ex Torrey & A. Gray 1840. Odontostemma
glandulosa Benth. ex G. Don, Gen. Hist. 1:449.1831. A. glandulosa (Benth. ex G.Don)
F. Williams in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 33:431.1898, non Jacq. 1798. A. blinkworthii J. McNeill
in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 24:128.1962.

Herbs, slender, erect, branched or unbranched, 7 - 90 cm high, glandular-pilose.

Leaves ovate, elliptic or oblanceolate, narrowed at base, subacute or obtuse at apex,
1.5 - 3 x 0.3 - 1 cm, ciliate along margins, pubescent; lower leaves petiolate; upper ones
sessile. Flowers few or many, nodding, 0.6 -1.2 cm across; pedicels divaricate, ciliate.
Sepals oblong or linear-lanceolate, 4 - 5 x 2 mm, glandular, narrowly scarious-margined.
Petals obovate-spathulate, lacerate at apex and margin, 4 - 8 x 2 mm, white. Filaments
dilated below. Styles 2. Capsules 4-valved, shorter than the sepals; seeds few, ovoid or
rounded, flat, brownish, ca 1.5 x 2 mm.

Fl. May - Sept.; Fr. Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine and temperate Himalayas, 3000 - 5000 m, river banks and
forest clearings. Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

6. Arenaria densissima Wallich ex Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 239.
1874. Cherleria juniperina D. Don, Pr&dr. Fl. Nep. 214. 1825, non Arenaria juniperina
Villars 1789, nee Thuill. 1799.

Herbs, densely caespitose; roots long, woody; stems crowded, densely leafy, 7 -
10 cm long. Leaves ovate or subulate-lanceolate, abruptly acuminate at apex, concave,
6.5 - 8.5 mm long, up to 2 mm broad, glabrous along margins, recurved, pungent, shiny,
nerveless. Flowers small, solitary, axillary, shortly pedicellate; bracts elliptic, mucro-
nate, concave. Sepals ovate, subacute at apex, ca 2.5 mm long. Petals linear-spathulate,
very narrow, 4 - 5 x 1.25 mm. Capsules globose, ca 2 mm in diam.

Fl. June - Aug.; Fr. Sept. - Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine regions, 4000 - 5000 m, on rocks. Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

7. Arenaria depauperata (Edgew.) H. Hara in J. Jap. Bot. 51:129.1976. Stellaria

depauperata Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 234.1874. A. bhutanica Majumdar & Babu in
J. Arn. Arb. 50: 626, f. 1.1969.
510 ". FLORA OF INDIA .[VOL. 2

Herbs, annual, slender, delicate, suberect, 5 - 1 0 cm high; stems 4-angular with a

line of pubescence upwards. Leaves opposite, sessile, oblong-lanceolate, acute or
acuminate at apex, 5 - 10 x 1.5 - 2 mm, minutely tuberculate, spreading and recurved.
Flowers solitary or few; pedicels very slender, 1 - 2.5 cm long, pubescent, recurved in
fruit. Sepals 5, free, lanceolate, subacute at apex, 3.8 - 4 x 0.8 - 1(-1.2) mm, broadly
scarious-margined. Petals oblong-spathulate, entire, obtuse at apex, 1.5 - 5 mm long,
white, sometimes absent. Stamens 10, alternate, 3 - 3.5 mm long; filaments blue,
glandular at base; anthers dark purple or blackish. Ovary ovoid, ca 1.2 mm, glabrous;
styles 3, papillose. Capsules 6-valved, shorter than sepals; seeds 3 - 6 , subreniform,
compressed, ca 1 mm broad.

Fl.&Fr. June-Sept.

Distrib. India: Temperate to subalpine regions, 3000 - 5000 m, on rocks. Uttar

Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim.

Nepal and Bhutan.

8. Arenaria edgeworthiana Majumdar in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 44: 141. 1965. A.

monticola Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 238.1874, non Buckley 1862.

Herbs, densely caespitose forming subglobose tufts, up to 5 cm high, 15 - 30 cm

across; branches densely leafy. Leaves linear-lanceolate, acicular at apex, 7 - 9 x 1 mm,
broadly scarious and sheathing at base, thick and ciliate along margins, rigid, recurved,
shiny with a prominent midnerve; upper most leaves of flowering shoots bract-like, ca 2
mm broad, subscarious. Flowers solitary at branch ends, sessile. Sepals ovate-lanceo-
late, acuminate at apex, 10 -11 x 2 - 3 mm, scarious-margined; nerves 3, strong and closely
placed in middle. Petals obovate, shortly clawed, 11 -12 x 6 - 7 mm, white. Filaments
5 - 6 mm long. Styles 3, slender. Capsules subglobose, 6-valved, 4 - 5 mm in diam.

Fl. July - Aug.; Fr. Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine regions, 4500 - 5500 m. Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

9. Aretaaria ferruginea Duthie ex F. Williams in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 33: 410.1898.

Herbs, laxly caespitose with slender branches; stems much branched, pubescent,
angular below. Leaves linear-subulate, acuminate at apex, 5 - 9 x 1 - 1.5 mm, rigid,
sometimes recurved. Bracts similar to leaves but smaller. Sepals 5, lanceolate, acumi-
nate at apex, 5 - 6 mm long, broadly scarious-margined, thick, hard, l-nerved; Petals
ovate-lanceolate, clawed, acute at apex, ca 4 mm long. jStameris glandular at base, ca 4
19931 CARYOPHYLLACEAE 511

mm long. Ovary ovoid, ca 1.5 mm in diam.; style ca 3 mm long. Capsules 6-valved, ca

3.8 mm long; seeds few, flat, pale yellow.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Temperate and subalpine Himalayas, 2000 - 3000 m. Uttar Pradesh.

Endemic.

10. Arenaria festucoides Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 81, t. 21, f. 3. 1834; Edgew. &
Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 236.1874.

Herbs, densely caespitose, 5 - 20 cm high. Leaves subulate, concave, 6-38 mm long,

ciliolate along margins, shiny, rigid, recurved, pungent, 1-nerved beneath. Peduncles
1 - few-flowered, 2 - 12 mm long, glandular-pubescent; bracts ovate-subulate, broadly
scarious-margined. Sepals ovate-lanceolate to subulate-lanceolate, acuminate at apex,
7-12 mm long, broadly scarious-margined, pungent; nerves 3, merging into one. Petals
obovate, longer than sepals, variable in size. Capsules oblong, shorter than sepals,
coriaceous; seeds flat with a fimbriate wing, ca 1.7 mm in diam., pale brown.

Fl. July - Aug.; Fr. Sept. - Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine Western Himalayas, 3500 - 4500 m. Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan and China (Tibet).

11. Arenaria glanduligera Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 240.1874.

Herbs, perennial, laxly caespitose, densely glandular-pubescent; stems shiny, 2 - 6

cm long, brownish below, with a line of hairs above. Leaves ovate or elliptic, acute or
acuminate at apex, 3 - 7 (-12) x 2 - 3 (-4) mm, hardly thick along margins, glandular
pubescent on both surfaces. Flowers solitary, terminal, 8.5 -12.5 mm across; pedicels
up to 2 cm long, pubescent. Sepals spreading, ovate or lanceolate, obtuse or acute at
apex, 4 - 5 x 1.5 mm, scarious-margined, often purplish. Petals obovate, 6 - 7 x 2.5 - 4
mm, white or purplish. Stamens ca 4 mm long; filaments united below. Ovary obovoid,
ca 2 mm long; styles 3, ca 3 mm long. Capsules 6-valved; seeds few.

Fl. July-Aug.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, 4000 - 5000 m, on sandy slopes. Jammu &
Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

512 -. ' FLORA OF INDIA . [VOL. 2

12. Arenaria griffithii Boiss., Diagn. PI. Orient. 2,1: 89.1853; Edgew. & Hook. f.
in Fl. Brit. India 1: 237.1874.

Herbs, suffruticose, caespitose, glabrous to glandular-puberulent; flowering bran-

ches erect, 4 - 9 cm high. Leaves densely crowded, subulate, sometimes recurved at apex,
7 - 9 mm long, setaceous, ciliolate, pungent. Bracts subulate, 3-angular, acuminate, ca
3 mm long, concave. Calyx thick and round at base; sepals ovate, acute, ca 4.5 x 2.5 mm,
glandular, broadly scarious-margined, concave, coriaceous. Petals obovate, ca 6.5 x 3.5
mm. Stamens ca 4 mm long. Ovary ovoid, ca 2 mm long; styles ca 1.5 mm long. Capsules
globose or broadly ovoid, 6-valved, shorter than sepals, coriaceous.

Fl. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Subalpine regions, 3000 - 4000 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, China (Tibet) and Afghanistan.

13. Arenaria kansuensis Maxim, in Bull. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Petersb. 26:428.1880;
F. Williams in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 33: 402.1898.

Herbs, densely caespitose. Leaves subulate from base, 3-angular, ca 7 mm long,

scarious and ciliate along margins, glabrous, pungent; leaves of flowering branches 4 -
5 mm long, almost wholly scarious; upper leaves bract-like, ciliate. Pedicels 4 - 5 mm
long, viscid-pubescent. Sepals acute, 6 - 8 mm long, hyaline-margined, 1-nerved. Petals
elliptic, obtuse, white. Anthers black. Ovary globose. Capsules ovate-oblong, included
in calyx; seeds with densely cristate-tuberculate margins and glabrous disc.

Fl.&Fr. Aug. -Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, 3800 - 4600 m, on rocks. Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

14. Arenaria littledalei Hemsley in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1896:209.1896. Gooringia
littledalei (Hemsley) F. Williams in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 5: 530.1897.

Herbs, annual, minute, 2 - 3.5 cm high, glabrous; branches slender. Leaves linear,
subacute at apex, up to 8 mm long, glabrous. Flowers solitary or in few-flowered cymes,
terminal or axillary; pedicels erect or suberect, 5 - 16 mm long, glabrous. Sepals 4,
narrow, linear-lanceolate, 2 - 3.5 mm long, scarious-margined, glabrous. Petals 4,1 -1.5
mm long, white. Stamens 2 (-3). Capsules ca 2 mm long, 4-valved; seeds few, smooth,
ca 0.4 mm in diam.

Fl. July-Aug.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 513

Distrib. India: Alpine regions, 4300 - 5000 m. Sikkim.

China (Tibet).

15. Arenaria melandryiformis F. Williams in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 38: 402.1909.

Herbs, perennial, glandular-pubescent or finely purplish pilose; stems simple or

branched, lax, suberect, 6 -15 cm high. Leaves in distant pairs, sessile, oblong-elliptic,
spathulate or lanceolate, obtuse to subacute at apex, 5 -17 x 2 - 3 mm. Flowers solitary,
terminal, nodding; pedicels 1.5 - 2 cm long, curved inflower,becoming erect, up to 4.5
cm long in fruit. Sepals obtuse at apex, somewhat recurved, 5-7x1-2 mm, green, dark
purplish pubescent, not scarious. Petals linear to oblanceolate, narrowed and clawed
at base, rounded at apex, 7 - 10 x 1.5 - 3.5 mm. Stamens 5 - 6 mm long. Styles 2 - 3 .
Capsules ovoid, 4 - 6-valved, 7 - 9 mm long; young seeds broadly winged.

Fl. July - Aug.; Fr. Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine regions, 4200 - 6000 m, in sandy or stony grasslands. Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

16. Arenaria melandryoides Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1:241.1874. A. cerastiiformis

F. Williams in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 38:402.1909.

Herbs, perennial, 7 - 8 cm high; roots long; branches arising from base, terete, with
2 rows of scabrid hairs, 1-flowered. Leaves elliptic, scabro-puberulent along margins,
8 -15 x 3 - 5 mm, thick, 1-nerved. Pedicels short, 5 -10 mm long, usually erect. Sepals
linear to linear-lanceolate, saccate at base, scarcely acute at apex, 5-7 mm long, hispid,
glandular-ciliate along margins, not scarious. Petals oblong, clawed and cuneate at base,
10 -14 mm long, white to pale rose. Filaments subulate, ciliolate. Styles 2. Capsules
4-valved.

Fl. Aug. - Sept.; Fr. Sept. - Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine regions, 4000 - 5000 m. Sikkim.

China (Tibet).

17. Arenaria neelgherrensis Wight & Arn., Prodr. 43.1834; Edgew. & Hook. f. in
Fl. Brit. India 1: 239.1874.

Herbs, annual; stems much branched, procumbent, elongate, with a line of hairs.
Leaves subsessile, obovate or elliptic, obtuse at apex, 6 - 15 x 3 - 6 mm, glabrous,
gland-dotted. Flowers solitary, axillary or in small terminal cvmes, 3 - 4 mm across;
514 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

pedicels slender, 9-10 mm long, viscid-pubescent; bracts leafy. Sepals ovate, acute at
apex, ca 4 x 1 mm, scarious-margined, glabrous except the dorsal pubescent nerve.
Petals longer than sepals. Styles usually 3, rarely 4. Capsules ovoid, as long as sepals;
seeds compressed, transversely striate.

Fl. April - June; Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Subtropical and temperate Himalayas and the Western Ghats.
Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Maharashtra
and Tamil Nadu.

Pakistan and Nepal.

18. Arenaria orbiculata Royle ex Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:240.1874.

Herbs, perennial, with sterile shoots and many flowering shoots; branches decum-
bent or prostrate, with a line of hairs. Leaves subsessile, orbicular or elliptic, obtuse,
acute or apiculate at apex, 2 - 7 mm long, 1-nerved; petioles up to 2 mm long, ciliate.
Flowers solitary or in few-flowered cymes. Sepals ovate or lanceolate, 3 - 4 x 1 -1.5 mm,
glabrous, 1-nerved. Petals ovate-lanceolate, ca 3 x 1 mm. Styles 3. Capsules 6-valved;
seeds many, ca 0.7 mm in diam., dark brown, smooth.

FL May - Sept.; Fr. June - Oct.

Distrib. India: Temperate to alpine Himalayas, 2500 - 5000 m, on rocks. Jammu

& Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Pakistan and Bhutan.

19. Arenaria oreophila Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 238.1874.

Herbs, densely caespitose, forming small compact hemispherical tufts; stems short,
densely leafy. Leaves spreading, narrowly linear-subulate, sheathing at base, acute at
apex, 12 -13 mm long, quite glabrous, rigid, recurved; uppermost pair short, bract-like,
ciliolate. Flowers solitary, ca 6 mm across; pedicels stout, shorter than calyx, puberulous.
Calyx rounded and thickened at base; sepals oblong-orbicular, concave, ca 4 x 1.5 mm,
minutely ciliate, coriaceous, nerveless. Petals obovate-spathulate, very narrow, rounded
at apex, twice as long as sepals. Filaments slender; disc-glands prominent. Styles short.
Capsules broadly ovoid, obtuse, 6-valved up to base, rather exceeding sepals, coriaceous;
seeds somewhat auriform.

Fl. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Alpine regions, ca 5400 m. Sikkim.

1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 515

Bhutan and China (Tibet).

20. Arenaria polytrichoides Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 237.1874.

Herbs, densely caespitose, forming hemispherical 5 -10 cm high tufts; stems densely
compressed, cylindrical, 2 -10 cm long, together with leaves ca 6.5 mm in diam. Leaves
densely imbricate, sessile, recurved, linear-lanceolate, broadly sheathing, scarious and
ciliate at base, narrowed and aristate at apex, 3 - 6 x 1 - 1 . 2 5 mm, thick along margins,
bright green, rigid, pungent. Flowers minute, terminal, subsessile; pedicels lengthening
up to 4 mm in fruit. Sepals broadly elliptic, obtuse at apex, concave, ca 2.5 x 1.5 mm, not
scarious-margined, glabrous, indistinctly 3-nerved. Petals obovate, narrowed at base,
ca 4 x 1.75 mm. Filaments ca 3 mm long. Styles 3. Capsules broadly ovoid, shortly
6-valved, equalling sepals, coriaceous; seeds small, black, angular.

Fl. June - Aug.; Fr. Aug. - Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, 4200 - 4600 m, on rocks. Himachal Pradesh and
Sikkim.

Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan.

21. Arenaria pulvinata Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 238.1874.

Herbs, densely caespitose; branches densely leafy. Leaves semiterete, subulate,

with scarious sheathing base, abruptly mucronate at apex, convex on the back, 3 - 5 x 1
mm, strongly ciliate along margins, spreading, pale green. Flowers subsessile. Calyx
rounded and thickened at base; sepals ovate-lanceolate, subacute at apex, 4 - 5 x 1.3 -
1.7 mm, hard and scarious-margined; nerves 3, close together in the middle. Petals
obovate, 6 -10 x 2 mm. Styles 3, slender. Capsules ovoid, 6-valved, ca 3 x 1.5 mm; seeds
ovate or reniform, nearly smooth.

Fl. July - Aug.; Fr. Sept. - Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine regions, 4500 - 5500 m, on rocks. Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

22. Arenaria serpyllifolia L., Sp. PI. 423.1753; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India
1: 239.1874. Fig. 102.

Herbs, annual, small; stems branched from base, 10 - 30 cm high; branches slender,
suberect or decumbent, hairy with often recurved hairs. Leaves subsessile, ovate to
ovate-lanceolate, acuminate at apex, 5 - 7 mm long, stiff with scattered bristles. Flowers
numerous, in cymes, 5 - 7 mm across; pedicels slender, erect; bracts herbaceous. Sepals
516 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 102. Arenaria serpyllifolia L. : a. habit; b. flower; c. sepals; d. petals; e. stamen;

f. dehisced capsule.
1993] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 517

5, free, ovate-lanceolate, acute at apex, 3 - 4 x 1 mm, 3 - 5-nerved, bristly. Petals 5,

narrowly obovate, entire, ca 1.5 x 0.8 mm, white. Stamens 10. Styles 3. Capsules
flask-shaped with a hard wall, 6-valved, ca 3.5 mm long; seeds many, rounded-reniform,
0.5 - 0.7 mm in diam., dark brown, papillose.

Fl. March - Aug.; Fr. June - Sept.

Distrib. India: Subtropical and temperate regions, 1000 - 3200 m. Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Rajasthan and Tamil
Nadu.

Pakistan, Nepal, China (Tibet), temperate Asia, Australia, Europe and N. America.

23. Arenaria stracheyi Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 240.1874.

Herbs, perennial, small, entirely glabrous; stems laxly caespitose, 2 - 5 cm high.

Leaves oblong-lanceolate, acute or acuminate and thickened at apex, 6 - 7.5 x 2 mm.
Flowers solitary, terminal, 1.1 - 1.7 cm across; pedicels ebracteate. Sepals lanceolate,
acuminate at apex, ca 5 mm long, coriaceous. Petals obovate, ca 7 x4 mm, white. Styles
3. Capsules 6-valved, shorter than sepals; seeds somewhat auriform, pale, smooth.

Fl. Aug.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, 4500 - 5000 m, on rocks. Jammu & Kashmir and
Sikkim.

Pakistan, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

24. Arenaria thangoensis W. Smith in Rec. Bot. Surv. India 4:180.1911.

Fig. 103.

Herbs, small, delicate, branched, 2 - 3 cm high, viscid-pubescent; stems with a line

of whitish to brownish hairs. Leaves broadly lanceolate, 3 - 4 mm long, ciliate along
margins, 1-nerved. Flowers few, in cymes; pedicels divaricate, 3 - 4 mm long, hairy.
Sepals 5, broadly lanceolate, 1.5 - 3 mm long, hairy. Petals absent. Stamens 5,1.2 -1.5
mm long. Ovary ovoid, ca 1 mm long; styles 2. Capsules 4-valved, ca 3 mm long; seeds
few, subglobose, 0.6 - 0.8 mm in diam.

Fl. & Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Alpine regions, ca 4500 m. Sikkim.

Endemic.
518 -. FLORA OF INDIA - [VOL. 2

Fig. 103. Arenaria thangoensis W. Smith : a. habit; b. calyx; c. pistil; d. dehisced

capsule; e. seed.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 519

2. Brachystemma D. Don

Monotypic; description and distribution as for the species below.

Brachystemma calycinum D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep. 216.1825; Edgew. & Hook. f.
in Fl. Brit. India 1: 235.1874. Fig.104.

Herbs, glabrous, glossy, climbing on trees up to 6 m Mgh from ground; stems

4-angular, somewhat pilose at apex. Leaves opposite, ovate-lanceolate, rounded or
cuneate at base, crenulate to ciliate and serrulate along margins, mucronate at apex,
2.5 - 7 x 0.6 - 2.5 cm, glabrous to pilose; petioles up to 2 cm long, becoming recurved,
thickened and hardened. Panicle axillary or terminal, many-flowered; branches mi-
nutely pubescent; bracts linear-lanceolate, up to 4 mm long, recurved, glandular-pube-
scent. Sepals 5, oblong to elliptic- lanceolate, entire, acute at apex, 5 - 7 x 1.5 - 2 mm,
scarious, shiny, faintly 3-nerved. Petals 5, lanceolate to elliptic, acute at apex, 2.5 - 4 x
1 mm, white. Stamens 5,1 - 2 mm long, sometimes with 5 staminodes; anthers ovoid.
Ovary 1-locular, ca 1.2 mm in diam., 3-ovuled; styles 2, revolute, bristly on inside margin.
Capsules globose, 4-valved; seed 1, globose or reniform, reticulate.

Fl&Fr. Dec.-May.

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas. Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim, Aru-
nachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya.

Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, China and Indochina.

3. Cerastium L.

Herbs, annual or perennial. Leaves sessile or subsessile, entire, small. Flowers

usually in terminal, dichotomous cymes, 5-merous, rarely 4-merous. Sepals 5, free,
scarious, membranous-margined. Petals as many as sepals, 2-fid or emarginate at apex,
white, rarely absent. Stamens usually 10, rarely less, hypogynous; nectaries present.
Ovary 1-locular; styles 3 - 5 , Filiform. Capsules cylindrical, exceeding sepals, opening by
twice as many short teeth as styles; seeds many, spherical or reniform, rough, com-
pressed, often tuberculate.

Almost cosmopolitan; ca 60 species, 7 species in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Styles usually 3 2. C. cerastoides

b. Styles usually 5 2
2a. Capsule teeth curved or recurved, plain along margins 3
b. Capsule teeth straight, recurved along margins 4
520 -. ' FLORA OF INDIA . [VOL.2

mm ]
mm

I mm

]
mm

Fig. 104. Brachystemma calycinum D. Don : a. flowering shoot; b. sepal; c. petal;

d. stamens and staminodes; e. pistil.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 521

3a. Plants glabrous; capsules much longer than calyx 3. C. dahuricum

b. Plants glandular-pubescent; capsules slightly longer than calyx 6. C. indicum
4a. Leaves linear-oblong; cymes in umbel-like clusters 7. C. thomsonii
b. Leaves not linear-oblong; cymes lax or compact 5
5a. Flowers 1 - 5; sepals 7-10 mm long 1. C. alpinum
b. Flowers many; sepals less than 5 mm long 6
6a. Flowers in compact clusters; fruiting pedicels not exceeding sepals; sepals with long white hairs project-
ing beyond apex 5. C. glomeratum
b. Flowers in dichasia, lax in fruit; fruiting pedicels exceeding sepals; sepals without such long hairs
4. C. fontanum

1. Cerastium alpinum L., Sp. PI. 438.1753; Kachroo et al., Fl. Ladakh 62.1977.

Herbs, perennial, 7 - 20 cm high, glabrous or hairy. Leaves ovate to elliptic-lanceo-

late, acute or obtuse at apex, ca 10 x 5 mm. Flowers 1-5; pedicels 1 - 4 cm long; bracts
acute, scarious-margined. Sepals truncate at base, acute at apex, 7-10 mm long. Petals
2-fid, twice as long as sepals, white. Capsules narrow, slightly curved upwards, 8 - 1 4
mm long; seeds 1 -1.4 mm in diam., acutely tuberculate.

Fl. May-June.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir.

Russia (Siberia), Arctic and subarctic Europe.

Notes. It is included on the basis of Kachroo et al. (1. c.) who reports its occurrence
in Ladakh.

2. Cerastium cerastoides (L.) Britton in Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 5: 152. 1894.
Stellaria cerastoides L., Sp. PI. 422.1753. Cerastium trigynum Villars, Hist. PI. Dauphine
3: 645.1789; Edgew. & Hook.f.in Fl. Brit. India 1: 227.1874. Fig. 105.

Herbs, perennial; stems slender, glabrous except for a line of short hairs; flowering
shoots 10 - 30 cm high. Leaves linear to lanceolate, obtuse at apex, 6 -18 x 0.5 - 2 mm,
usually curved, pale green. Cymes few-flowered; pedicels slender, glandular-pubescent;
bracts leaf-like. Sepals linear-lanceolate, 4 - 5 mm long, glandular-pubescent, 1-nerved.
Petals 2-lobed, ca 9 mm long,white. Styles usually 3. Capsules 6-valved, 7 - 9 mm long;
seeds ca 0.5 mm in diam., brown with 8 rows of dorsal tubercles.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India.: Alpine Himalayas, above 2700 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
522 -• FLORA OF INDIA . [VOL. 2

]
mm

mm
cm

Fig. 105. Cerastium cerastoides (L.) Britton : a. flowering branch; b. sepal; c. petal;
d. stamen; e. pistil; f. capsule.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 523

Pakistan, Russia, Africa, W. Asia and Europe.

3. Cerastium dahuricum Fischer in Sprengel, PI. Min. Cogn. Pug. 2: 65. 1815;
Edgew. & Hook. f. in F t Brit. India 1:227.1874.

Herbs, perennial; stems 3-6 mm thick, shiny, glabrous above, sometimes pubescent
below. Leaves sessile, ovate or oblong, amplexicaul, acute or rarely obtuse at apex,
2.5 - 6 x 3 - 2.2 cm. Flowers in cymes; pedicels 1 - 2 cm long, up to 4 cm long in fruit.
Sepals oblong-elliptic, acute at apex, 9 - 1 0 mm long, shiny, scarious-margined. Petals
obcordate, 2-lobed, 18 - 19 mm long with ciliate claw. Capsules straight, 15 - 19 mm
long, striate, many-nerved with recurved teeth; seeds 1 -1.2 mm in diam., tuberculate.

Fl.&Fr. June-Sept.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan, W. Asia, Russia and Europe.

4. Cerastium fontanum Baumg. subsp. triviale (Link) Jalas in Arch. Soc. Zool.
Bot. Fenn. "Vanamo" 18: 63.1963. C. triviale Link, Enum. PI. Hort. Berol. Alt. 1: 433.
1821. C. vulgatum L. var. triviale (Link) Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 228.
1874.

Herbs, laxly caespitose, hirsute throughout or glandular-pubescent upwards.

Leaves sessile, oblong, elliptic to ovate, acute at apex, 1 - 3 x 0.3 - 1 cm, minutely hairy.
Cymes glandular-pubescent; bracts herbaceous. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, 3 - 5 mm long,
with scarious margins and glabrous apex. Petals 2-fid for 1/3 to 1/5 of length, equalling
or slightly exceeding sepals. Stamens 10; filaments glabrous; anthers yellow. Capsules
narrowly cylindrical, 9-12 mm long; seeds 0.5 - 0.9 mm, reddish brown, rugose-tuber-
culate.

FL&Fr. April-Sept.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine Himalayas. Himachal Pradesh, Uttar

Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya.

Pakistan, Nepal and Asia.

5. Cerastium glomeratum Thuill., Fl. Env. Paris ed. 2,226. 1799. C. vulgatum auct.
non L. 1753; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 228. 1874, p. p. C. vulgatum var.
glomeratum (Thuill.) Edgew. & Hook, f., 1. c. 228.

Herbs, annual, 10 - 40 cm high, glandular-pubescent, with erect or ascending

524 -• FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

flowering shoots. Leaves oblong, lanceolate, ovate or elliptic, apiculate, 10 - 25 x 6 - 9

mm, white-hairy. Cymes clustered; pedicels 2 - 4 mm long; bracts herbaceous, hairy.
Sepals lanceolate, acuminate at apex, 4 - 5 x 1 -1.5 mm, pubescent. Petals 2-fid, as long
as sepals, white. Stamens 5 (-10). Capsules terete, cylindrical, curved upwards, 8 - 1 1
mm long, scarious, straw-coloured, opening by 10 straight teeth; seeds 0.5 - 0.6 mm, pale
brown, rugose-tuberculate.

Fl&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: Throughout the hilly regions.

Bhutan and Nepal.

6. Cerastium indicum Wight & Arn., Prodr. 43. 1834; Edgew. & Hook. f. in F t
Brit. India 1: 227.1874.

Herbs, perennial, slender, 40 - 60 cm high, glandular- pubescent. Leaves subsessile,

lanceolate, ovate or elliptic, acute at apex, 3 - 5.5 x 0.5 -1.5 cm, membranous. Flowers
few, in terminal dichotomous cymes; pedicels slender, tomentose. Sepals oblong-lan-
ceolate, acute at apex, 4 - 5 mm long, narrowly scarious-margined. Petals 5 - 6 mm long.
Capsules slightly longer than sepals, with curved teeth.

Fl.&Fr. Sept.-Feb.

Distrib. India: Western Ghats (Nilgris and Palnis). Tamil Nadu.

Sri Lanka.

7. Cerastium thomsonii Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 228.1874.

Herbs, 15 - 40 cm high, glandular-hairy; stems erect, slender, branched at base.

Leaves linear-oblong, subacute at apex, 20 - 30 (-40) x 2 - 4 (-10) mm. Cymes few-
flowered. Flowers 1.2 - 1.9 cm across; pedicels slender; bracts narrowly scarious-
margined. Sepals oblong-lanceolate, acute at apex, 6 - 7 mm long, scarious-margined.
Petals broad, 8 - 9 mm long. Capsules cylindrical, 10 - 12 x 3 - 4 mm; seeds many,
flattened.

Fl. & Fr. June - Aug.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar
Pradesh.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 525

4. Cucubalus L.

Monotypic; description and distribution as for the species below.

Cucubalus baccifer L., Sp. PI. 413. 1753; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:
222.1874. Fig. 106.

Herbs, perennial; stems diffusely branched, 60 - 90 cm high, often subscandent;

flowering shoots pubescent with short curved white hairs. Leaves ovate-lanceolate,
rounded at base, acuminate at apex, 2.5 - 7 x 1 - 2.5 cm, sparsely pubescent, membranous;
petioles up to 1 cm long; upper leaves sessile, entire or somewhat sinuate. Flowers ca
1.8 cm across, bisexual, nodding, solitary, axillary or few, terminal in leafy cymes at ends
of branches; pedicels 4 -12 mm long, tomentose. Calyx campanulate, divided to below
middle into teeth, 8 - 12 mm long, inflated in fruit, with indistinct nerves; teeth 5, unequal,
subacute, about twice as long as tube. Petals 5, white, inserted hypogynously at apex of
gynophore, about as long as calyx, deeply 2-lobed; claw cylindrical, wider at junction
with limb, with 2 scales at base of limb. Receptacle slightly elongated up to 3 mm,
bearing petals, stamens and ovary at apex. Stamens 10; filaments filiform; anthers
didymous, 2-locular, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary 1-locular above, partially 3-locular
at base; styles 3, filiform, stigmatose inside. Fruits berry-like, globose, 1 -1.5 cm in diam.,
black when ripe, on a short carpophore, indehiscent or bursting irregularly; seeds many,
reniform, ca 1.5 mm in diam., black.

Fl. June-Sept

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas, grassy edges of pine forests, 1500 - 2200 m.
Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Himalayas, Japan, Russia (Siberia) and C. & S. Europe.

5. Dianthus L.

Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial, rarely shrubby. Leaves narrow, linear, elliptic
or lanceolate, sometimes, connate at base. Flowers solitary or in panicled cymes;
bracteoles (epicalyx scales) 2 - many, closely adpressed to calyx. Calyx tubular, without
scarious commissures or commissural veins, 5-toothed. Petals long-clawed, entire,
toothed or fimbriate but never 2-fid, without appendages. Receptacle elongated, bear-
ing petals, stamens and ovary at apex. Stamens 10. Styles 2, filiform. Capsules oblong,
cylindrical or ovoid, dehiscing by 4 teeth; seeds peltate with a facial hilum.

Africa, Asia, Europe and North America; ca 270 species, 9 species in India.
526 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 106. Cucubalus baccifer L. : a. habit; b. calyx; c.flowerwithout calyx; d.seed.

1993] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 527

Notes. Dianthus caryophyllus L. (Carnation) and its cultivars and hybrids; D.

chinesis L., a native of China; D. barbatus L. and D. plumarius L., natives of Europe, are
commonly cultivated in Indian gardens.

Literature. WILLIAMS, F. N. (1893) A monograph of the genus Dianthus. J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 29:
346 - 378.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Petals fimbriate along margins 2

b. Petals not fimbriate along margins 3
2a. Leaves 1-nerved; calyx more than 2.5 cm long; bracteoles 9 -14 mm long 5. D. crinitus
b. Leaves 3-nerved; calyx less than 2.5 cm long, bracteoles 4 - 6 mm long 9. D. orientalis
3a. Petal limb barbulate 4. D. chinensis
b. Petal limb ebarbulate 4
4a. Calyx more than 1.8 cm long 5
b. Calyx less than 1.8 cm long 8
5a. Flowers in paniculate cymes 3. D. caryophyllus
b. Flowers solitary or few 6
6a. Calyx ca 5 cm long 7. D. falconeri
b. Calyx 1.8 - 2.5 cm long 7
7a. Leaves 1-nerved; calyx teeth pungent 8. D. jacquemontii
b. Leaves 3-nerved; calyx teeth not pungent 2. D. cachemiricus
8a. Bracteoles (4-) 8; calyx 9 - 11-nerved 1. D. anatolicus
b. Bracteoles 2 (-4); calyx 7-nerved 6. D. deltoides

1. Dianthus anatolicus Boiss., Diagn. PI. Orient. 1,1: 22.1843; Edgew. & Hook,
f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 214.1874.

Herbs, perennial, densely caespitose with a short woody stock; stems slender, 8 -
35 cm high. Leaves narrow, slender, linear, long-acuminate at apex, 3-nerved with
thickened margins; radical leaves ca 3 cm long; cauline ones ca 2.4 cm long, channelled.
Flowers solitary or often 2 - 3 together; pedicels more than 5 mm long; bracteoles (4-)
6 (-8), broadly cuspidate, sometimes with foliaceous points, shorter than calyx. Calyx
contracted above, 8.5 -11 x 2 - 3.5 mm; teeth lanceolate, acute, often mucronate, ca 2
mm long, ciliolate, scarious-margined, 9 - 1 1 - nerved. Petals oblong-spathulate, den-
tate, 2.5 - 3.5 mm long, glabrous, white.

Fl. May - Aug.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 2700 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

China (Tibet) to Asia Minor.

528 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

2. Dianthus cachemiricus Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India. 1: 214.1874.

Herbs, perennial; stems slender, erect, 48 - 52 cm high, branched from base,

glabrous. Leaves narrow, linear, acuminate at apex, channelled, 3-nerved; radical leaves
ca 3.4 cm long; cauline ones ca 2.4 cm long. Flowers solitary or few, terminal; bracteoles
lanceolate with a long foliaceous point, sometimes as long as calyx. Calyxca 2.5 cm
long, purple; teeth 5, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, scarious-margined, 7-nerved. Petals
5, obovate, pink; limb 1.2 -1.6 x 2.5 cm, dentate, or almost entire along margins. Stamens
10. Ovary on a long gynophore, 1-locular; styles 2. Capsules opening by 4 teeth.

Fl. Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine regions. Jammu & Kashmir.

Endemic.

3. Dianthus caryophyllus L., Sp. PI. 411.1753; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India
1: 214.1874.

Herbs, perennial, erect, glabrous, glaucous; stems 60 - 70 cm high, stout, jointed and
leafy below. Leaves opposite, obtuse at apex, thick, channelled, 5-nerved; midnerve
prominent; laterals obscure; radical leaves 9 - 9.3 cm long; cauline ones linear, 7 - 7.5 cm
long, recurved. Flowers in lax paniculate cymes, long-pedicellate, fragrant, rose-purple
or white; bracteoles 4, obovate, mucronate, 6 - 7 mm long. Calyx cylindrical, 2.5 - 3 cm
long, smooth; teeth 5, narrow, scarious-winged, ciliolate, 9-nerved. Petals dentate and
crenate; limb obovate-cuneate or truncate-subrhomboid. Stamens 10; anthers oblong.
Capsules ovoid-cylindrical, longer than calyx; seeds pyriform, granulate.

Fl. Nov. - Jan.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab.

N. Africa and S. Europe.

4. Dianthus chinensis L., Sp. P1.411. 1753. D. seguierii Villars, Prosp. Hist. PI.
Dauphine 48.1779 & Hist. PI. Dauphine 1: 330.1786 & 3: 594.1789; Edgew. & Hook,
f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:215.1874. Fig. 107.

Herbs, perennial, caespitose, up to 50 cm high; stems dichotomously branched,

4-angular. Leaves linear-lanceolate, smooth and entire, acuminate at apex, flat, rigid,
patent, channelled, 3 - 5-nerved; laterals obscure; radical leaves up to 6.4 cm long; upper
ones 2 (-4) cm long. Flowers solitary or in lax cymes; pedicels 2 - 5 mm long; bracteoles
4, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, half as long as or equalling calyx. Calyx subcylindrical,
wider at lower half, 7-nerved; teeth triangular, lanceolate, acuminate. Petals acutely
 CARYOPHYLLACEAE

Fig. 107. Dianthus chinensis L. : a.floweringshoot; b. calyx; c. tracteoles; d. petal;

e. stamens; f. pistil.
530 FLORA OF INDIA - [VOL. 2

serrate, incurved along margins, pubescent at base, barbulate, pink to purple, rarely
white. Anthers dark blue or purple. Capsules subsessile, ovoid; seeds granulate.

Fl. Feb.-March.

Distrib. India: Temperate regions. Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Tripura.
Also cultivated in Indian gardens.

China (Tibet), Russia (Siberia and Caucasus), Turkey, Greece and C. Europe.

5. Dianthus crinitus Smith in Trans. Linn. Soc., Lond. 2: 300. 1794; Edgew. &
Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 215.1874.

Herbs, perennial, erect, robust, with a woody base; branches rigid, 20 - 45 cm high,
few-flowered. Leaves narrow, linear, acute at apex, 3 -12 cm x 0.8 -1.3 mm, recurved,
1-nerved; leaves of flowering shoots shorter than internodes, erect. Flowers solitary;
pedicels more than 2 cm long; bracteoles 4 - 6, ovate, aristate to cuspidate at apex, 9 -
14 mm long. Calyx cylindrical, 25 - 40 x 3 - 5 mm; teeth linear-lanceolate, acuminate to
aristate, 8.5 -10.5 mm long, finely ciliate along margins. Petals 12 -17 mm long, fimbriate
up to more than half the blade; segments capillary, ebarbulate; claw exserted, white to
pale pink, fragrant. Anthers white.

Fl. June-Aug.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine regions. Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, China (Tibet), Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and C. Asia.

6. Dianthus deltoides L., Sp. PI. 411.1753; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:
214.1874.

Herbs, caespitose, scabro-puberulent; stems slender, ca 25 cm high, terete, forked.

Radical leaves oblanceolate; cauline ones linear-lanceolate, acute at apex, up to 1.2 cm
long, 3-nerved. Flowers ca 1.8 cm across, shortly pedicellate, fragrant; bracteoles 2 (-4),
ovate, acute, spreading, coriaceous, scarious-margined. Calyx slender; teeth lanceolate,
acuminate, scarious-winged, 7-nerved, often dark-coloured. Petals pale flesh-coloured
to rose-purple, rarely white; limb obovate, ca 7 cm long. Anthers oblong, purple.
Capsules cylindrical; seeds smooth, reticulate.

Fl. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir (Ladakh).

China (Tibet), Japan, Russia and Europe.

1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 531

7. Dianthus falconeri Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 214.1874.

Herbs, perennial, suffrutescent, with a woody stock; stems rigid, branched, 30 - 60

cm high. Leaves linear, serrulate along margins, 7 - 15 x 0.3 cm, channelled; radical
leaves 3-nerved; cauline ones 1-nerved. Flowers usually solitary; bracteoles 4 (-6), ovate,
long-cuspidate, ca 1.2 cm long. Calyx ca 5 cm long, striate with 9 - 11-nerved teeth. Petals
finely dentate, smooth, pink.

FL July.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir.

China (Tibet).

8. Dianthus jacquemontii Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 214.1874.

Herbs, small, caespitose, with a woody stock; stems slender, 15 - 25 cm high,

4-angular, 1-flowered. Leaves linear, acute at apex, flat, coriaceouss 1-nerved; radical
leaves up to 3 cm long, recurved; cauline ones up to 2.2 cm long, incurved with thickened
margins, green when dry. Flowers usually solitary, fragrant; bracteoles 4, obovate, 4 - 6
mm long, suddenly contracted into a point, sometimes thickened and obtuse. Calyx
1.8 - 2.5 cm long with acuminate teeth, scarious-winged, 7-nerved, pungent with hard
tips. Petals 5, pink; limb obovate-cuneate, deeply dentate. Stamens 10. Styles 2.

Fl. July-Sept.

Distrib. Inditf Alpine regions. Jammu & Kashmir.

Endemic.

9. Dianthus orientalis Adams in Fried. Weber. & Mohr, Beitr. 1: 54. 1805. D.
fimbriates M. Bieb.,Fl. Taur.-Cauc. 1: 332.1808; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:
215.1874.

Herbs, perennial, 15 - 40 cm high, glabrous, glaucous, usually with an extensive

woody base; stems many, erect, rigid, 4-angular below, 1-flowered. Leaves linear, acute
or acuminate at apex, serrulate along margins, 12 - 70 x 0.5 - 3 mm, flaccid or rigid, erect,
channelled or not, 3-nerved; leaf sheaths as broad as leaves. Flowers usually solitary,
terminal, pedicellate; bracteoles 4 - 8, ovate or oblong, acuminate; lower ones cuspi-
date, 4 - 6 mm long. Calyx tubular, broad below and narrow above, 1.2 - 2.5 cm long;
teeth lanceolate, 6 - 9(-ll) mm long. Petals 5, obovate-oblong, lilac, rose, pink or white;
limb fimbriate for 1/3 of the length, barbulate; claw exserted. Stamens 10. Ovary stalked;
styles 2. Capsules oblong, opening by 4 teeth.
532 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Leaves flaccid; calyx 12 -18 mm long; petals rose coloured 9.1. var. angulatus
b. Leaves rigid; calyx 20 - 25 mm long; petals lilac, pink or white 9.2. var. orientalls

9.1. var. angulatus (Royle ex Benth.) Majumdar, comb. et. stat. nov. D. angulatus
Royle ex Benth. in Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 79.1834; Edgew. & Hook. f. in F t Brit. India
1: 215.1874.

Fl. June - Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 2400 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

9.2. var. orientalis

Fl. June - Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, 2400 - 2800 m. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal
Pradesh.

China (Tibet), Afghanistan, Iran, Russia (Caucasus) and Turkey.

6. Drymaria Schultes

Herbs, annual, prostrate to suberect, branching, glabrous or pubescent. Leaves

opposite, sessile or petiolate, rounded; stipules persistent or fugacious, small, scarious.
Flowers in dichasial cymes, rarely solitary, axillary. Sepals 5, free, scarious-margined.
Petals 3-5, usually 2-fid, often auriculate, white. Stamens 2-5; filaments slightly connate
at base; anthers versatile. Carpels usually 3; ovary shortly stiped, 1-locular; ovules
campylotropous; styles 2 - 3 , more or less united below up to middle. Capsules ovoid to
globose, 3-valved; seeds 1-many, globose, reniform, cochleate, tuberculate.

Tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Malesia, Africa and Madagascar, America
and the West Indies; ca 48 species, 2 species in India.

Literature. DUKE, J. A. (1961) A preliminary revision of the genus Drymaria. Ann. Missouri Bot.
Gard. 48: 173 - 268. MAJUMDAR, N. C. (1969) The genus Drymaria in India. Bull. Bot. Suiv. India 10:
293 - 295.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Plants glabrous to glandular-papillate; pedicels glandular-pubescent; sepals carinate; petals without
auricles; seeds more than 1 mm in diam. 1. D. diandra
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 533

b. Plants villous to hirsute with long septate hairs; pedicels villous; sepals not carinate; petals with
auricles; seeds less than 1 mm in diam. 2. D.villosa

1. Drymaria diandra Blume, Bijdr. 62.1825. D. cordata sensu Edgew. & Hook. f.
in Fl. Brit. India 1: 244.1874, non (L.) Roem. & Schultes 1819. Fig. 108.

Herbs, annual, prostrate or ascending, glabrous to glandular-papillate; branches

arising from base, rooting at nodes, slender, elongate. Leaves deltoid-ovate to subreni-
form, obtuse to cordate at base, acute or obtuse and mucronate at apex, 5 - 25 x 3 - 20
mm, glabrous, 3 - 7-nerved; petioles 2 - 5 mm long; stipules lacerate into 1-2 mm long
filaments. Cymes terminal; pedicels 1-8 mm long, finely glandular-pubescent; bracts
lanceolate, 2 - 5 mm long. Sepals 5, narrowly obovate to elliptic-ovate, 2 - 4.5 mm long,
keeled, 3-nerved, inflexed, glandular-papillose on nerves. Petals 3-5,2-fid nearly up to
middle or more, white; lobes oblong, obtuse at apex, 1.5 - 3 mm long, 1-nerved. Stamens
2-3,1.6 - 2.2 mm long; anthers suborbicular. Ovary globose; styles 2- or 3-fid. Capsules
2 - 3-valved, 1.5 - 2.5 mm long; seeds 1 or few, cochleate, 1 - 2 mm in diam., finely
tuberculate.

Fl&Fr. Jan.-Dec.

Distrib. India: Low hills, up to 1000 m, on damp grounds. Uttar Pradesh, West
Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Orissa, Karnataka
and Tamil Nadu.

Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan, Indo-china, Malesia, Aus-
tralia and Tropical Africa.

2. Drymaria villosa Cham. & Schlecht. in Linnaea 5: 232.1830; Mizushima in Fl.

E. Himal. 80.1966.

Herbs, annual, prostrate or ascending, villous to hirsute with up to 2 mm long white

septate hairs, sometimes glabrescent. Leaves orbicular to reniform, cordate to truncate
at base, 5 - 1 5 mm across, villous with long whitish hairs; stipules usually entire. Cymes
paniculate; pedicels 2 - 20 mm long, sparsely villous; bracts 0.5 -1.5 mm long. Sepals 5,
ovate-elliptic, 2 - 3.5 x 1 - 2 mm, scarious-margined, indistinctly 3-nerved, sparsely
pubescent. Petals 5,2 - 3.6 mm long, 2-fid up to middle or more; lobes acute to deeply
emarginate, with caducous filiform auricles at base, 4-nerved. Stamens 5, 2 - 3.5 mm
long; anthers oblong. Ovary ovoid to globose; styles 1 -1.5 mm long, 3-fid to half their
length. Capsules ovoid or ellipsoid, 2 - 3.5 mm long; seeds many, cochleate, 0.5 - 0.9 mm
in diam., minutely papillate or tuberculate.

Fl. April - June; Fr. July - Oct.

534 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

^j mm
f d

I
mm

]
mm

mm

Fig. 108. Drymaria diandra Blume : a. flowering shoot; b. flower; c. sepal; d. petal;
e. stamens with pistil; f. pistil; g. capsule; h. seed.
1993] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 535

Distrib. India: Introduced and naturalised in the subtropical hills of West Bengal,
Sikkim, Meghalaya, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Widely naturalised in Nepal, Bhutan, Malesia, Africa, Mexico and C. & S. America.

7. Gypsophila L.

Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial, rarely shrubby, often glandular-hairy. Leaves

opposite, linear-subulate, lanceolate or obovate, usually flat, often subfleshy. Flowers
bisexual, generally numerous, small, arranged in lax dichasial leafy cymes, panicles or
heads, rarely solitary, bracts green, scarious; bracteoles absent. Receptacle not elong-
ated. Calyx campanulate, rarely tubular, 5-toothed, with scarious seams between main
nerves. Petals 5, narrowly clawed at base; limb entire or notched, without coronal scales,
white to pink, often with purple streaks. Stamens 10. Ovary ellipsoid, 1-locular,
many-ovuled; styles 2, rarely 3, filiform. Capsules globose to oblong, opening by 4 (-6)
teeth; seeds compressed with a prominent radicle and flat or echinate tubercles, rarely
smooth.

Cheifly in Europe and West Asia; ca 80 species, 2 species in India.

Literature. WILLIAMS, F. N. (1889) A revision of the genus Gypsophila. J. Bot. 27: 321 - 329.
STROH, G. (1937). Die Gattung Gypsophila. Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 59: 455 - 477. BARKOUDAH, Y. I.
(1962). A revision of Gypsophila, Bolanthus, Ankyropetalum and Phryna. Wentia 9: 1 - 203.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves obovate-spathulate; calyx 5 - 7 mm long; seeds subreniform 1. G. cerastioides

b. Leaves linear; calyx ca 2 mm long; seeds cochleate 2. G. sedifolia

1. Gypsophila cerastioides D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep. 213.1825; Edgew. & Hook. f.
in Fl. Brit. India 1: 217.1874. Fig.109.

Herbs, perennial, caespitose; stems many, erect, 10 - 25 cm high, 4-angular, sparsely

pubescent, often reddish; branches prostrate or decumbent. Leaves sparsely pubescent
on both surfaces especially along margins; radical leaves long-petiolate, spathulate,
attenuate at base, mucronulate at apex, 12 - 50 x 4 - 18 mm; cauline ones opposite,
subsessile, obovate, rotundate at apex, 7 -13 x 3 - 7 mm. Flowers in lax terminal corymbs,
often glomerate. Calyx campanulate, 5 - 7 mm long, 5-lobed up to middle; lobes
lanceolate, subacute, with membranous margins, densely ciliate with curved hairs,
purplish at tip. Petal limb obovate-spathulate, emarginate, ca 5 x 3.5 mm, a little
exceeding calyx, white, mauve or white with purple streaks. Stamens 10, short, unequal.
Styles 2 (-3), straight, terete, exceeding stamens; stigma obtuse, pruinose. Capsules
subrotund, 1-locular, 5-valved, ca 6 mm long, shorter than calyx; seeds subreniform,
brown, tuberculate.
536 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

mm

mm

Fig. 109. Gypsophila cerastioides D. Don : a. habit; b. calyx; c. petals and stamens;
d. pistil.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 537

Fl.&Fr. May-Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas 3000 - 4700 m, on grassy slopes and streamsides.
Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Nepal and Bhutan.

2. Gypsophila sedifolia Kurz in Flora 30: 285.1872; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit.
India 1: 217.1874.

Herbs, perennial, caespitose, pubescent throughout; roots stout, woody; branches

many, short, decumbent, pale green. Leaves fascicled, linear, obtuse at apex, ca 6 mm
long, thick, nerveless. Cymes capitate on elongated branches, 2 - 7 cm across. Flowers
4 - 6 mm across; bracts linear, obtuse. Calyx ca 2 mm long, 5-lobed; lobes obtuse,
scarious-margined. Capsules included in calyx; seeds cochleate.

FL&Fr. May-July.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 2700 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

China (Tibet).

8. Herniaria L.

Herbs, annual or perennial, prostrate, procumbent or ascending, sometimes woody

at base. Leaves opposite or sometimes apparently alternate, small. Flowers very small,
in leaf-opposed or apparently axillary, rarely terminal clusters, sometimes 4-merous;
bracts inconspicuous. Sepals usually 5, rarely 4, subequal. Petals absent. Stamens 2 -
5; staminodes usually 5, filiform, minute or absent. Stigmas notched or 2-lobed.
Achenes indehiscent, with a membranous pericarp, shorter or longer than sepals; seeds
subglobose to reniform.

Africa, Europe and Western Asia; ca 35 species, 3 species in India.

Literature. WILLIAMS, F. N. (1896) A systematic revision of the genus Herniaria. Bull. Herb.
Boissier 2.4:556 - 570. HERMANN, F. (1937) Ubersicht uber die Herniaria - Arten das Berliner Herbars.
Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov. 42: 203 - 224.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Plants annual; flowers 1 -1.5 mm across; stamens 2 - 3 2. H. hirsuta

b. Plants perennial; flowers 1.5 - 2.5 mm across; stamens 5 2
2a. Styles distinct 1. H. cachemiriana
b. Styles not distinct 3. H. incana
538 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

1. Herniaria cachemiriana Gay in Duchartre, Rev. Bot. 2: 370. 1847; Singh &
Kachroo, For. Fl. Srinagar 176.1976.

Herbs, perennial, prostrate; branches 3 - 20 cm long, pubescent. Leaves elliptic-

oblanceolate to oblong-ovate, entire and ciliate along margins, 3 - 1 0 (-15) mm long,
strigose-pubescent when young; stipules ovate-triangular, minute. Flowers in leaf-
opposed cymes, turbinate when young, 1.8 - 2 mm long, green. Sepals 5, free, oblong-
elliptic, ca 1 mm long, hairy. Stamens 5. Ovary ovoid, papillose above; styles distinct,
2-furcate; stigmas 2, divergent. Fruits ovoid; seeds lenticular.

Fl. April-July.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.

2. Herniaria hirsuta L., Sp. PL 218.1753; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:
712,1875.

Herbs,-annual; stems slender, 4 - 1 2 (-22) cm; branches conspicuously alternate,

covered with strigose patent hairs. Leaves elliptic to oblanceolate, up to 8 x 2.5 mm,
covered with stiff hairs, rarely ciliate; stipules ciliate. Flowers 1 -1.5 mm across, sessile,
in dense leaf-opposed clusters, often contiguous on short lateral branches. Sepals 5,
densely hirsute with rigid white spreading hairs. Stamens 2 - 3 . Fruits scarcely equalling
sepals, with a short style or subdivergent stigmatic lobes.

Fl. April.

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Pakistan, W. Asia, N. Africa and Europe.

3. Herniaria incana Lam., Encycl. 3:124.1789. H. hirsuta L. var. incana (Lam.)

Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 712.1885.

Herbs, perennial with a stout woody stock; stems 10 - 25 cm, with dense rigid hairs.
Leaves oblanceolate to spathulate, up to 12 x 3 mm, densely covered with stiff white
hairs; upper leaves smaller; stipules usually hairy beneath. Flowers 1.5 - 2 mm across,
in somewhat contiguous clusters. Sepals 5, patent scabrid-hairy. Stamens 5. Fruits
shorter than and completely enclosed by sepals, with a subsessile stigma of 2 widely
divergent lobes.

Fl. April - May.

1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 539

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, W. Asia, N.W. Africa and Europe.

9. Holosteum L.

Herbs, small, glabrous below, glandular-hairy above. Leaves opposite, exstipulate,

narrow. Flowers in terminal umbel-like cymes, 5-merous. Sepals 5, free. Petals 5,
toothed or jagged, white. Stamens 3 - 5 (-10); nectaries present. Ovary 1-locular,
many-ovuled; styles 3, rarely 4 or 5. Capsules cylindrical, opening by 6 revolute teeth;
seeds peltate, concave-convex, papillose.

Ccatral Europe, the Mediterranean region and Western Asia; ca 6 species, one
species in India.

Holosteum umbellatum L., Sp. PI. 88.1753; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:
227.1874.

Herbs, annual, slender; stems erect or ascending, 4 - 25 cm high. Basal leaves

narrowly spathulate, 10-25 mm long; upper ones sessile, linear to ovate, acute at apex,
small. Cymes 3 - 16-flowered; pedicels filiform, 7 - 20 mm long, erect at first, soon
becoming deflexed at base; bracts narrow, ca 1 mm long, membranous. Sepals ovate,
acute at apex, ca 2 mm long, scarious-margined. Petals longer than sepals, white, usually
with a glabrous claw. Stamens 5 or 10. Styles 3. Capsules cylindrical, 4 - 6 mm long;
seeds peltate, furrowed, keeled on either side, ca 0.5 mm in diam.

Fl. March - April; Fr. May - Sept.

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas, 1500 - 2800 m. Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar
Pradesh.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cyprus, Turkey and W. Europe.

10. Lepyrodiclis Fenzl

Herbs, annual, flaccid. Leaves elliptic to lanceolate. Flowers solitary or in loose

paniculate cymes; bracts herbaceous. Calyx cylindrical to campanulate; sepals herba-
ceous. Petals emarginate, lacerate or retuse. Stamens 7 -10, on a glandular annular disc
or disc obsolete. Ovary 4-ovuled; styles 2 (-3). Capsules globose, 2-valved, enclosed in
calyx, membranous, few-seeded; seeds with a thick or tuberculate testa.

Central Asia and the Himalayas; 3 species, 2 species in India.

540 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Literature. WAGENTTZ, G. (1957) Zur Gattung Lepyrodiclis Fenzl. Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien
61: 74 - 77.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves linear or linear-lanceolate; flowers solitary or in cymes; petals obovate or spathulate, retuse
1. L holosteoides
b. Leaves elliptic or oblong-lanceolate; flowers solitary; petals linear, entire 2. L. tenera

1. Lepyrodiclis holosteoides (C. Meyer) Fischer & C. Meyer, Enum. PI. Nov. 1:
93.1841. Gouffeia holosteoides C. Meyer, Verz. Pfl. Casp. 217.1831. Arenaria holos-
teoides (C. Meyer) Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 241.1874. Fig. 110.

Herbs, annual, slender, much branched, glabrous or glandular-pubescent, 60 - 90

cm high; stems on upper parts glandular-pubescent. Leaves sessile, linear or linear-lan-
ceolate, cordate at base, acute or acuminate at apex, 2.5 - 7.5 cm long, spreading. Flowers
sohtary, axillary or in few-flowered cymes; pedicels bracteate in cymes but ebracteate
in sohtary flowers; bracts similar to leaves but becoming smaller upwards. Sepals
usually linear-lanceolate, obtuse at apex, 4 - 6 x 0.7 -1 mm, glabrous to glandular-ciliate.
Petals obovate or spathulate, equalling or exceeding sepals, retuse, white. Filaments
with broad flattened free bases. Styles 2, filiform. Capsules globose, 2-valved, included
in persistent calyx, few-seeded; seeds ca 1.4 mm in diam., tuberculate.

Fl. June - Aug.; Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Temperate and Alpine Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Punjab.

Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Russia.

2. Lepyrodiclis tenera Boiss., Diagn. PI. Orient. 2. 1: 84. 1853. Arenaria tenera
(Boiss.) Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 242.1874.

Herbs, annual, very slender, tufted; stems branched, filiform, 60 - 90 cm long, flaccid.
Leaves long-petiolate, elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, acute at apex. 1 - 1.8 cm long,
membranous. Petioles and pedicels capillary. Flowers sohtary, axillary. Sepals ovate-
oblong or lanceolate, ca 2.5 mm long, dorsally ciliate. Petals linear, dilated upwards,
entire, ca 5 mm long, white. Filaments very slender, hardly united at base. Capsules
globose, 2-valved, ca 2 mm in diam.; seeds subglobose, ca 1 mm in diam., acutely
tuberculate.

Fl.&Fr. May-July.
1993] CARYOPHYIXACEAE 541

I
mm

Hi I m
Mil mm

Fig. 110. Lepyrodiclis holosteoides (C.Meyer) Fischer & C.Meyer : a. flowering shoot;
b. sepal; c. petal; d. pistil.
542 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Pakistan and Afghanistan.

11. Lychnis L.

Herbs, annual or perennial. Flowers bisexual, 5-merous with contorted aestivation.

Calyx shortly campanulate or clavate, narrow, firm, not conspicuously inflated, lower
part tubular with 5 free teeth above, 10-nerved. Petals long-clawed with coronal scales
at base of limb, red or white. Stamens 10. Ovary 1-locular throughout or 5-locular at
base; styles 5, opposite calyx segments. Carpophore usually present. Capsules sessile
or stalked, enclosed in calyx; seeds very small, rugose or tuberculate.

Northern hemisphere; ca 15 species, 2 species in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Plants tomentose with long straight silky hairs; petals obcordate; seeds biconvex 1. L coronaria
b. Plants pubescent with short recurved hairs; petals obovate-cuneate; seeds rotundate-reniform
2. L ischnopetala

1. Lychnis coronaria (L.) Desr. in Lam., Encycl. 3: 643.1792; Edgew. & Hook. f.
in Fl. Brit. India 1: 222.1874. Agrostemma coronaria L., Sp. PL 436.1753. Fig. I l l ,

Herbs, uniformly soft-tometose with silky white hairs; stems erect, 30 - 75 (-100) cm
high, sparingly branched. Radical leaves lanceolate to spathulate, 7 -12 cm long; cauline
leaves oblong, 4 - 7 cm long. Flowers in few-flowered cymes, long-pedicellate. Calyx
conical, 1.5 - 2 cm long, hairy, 10-nerved; teeth contorted to left. Petals broadly
obcordate with stiff 2-toothed scales on claw, ca 2.5 cm long, red-purple. Capsules
subsessile, 5- valved, entire, included in calyx; seeds biconvex, striate and tuberculate.

Fl. May - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir and Karnataka.

W. Asia and S. Europe.

Notes. An extract from the root is used in lung and liver diseases.

2. Lychnis ischnopetala (F. Williams) Majumdar, comb. nov. Hedona ischnopetala

F. Williams in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 38: 405.1909.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 543

cm

Fig. 111. Lychnis corcnaria (L.) Desr. : a. habit; b. dehisced capsule with calyx.
544 FLORA OF INDIA - [VOL. 2

Herbs with long slender roots; stems erect, branched above, pubescent with short
recurved hairs. Leaves lanceolate, hard, 1-nerved; lower leaves broader, attenuate
towards base; upper ones linear-lanceolate. Flowers in lax dichasia, long-pedicellate;
bracteoles 4 at base of pedicel. Calyx densely clothed with short brittle curly hairs; teeth
triangular, rarely acute, ciliate, membranous along margins; nerves united beyond
curves of teeth. Petals narrow, obovate-cuneate, irregularly erose, ciliate only at base
of claw. Capsules sessile, 5-valved; seeds rotundate-reniform, blackish blue, tuberculate
on dorsal face.

Fl. May-July.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine regions of E.Himalayas. Sikkim.

China (Tibet).

12. Minuartia L.

Herbs, annual or perennial, rarely subshrubs, often densely caespitose or mat-

forming. Leaves exstipulate, usually linear or setaceous, sometimes lanceolate, rigid.
Flowers solitary or in cymes, axillary or terminal, sometimes in remote cymose clusters,
usually 5-merous. Sepals 5, free, herbaceous or with 2 parallel white stripes on either
side of midnerve, 3 - 9-nerved, occasionally with obscure lateral nerves. Petals 5, entire
or rarely emarginate, occasionlly very small, white or pink, rarely absent. Stamens (3-)
10, outer whorl with obsolete basal glands. Styles 3. Capsules ovoid or oblong, 3-valved;
seeds buff to dark brown, exstrophiolate.

Temperate and Arctic regions; ca 70 species, 4 species in India.

Literature. MATTFELD, J. (1922) Geographische genetische Untersuchungen uber die Gattung

Minuartia (L.) Hiern. Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov. Beih. 15: 1 - 228, tt. 1 - 5. MATTFELD, J. (1929)
Minuartia. Pflanzenareale 2: 43 - 57.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Plants 3 - 7 cm high; leaves dentate to crenate; seeds smooth or reticulate 2

b. Plants 10 - 30 cm high; leaves entire; seeds honey-combed, tuberculate 3
2a. Petals oblong, equal to or longer than sepals; seeds smooth or very obscurely reticulate
1. M. biflora
b. Petals filiform, shorter than sepals; seeds finely reticulate 4. M. sedoides
3a. Cymes lax; pedicels longer than sepals, usually with a pair of bracteoles near middle
3. M. kashmirica
b. Cymes compact; pedicels shorter than sepals, without bracteoles 2. M. ebracteolata
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 545

1. Minuartia biflora (L.) Schinz & Thell. in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 2, 7: 404. 1907; M.
A. Rau, High Alt. Fl. PI. 72.1975. Stellaria biflora L., Sp. PI. 422.1753.

Herbs, perennial, slender, caespitose, dwarf; vegetative shoots prostrate or decum-

bent; flowering shoots more or less erect, 3 - 8 cm long, glabrous. Leaves crowded and
imbricate on vegetative shoots, loosely arranged on flowering shoots, linear, slightly
connate at base, dentate-crenate along margins, acute at apex, 7 - 13 x 0.6 - 1.2 mm,
glabrous, flexuous, 1 - 3-nerved; lateral nerves usur." obscure. Flowers paired, terminal
or axillary, 1-3; pedicels 2 - 4 mm long, verrucose. Sepals 5, ovate-oblong, acute at apex,
4 - 5 x 1.5 - 2 mm, narrowly scarious-margmed, glabrous, greenish white, 3-nerved, erect
at anthesis. Petals oblong, as long as or slightly longer than sepals, membranous, finely
nerved inside. Stamens 10; filaments 2 - 2.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers oblong, ca 0.5
mm long. Capsules 3-valved, slightly longer than sepals, glabrous, shiny; seeds ovoid,
reddish, smooth or very obscurely reticulate.

Fl&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 3300 m. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal
Pradesh.

Arctic Eurasia and the Alps.

2. Minuartia ebracteolata Majumdar & Giri in Candollea 38:343.1983.

Fig. 112.

Herbs, perennial, erect or loosely tufted, with vegetative shoots and 10 -14 cm long
flowering shoots; internodes very short in sterile shoots and long in flowering shoots.
Leaves linear, slightly connate at base, entire, acute at apex, 10 - 15 x 0.75 - 1 mm,
glandular-pubescent, often flexuous, 1 - 3-nerved; lateral nerves usually subobscure.
Cymes few-flowered, compact; pedicels ebracteolate, 1-4 mm long, densely glandular-
pubescent. Sepals 5, ovate-oblong or ovate-lanceolate, acute or apiculate at apex, 4 -
5 x 1.5 - 2 mm, broadly scarious-margined, dorsally glandular-pubescent, strongly
3-nerved, erect at anthesis. Petals 5, oblong, 8-9x3.5-4 mm, membranous, finely nerved
inside. Stamens 5, attached to base of petals; filaments 6 - 7 mm long, glabrous; anthers
oblong, ca 0.5 mm long, dorsifixed. Ovary urceolate, glabrous; styles 3, ca 2 mm long,
glabrous; stigma flattened. Capsules 3-valved, 6 - 7 mm long; valves reflexed at apex on
dehiscence; seeds ca 0.5 mm long, dark red, honey-combed, distinctly tuberculate.

Fl. June - July.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 3000 m. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal
Pradesh.

Pakistan.
546 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

4 i

o-J-
0-
mm © mm

4-i

0-
mm

5-i

OJ

0.5-1

g mm

Fig. 112. Minuartia ebracteolata Majumdar & Giri : a. plant with flowers; b. sepal,
dorsal face; c. sepal, ventral face; d. petal with stamen; e. pistil; f. dehisced
capsule; g. seed.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 547

3. Minuartia kashmirica (Edgew.) Mattf. in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 57 (Beibl. 126): 32.
1921; Nair, Fl. Bashahr Himal. 37.1977. Arenaria kashmirica Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India
1: 236.1874. A. foliosa Edgew. & Hook, f., 1. c. 236.

Herbs, perennial, erect or loosely tufted, glabrous to glandular-pubescent, with

shorter vegetative shoots and up to 25 cm high erect flowering shoots; internodes longer
in flowering shoots. Leaves linear, entire, acuminate at apex, 12 - 15 x 0.75 - 1 mm,
glabrous or sparsely glandular-pubescent, flexuous, 1 - 3-nerved. Cymes axillary or
terminal, umbellate or subumbellate; peduncles long, glabrous or glandular-pilose.
Flowers 6 - 8 mm across; pedicels up to 2.2 cm long, with a pair of ovate acute 1.5 - 2
mm longbracteoles. Sepals 5, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate at apex, 4 - 5 x 1.25 -1.5 mm,
narrowly scarious-margined, glabrous or dorsally glandular-pubescent, strongly 3-
nerved. Petals 5, oblanceolate, entire, 8 - 9 x 3.5 - 4.5 mm, membranous. Stamens 10.
Ovary ovoid, ca 1 mm long; styles 3. Capsules 3-valved, 5 - 6 mm long; seeds reniform
or cuneoid, 0.75 - 1 x 0.75 mm, honey-combed and tuberculate.

Fl.&Fr. May-Sept.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan, Nepal, China (Tibet) and Afghanistan.

4. Minuartia sedoides (L.) Hiern in J. Bot. 37: 321. 1899; Majumdar & Giri in
Candollea 38: 347.1983. Cherleria sedoides L., Sp. PI. 425.1753.

Herbs, perennial, densely caespitose, dwarf, with a long taproot and woody stock
and flowering and sterile shoots forming a yellowish green cushion of ca 5 cm across;
flowering shoots scarcely coming out of cushion. Leaves linear-triangular, shortly
dentate-margined, acuminate at apex, 4 - 6 x 0.75 - 1 mm, glabrous, flexuous. Flowers
unisexual, usually solitary, rarely 2 or 3, axillary or terminal, 4 - 5 mm across; pedicels
2 - 4 mm long, verrucose or finely glandular-pubescent. Sepals 5, ovate-oblong, acute
at apex, 3 - 4 x 1.25 - 1.5 mm, glabrous, narrowly scarious-margined, greenish white,
spreading at anthesis. Petals usually absent in female flowers, shorter than sepals in
male flowers, membranous. Stamens 10 in male flowers, shorter than sepals. Ovary
abortive in male flowers. Capsules 3-valved, 4.5 - 6 mm long, glabrous, shiny; seeds
comma-like, 0.5 - 0.75 mm long, reddish, finely reticulate.

Fl&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 3300 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

Europe.
548 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

13. Myosoton Moench

Monotypic; description and distribution as for the species below.

Myosoton aquaticum (L.) Moench, Methodus 225.1794. Cerastium aquaticum L.,

Sp. PI. 439.1753. Stellaria aquatica (L.) Scop., Fl. Cam. ed. 2,1: 319.1772; Edgew. &
Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 229.1874.

Herbs, perennial, erect, suberect or decumbent, 15 - 50 (-100) cm high; upper parts

glandular-pubescent. Leaves narrowly ovate, acute at apex, 2 - 5 x 1 - 2 cm, sometimes
longer; lower leaves often petiolate; upper ones sessile. Inflorescences somewhat lax,
5 - 20-flowered or more, elongating in fruit; bracts foliaceous. Sepals oblong to ovate-
oblong, obtuse at apex, 5 - 7 mm long in flower, 7 - 1 0 mm in fruit, often not scarious-
margined. Petals 2-fid up to base, 6 - 7 mm long, white. Stamens 10. Styles 5. Capsules
ovoid, ca 9 mm long, dehiscing into 5, 2-dentate valves; seeds numerous, reniform to
subglobose, ca 1 mm in diam., brown, tuberculate.

Fl. May - July; Fr. July - Sept.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine Himalayas, above 2100 m. Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Meghalaya.

W. Asia and Europe.

14. Petrorhagia (Ser.) Link

Herbs, annual or perennial; stems slender, branched. Leaves narrow. Flowers in

paniculate cymes or capitate, bracteate or ebracteate. Calyx obconical to cylindrical,
5-toothed, 5 - 15-nerved with scarious commissures. Petals 5, with or without a claw;
coronal scales absent. Stamens 10. Styles 2. Capsules dehiscing by 4 teeth; seeds many,
dorsiventrally compressed with a facial hilum, scutate; embryo straight.

Western Asia, Russia, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Pacific Islands; ca 25
species, one species in India.

Literature. BALL, P. W. & V.H. HEYWOOD (1964) A revision of the genus Petrorhagia. Bull.
Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Bot. 3(4): 121 -172.

Notes. The genus Petrorhagia with a wide circumscription including Tunica auct.
and Kohlrauschia Kunth, as treated by Ball & Heywood (1964) is followed here.
Petrorhagia is more or less intermediate between Dianthus L. and Gypsophila L.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 549

Petrorhagia alpina (Habl.) Ball & Heywood in Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Bot. 3
(4): 145.1964. Gypsophila alpina Habl. in Neue Nord. Beytr. Phys. Geogr. Erd-Volkerb.
4: 57.1783. Tunica stricta (Ledeb.) Fischer & C. Meyer, Index Sem. Hort. Bot. Petrop.
4:50.1837; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:216.1874. Fig. 113.

Herbs, annual, erect, branched, up to 40 cm high, glabrous. Basal leaves rosulate,

linear-spathulate to oblong, usually acute and rarely obtuse at apex, 5 - 30 x 1 - 4 mm;
cauline leaves linear, acute at apex, 1-nerved. Bracts not enclosing calyx. Calyx 2.5 -
5 mm long, glabrous, green; teeth acute to obtuse and mucronate, 1-nerved. Petals
linear-oblong, entire, 3 - 6 mm long, not clawed, white. Seeds ovate-oblong, 0.7 -1.2 x
0.4 - 0.9 mm, blackish brown with thickened margins, reticulately tuberculate.

Fl. May - July; Fr. July - Sept.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine regions. Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Russia and W. Asia.

15. Polycarpaea Lam., nom. cons.

Herbs, annual or perennial, usually erect. Leaves opposite or pseudoverticillate,

linear to obovate; stipules fimbriate or scarious. Flowers many, in spreading or con-
densed cymes. Sepals 5, scarious, sometimes coloured. Petals 5, entire, 2-toothed or
erose-margined. Stamens 5, united together and with the petals forming a tube. Ovary
1-locular, ovules few to many; style slender, 3-fid. Capsules 3-valved; seeds ovoid or flat.

Tropical and subtropical regions; ca 50 species, 3 species in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Leaves radical ones in rosettes, obovate to spathulate; flowers in spikes at top of fasciculate or subum-
bellate branches 3. P. spicata
b. Leaves not in rosettes, linear to lanceolate; flowers in irregular cymes 2
2a. Plants tomentose to glabrescent; stipules more than 1.2 mm long; cymes dense or lax 1. P. corymbosa
b. Plants glabrous; stipules less than 1 mm long; cymes lax 2. P. diffusa

1. Polycarpaea corymbosa (L.) Lam., Tabl. Encycl. 2:129.1797; Edgew. & Hook,
f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 245.1874. Achyranthes corymbosa L., Sp. PI. 205.1753.

Hindi: Dolphuli, Machechi.

Herbs, annual or perennial, decumbent, erect or suberect, densely tomentose to

glabrescent, with a woody rootstock. Leaves pseudoverticillate, linear to linear-subu-
late, linear-oblong or linear-lanceolate, rounded to obtuse at base, entire, apiculate at
550 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

mm

mm

e WM

mm

SfO
§ g mm

Fig. 113. Petrorhagia alpina (Habl.) Ball & Heywood : a. flowering shoot with root
system; b. calyx; c. petal; d. stamen; e. immature capsule; f. dehisced cap-
sule; g. seeds.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 551

apex, 5 - 20 x 1 - 3 mm, aristate with ca 1 mm long bristles, 1-nerved; stipules lanceolate,

linear or subulate, 1-5 mm long, fimbriate or not, scarious. Cymes dichasial, crowded
and arranged in corymbs; pedicels 2 - 5 mm long, puberulent; bracts shorter than
pedicels. Sepals 5, lanceolate, acuminate at apex, 1.5 - 5 mm long, scarious-margined,
glabrous, pinkish to brown. Petals 5, ovate or hnear-oblong, slightly emarginate, obtuse
at apex, 0.5 -1.2 mm long, membranous, persistent, reddish. Stamens 5; filaments 0.5 -
1 mm long, flat; anthers oblong, ca 0.3 mm long. Ovary ovoid, ca 0.4 mm long, 5 -
13-ovuled; style ca 0.2 mm long. Capsules ovoid or ellipsoid, 1 - 2.5 mm long, 3-valved,
entire, brown, shiny; seeds reniform, light brown, minutely corrugated.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Stipules linear, less than 1.25 mm long, not fimbriate 1.1. var. aurea
b. Stipules lanceolate or subulate, more than 1.25 mm long, fimbriate or scarious 2
2a. Stipules fimbriate; sepals more than 2.5 mm long; capsules ellipsoid 1.2. var. corymbosa
b. Stipules scarious; sepals less than 2 mm long; capsules ovoid 1.3. var. longipetala

1.1. var. aurea (Wight & Arn.) Wight, Illus. Ind. Bot. 2: 44.1.110.1850; Edgew. &
Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 245.1874. Polycarpaea aurea Wight & Arn. in Ann. Nat.
Hist. 3: 91.1839.

Fl. Oct.-Dec.

Distrib. India: Orissa, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

Endemic.

1.2. var. corymbosa

Tam.: Nilaisedachi.

Fl. Aug. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, Madhya
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Pakistan, Tropical Asia, Australia, Africa and America.

1.3. var. longipetala Sriniv. & Narasimh. in J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 10:347, ff. 1 & 2 a-c.
1987.

Fl. & Fr. Aug. - March.

552 -. ' FLORA OF INDIA - [VOL. 2

Distrib. India: Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Endemic.

2. Polycarpaea diffusa Wight & Arn. in Ann. Nat. Hist. 3: 91. 1839; Edgew. &
Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 245.1874.

Herbs, slender, glabrous, 15 - 45 cm high. Leaves pseudo-verticillate, narrow, linear

or subulate, obtuse at apex, 6 -12 mm long; stipules lanceolate, ca 0.75 mm long. Cymes
lax, many-flowered, puberulous. Flowers ca 2 mm long. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, acu-
minate at apex, slightly longer than petals and capsules.

Fl. May.

Distrib. India: Coastal areas of Tamil Nadu.

Endemic.

3. Polycarpaea spicata Wight & Arn. in Ann. Nat. Hist. 3: 91. 1839; Edgew. &
Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 246.1874.

Herbs, annual, glabrous, 5 -12 cm high; branches erect, filiform. Leaves petiolate,
obovate-spathulate, 6-12 mm long, fleshy, nerveless; radical leaves in rosettes; stipules
lacerate, scarious. Cymes densely fasciculate or subumbellate, long-pedunculate.
Flowers subspicate, crowded, ca 4 mm across, bracteate. Sepals ovate-elliptic to ovate-
lanceolate, subacute at apex, 1.2 -1.6 mm long, scarious with a deep brown midnerve.
Petals oblong, obtuse, small, included. Capsules shorter than sepals; seeds shiny.

Fl.&Fr. Oct.-Nov.

Distrib. India: Coastal areas. Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

Pakistan, W. Asia and Australia.

16. Polycarpon L.

Herbs, annual or perennial, small, diffuse, prostrate or suberect, dichotomously

much branched. Leaves opposite but appearing whorled due to presence of axillary
fascicles of leaves, obovate to orbicular; stipules conspicuous, scarious. Inflorescence a
terminal dichasial branched compound condensed cyme. Flowers many, sessile or
pedicellate, bisexual, hypogynous; bracts conspicuous, similar to stipules, scarious.
Sepals 5, keeled and hooded, green, scarious-margined. Petals 5, narrow, entire or
emarginate, shorter than sepals, hyaline, white. Stamens 1-5; filaments more or less
united at base. Ovary 1-locular, many-ovuled; style short, 3-fid up to middle; stigmas 3.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 553

Capsules 3-valved; valves twisting spirally into tubes; seeds ovoid, several.

Cosmopolitan; ca 16 species, 2 species in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Perennials; flowers subsessile 1. P. prostratum

b. Annuals; flowers pedicellate; pedicels longer than flowers in older flowers 2. P. tetraphyllum

1. Polycarpon prostratum (Forsskal) Aschers. & Schweinf. in Oesterr. Bot. Z. 39:

128.1889. Alsineprostrata Forsskal, Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. 207.1775. Hepalosia loeflingiae
Wight & Arn., Prodr. 358. 1834. Pofycarpon loeflingiae (Wight & Arn.) Benth. in
Benth. & Hook, f., Gen. PI. 1:153.1862; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:245.1874.
Fig. 114.

Herbs, perennial, prostrate or suberect, glabrous or more or less pubescent; bran-

ches 15 - 25 cm long. Leaves subsessile, linear-oblong, obovate, oblanceolate or spathu-
late, narrowed at base, acute or obtuse at apex, 6 -18 x 2 - 5 mm; stipules lanceolate, 2-
3 mm long. Flowers in terminal dichasial paniculate cymes, ca 3 mm across. Sepals
linear-oblong or ovate, subequal, 2 - 3 mm long, obtusely keeled, broadly scarious-
uiargined. Petals linear-lanceolate, truncate, entire or notched, dentate at apex, 1.3 -
1.4 mm long, rarely absent. Stamens 3. Capsules ovoid, 1.8 - 2 mm long; seeds
subcylindrical, 0.3 - 0.6 mm, pale brown, minutely tuberculate.

Fl. March - June; Fr. July - Sept.

Distrib. India: Plains and hills, up to 1000 m. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West
Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Bangladesh, Tropical Asia and Africa.

2. Polycarpon tetraphyllum (L.) L., Syst. Nat. ed. 10,1:881.1759; Dunn in Gamble,
Fl. Pres. Madras 64.1915 (repr. ed. 46.1957). Mollugo tetraphylla L., Sp. PI. 89.1753.

Herbs, annual slender, much branched, suberect or ascending, 3 - 15 cm high,

glabrous with rough angles. Leaves usually in whorls of 4, shortly petiolate, obovate to
spathulate, cuneate at base, obtuse at apex, 8 -13 x 4 - 6 mm, glabrous, green; stipules
ovate to triangular, 2.5 - 3 mm long, scarious. Cymes dichotomous, compact. Flowers
2 - 3 mm across. Sepals 1.5 - 2.5 x 1 mm, green, broadly scarious-margined. Petals
narrowly oblong, emarginate, deciduous, white. Stamens 3 - 5. Capsules ovoid, ca 1.5
mm long; seeds minute, brownish, finely papillose.

Fl. June-July.
554 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

Fig. 114. Polycarpon prostratum (Forsskal) Aschers. & Schweinf. : a. habit; b. sepals;
c. petals; d. stamens; e. pistil.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 555

Distrib. India: At high altitudes. Tamil Nadu (Nilgiris, Pulnis and Anamalais).

Western Asia and Europe.

17. Pseudostellaria Pax

(Krascheninikovia Turcz. ex Fenzl 1840, non Gueldenst. 1772)

Herbs, perennial, weak, erect; rhizomes slender with napiform or fusiform bulbs or
tubers. Leaves elliptic, obovate or linear-lanceolate. Flowers solitary, axillary or few in
terminal cymes; cleistogamous flowers sometimes present in lower leaf axils. Sepals 5,
scarious-margined. Petals 5, entire or rarely 2-fid, longer than sepals. Stamens 10, those
opposite sepals thickened at base; anthers purple. Ovary ovoid; styles 2 - 3 , filiform,
minutely capitate. Capsules many-seeded; seeds white, turning dark purple when
mature, with appendaged tubercles.

East Asia; ca 15 species; one species in India.

Literature. OHWI, J. (1937) A revision of the genus Pseudostellaria. J. Jap. Bot. 9: 95 -105.

Pseudostellaria heterantha (Maxim.) Pax in Engler & Harms, Pflanzenfam. ed. 2,

16c: 318.1934. Krascheninikovia heterantha Maxim, in Bull. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Petersb.
18: 376.1873. Stellaria bulbosa auct. non Wulfen (1791); Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit.
India 1: 231.1874, p. p.

var. himalaica Ohwi in J. Jap. Bot. 9:102.1937. Fig. 115.

Herbs, perennial, slender; rhizomes with napiform 3 - 5 mm long tubers at nodes;

stems erect or ascending, up to 15 cm high with a line of fine pubesence. Leaves opposite
to opposite-decussate, elliptic or obovate, rounded or attenuate at base, acute or
acumiate at apex, 0.7 - 2.5 x 0.4 -1.5 cm, glabrous or hairy at base and margins; petioles
up to 1 cm long. Pedicels up to 3.5 cm long. Sepals 5, ovate-elliptic, ca 5 mm long,
membranous along margins, glabrous, rarely slightly hairy towards base. Petals 5,
obovate or elliptic, shortly clawed at base, acute, rounded or slightly emarginate at apex,
7 - 8 x 3 - 5 mm, white. Stamens 10, as long as petals; anthers black-purple. Ovary ovoid;
styles 2 - 3 . Fruits and seeds unknown. Cleistogamous flowers not seen.

Fl. April - June.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine Himalayas, 2400 - 3800 m, in coniferous

forests. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan, China (Tibet) and Afghanistan.

556 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

] ]
mm mm

mm

mm

Fig. 115. Pseudostellaria heterantha (Maxim.) Pax var. himalaica Ohwi : a. habit;
b. sepal; c. petal; d. stamens with pistil; e. pistil.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 557

18. Sagina L.

Herbs, annual or perennial; flowering shoots slender, ascending or prostrate.

Leaves opposite, exstipulate, linear, slightly connate at base. Flowers solitary or in
few-flowered cymes, 4 - 5-merous. Sepals 4 - 5 , free, scarious-margined. Petals, if
present, entire, white. Stamens as many or twice as many as sepals. Ovary 1-locular,
many-ovuled; styles 4 - 5 , alternating with sepals. Fruit a capsule, splitting almost up to
base into 4 - 5 valves; seeds many, minute.

Chiefly in the northern temperate zone in Asia, Europe, Africa and America; 20 -
30 species, 4 species in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Flowers 4-merous 2

b. Flowers 5-merous 3
2a. Pedicels hooked; seeds smooth to granulate 5. S. saginoides
b. Pedicels erect; seeds rough-papillose 2. S. japonica
3a. Petals conspicuous, longer and broader than sepals 4. S. purli
b. Petals minute or absent 4
4a. Upper leaves ciliate towards base; pedicels erect after anthesis 1. S. apetala
b. Upper leaves not ciliate towards base; pedicels curved downwards after anthesis 3. S. procumbent

1. Sagina apetala Ard., Animadv. Bot. Sp. Alt. 2: 22, t. 8, f. 1.1763; Mizushima in
J. Jap. Bot. 35:107.1960.

Herbs, annual, slender, loosely tufted; stems leafy, erect or decumbent, 4 - 1 1 cm

high, not rooting near base, many-flowered. Leaves linear, awned and long-mucronate
at apex, 3 - 4 mm long, glabrous or ciliate; upper ones always ciliate towards base.
Flowers solitary; pedicels filiform and erect in fruit, 2 - 1 4 (-20) mm long, glabrous or
glandular. Sepals 4, ovate-oblong, hooded at apex, dorsally glandular-pilose, horizon-
tally spreading in mature fruit. Petals minute, white, or absent. Stamens 4. Capsules
2.5 - 3 mm long, with obtuse valves; seeds deltoid or cuneoid, ca 0.2 mm in diam., brown,
smooth to honey-combed, dorsally grooved.

Fl.&Fr. March - Sept.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Russia (Caucasus), Asia Minor, N. Africa, Europe. Introduced in India, Japan and
America.
558 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

2. Saginajaponica (Sw.) Ohwi in J. Jap. Bot. 13: 438.1937. Spergula japonica Sw.
in Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin Neue Schriften 3: 164.1801. S. procumbens auct. non
L. (1753); Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 243.1874, p. p.

Herbs, annual or rarely perennial, 5 - 15 cm high with flowering stems and basal
rosette of leaves. Leaves linear, acuminate to a fine awn-like tip at apex, 3 - 15 x 0.5 -
0.75 mm, glabrous or the uppermost sometimes glandular-ciliate near base. Pedicels
5 - 1 5 (-20) mm long, glabrous to glandular-pilose. Sepals usually 5, elliptic or ovate,
2-2.5 mm long, rounded, not keeled on back, scarious-margined. Petals usually 5, ovate,
elliptic or oblong, rounded at apex, shorter or slightly longer than sepals. Stamens 5 -
8. Capsules globose, ovate or conical, 5-valved, longer than calyx; seeds reniform,
swollen, rounded on back, 0.4 - 0.5 mm in diam., dark brown, rough with minute papillae.

Fl&Fr. Feb.-Oct.

Distrib. India: 1700 - 4200 m, on moist roadsides. West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal
Pradesh, Assam and Manipur.

Nepal, Bhutan, China (Tibet), Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

3. Sagina procumbens L., Sp. PI. 128.1753; Mizushima in J. Jap. Bot. 35:193.1960.

Herbs, perennial, mat-forming; lateral stems and branches procumbent, rooting at

base, glabrous; main stem never flowering. Leaves hnear, mucronate at apex, 5-10 mm
long, glabrous. Flowers solitary; pedicels recurved near top after anthesis. Sepals 4,
broadly ovate, obtuse at apex, ca 2 mm long, faintly scarious-margined. Petals minute,
white or absent. Stamens 4. Capsules 4-valved, longer than the persistent, spreading
sepals; seeds deltoid, ca 0.4 mm in diam., smooth, blackish brown, dorsally grooved.

Fl. & Fr. May - Aug.

Distrib. India: Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim, West Bengal (Darjeeling) and Megha-
laya (introduced).

Russia (Siberia), N. Africa, Europe, N. America and S. Greenland. Introduced

widely in the Southern hemisphere and N. Japan.

Notes. It appears to be a recent introduction into India. Reported for the first time
from Darjeeling in West Bengal by Mizushima (1. c ) .

4. Sagina purii R. D. Gaur in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 89: 236, ff. 1 A - J. 1992.

Herbs, annual, branched, erect, 5 - 8 cm high; branches spreading. Leaves linear to

lanceolate, decurved at base forming a sheath, glandular-hairy along margins, attenuate
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 559

at apex, 4 - 6 mm long, glabrous. Flowers solitary, axillary or terminal; pedicels slender,

elongating in fruit. Sepals 4, acute, ca 1.5 mm long, greenish white. Petals 4, obtuse, ca
1.7 mm long, broader than sepals, white. Stamens 4, rarely 2 or 3, ca 1.8 mm long.
Capsules many-seeded; seeds pyramidal, minute, warty.

Fl.&Fr. April.

Distrib. India: In open cultivated fields. Uttar Pradesh (W. Himalayas).

Endemic.

5. Sagina saginoides (L.) Karsten, Deut. Fl. 539.1883. Spergula saginoides L., Sp.
PI. 441.1753. Saginaprocumbens auct. non L. 1753; Edgew. & Hook.f. in Fl. Brit. India
1: 243.1874, p. p.

Herbs, perennial, tufted, glabrous; leafy shoots numerous, decumbent, 2 - 7 cm high.

Leaves linear, mucronate or awned at apex, 4 - 1 0 mm long, glabrous. Flowers usually
solitary; pedicels 8-24 mm long, erect or ascending, glabrous. Sepals 5, ovate, rounded
to obtuse at apex, 1.5-2 mm long, glabrous, narrowly scarious-margined. Petals rounded
to ovate, somewhat shorter than to equalling sepals, white. Stamens 10 or less. Capsules
ovoid, 3 - 4 mm long, exserted beyond tips of persistent sepals; seeds broadly deltoid,
0.3 - 0.4 mm in diam., brown, smooth or indistinctly granulate, dorsally grooved.

Fl.&Fr. May-Oct.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine Himalayas, up to 3600 m and the Western
Ghats (Nilgiris), 1800 - 2400 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar
Pradesh, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu.

Nepal, Bhutan, China (Tibet), Japan, Russia, S.W. Asia, N.W. Africa, Europe,
Greenland, N. America and Mexico.

19. Scleranthus L.

Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial, procumbent to erect; stems diffusely bran-

ched, hairy on two opposite sides. Leaves opposite, linear, connate at base. Flowers in
axillary or terminal, lax or dense, cymose clusters; bracts not much different from leaves.
Sepals 5, inserted on rim of urceolate perigynous zone, equal or slightly unequal. Petals
absent. Stamens up to 10. Styles 2, free, long, filiform. Fruit an indehiscent, 1 (-2)-
seeded nutlet, surrounded by a much thickened hard wall of perigynous zone and
persistent sepals, flower falling off as a whole at maturity; seeds lenticular, smooth.

Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia; ca 10 species, one introduced and naturalised
species in India.
560 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Literature. ROSSLER W. (1955) Die Scleranthus Arten Osterreichs und seiner Nachbarlander.
Oesterr. Bot. Z. 102: 30 - 72. SELL, P. D. (1963) Notes on the European species of Scleranthus. Fedde,
Repert. Spec. Nov. 68: 167 - 169.

Scleranthus annuus L., Sp. PI. 406.1753; Subba Rao & Kumari in Bull. Bot. Surv.
India 13:347.1971.

Herbs, annual or biennial, 2.5 - 25 cm high; taproot slender; stems much branched,
ascending or decumbent, glabrous or shortly hairy. Leaves opposite, exstipulate, chan-
nelled, linear, obtuse, ciliate and connate at base by their narrow scarious margins, 5 -
15 (-20) mm long. Flowers subsessile, solitary at forks of stem and in axillary and terminal
clusters, ca 4 mm across, green; bracts longer than flower-clusters. Sepals 5, triangular,
lanceolate, acute or subacute at apex, glabrous, narrowly scarious-margined, suberect
or slightly incurved in fruit. Petals absent. Stamens 10 or less, situated on calyx, much
shorter than sepals. Ovary 1-locular; styles 2, long, filiform; stigma capitate. Fruits
indehiscent, hard, 1.5 - 4.5 mm long, enclosed by a glabrous 10-furrowed perigynous
hard tube.

Fl.&Fr. Nov.

Distrib. India: Tamil Nadu (Nilgiris). Introduced.

Asia, N. Africa and Europe, introduced in N. America.

20. Silene L.

Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial, often suffrutescent, erect, decumbent or

climbing. Leaves opposite, exstipulate, entire. Flowers in cymes, short or long-pedun-
culate, sometimes looking like large racemes with short axillary cymules, sometimes
reduced to a single flower. Calyx variable, often inflated and with 5 teeth united below
into a calyx tube, not scarious, 10 - 60- nerved. Petals 5, limb and claw usually distinct,
junction often marked by 2 lateral auricles; limb 2-fid or 4-partite, emarginate or entire;
coronal scales usually present, variable in form. Anthophore usually conspicuous.
Stamens 10, 5 usually adnate to petals. Ovary 1-locular above, 3- or 5-locular at base;
styles 3 - 5 . Fruit a capsule, opening by twice as many teeth as styles, usually on a
carpophore; seeds variable.

Temperate Europe, Asia, Africa and North America; ca 450 species, 28 species in
India.

Literature. CHOWDHURI, P. K. (1957) Studies in the genus Silene. Notes R Bot. Gard. Edinb.
22: 221 - 278. BOCQUET, G. (1969) Revisio Physolychnidium (Silene sect. Physolychnis). Phan. Monogr.
1: 1 - 342. tt. 43.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 561

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Inflorescences racemosely paniculate with long, sometimes short lateral cymules (rarely reduced to op-
posite pairs or one flower) 2
b. Inflorescences dischasial or monochasial cymes, not paniculate 21
2a. Petals eligulate, entire 9. S. falconeriana
b. Petals ligulate, entire or divided 3
3a. Main inflorescence axis short (lateral cymules 3 - 7 , rarely 1-flowered); pedicels with 2 bracteoles 4
b. Main inflorescence axis long; pedicels without bracteoles 5
4a. Calyx 1.8 - 25 cm long; auricle of the petal claw toothed 18. S. moorcroftiana
b. Calyx 0.8 - 1 cm long; auricle of the petal claw not toothed 24. S. stewartii
5a. Panicles spreading, not racemiform; cymules long, 3 - 7 (reduced to 2 or rarely 1-flowered) 6
b. Panicles not spreading, racemiform; cymules short, 1 - 3-flowered, the lower 3 - 5 or 7-flowered 7
6a. Flowers small; petal claw ciliate; filaments pilose at base 15. S. kunawurensis
b. Flowers large; petal claw smooth; filaments glabrous 26 S. viridiflora
7a. Calyx cylindrical, not inflated, subcoriaceous, adpressed in fruit 27. S. viscosa
b. Calyx campanulate, inflated, membranous, not adpressed in fruit 8
8a. Styles 3 1. S. amoena
b. Styles (4-) 5 9
9a. Calyx teeth more than 1/2 the total calyx length 3 S. cancellata
b. Calyx teeth less than 1/2 the total calyx length 10
10a. Calyx much inflated, more than 1.2 cm across 11
b. Calyx not much inflated, less than 1.2 cm across 14
Ha. Anthophore less than 2 mm long 12
b. Anthophore more than 2 mm long 13
12a. Seeds covered with setae or papillae, not winged 22. S. setisperma
b. Seeds not covered with setae or papillae, broadly winged 20. S. nigrescens
13a. Anthophore more than 6 mm long; petals 4-partite, more than 8 mm longer than calyx; seeds winged
16. S. laxantha
b. Anthophore less than 6 mm long; petals 2-fid, less than 7 mm longer than calyx; seeds not winged
21. S. rechingeri
14a. Seeds dorsally winged 15
b. Seeds dorsally echinate or tuberculate, sometimes nearly smooth, not winged 16
15a. Calyx campanulate; seeds IS - 2 x 2 -2.5 mm, laterally compressed, broadly winged 8. S. falconer!
b. Calyx not campanulate; seeds 1.1 -1.5 x 1.2 -1.8 mm, not laterally compressed, narrowly winged
11. S. gonosperma
16a. Anthophore less than 1.5 mm long; seeds less than 0.9 x 1 mm 17
b. Anthophore more than 2 mm long; seeds more than 1 x 1.2 mm 19
17a. Plants eglandular-hairy 19. S. nepalensis
b. Plants glandular-hairy 18
18a. Plants less than 15 cm high 17. S. madens
b. Plants more than 30 cm high 23. S. songarica
19a. Petals 4-partite, more than 8 mm longer than calyx 7. S. edgeworthii
b. Petals 2-fid, less than 8 mm longer than calyx 20
562 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

20a. Anthophore 2 - 3 mm long; petals 3 - 4 mm longer than calyx 12. S. indica

b. Anthophore more than 3 mm long; petals 6 - 8 mm longer than calyx 4. S. cashmeriana
21a. Cymes dichasial, sometimes becoming monochasial above 22
b. Cymes monochasial with simple axis or 1 - 3-forked below (sometimes appearing as unilateral
racemes) 26
22a. Calyx inflated at anthesis; nerves anastomosing 23
b. Calyx not inflated at anthesis; nerves not anastomosing 24
23a. Calyx 15 - 20-nerved 28. S. vulgaris
b. Calyx 10-nerved 14. S. kumaonensis
24a. Calyx conical, 20- or more-nerved 6. S. conoidea
b. Calyx not conical, 10-nerved 25
25a. Leaves ciliolate 13. S. khasiana
b. Leaves not ciliolate 25. S. vagans
26a. Plants perennial, with a woody stock 27
b. Plants annual, without a woody stock 10. S. gallica
27a. Petals white with an included claw; capsules subsessile 2. S. caespitella
b. Petals rose with an exserted claw; capsules on a carpophore 5. S. colorata

1. Silene amoena L., Sp. PI. 417.1753. S. tenuis Willd., Enum. PI. 474.1809; Edgew.
& Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 219.1874.

Herbs, perennial, glabrous, sometimes viscid-pubescent above; stems many, erect

or ascending, 15 - 46 cm high. Radical leaves linear-lanceolate, acute or acuminate and
ciliate at base, 3 - 8 x 0.1 - 0.4 cm, glabrous; cauline leaves few. Inflorescence a
raceme-like panicle composed of short cymules. Flowers often in whorls, 1.2 - 1.4 cm
long, sometimes nodding; pedicels 3 - 6 mm long; bracts subulate, short, ciliate, broadly
white-margined. Calyx campanulate, rounded at base, 9 - 1 3 mm long, membranous,
10-nerved; teeth rotundate, obtuse, spreading, white-margined. Petals pale yellow or
brown, deeply 2-partite; lobes oblong, obtuse, auriculate with a ciliate claw; scales 2,
oblong, short, sometimes absent. Styles 3. Capsules oblong; seeds with 5 dorsal and 5
lateral rows of tubercles.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 3900 m. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal
Pradesh.

Pakistan, China (Tibet), N. Asia and Russia (Siberia).

2. Silene caespitella F. Williams in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 38:403.1909. S. maheshwarii

Bocq. in Candollea 22: 4.1967.

Herbs, perennial; scapes many, erect, 5 - 40 (-60) cm high, glabrous below, hirsute
above, with 3 - 4 leaf pairs. Lower leaves linear-spathulate, acute at apex, 2 - 6(-10) x
1993] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 563

0.2 - 0.5 cm, glabrous orfinelypubescent, subfleshy, greyish green, slightly recurved along
margins, 1-nerved; upper leaves sessile, linear. Cymes (1-) 3 - ll(-15)-flowered. Flowers
nodding, later erect. Calyx slightly inflated, narrowly campanulate, 2.5 - 3 x 5 - 6 mm,
open at mouth, sparsely hirsute but more hirsute on nerves; teeth triangular, 2 - 2.5 x
2.5 - 3 mm, more or less recurved, acute, with ciliate margins. Petals reddish, 2-fid,
slightly exceeding or equalling calyx; claw cuneiform, auriculate with 2 lateral teeth
towards base and 2 scales at throat. Anthophore less than 1 mm long. Stamens included.
Ovary 1 - 1.5 x 2.5 (-3) mm during pollination; styles 5. Capsules ca 9 x 6 - 7 mm,
10-toothed; seeds minute, grey or dark brown, laterally striate, tuberculate.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, 3500 - 4800 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh
and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

3. Silene cancellata (Edgew. & Hook, f.) Majumdar in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 42:660.
1963 (1964). Lychnis cancellata Edgew. & Hook. f. in PI Brit. India 1: 226.1874.

Herbs, slender, erect, densely pubescent; stems simple, densely covered with long
spreading hairs, glandular-pubescent above. Leaves ovate-lanceolate or orbicular,
acute or acuminate at apex, 2.5 - 5 cm long; radical ones petiolate; cauline ones sessile.
Flowers in distant pairs, inclined, short-pedicellate. Calyx subcampanulate, 8.5 -12.5
mm long, densely tomentose or woolly, viscid-glandular, green, 10-nerved, 5-toothed;
teeth oblong, subacute or acute, 1/2 or 3/4 of total length of calyx, erect or spreading,
ciliate with a recurved tip. Petals 4-fid with ca 6.5 mm long limbs; claw woolly, auriculate
with 2-fid scales. Stamens woolly. Styles 4 - 5 . Carpophore woolly. Seeds granulate.

Fl. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Endemic.

4. Silene cashmeriana (Royle ex Benth.) Majumdar in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 42: 649.
1963 (1964). Lychnis cashmeriana Royle ex Benth. in Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 80.1834;
Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 224.1874.

Herbs, perennial; scapes robust, simple, erect, 30 - 60 cm high, closely hirsute above
with short whitish hairs, greyish green, 4 - 7-noded. Leaves linear to lanceolate or very
narrowly elliptic, acuminate at apex, 4.5 - 8 x 0.6 -1.5 cm, glabrous or hirsute; upper ones
much hirsute, ciliate-scarious along margins. Cymes (1-) 3 - 10-flowered. Bracts 1.8 - 3
cm long. Calyx clavate-campanulate, vesiculiform, ca 17 x 9 mm, hirsute, membranous
564 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

yellowish green; nerves brown or blackish, anastomosing; teeth triangular, acute, ciliate-
scarious along margins. Anthophore 4 - 5 mm long. Petals 6 - 8 mm longer than calyx,
dirty white or brown; limb 2-fid with entire or slightly incised lobes; claw included.
Stamens not exceeding corolla throat. Ovary ovoid, ca 5 x 2.5 mm; styles 5. Capsules
5-toothed; seeds reniform, thick, dark brown, dorsally tuberculate or papillate.

Fi&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir.

China (Tibet).

5. Silene colorata Poiret, Voy. Barbarie 2:163.1789. Silene intrusa Wight & Arn.,
Prodr. 42.1834. Melandrium intrusum (Wight & Arn.) Rohrb. in Linnaea 36:242.1869-
1870; Edgew. & Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 226.1874.

Herbs, perennial with a woody stock; stems dichotomously branched, glabrous

below, scabrid-viscid above. Leaves broadly lanceolate, obtuse at apex. Flowers in lax
cincinnus; middle flowers sometimes abortive; pedicels short; bracts lanceolate, small,
densely ciliate. Calyx clavate-truncate, umbilicate, glandular-pubescent with 10 con-
nected blackish nerves; fruiting calyx slightly enlarged and constricted below capsule;
teeth lanceolate, acute, densely ciliate. Petals exserted, 2-partite, rose-coloured; lobes
broadly ovate-oblong with 2 oblong appendages and a glabrous claw. Capsules ovoid,
subequal to carpophore.

Fl. July-Aug.

Distrib. India: Tamil Nadu (Nilgris).

Mediterranean region and N.W. Africa.

6. Silene conoidea L., Sp. PI. 418.1753; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 218.
1874.

Herbs, annual, stout, erect, 10 - 45 cm high, glandular-pubescent; stems dichoto-

mously branched, erect or ascending. Leaves 3-12x0.4-1.1 cm; radical ones spathulate
or narrowly lanceolate; cauline ones sessile, oblong or lanceolate, acute at apex. Inflo-
rescence a terminal panicle of dichotomous cymes. Flowers few, erect, 2 - 2.7 x 0.6 - 1
cm. Calyx tubular, narrow above, inflated in fruit, 2 - 2.3 cm long, finely grooved; teeth
linear-lanceolate, 1/3 the length of tube. Anthophore 1-2 mm long. Petals pink, with
obovate entire or erose short limb; claw auriculate with 2 scales at base. Stamens 10.
Ovary oblong-ovoid. Capsules ovoid, 1.5 - 1.9 cm long, pointed, crustaceous, shiny,
enclosed in inflated calyx, 6-toothed; seeds cochleate with 5 dorsal and 5 lateral rows of
tubercles.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 565

Fl.&Fr. March-Aug.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine regions. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, N. Africa, Turkey and S. Europe.

7. Silene edgeworthii Bocq. in Candollea 22: 13. 1967. Agrostemma fimbriatum

Wallich ex G. Don, Gen. Hist. 1: 417. 1831, non Silene fimbriate Sims 1806. Lychnis
indica (Roxb. ex Otth) Benth. \ai.fimbriata (Wallich ex G. Don) Edgew. & Hook. f. in
Fl. Brit. India 1: 225.1874.

Herbs, perennial; scapes ascending or spreading, 30 - 80 cm high, branched,

glandular-hirsute above, 5 - 10-noded. Leaves ovate-lanceolate or elliptic, acute at apex,
3 - 10 x 0.7 - 2 cm, glabrous or glabrescent, scabro-hirsute along margins and nerves,
green. Cymes 5 - 2 0 (-27)-flowered. Flowers drooping, later erect; bracts large. Calyx
campanulate, vesiculiform, inflated, ca 1.2 x 1.4 cm at maturity, open at mouth, hirsute
on nerves; teeth 5, broadly triangular, scarious and ciliate along margins. Anthophore
ca 4 mm long, hairy. Petals 8 - 1 0 mm longer than calyx; limb 4-partite, ca 7 x 7 mm;
lobes laciniate with 2 appendages; claw ca 3 mm exserted, moderately auriculate.
Stamens slightly exceeding corolla throat. Ovary ovoid, ca 6 x 2 mm; styles 4-5. Capsules
globose, 10-toothed; seeds reniform, greyish brown, tuberculate.

Fl.&Fr. Aug.-Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar
Pradesh.

China (Tibet).

8. Silene falconeri (Rohrb.) Bocq. in Candollea 22: 9.1967. Melandrium falconeri

Rohrb. in Linnaea 36: 220. 1869-1870. Lychnis apetala auct. non L. 1753; Edgew. &
Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 222.1874, p. p.

Herbs, perennial, tufted; scapes simple, many, erect, 5 - 15 cm high, glandular-

hirsute. Radical leaves narrowly oblanceolate, cuneiform, 2.5 - 3.8 x 0.3 - 0.7 cm,
glandular-hirsute; cauline ones 1-2 (-3) pairs, very narrowly elliptic, small. Cymes 1 -
3-flowered. Flowers inclined, finally erect. Calyx broad campanulate, hemispherical,
1 -1.2 x 0.9 -1.2 cm, hirsute, membranous; teeth triangular, subacute, scarious and ciliate
along margins. Anthophore 1 -1.5 mm long. Petals 3-5 mm longer than calyx; limb 2-fid
with lobes rounded or deeply cut into 2 teeth; scales 2, oblong, arched, 0.5 - 0.8 mm; claw
cuneiform, narrowly auriculate. Stamens equalling corolla throat; anthers yellow.
Ovary 4 - 5 x 2 mm; styles 5. Capsules 9 -10 x 11 -12 mm, 10-toothed; seeds flat, broadly
winged, light brown.
566 FLORA OF INDIA ' [ VOL. 2

Fr. July - Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir.

China (Tibet).

9. Silene falconeriana Royle ex Benth. in Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 79, t. 20, f. A
1 - 3.1834; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 220.1874.

Herbs, perennial; stems stout, erect, 30 - 80 cm high, arising from a woody stock,
branched, pubescent, velvety and sticky below. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 3 - 7 x 0.3 - 0.5
cm, glabrous or velvety. Racemes long, lax, composed of opposite or whorled axillary
cymules. Flowers erect or inclined, white; pedicels up to 1.2 cm long; bracts minute.
Calyx narrow, tubular, truncate at base, 1 -1.2 cm long, membranous, green, 10-nerved,
much inflated in fruit; teeth short, obtuse. Petals 5, linear, 7 - 8 mm longer than calyx,
without auricles or appendages; limb narrow, obtuse. Stamens 10. Styles 3. Carpophore
3 - 4 mm long. Capsules ovoid, 7 - 8 mm long, 6-toothed; seeds many, flat or convex,
minute, dorsally grooved.

Fl.&Fr. Sept.-Oct.

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas, above 1200 m. Himachal Pradesh and Uttar
Pradesh.

Nepal.

10. Silene gallica L., Sp. PI. 417.1753; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 218.
1874.

Herbs, annual; stems erect, 10 - 45 cm high, often branched, sparsely pubescent,

often glandular above. Leaves 1.8 - 3.7 cm long; radical leaves petiolate, linear-oblong
or spathulate, obtuse or mucronate at apex; cauline ones sessile, lanceolate to oblanceo-
late. Inflorescence a long, secund, unilateral raceme. Flowers 8 - 1 3 mm across; lower
ones shortly pedicellate; upper ones sessile, on one side of peduncle. Calyx ovoid,
rounded at base, contracted above, 8 - 1 2 mm long, 10-nerved with long and short
glandular hairs; teeth subulate-lanceolate, 1/6 the length of calyx. Petals emarginate,
small, slightly exserted above calyx tube with 2 scales at throat. Filaments villous below.
Styles 3. Capsules subsessile, ovoid; seeds minute, flat with auriform depression on face,
striate-tuberculate, not grooved.

Fl. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: Himalayas and Western Ghats (Nilgiris and Palnis). Himachal
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 567

W. Asia and Europe.

11. Siline gonosperma (Rupr.) Bocq. in Candollea 22: 7. 1967. Physolychnis

gonosperma Rupr. in Mem. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Petersb. 14: 4. 1969. Lychnis pumila
Royle ex Benth. in Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 80.1834, non Silene pumila St. Lager 1880.

Herbs, perennial, tufted; scapes simple, erect, 5 - 35 cm high, greenish or blackish,

glandular-hirsute or pubescent especially above, with 2 - 4 leaf pairs. Basal leaves in
rosettes, oblanceolate, acute at apex, 3 - 8 x 0.3 - 0.6 cm, slightly recurved along margins,
glabrous or glabrescent to sparsely hirsute along margins and nerves, hirsute on both
surfaces. Cymes 1 - 3 (-5)-flowered. Flowers nodding, erect after anthesis. Calyx
ovoid-fusiform, cylindrical or campanulate, slightly inflated, 10 -11 x 8 - 9 mm, ca 14 x
11 mm at maturity, constricted or not at mouth, not umbilicate, densely hirsute; teeth
narrowly triangular or obcordate, coarctate or erect-coarctate, subacute or obtuse, ca
3 x 2.5 mm. Anthophore ca 1 mm long, villous. Petals not or scarcely 1-2 mm longer
than calyx; limb 2-lobed or crenate-emarginate, up to 3 mm long, whitish or reddish
purple, conspicously exserted with 2 small obtuse teeth at base; appendages 2, arched,
ca 0.5 mm long, purple; claw included, glabrous, auriculate. Stamens included; anthers
pale yellow. Ovary ovoid, ca 5 x 2 mm; styles 5. Capsules broadly ovoid, ca 1.3 x 1 cm;
teeth 10, recurved; seeds reniform, dark brown; wings equal or unequal, plicate (angu-
lar).

KEY TO THE SUBSPECIES

la. Plants pubescent; basal leaves glabrous or glabrescent; calyx ovoid-fusiform, not inflated, constricted
at mouth with coarctate teeth; seed wings equal 11.1. subsp, gonosperma
b. Plants glandular-hirsute; basal leaves hirsute; calyx cylindrical-campanulate, inflated, not constricted
at mouth, not coarctate; seed wings unequal 11.2. subsp. himalayensis

11.1. subsp. gonosperma

Fl. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim.

China (Tibet), Mongolia and Russia (Siberia).

11.2. subsp. himalayensis (Rohrb.) Bocq. in Candollea 22:7.1967. Lychnis apetala

L. var. himalayensis Rohrb. in Linnaea 36: 220.1869 -1870. L. himalayensis (Rohrb.)
Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 223.1874. S. himalayensis (Rohrb.) Majumdar
in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 42: 648.1963 (1964).

Fl.&Fr. June-Sept.
568 FLORA OF INDIA - [VOL. 2

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, 3600 - 4800 m, on grassy slopes. Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

China (Tibet), Russia (Siberia) and Afghanistan.

12. Silene indica Roxb. ex Otth in D C , Prodr. 1:368.1824. Lychnis indica (Roxb.
ex Otth) Benth. in Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 81.1834; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India
1: 225.1874. L. nutans Royle ex Benth. in Royle, 1. c. 80; Edgew. & Hook, f., 1. c. 225,
p. p., non L. 1753. S. thomsonii Majumdar in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 42: 650.1963 (1964).

Herbs, perennial; scapes many, simple or branched, ascending or spreading, 40-90

cm, glandular-hirsute above, 4 - 10-noded. Leaves all cauline, narrow, lanceolate,
sometimes ovate-elliptic, acute at apex, 2 - 1 0 (-12) x 1 - 2 cm, glabrous or hirsute with
blackish hairs, dark green. Cymes lax, 5 - 22 (-30)-flowered. Flowers nodding, finally
erect; pedicels elongate. Calyx cylindrical or campanulate, slightly inflated, open at
mouth, 1 - 1.4 x 0.4 - 1.8 cm, membranous, yellowish green; teeth broadly ovate,
triangular, obtuse, 3-4 mm long, scarious and slightly ciliate along margins. Anthophore
2 - 3 mm long, glabrous below, slightly villous above. Petals3^ 4 mm longer than calyx,
with a 2-lobed limb; lobes entire or crenulate, ca 4 - 6 x 4 - 5 mm, brownish purple, with
2 appendages; claw included, narrowly auriculate. Stamens slightly exceeding corolla
throat. Ovary ovoid, 6 - 8 x 3 mm; styles 4 - 5. Capsules ovoid, 10 -12 x 7 - 8 mm; teeth
8 -10, recurved; seeds 1.2 -1.3 mm, brownish, dorsally tuberculate or papillate.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Leaves 5 -12 cm long, densely hirsute with blackish hairs; calyx 14 -18 mm across; petal limb more than
4 mm long; anthophore more than 2 mm long; ovary more than 6 mm long 12.1. var. bhutanica
b. Leaves 2 - 7 cm long, sparsely hirsute; calyx 4 - 8 mm across; petal limb less than 4 mm long;
anthophore less than 2 mm long; ovary less than 6 mm long 12.2. var. indica

12.1. var. bhutanica (W. Smith) Bocq. in Candollea 22:12.1967. Lychnis bhutanica
W. Smith in Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 10: 51. 1917. Silene bhutanica (W. Smith)
Majumdar in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 42: 649.1963 (1964).

Fl&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine meadows and cliffs, 3600 - 4000 m. Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

12.2. var. indica

Fl&Fr. July-Oct.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 569

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, 2400 - 4000 m, on stream sides. Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

13. Silene khasiana Rohrb. in Linnaea 36: 258.1869 -1870; Edgew. & Hook. f. in
Fl. Brit. India 1: 221.1874.

Herbs, straggling, brittle with rigid branches; stems subscandent, glandular-pube-

scent above. Leaves sessile, ovate, acuminate at apex, 2.5 - 4 x 1.5 - 2 cm, glabrous or
sparsely pubescent, ciliolate, not membranous, pale beneath, 3 - 5-nerved. Flowers
solitary or in terminal short cymes, erect, 1.2 - 2.5 cm long, bracteate. Calyx cylindrical,
rounded at base, 8 - 9 mm long, with 10 broad nerves ending in broad acute teeth. Petals
pale pink with a 2-partite obtuse limb and small scales and a cuneate claw. Filaments
glabrous; anthers didymous. Carpophore very short. Capsules oblong, broad with very
small teeth, ca 5 times longer than carpophore; seeds dorsally rounded, laterally convex
with rows of tubercles.

Fl. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Meghalaya. Rare.

Nepal.

Notes. This species has not been collected after the type (K and CAL) collection
from the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya. There is a specimen from Nepal (K) grown from
seeds collected by Robinson in 1931 (Bocquet & Chater in Hara & Williams, Enum. Fl.
PL Nepal 2: 56.1979).

14. Silene kumaonensis F. Williams in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 32: 43.1896.

Herbs, subscandent; stems ascending, 60 - 80 cm, branched, pubescent. Leaves

acuminate at apex; radical leaves lanceolate; cauline ones broadly lanceolate to ovate-
lanceolate, undulate along margins, 1.5 - 3.5 x 0.5 - 2 cm. Inflorescences cymose,
somewhat lax, dichotomous, long-pedunculate with distant flowers. Bracts similar to
leaves; bracteoles 3 - 4 mm long. Calyx ovate- campanulate, umbilicate, 13 -15 x 6 - 8
mm, scabrid-puberulous, membranous; teeth lanceolate, acute, ciliolate. Petals narrow,
ca 7 mm longer than calyx, greenish, 2-fid with oblong-linear lobes. Styles 3. Car-
pophore 3 - 4 mm long. Capsules ovoid, ca 8 x 6 mm; seeds broadly convex on back,
concave on face, prominently tuberculate.

FL&Fr. Aug.-Sept.
570 -. FLORA O F INDIA - [ VOL. 2

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 3000 m. Uttar Pradesh (Kumaon).

Nepal.

15. Silene kunawurensis Royle ex Benth. in Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 79. 1834;
Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 220.1874.

Herbs, perennial, tufted; branches arising from a stock, slender, usually prostrate,
glabrous or puberulous; flowering scapes slender, 15 - 30 cm high, usually glabrous
above. Leaves grass-like, narrowly spathulate or lanceolate, 4 - 7 x 0.3 - 0.5 cm, minutely
pubescent on both surfaces; upper leaves gradually shorter. Inflorescence reduced to
opposite pairs of flowers at nodes. Flowers nodding; pedicels slender, equalling or
exceeding calyx. Calyx cylindrical or subclavate when young, clavate in fruit, intruded
at base, 9 - 12 x 3 - 4 mm, quite glabrous, membranous; teeth short, obtuse, scarious-
margined. Petals deeply 2-partite, without auricles; scales 2, linear-oblong. Capsules
ovoid, twice as long as carpophore; seeds dorsally channelled, almost flat on sides.

Fl. July-Aug.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine Himalayas. Himachal Pradesh.

Endemic.

16. Silene Iaxantha Majumdar in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 42:650.1963 (1964). Lychnis
pilosa (Edgew.) Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:226.1874. Melandrium pilosum
Edgew. in Trans. Linn. Soc, Lond. 20: 34.1866, non Silene pilosa Willd. 1809.

Herbs, perennial, stoloniferous; scapes 20 - 50 cm high, glandular-woolly with 1-2

mm long hairs, 7 - 10-noded. Middle cauline leaves elliptic to orbicular, wavy and ciliate
along margins, acute or apiculate at apex, 1.2 - 2.2 x 2.5 - 3.7 cm, soft glandular-woolly,
light green, 1-nerved; lower and upper leaves smaller. Cymes thyrsiform, 1 - 7-flowered.
Flowers inclined, later erect. Calyx long-campanulate, inflated with an open mouth, 8 -
9xl6-20mm, membranous, up to 12 x 22 mm at maturity, densely woolly; teeth narrowly
triangular, 5 - 6 mm long, densely glandular-ciliate along margins. Anthophore 6 - 7 x 2
mm, woolly. Petals 8 -10 mm longer than calyx; limb 4-partite with 8-9x7 mm segments;
scales 2 at throat, oblong, ca 1 x 2 - 3 mm; claw 2 - 3 mm exserted, broader towards apex,
auriculate. Stamens a little exceeding corolla throat; filaments villous at base. Ovary ca
2 x 5 mm, conical, attenuate at apex; styles 5. Capsules 13 - 14 x 8 mm, light brown,
10-toothed; seeds ca 1.2 x 1.3 mm, dark brown, dorsally with 0.2 - 0.4 mm long papillae.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.
1993] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 571

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 3200 m. Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar
Pradesh.

Nepal.

17. Silene madens Majumdar in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 42: 648.1963 (1964). Lychnis
macrorhiza Royle ex Benth. in Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 80.1834; Edgew. & Hook. f. in
Fl. Brit. India 1: 223.1874, non Silene macrorhiza Gay & Durieu ex Lacaita 1929.

Herbs, perennial, 10 - 15 cm high; roots thick, elongated; stems many, simple,

slender, short, tufted, glandular-pubescent, 1-flowered. Leaves lanceolate to obovate-
spathulate, obtuse or subacute at apex, pubescent; lower leaves narrowed to a long
petiole; upper ones sessile. Flowers solitary, erect. Calyx broadly oblong, inflated, 12 -
18 mm long, vesicular, pale, pubescent; nerves free or united in calyx teeth. Petals
shorter than calyx; limb 2-fid, scarcely crenulate, short, dark purple. Carpophore stout,
tomentose, brown. Seeds dorsally rounded, pale chestnut in colour, wingless, minutely
concentrically granulate.

Fl. & Fr. July - Aug.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas. Himachal Pradesh.

Nepal.

18. Silene moorcroftiana Wallich ex Benth. in Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 79.1834;
Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 219.1874.

Herbs, perennial, glandular-pubescent; scapes many from a woody stock, slender,

erect, 15 - 45 cm high, densely tufted. Radical leaves spathulate-lanceolate, acute at
apex, 3 - 5(-9) x 0.1 - 2 cm; cauline ones linear or linear-lanceolate, acute or obtuse at
apex, shorter. Flowers bracteate, erect, few, in terminal or subterminal cymes, some-
times 1-flowered. Calyx tubular-clavate, slender below, intruded at base, 1.8 - 2.5 cm
long, glandular-puberulent, 10-nerved; teeth short, obtuse, scarious-margined. Petals
exserted, white or reddish; limb 2-partite, Ungulate; claw auriculate with a long acute
tooth; scales 2, long. Stamens 5, epipetalous. Styles 3. Carpophore exceeding capsule.
Capsules ovoid, 9 -13 mm long; seeds flat, not grooved, with 5 rows of lateral and 5 rows
of dorsal tubercles.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 2400 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan, Nepal, China (Tibet) and Afghanistan.

572 -. FLORA OF INDIA {VOL. 2

19. Silene nepaiensis Majumdar in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 42:649.1963 (1964). Lychnis
multicaulis Wallich ex Benth. in Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 80.1834, non Silene multicaulis
Guss. 1826; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 224. 1874. L. brachypetala sensu
Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 223.1874, non Hornem. 1819.

Herbs, slender; fertile scapes numerous, erect, 20 - 50 (-80) cm high, hirsute above
with short whitish hairs. Leaves linear or linear-spathulate, attenuate at base, acute at
apex; basal ones 5 -11 x 0.5 - 0.9 cm,-gradually reduced upwards, usually in 3 - 4 pairs,
glabrous, slightly inrolled along margins. Cymes 1 - 5-flowered. Flowers nodding, later
erect; pedicels short. Calyx campanulate, a little inflated, 9 - 1 3 mm long at maturity;
nerves brown, purple or blackish, united in teeth; teeth triangular with scarious and
ciliate margins. Anthophore 1 -1.5 mm long. Petals 2 - 3 mm longer than calyx; limb
1.5 - 3 x 2 - 3 mm, minutely toothed. Stamens included. Ovary ca 4 x 2 mm; styles 5,
included. Capsules 1 1 - 1 2 x 6 - 7 mm, opening by 5 -10 teeth, some teeth 2-fid; seeds
small, rugose on sides, dorsally tuberculate, nearly papillate.

Fl.&Fr. July-Nov.

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas, 2100 - 3400 m, on grassy slopes. Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

20. Silene nigrescens (Edgew.) Majumdar in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 42: 647. 1963
(1964). Lychnis nigrescens Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 223.1874.

Herbs, perennial, laxly tufted; scapes many, erect, 8 -15 (-25) cm high, slender, with
blackish glandular hairs above. Radical leaves linear or oblanceolate, attenuate at base,
acute or acuminate at apex, 3 - 8 x 0.2 - 1 cm, ciliate along margins, glabrous, blackish
upwards, 1-nerved; cauline leaves 2 - 5 pairs, linear, smaller. Cymes 1 - 3-flowered.
Flowers nodding, later erect. Calyx much inflated, vesiculiform, constricted at mouth,
1.8 - 2 x 1.2 - 1.6 cm, membranous, pale green, glandular-hirsute with dark purplish
pubescent nerves; teeth broadly triangular, ciliate along margins. Anthophore 1.5 - 2
mm long, violet, woolly. Petals pink, 4 - 5 mm longer than calyx; limb crenulate with 2
scales at throat, arched, ca 1 mm long; claw auriculate. Stamens slightly exceeding
corolla throat; anthers violet. Ovary ca 3 x 6 mm; styles 5. Capsules globose, ca 11 x 12
mm, 5-toothed; seeds ca 2 x 1.8 mm; wings broad, unequal, dark brown, somewhat
angular.

Fl. June - Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, 3900 - 4500 m. Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and China (Tibet).

1993] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 573

21. Silene rechingeri Bocq. in Candollea 22:11.1967. Lychnis cuneifolia Royle ex

Benth. in Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 80.1834; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 226.
1874, non Silene cuneifolia J. Gmelin 1791.

Herbs, perennial, laxy tufted; branches elongate, slender; scapes many, ascending,
erect, 10 - 25 cm high, with 0.2 - 0.3 mm long blackish hairs above and 1-3 pairs of leaves.
Radical leaves very narrowly oblanceolate, obtuse or rounded at apex, 3 - 6 x 0.5 - 1.2
cm, glandular-hirsute with one thick nerve; cauline leaves very narrowly elliptic or
lanceolate, smaller, much glandular-hirsute. Cymes 1 - 5 (-7)-flowered. Flowers in-
clined, later erect; pedicels 1 - 7 cm long. Calyx inflated, vesiculiform, 1 -1.3 x 1.6 - 2
cm, increasing at maturity and becoming clavate-campanulate, umbilicate, densely
glandular-hirsute, membranous, yellowish green; nerves brownish and not jointed in
calyx teeth; teeth broadly triangular, rounded, 3 - 4 mm long, scarious and ciliate along
margins. Anthophore ca 4 mm long, woolly. Petals 6 - 7 mm longer than calyx, with a
2-fid limb and rounded or incised lobes at apex; teeth at base 2, purple; teeth at throat
2, truncate, ca 2 x 2 mm; claw cuneiform, ca 1.5 cm long, auriculate, villous at base.
Stamens a little exceeding corolla throat; filaments woolly at base. Ovary ovoid, 6 - 8 x
3 mm; styles 5. Capsules ovoid, 10 -11 mm long, 5-toothed; seeds globose to reniform,
ca 1 x 1.5 mm, purple, shiny, smooth.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 4000 m. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal
Pradesh.

China (Tibet).

22. Silene setisperma Majumdar in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 42: 649. 1963 (1964).
Agrostemma inflata Wallich ex G. Don, Gen. Hist. 1:417.1831, non Silene inflata Smith
1800. Lychnis inflata (Wallich ex G. Don) Benth. in Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 80.1834;
Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 225.1874.

Herbs, 25 - 40 cm high; scapes simple, erect, leafy, minutely pubescent, swollen at

nodes, glandular-pubescent above. Leaves 4 - 6 x 1.6 - 2.2 cm; basal leaves petiolate,
elliptic, acute or acuminate at apex; upper ones lanceolate, smaller. Flowers solitary,
terminal, large, drooping; pedicels slender, ebracteolate. Calyx much inflated, 1.6 -
1.9 x 1.2 -1.5 cm, membranous, pale green with dark brown nerves; nerves free or united
in calyx teeth or below them; teeth broad, rounded, hyaline, not ciliate. Petal limb short,
rotundate or apiculate with a broad claw and 2 scales. Carpophore short, woolly. Seeds
reniform, compressed, dorsally ornamented with setae or papillae in rows.

Fl. July - Aug.

574 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Distrib. India: Alpine Hiamalayas, above 3100 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal.

23. Silene songarica (Fischer, C. Meyer & Ave-Lall.) Bocq. in Candollea 22: 3.
1967. Melandrium songaricum Fischer, C. Meyer & Ave-Lall., Suppl. Index Sem. Hort.
Petrop. 9: 14.1844. Lychnis brachypetala Hornem., Suppl. Hort. Bot. Hafn. 51. 1819;
Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 223.1874, non Silene brachypetala Rob. & Cast,
ex DC. 1815. Fig. 116.

Herbs, slender, glandular-hairy; scapes numerous, simple, 30 - 60 cm high with

blackish glandular hairs. Leaves 4 - 5 pairs, all cauline, linear-spathulate to linear-ellip-
tic, 1.5 - 7 x 0.2 - 0.5 (-0.7) cm; upper ones gradually smaller. Cymes 1 - 7-flowered.
Flowers nodding, finally erect; pedicels short. Calyx slightly inflated or not, ca 10 x 4
mm, fusiform, constricted at mouth, yellowish green with dark or green nerves; teeth
triangular, acute, scarious and ciliate along margins. Petals short, included or slightly
exserted; limb with 2 rotundate lobes; claw narrowly auriculate. Stamens included.
Ovary 6 - 7 mm long, glabrous. Carpophore short or absent. Capsules exceeding calyx
by ca 1 mm, 5-toothed; seeds thick, grey or brown, dorsally tuberculate.

Fl. & Fr. June - Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine regions, above 4800 m. Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim.

China (Tibet), Mongolia, Russia (Siberia).

24. Silene stewartii (Edgew.) Majumdar in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 16: 153. 1974.
Lychnis stewartii Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 224.1874. S. chambensis Majumdar in J.
Indian Bot. Soc. 42: 649.1963 (1964).

Herbs, slender, grass-like; flowering stems slender, 15 - 25 cm high, hoary below,

viscid-tomentose above. Leaves narrow, linear to lanceolate, 2.5 - 5.5 x 0.15 - 0.2 cm,
recurved along margins, spreading, keeled by a stout midnerve. Flowers few, solitary in
the upper axils or in opposite pairs, nodding; pedicels pubescent with 2 linear bracteoles
in upper part. Calyx oblong, 8 - 10 mm long, membranous, pubescent; nerves green,
faint, free or united; teeth rounded, scarious with long curved cilia along margins. Petals
obcordate, white; limb 2-partite, very short, recurved; claw very broad, auriculate, a little
longer than calyx. Styles 3, very short. Carpophore densely woolly. Capsules longer
than calyx.

Fl. & Fr. July - Aug.

1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 575

Fig. 116. Silene songarica (Fischer, C. Meyer & Ave-Lall.) Bocq. : a.floweringshoot
with root system; b. calyx; c. flower; d.flowerwithout calyx, opened out; e.
petal; f. stamens; g. pistil; h. dehisced capsule.
576 FLORA OF INDIA " [ VOL. 2

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 2700 m. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal
Pradesh.

Endemic.

25. Silene vagans C.B. Clarke in J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 25: 6.1889.

Herbs, subscandent with climbing branches; stems pubescent. Leaves lanceolate,

narrowed at base, acuminate at apex, faintly 3-nerved. Flowers in terminal lax dichoto-
mous few-flowered cymes; bracts minute, inserted in middle of pedicel. Calyx cylin-
drical, constricted below, pubescent; teeth lanceolate, acute. Carpophore short.
Capsules ovoid, 2 - 3 times longer than carpophore; seeds convex on dorsal face,
tuberculate.

Fl. Nov.

Distrib. India: Temperate regions. Nagaland.

Endemic.

Notes. This species appears to be a rare one in that there is no other collecton except
the type collected by Clarke himself.

26. Silene viridiflora L. forma webbiana (Wallich ex Benth.) Rohrb., Monogr.

Silene 215. 1868. S. webbiana Wallich ex Benth. in Royle, Illus. Bot. Himal. 79.1834;
Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 220.1874.

Herbs, erect, slender, tall, minutely pubescent. Cauline leaves broadly ovate-cord-
ate, amplexicaul, acuminate at apex, 5 - 6.5 x 1.4 - 1.5 cm, puberulous, 5 - 9-nerved.
Cymes opposite, lax, few-flowered; peduncles 1.3 - 1.5 cm long. Flowers drooping;
pedicels 1.3 - 2 cm long, tomentose; bracts ovate-lanceolate, 1.5 -1.8 cm long, glandular.
Calyx cylindrical, slender, 1.5 - 2 cm long, glandular, 10-nerved; teeth lanceolate-subu-
late, intruded at base, scarious-margined, ventricose in fruit. Petals long, greenish white;
limb 2-fid with linear-ligulate lobes; appendages 2, oblong; claw long-exserted. Fila-
ments glabrous. Ovary cylindrical, globose at apex; styles 3. Capsules cylindrical-
oblong, slightly longer than carpophore; seeds dorsally faintly channelled, laterally
tuberculate.

Fl. July - Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas. Himachal Pradesh.

Notes. Probably a rare taxon. It has not been collected since the type by Webb.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 577

27. Silene viscosa (L.) Pers., Syn. PI. 1: 497.1805. Cucubalus viscosus L., Sp. PI.
414.1753. Silene griffithii Boiss., Fl. Orient. 1: 637.1867; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit.
India 1: 220.1874.

Herbs, perennial, robust; stems simple or branched, 30 - 45 (-100) cm high, densely

tomentose, woolly to velvety, viscous above. Radical leaves spathulate-lanceolate,
narrowed into a broad petiole, acuminate at apex, 5 - 9.5 x 1 - 1.8 cm; cauline leaves
sessile, oblong or ovate to ovate-lanceolate, sometimes cordate at base, acuminate at
apex, 4 - 8 x 2 - 4 cm, velvety. Racemes branched, composed of cymules, opposite,
axillary, ca 3-flowered. Pedicels 8-10 mm long. Calyx cylindrical, rounded or truncate
at base, 1.5 - 2.2 cm long, green, 10-nerved with acute teeth, glabrous; fruiting calyx
dilated, densely glandular-pilose. Petals white, deeply 2-lobed; lobes 3 - 6-partite,
without scales or appendages. Carpophore ca 4 mm long. Capsules oblong, 14 -16 x
9 - 1 1 mm; seeds triangular, reniform, minute, granulate, dorsally grooved.

Fl.&Fr. May-Oct.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Afghanistan and C. Asia, extending to Russia.

28. Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke, Fl. N. Mitt. Deutschland ed. 9, 64. 1869.
Behen vulgaris Moench, Methodus 709.1794. Silene inflata Smith, Fl. Brit. 467.1794;
Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:218.1874.

Herbs, perennial, velvety pilose or glabrous, glossy; stems cylindrical, erect or

ascending, 30 -150 cm high. Leaves in opposite pairs, ovate, denticulate along margins,
acute at apex, 2.5 - 7 x 1 - 3.5 cm, pale green; upper leaves gradually smaller. Inflores-
cence a terminal drooping, lax, dichotomous cyme. Flowers erect or drooping, 2 - 2.5 x
1.2 -1.8 cm; bracts thin. Calyx ovoid, inflated, intruded at base, up to 2 cm long, glabrous
or glaucous with 15 - 20 anastomosing veins; teeth 5, broadly triangular. Petals 5, white;
limb 2-lobed with a pouch-like enlargement. Stamens 10. Styles 3. Ovary broadly ovoid.
Carpophore short. Capsules globose, 6-toothed; seeds many, concave, convex at base,
with lines of tubercles.

Fl. & Fr. June - Sept.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal, Temperate Asia, N. Africa and Europe. Naturalised in Japan and America.
578 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

21. Spergula L.

Herbs, annual or rarely perennial; stems ascending or decumbent, much-branched

at base. Leaves opposite, apparently whorled with short dense shoots of leaf fascicles
borne on both sides at each node, linear, obtuse; stipules small, not united to surround
node, scarious, deciduous. Flowers in terminal, lax, dichasial cymes; pedicels deflexed
after flowering, becoming erect again. Sepals 5, free, scarious-margined, green. Petals
5, entire, white. Stamens 10 or sometimes 5. Ovary 1-locular; styles 5, rarely 3. Capsules
ovoid to subglobose, dehiscing by 5, rarely 3 valves; seeds often winged.

Temperate regions; 5 species, 2 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Styles 5; capsules 5-valved; seeds sharply keeled or veiy narrowly winged 1. S. arvensis
b. Stlyes 3; capsules 3-valved; seeds compressed, broadly winged 2. S. fallax

1. Spergula arvensis L., Sp. PI. 440.1753; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:
243.1874. Fig. 117.

Hindi: Khandilal, Muchmuchia.

Herbs, annual, 5 - 70 cm high with ascending stems, branched at base, sparsely

glandular-pubescent. Leaves linear, acute at apex, 10 - 30 (-80) x 0.5 mm, fleshy,
channelled beneath, glandular-hairy above. Flowers 4 - 7 mm across, in cymose panicles;
pedicels 1 - 2.5 cm long; bracts small, scarious. Sepals 5, ovate, obtuse at apex, 3 - 5 mm
long, narrowly scarious-margined. Petals 5, obovate, obtuse at apex, slightly longer than
sepals, white. Stamens 5 -10. Capsules ovoid, 5-valved, 4 - 8 mm long; seeds subglobose,
slightly compressed, ca 1.5 mm in diam., grey-black, keeled or very narrowly winged,
covered with whitish papillae or not.

Fl. & Fr. Throughout the year. •»*

Distrib. India: A weed of cultivated grounds, in hills up to 2500 m. Throughout the

country.

Cosmopolitan.

2. Spergula fallax (Lowe) E.H. Krause in Sturm, Deutschl. Fl. ed. 2., 5: 21.1901.
Spergularia fallax Lowe in Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 8: 289.1856. Spergularia
pentandra sensu Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 243. 1874, non L. 1753.
Spergularia vernalis auct. non Willd. 1809; Bhatt et al. in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 12: 264.
1970; Bhatt in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 68: 492.1971.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 579

K;m

cm

Fig. 117. Spergula arvensis L. : a. flowering shoot; b. flower; c. sepal; d. petal;

e. stamens; f. pistil.
580 FLORA OF INDIA [ VOL. 2

Herbs, annual, 4 - 4 0 cm high; stems ascending or decumbent, branched at base.

Leaves opposite, with axillary fascicles appearing whorled, linear, 0.5 - 3 cm long.
Flowers 4 - 7 mm across, in cymose panicles; pedicels 4 - 1 2 mm long; bracts ca 1 mm
long, scarious. Sepals ovate, subacute at apex, 4 - 5 mm long, narrowly scarious-
margined. Petals ovate, entire, ca 3 mm long, contiguous, white. Stamens 6-7. Capsules
ovoid, 4 - 5 mm long; seeds ca 1.5 mm in diam. including broad scarious wing, glossy.

Fl&Fr. Dec.-April.

Distrib. India: Throughout, in plains and hills, except Assam and Meghalaya.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Arabia, Palestine, Egypt, N. Africa, Madeira and the
Canary Islands.

Notes. Bhatt, Sabnis and Bedi (Bull. Bot. Surv. India 12: 264 - 265.1970) and Bhatt
(J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 68: 492 - 493.1971) reported Spergularia vemalis Willd. from
Gujarat. Examination of their specimens indicates that the plants are Spergula fallax
(Lowe) E. H. Krause.

22. Spergularia (Pers.) J. S. & C. Presl, nom. cons.

Herbs, annual or perennial, sometimes woody at base; stems erect, decumbent or

procumbent, somewhat flattened, dilated at nodes. Leaves opposite-decussate, linear,
often fleshy; stipules pale, scarious, united around node forming more or less triangular
structures on either side of stem; leaf fascicles, if present, on one side of node only.
Flowers in cymes. Sepals 5, free, scarious-margined. Petals 5, entire, white or pink.
Stamens 1 - 10. Ovary 1-locular; styles 3 - 5. Capsules 3-valved; seeds spherical or
pyriform, often winged.

Cosmopolitan; ca 40 species, one species in India.

Spergularia rubra (L.) J.S. & C. Presl, Fl. Cech. 94.1819. Arenaria rubra L., Sp.
PI. 423.1753. Spergula rubra (L.) Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 244.1874.

Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial with a slender or somewhat woody taproot;

stems diffuse, decumbent or procumbent, 5 - 25 cm long. Leaves opposite, linear,
tapering, awned at apex, 4 - 25 mm long, not fleshy, fasciculate; stipules lanceolate,
acuminate, lacerate at apex, silvery. Bracts subequal to leaves. Sepals ovate-lanceolate,
3 - 4 mm long, glandular, broadly scarious-margined. Petals ovate, shorter than sepals,
pink. Stamens 5 -10. Styles 3. Capsules ovoid, about as long as sepals; seeds subtrigon-
ous, 0.4 - 0.5 mm in diam., brownish, not winged.

Fl. Feb. - May; Fr. April - Sept.

1993] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 581

Distrib. India: Plains and hills, usually a weed in cultivated fields, up to 2500 m.
Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan, N. Africa and Europe; introduced in Australia.

23. Stellaria L.

Herbs, annual or perennial, usually slender, often diffuse, tufted or ascending, rarely
scrambling, glabrous or pubescent. Leaves simple, opposite, exstipulate, usually entire.
Flowers usually in dichasial cymes, rarely solitary. Sepals 5 or 4, free, often scarious-
margined. Petals 5 or 4,2-fid up to middle or base, rarely emarginate or laciniate, white,
sometimes absent. Stamens 10 or 8, rarely few, hypogynous or perigynous; nectaries
present. Ovary 1-locular, rarely 3-locular; styles 3, rarely 2 - 5. Capsules globose or
ovoid, opening usually by twice as many teeth as styles; seeds 1-many, tuberculate,
granulate or nearly smooth.

Temperate regions; ca 120 species, 17 species in India.

Notes. Occurs in various habitats, from plains to alpine regions, often in shady
situations or on rocky slopes, sometimes in open places, also represented in arid regions.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

la. Ovary 3-locular; capsules 1- or 2-seeded 6. S. monosperma

b. Ovary 1-locular; capsules 2- to many-seeded 2
2a. Sepals free up to base 3
b. Sepals connate at base forming a funnel-shaped calyx tube 9
3a. Styles 3 (2 - 3 in S. wallichiana) 4
b. Styles 2 8
4a. Petals shorter than sepals or absent 5
b. Petals longer than sepals 7
5a. Flowers solitary, 4-merous 16. S. wallichiana
b. Flowers many in cymes, 5-merous 6
6a. Plants glabrous; seeds with sharp tubercles 5. S. media
b. Plants with long ciliate spreading hairs; seeds smooth 11. S. sikkimensis
7a. Branches pubescent with white woolly hairs 10. S. semivestita y
b. Branches densely glandular-hairy 13. S. tibetica
8a. Plants glaucous; capsules as long as sepals; seeds papillate marginally 17. S. webbiana
b. Plants tomentose above; capsules shorter than sepals; seeds smooth 3. S. himalayensis
9a. Densely tufted rigid herbs; filaments dilated at base 1. S. decumbens
b. Laxly tufted flaccid herbs; filaments not dilated at base 10
10a. Plants variously pubescent 11
b. Plants glabrous or only leaf base ciliolate 13
11a. Stellate hairs present 15. S. vestita
582 " FLORA OF INDIA - [VOL. 2

b. Stellate hairs absent 12

12a. Plants with long lax silky hairs 8. S. patens
b. Plants densely woolly 4. S. lanata
13a. Petals absent; capsules much longer than sepals 12. S. subumbellata
b. Petals present (rarely absent in S. uliginosa); capsules as long as or shorter than sepals 14
14a. Leaves thick-margined 15
b. Leaves not thick-margined lg
15a. Leaves ciliolate towards base; bracts wholly scarious 2. S. graminea
b. Leaves not ciliolate towards base; bracts, if present, scarious along margins only 7. S. palustris
16a. Leaves lanceolate; lower leaves not attenuate at base 14. S. uliginosa
b. Leaves broadly ovate; lower leaves often abruptly attenuate at base 9. S. reticulivena

1. Stellaria decumbens Edgew. in Trans. Linn. Soc, Lond. 20: 35. 1846. S.
cherleriae (Fischer ex Ser.) F. Williams, in Bull. Herb. Boiss. ser. 2, 7: 830.1907, p. p.

Herbs, densely tufted, cushion-like, shiny; roots woody; stems many, erect or
decumbent, 5 - 15 cm long, somewhat 4-angular; branches lax or densely fascicled,
glabrous or with a line of pubescence. Leaves ovate, lanceolate, linear-lanceolate to
linear-subulate, incurved at apex or not, 3 - 5 mm long, glabrous or ciliolate, obscurely
3-nerved, 1-nerved or nerveless; sometimes with axillary fascicles of leaves. Flowers
solitary or in 1 - 3-flowered to many-flowered cymes, pedunculate or subsessile. Sepals
4 - 5 , oblong-lanceolate, acute or acuminate at apex, ca 3 mm or longer, coriaceous.
Petalsveryshort, narrow, deeply 2-partite. Stamens 8-10. Capsules shorter than sepals;
seeds 2 - 8 , suborbicular, dark-brown, dotted.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Cymes 1 - 3-flowered 2

b. Cymes many-flowered 4
2a. Plants forming dense globose tufts; leaves 1.2 - 2 mm broad, incurved at apex 1.5. var. pulvinala
b. Plants not forming dense globose tufts; leaves ca 1 mm broad, not incurved at apex 3
3a. Plants small, with axillary fascicles of leaves 1.3. var. minor
b. Plants large, without axillary fascicles of leaves 1.2. var. decumbens
4a. Leaves ovate or lanceolate, pubescent 1.4. var. polyanlha
b. Leaves linear-subulate, glabrous 1.1. var. acicularis

1.1. var. acicularis Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 235.1874.

Fl. June - Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine regions, above 3300 m. Sikkim.

Endemic.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 583

1.2. var. decumbens S. decumbens Edgew. var. edgeworthii Edgew. & Hook. f. &
var. stracheyi Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 234.1874.

Fl.&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 2700 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Pakistan, China, Mongolia and Russia (Siberia).

1.3. var. minor Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 234.1874.

Fl.&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 3200 m, on rocks. Jammu & Kashmir,
Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Endemic.

1.4. var. polyantha Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 234.1874.

Fl. June - Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 4500 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh
and Sikkim.

Nepal and Bhutan.

1.5. var. pulvinata Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 235.1874.

Fl. Sept. - Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 3600 m, on rocks. Jammu & Kashmir,
Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China (Tibet) and Russia (Siberia).

2. Stellaria graminea L., Sp. PI. 422.1753; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:
233.1874.

Herbs, perennial, 10 - 40 cm high, glabrous; flowering shoots tufted, 4-angular.

Leaves sessile, linear-oblong, acute at apex, 1.2 - 3 cm long, thick-margined. Cymes
terminal. Flowers 7 - 10 mm across; pedicels slender, 1 - 3 cm long, divaricate; bracts
oblong-lanceolate. Sepals linear-oblong, 4 - 7 mm long, green, shiny, 3-nerved, mem-
584 -• ' FLORA OF INDIA - [VOL. 2

branous along margins. Petals 2-partite, white. Stamens 10. Styles 3. Capsules ovoid-
oblong, shorter than sepals; seeds ca 1 mm in diam., reddish brown, rough, granulate.

Fl. May - July.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 3000 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Pakistan, Nepal, China (Tibet), Mongolia, Russia (Siberia), C. Asia, Afghanistan

and Europe.

Notes. The plant is said to be poisonous. Alkaloid content is maximum during the
flowering period.

3. Stellaria himalayensis Majumdar in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 44: 141. 1965 (as
"himalayense"). S. latifolia (Benth. ex G. Don) Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:
231.1874, non Pers. 1805, nee Gray 1821. Leucostemma latifolia Benth. ex G. Don, Gen.
Hist. 1: 449.1831.

Herbs, branched, procumbent, 7-25 cm, tomentose above, glabrous below. Lower
leaves shortly petiolate, ovate-cordate or orbicular, mucronate at apex, 5 -17 x4 - 8 mm,
thick-margined; upper leaves lanceolate, smaller. Flowers solitary; pedicels arising from
upper axils, slender, glabrous. Sepals 4, subulate, lanceolate, 5 - 7 mm long, narrowly
scarious-margined. Petals 4, 2-fid with oblong obtuse lobes, twice as long as sepals,
white. Stamens 8. Styles 2. Capsules ovoid, ca 3 x 2 mm, hyaline; seeds suborbicular,
compressed, 0.7 - 1 mm in diam., brown, smooth.

Fl. & Fr. April - June.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal.

4. Stellaria lanata Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 232.1874.

Herbs, 20 - 30 cm high; stems laxly tufted, decumbent, slender, terete and shiny
below, densely woolly above; upper branches 4-angular. Leaves sessile, narrowly ovate
to linear-lanceolate, subcordate at base, acute at apex, 6 - 30 x 2 - 4 mm, spreading and
recurved, glabrescent above, white soft-woolly beneath, 1-nerved. Cymes terminal;
peduncles 2 - 3.8 cm long. Flowers few, 4 - 5 mm across; pedicels erect, 1-12 mm long.
Sepals oblong, acute at apex, 2.5 - 3 mm long, narrowly scarious-margined. Petals absent
or minute, 2-partite with thread-like lobes. Stamens 8. Styles 3. Capsules oblong-ovoid,
4 - 6-valved, 4 - 5 mm long; seeds reniform, dark brown.
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 585

Fl.&Fr. June-Oct.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, 3000 - 4000 m, in marshy grounds. West Bengal
and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

5. Stellaria media (L.) Villars, Hist. PL Dauphine 3: 615. 1789, p. p.; Edgew. &
Hook. f. in FL Briti India 1: 230.1874, p. p. Alsine media L., Sp. PL 272.1753.

Asm.: Morolia; Hindi: Buch-bucha, Safed-phulke.

Herbs, 10 - 60 cm high; stems suberect or decumbent, 4-angular with a line of hairs

on one side of internodes, rooting at nodes. Leaves 3 - 2 8 mm long; lower ones
long-petiolate, ovate, cordate or cuneate at base, acute or shortly acuminate at apex;
upper ones sessile, ovate or elliptic, smooth or with elevated points; petioles up to 1.5
cm long. Flowers numerous or few, in terminal leafy cymes; pedicels up to 1.5 cm long,
glandular-pubescent. Sepals 5, ovate-lanceolate, subacute or obtuse at apex, 3 - 5 mm
long, narrowly scarious-margined, sparsely glandular-pubescent. Petals 5, shorter than
sepals, white, sometimes absent. Stamens 3 - 10. Styles 3. Capsules ovoid-oblong,
longer than calyx; seeds plano-convex, reddish brown with acute conical tubercles.

Fl. & Fr. Throughout the year.

Distrib. India: Plains and hills. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab,
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra
and Tamil Nadu.

Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Russia, Turkey, Europe and America.

Notes. The plant is taken as a vegetable, raw or boiled. It contains toxic nitrates
which may be fatal to animals and may cause mild paralysis in man. Effective against
inflammation of the digestive, renal, repsiratory and reproductive tracts and has a
soothing action on mucous and dermoid surfaces. Also used in inflammation of the skin
such as erysipelas, ulcer, eczema, haemorrhoids and of the eye. Employed in the form
of powder, extract, decoction or ointment. Sometimes also used as plasters for swellings
and fractured bones.

6. Stellaria monosperma D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep. 215.1825. S. crispata Edgew.

& Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 229.1874.

Herbs, scrambling, 60 -120 cm high; stems 4-angular, shiny with a line of fine hairs;
nodes often hairy. Leaves sessile or petiolate, oblong, elliptic or lanceolate, cordate at
base, acuminate at apex, 3 - 20 x 1 - 4 cm, minutely crisped along margins, glabrous;
586 -• FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

nerves spreading, with intramarginal nerve. Cymes many-flowered, terminal or axillary,

glandular; peduncles and pedicels spreading or divaricate; bracts 2.5 - 3 mm long, green.
Sepals 5, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate at apex, 3 - 6 mm long, narrowly scarious-
margined. Petals 5,2-fid to middle, shorter than or as long as sepals. Stamens 10. Styles
3. Capsules 6-valved, as long as calyx, ca 4 mm in diam.; seed 1 or 2, suborbicular to
angular-orbicular, dark brown, with conical tubercles, notched or beaked.

KEY T O THE VARIETIES

la. Leaves sessile; sepals 5 - 6 mm long; petals as long as sepals; seeds more than 2 mm in diam., notched
6.1. var. monosperma
b. Leaves petiolate; sepals 3 - 4 mm long; petals only half as long as sepals; seeds less than 2 mm in diam.,
beaked 6.2. var. paniculata

6.1. var. monosperma

Fl. July - Sept.; Fr. Sept. - Oct.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Iran and Afghanistan.

Notes. Sometimes used as vegetable.

6. 2. var. paniculata (Edgew.) Majumdar in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 44: 141.1965. 5.

paniculata Edgew. in Trans. Linn. Soc, Lond. 20: 35. 1846; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl.
Brit. India 1: 229.1874.

Fl.&Fr. July-Oct.

Distrib. India: Temperate and alpine Himalayas and the Western Ghats. Jammu
& Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim, Meghalaya and
Tamil Nadu.

Indochina and Afghanistan.

7. Stellaria palustris Retz., Fl. Scand. Prodr. ed. 2,106.1795. S. glauca With., Arr.
Brit. PI. ed. 3, 2: 420.1796; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 233.1874.

Herbs, perennial with a slender horizontal stock; stems suberect or erect, 4-angular,
glabrous; flowering shoots slender, weak and brittle, 9 - 30 cm high. Leaves sessile,
linear-lanceolate, rounded at base, acuminate at apex, 1.5 - 5 cm long, glabrous with
thick margins and a distinct midnerve. Flowers 1.2 - 1.8 cm across; pedicels erect, 3 - 6
1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 587

cm long. Sepals lanceolate, acute at apex, 5 - 6 mm long, green, 3-nerved, broadly

scarious-margined. Petals 2-fid to base, as long as or longer than sepals, white. Stamens
10. Styles 3. Capsules broadly ovoid, 6-valved, as long as sepals; seeds ovoid, ca 0.7 x 1
mm, reddish brown, bluntly tuberculate.

Fl.&Fr. July-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 3900 m, on rocks. Jammu & Kashmir and
Himachal Pradesh.

Pakistan, China (Tibet), Russia, W. Asia, Europe and Greenland.

8. Stellaria patens D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep. 215. 1825. S. longissima Edgew. &
Hook.f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 231.1874.

Herbs, laxly tufted, decumbent; stems slender, 15 - 45 cm long, much branched, with
long white silky hairs. Leaves sessile, lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, acute at apex, 10 -
25 x 1 - 2 mm, spreading and recurved, white-pilose beneath, flat, opaque, 1-nerved.
Flowers ca 1.2 cm across, solitary, axillary or in terminal few-flowered cymes; peduncles
erect, 2.5 - 6.5 cm long. Sepals narrowly lanceolate, 5 - 6 mm long, glabrous, broadly
scarious-margined. Petals as long as sepals, white. Stamens 10. Styles 3. Capsules
5-valved, shorter than sepals; seeds dark brown, tuberculate.

Fl. May - Sept.; Fr. Sept. - Nov.

Distrib. India: "Temperate and alpine Himalayas, 2000 - 2500 m, near cultivated
areas. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim,
Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.

Nepal and Bhutan.

9. Stellaria reticulivena Hayata, Icon. PI. Formos. 7: 1, f. 1. 1918; Majumdar in

Bull. Bot. Surv. India 21: 172, ff.l - 9.1979. S. micrantha Hayata, Mat. Fl. Formosa 36.
1911, non Spruce ex Rohrb. 1871 - 73.

Herbs, slender, suberect or decumbent, glabrous; internodes 1 - 2 (-3) cm long.

Leaves sessile, broadly ovate, rounded at base, acuminate at apex, 6 - 15 x 4 - 10 mm,
sometimes ciliate along margins, pale green; midnerve impressed above, prominent
beneath; minor nerves reticulate. Flowers in slender leafless branched cymes; pedicels
divaricate; bracts ovate, acute, scarious. Sepals 5, ovate to ovate-oblong, acute at apex,
2 - 2.5 mm long, scarious-margined. Petals 5,1 -1.5 mm long, white. Stamens 5 -10, ca
2 mm long. Styles 3, recurved at apex. Capsules ovoid, 6-valved, ca 3 mm long; seeds
globose, compressed, 0.6 - 0.8 mm in diam., dark brown, shortly beaked, reticulate.
588 "•• FLORA OF INDIA - [ VOL. 2

Fl.&Fr. April-June.

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas, 1800 - 2800 m, by stream sides in forests.

Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Bhutan and Taiwan.

10. Stellaria semivestita Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 230.1874.

Herbs, caespitose; stems decumbent, 15 - 45 cm high; branches ascending, crowded,

pubescent with white woolly hairs. Leaves linear-subulate, 8 - 32 x 1 - 2 mm, spreading,
recurved, 1-nerved, woolly to glabrescent on both surfaces. Flowers solitary, ca 1.2 cm
across; pedicels 2 - 2.8 cm long. Sepals lanceolate, acuminate at apex, ca 6 mm long,
broadly scarious-margined, glabrate to tomentose. Petals longer than sepals. Stamens
10. Styles 3. Capsules elliptic-oblong, 6-valved, ca 4 x 6 mm; seeds few, suborbicular,
flattened, ca 1 mm in diam., dark brown, rough with blunt elevations.

Fl.&Fr. April-Sept.

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal.

Notes. An alcoholic extract shows anticancer activity against human epidermoid

carcinoma of the nasopharynx in tissue culture. The plant is toxic to adult albino mice.

11. Stellaria sikkimensis Hook, f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 230.1874.

Herbs, caespitose, decumbent, with brown patent hairs; stems branched, villous,
shiny below. Leaves sessile or subsessile, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 6 - 20 x 2 - 8 mm,
spreading, ciliate on both surfaces. Cymes terminal, lax. Flowers 5 - 6 mm across;
pedicels up to 8 mm long. Sepals lanceolate, acuminate at apex, 4 - 5 x 1 mm, broadly
scarious-margined, pilose. Petals 3 - 4 mm long. Stamens 10. Styles 3. Capsules
ovoid-oblong, 5-valved, entire, 5 - 6 mm long; seeds many, ca 0.7 mm in diam., dark
brown, smooth.

Fl. May - Aug.; Fr. July - Oct.

Distrib. India: Temperate and subalpine regions, on rocks and moist edges of
forests. West Bengal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Nepal and Bhutan.

1993] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 589

12. Stellaria subumbellata Edgew. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 233.1874.

Herbs, decumbent, 10 - 20 cm, glabrous; stems very slender, sometimes tufted.

Leaves sessile, linear or elliptic-oblong, acute or acuminate at apex, 3 - 18 x 0.75 -1.5
mm, thick along margins. Flowers ca 4 mm across, solitary, axillary or in terminal
subumbellate cymes; pedicels capillary, 8 - 2 5 mm long, deflexed in fruit; bracts ovate,
ca 2 mm long, membranous. Sepals ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acute at apex, 2 - 2.5 mm
long, scarious-margined, green, 3-nerved. Petals absent. Stamens 5. Styles 3. Capsules
narrowly ovoid or subcylindrical, 5-valved, ca 4 mm long; seeds ovate, angular, pale
brown, rough.

Fl.&Fr. Aug.-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 3500 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh
and Sikkim.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

13. Stellaria tibetica Kurz in Flora 55: 285. 1872; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit.
India 1: 231.1874.

Herbs, densely glandular-pubescent; stems ascending, 9 -14 cm high, shiny at base.

Leaves sessile, suberect, oblong, acute to subacute at apex, 8 - 20 x 5 - 7 mm, opaque;
midnerve slender, others obscure. Cymes axillary and terminal, erect, pedunculate,
few-flowered. Flowers erect, ca 1 cm across; pedicels 3 - 8 mm long; bracts 3 - 4 mm
long, coriaceous; bracteoles narrowly ovate, acute at apex, ca 2 mm long. Sepals elliptic,
acute at apex, 5-6 mm long, scarious-margined. Petals 2-fid with obtuse lobes. Stamens
shorter than sepals. Ovary ca 1 mm in diam., many-ovuled; styles 3, slender, 2 - 3 mm
long. Capsules broadly ovoid, 6-valved, shorter than sepals; seeds 8 - 9 , flat, brown,
muricate.

Fl.&Fr. July-Aug.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 4000 m, on rocky slopes. Jammu &
Kashmir.

Pakistan and China (Tibet).

14. Stellaria uliginosa Murray, Prodr. Stirp. Gott. 55.1770; Edgew. & Hook. f. in
Fl. Brit. India 1: 233.1874.

Herbs, annual, suberect or procumbent, glabrous; stems slender, 10 - 40 cm high,

4-angular, glaucous. Leaves sessile, ovate-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, acute or
acuminate and sometimes mucronate at apex, sometimes undulate along margins, 8 - 25
590 FLORA OF INDIA " [ VOL. 2

mm long, often with white lacerate stipule-like processes at base. Cymes axillary and
terminal, few-flowered; bracts ca 1 mm long, scarious. Sepals lanceolate to subulate
acuminate at apex, 2.5 - 3.5 mm long. Petals minute, more or less equalling sepals, or
absent, 2-fid almost up to base; lobes oblong, divergent. Stamens 5 - 10. Styles 3.
Capsules ovoid, 6-valved, equalling sepals; seeds ca 0.5 x 0.6 mm, pale brown, smooth
or covered with low mammillae.

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

la. Leaves entire; stamens 10; seeds smooth 14.1. var. uliginosa
b. Leaves undulate-margined; stamens 5-8; seeds mammillate 14.2. var. undulata

14.1. var. uliginosa

Fl. March - July; Fr. Aug. - Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, above 2800 m. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Tamil Nadu.

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Russia (Siberia), N. Africa, W. Asia, Europe and
N. America.

Notes. A decoction of the leaf is said to be used as a galactogogue.

14.2. var. undulata (Thunb.) Fenzl in Ledeb., Fl. Ross. 1:393.1842; Mizushima in
Fl. E. Himal. 82.1966. S. undulata Thunb., Fl. Jap. 185.1784.

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas. Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Nepal, Bhutan, Taiwan and E. Asia.

15. Stellaria vestita Kurz in J. Bot. 11: 194. 1873. S. saxatilis D.Don, Prodr. Fl.
Nep. 215.1825; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 232.1874.1825, non Scop. 1772.

Herbs, weak, greyish, laxly tufted, up to 90 cm high; stems decumbent, upper parts
densely woolly-tomentose with stellate hairs. Leaves subsessile, ovate-oblong or ovate-
elliptic, rounded at base, acute at apex, 4 - 24 (-54) x 3 -15 mm. Cymes lax, few-flowered,
axillary and terminal; peduncles 1.3 - 5 cm long; pedicels 0.8 - 2.5 cm long; bracts
linear-subulate, 3(-5) mm long. Sepals oblong, acute at apex, 5 - 6 mm long, narrowly
membranous along margins. Petals 2-fid almost up to base, ca 4 mm long. Stamens 10.
Styles 3. Capsules ovoid-oblong, 5-valved, as long as sepals; seeds ca 10, ca 1 mm in
diam., black, rough, without tubercles.

Fl. March - May; Fr. May - June.

1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 591

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas and the Western Ghats, 1400 - 2700 m, edges
of cultivated fields. Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu.

Nepal, Bhutan, China (Tibet), Japan, Taiwan, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia
(Java) and Philippines.

Notes. A decoction of the plant is said to relieve boneache and rheumatic pain.

16. Stellaria wallichiana Benth. ex Haines in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1920: 66.1920.
S. media (L.) Villars, Hist. PI. Dauphine 3: 615. 1789, p. p.; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl.
Brit. India 1: 230.1874.

Herbs; stems slender, with 2 lines of pubescence and scattered glandular hairs.
Leaves petiolate, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, broadly cordate at base or cuneate towards
petiole, 1 - 2.5 cm long; petioles slender, pubescent. Flowers solitary, twice as long as
sepals or longer. Sepals 4, ovate, acute or acuminate at apex, 2.5 - 3 mm long. Petals 4,
ovate, 2-fid or emarginate. Stamens hypogynous. Ovary ovoid; styles 2 - 3 , recurved.

Capsules 6-valved, shorter than sepals; seeds 10 -15, rough or faintly obtusely tubercu-
late.

Fl. Feb. - Aug.

Distrib. India: Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur
and Meghalaya.

Bangladesh.

17. Stellaria webbiana (Benth. ex G. Don) Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:
230.1874. Leucostemma webbianum Benth. ex G. Don, Gen. Hist. 1: 449.1831.

Herbs, slender, decumbent, 15 - 30 cm high, glabrous or sparsely white-hairy, stems

4-angular, branched. Leaves sessile, linear, acicular, 8 - 1 6 mm long, spreading, rigid,
shiny, 1-nerved. Flowers axillary, suberect, white; pedicels capillary, 2.5 - 5 cm long.
Sepals 4, lanceolate, acuminate at apex, 5 - 7 mm long, broadly scarious-margined, shiny.
Petals 2-fid up to middle, 10 -11 mm long with narrow obtuse lobes. Stamens 8. Styles
2. Capsules ovoid, 6-valved, equalling sepals; seeds compressed, 0.8 - 1 mm ( in diam.,
pale brown, papillate along margins.

Fl.&Fr. April.

Distrib. India: Temperate Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal and Afghanistan.

592 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL. 2

24. Thylacospermum Fenzl

Monotypic; description and distribution as for the species below.

Thylacospermum caespitosum (Cambess.) Schischkin in Spiosk Rast. Gerb.

Russk. Fl. Bot. Muz. Rossijsk. Akad. Nauk. 9: 90.1932. Periandra caespitosa Cambess.
in Jacquem., Voy. 4 (Bot.): 27, t. 29.1835. Thylacospermum rupifragum (Karelin & Kir.)
Schrenk, Enum. PI. Nov. 2: 53.1842; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1: 243.1874.
Bryomorpha rupifraga Karelin & Kir. in Bull. Soc. Imp. Nat. Moscou 15:172.1842.

Herbs, perennial, densely caespitose, glabrous; stems numerous, forming large hard
spherical or hemispherical cushions of 25 - 100 cm across. Leaves densely crowded,
sessile, ovate, acute to acuminate at apex, 2 - 4 x 0.75 mm, glabrous, nerveless, keeled
near apex, scarcely recurved, sharp to touch at tips. Flowers subsessile, solitary at apex
of stem, hidden between leaves, ca 2.5 mm across. Calyx-tube funnel-shaped, divided
up to middle into 4 - 5 lobes. Petals 4 - 5 , oblong, entire, ca 1.5 mm long, white. Stamens
8 - 10, on a glandular ring; glands placed between bases of filaments, small, oblong.
Ovary shortly stalked, 1-locular with few-ovules; styles 2 - 3, filiform. Capsules spherical,
4 - 6-valved, coriaceous, shiny; seeds few, large with soft loose seed coats.

Fl.&Fr. June-Sept.

Distrib. India: Alpine Himalayas, on slopes and rocks. Jammu & Kashmir, Hima-
chal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikldm.

Nepal, China (Tibet) and C. Asia.

25. Vaccaria Medikus

Herbs, annual, glabrous, often growing among grasses; stems erect. Leaves oppo-
site, oblong or lanceolate, connate at base. Cymes large, corymbiform. Flowers red;
epicalyx absent. Calyx ovoid-pyramidal, 5-angular; tube winged with 5 teeth, without
commissural veins. Petals 5, hypogynously inserted on a short thick anthophore; limb
obovate, denticulate with a linear claw. Stamens 10, inserted with petals; filaments
filiform; anthers 2-locular, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary 2-locular, rarely 3-locular,
many-ovuled; styles 2, rarely 3. Capsules ovoid, 4- or 6-dentate at apex; seeds many,
globose, granulate.

Mediterranean region; 3 species, one species in India.

 1993 ] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 593

Vaccaria pyramidata Medikus, Philos. Bot. 1:96.1789. Saponaria vaccaria L., Sp.
J PL 409.1753; Edgew. & Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India 1:217.1874, p. p. Fig. 118.

Beng.: Sabuni; Hindi: Musna.

Herbs, annual, robust, 15 - 60 cm high, branched, glabrous; taproot slender. Leaves

cordate-lanceolate, acute at apex, 2.5 - 7.5 x 0.8 -1.8 cm, glabrous; lower leaves somewhat
petiolate, the rest sessile. Flowers erect, in lax corymbose dichasial cymes; pedicels
slender. Calyx tube inflated, ca 1.2 cm across, with 5 sharp angles or wings; teeth 5,
triangular. Petals rose-coloured; limb cuneate or rounded or somewhat emarginate;
coronal scales absent. Capsules globose, 4-valved, 4-locular below, included; seeds
globose, ca 2 mm in diam., black, granulate.

Fl.&Fr. May-Sept.

Distrib. India: An introduced weed, throughout the plains and hills.

Temperate Asia, Europe; also introduced in N. America and Australia.

EXCLUDED SPECIES

Arenaria ludlowii H. Hara has been recorded from Bhutan whereas A. globiflora
(Fenzl) Edgew. & Hook. f. has been reported from Nepal and Tibet. A. melanandra
(Maxim.) Mattf. ex Hand-Mazz., A. mukerjeeana (Majumdar) H. Hara, A. paramela-
nandra H. Hara and A roseiflora Sprague have been recorded from Nepal only.

Cerastium fontanum Baumg. subsp.grandiflorum (Buch-Ham. ex D. Don) H. Hara

has been reported from Nepal.

Dianthus chinensis L. var. aspera Koch, reported to occur in Ladakh, is excluded in

the absence of any specimen.

Pseudostellaria heterantha (Maxim.) Pax var. nepalensis (Majumdar) H. Hara has

been reported from Bhutan, China (Tibet) and Nepal, whereas P. sylvatica (Maxim.)
Pax has been recorded from Bhutan.

Silene alba (Mill.) E.H. Krause, a western species, reported as an addition to the
flora of India by Nair (Bull. Bot. Surv. India 11: 201. 1969) is not yet naturalised. S.
armeria L. and 5. noctiflora L. are ornamental species which sometimes occur as escapes
from cultivation. S. pendula L., reported to have extended into India by Chowdhuri
(1957) is excluded as there are no specimens. S. stracheyi Edgew. is excluded following
Chowdhuri (1. c ) . S. chodath Bocq. (1969), based on Kingdon-ward 14134 from Ze la
(Arunachal Pradesh) is excluded as the exactness of the type locality is in doubt. S.
brigittae Bocq,, S. fissicalyx Bocq. & Chater, 5. helleboriflora Excell & Bocq., S. holos-
594 FLORA OF INDIA [VOL.2

Fig. 118. Vaccaria pyramidata Medikus : a.floweringshoot; b. calyx; c. petal; d.

stamens and pistil; e. pistil; f. seed.
1993] CARYOPHYLLACEAE 595

teifolia Bocq. & Chater, S. julaensis Grierson, 5. linae Bocq, S. pseudo-cashmeriana

Bocq. & Chater, S. purii Bocq. & Saxena and S. vautierae Bocq. are either from Nepal
or Bhutan.

Spergula rosea Blatter (J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal n.s. 26: 340.1930) was described from
Bombay. It is excluded here due to the absence of any specimen including the type
(Hallberg 19799).

Stellaria depressa Schmid, S. fyangtsensis F. Williams and S. media (L.) Villars var.
procera Klatt & Richter have been recorded from Ladakh, Sikkim and Darjeeling
respectively. Having not seen any specimens, they are excluded. 5. congestiflora H.
Hara, S. nepalensis Majumdar & Vartak and S. ovatifolia (Mizushima) Mizushima have
been recorded only from Nepal.

v'
 INDEX
(Botanical Names)

stricta (Cambess.) N. Busch 227. 229, 230

A taraxacifolia (T.Anderson) Jafri 227, 231
Acacia sp. 265 thaliana (L.) Heynh. 227, 231
Achyranlhes corymbosa L. 549 wallichii (Hook.f. & Thomson) N. Busch
Agrostemma coronaria L. 542 227, 232
fimbrialum Wallich ex G.Don 565 Arabis L. 90, 99
inflala Wallich ex G.Don 573 alpina auct. non L. 103
Alliaria Scop. 92, 224 allicola O.Schulz 100
officinalis Andrz. ex M. Bieb. 225 amplexicaulis Edgew. 100
petiolata (M.Bieb.) Cavara & Grande 225 auriculala auct. non Lam. 103
Alsine prosirala Forsskal 553 auriculala Lam. 101
media L. 585 bijuga G.Watt 100, 101
Alsodeia Thouars 347 glabra (L.) Bernh. 133
bengatensis Wallich 348 glandulosa Karelin & Kir. 122
griffithii Hook.f. & Thomson 348 himalaica Edgew. 227
longiracemosa Kurz 350 montbretiana Boiss. 101
macrophylla Dccne 351 nova Vill. 100, 101, 102
racemosa Hook.f. & Thomson 350 nuda Bel. ex Boiss. 123
roxburghii Hook.f. & Thomson 348
nudicaulis (L.) DC. 223
wallichiana Hook.f. & Thomson 348
pangiensis G.Watt 100, 101
zeylanica (Arn.) Thwaites 348
pangiensis O.Schulz 101
Alyssum L. 89, 93 petiolata M. Bieb. 225
canescens DC. 99 pterospcrma Edgew. 100, 103, 104
cochlearioides Roth 191 recta Vill. 100, 103
desertorum Slapf 93 saxicola Edgew. 100, 105
minimum auct. non L. 93 var. elatior (O.Schulz) Jafri 105
Alytostylis Hook. f. 332 var. saxicola 105
Anastalica syriaca L. 172 scapigera Boiss. 123
Anavinga lanceolata Lam. 397 scaposa O.Schulz 105
Aphragmus Andrz. ex DC. 92, 225 var. elatior O.Schulz 105
oxycarpus (Hook.f. & Thomson) Jafri 225 taraxacifolia T.Anderson 231
var. oxycarpus 226 tenuirostris O.Schulz 100, 105
var. slenocarpa (O.Schulz) G.C.Das 226 thaliana L. 231
Arabidopsis Heynh. 92, 226 tibetica Hook.f. & Thomson 100, 106
himalaica (Edgew.) O.Schulz 227 thomsonii Hook.f. 106
lasiocarpa O.Schulz 227, 228 Arcyosperma O.Schulz 92, 232
mollissima auct. non N. Busch 103 primulifolium (Thomson) O.Schulz 232, 233
mollissima (C.Meyer) N.Busch 227, 228 Arenaria L. 503, 504
nuda (Bel. ex Boiss.) Bornm. 123 benthamii Edgew. 509
pumila (Stephan) N.Busch 227, 228 bhutanica Majumdar & Babu 509
russelliana Jafri 227, 229
598

blinhvorthii J. M c Neill 509 tenera (Boiss.) Edgew. 540

bryophylla Fernald 505, 506 thangoensis W.Smith 505, 517, 518
cerastiiformis F.Williams 513 trichotoma Royle ex Edgew. & Hook.f. 507
ciliolata Edgew. 505, 506 Argemone L. 2
var. ciliolata 506 leiocarpa E.Greene 3
var. pendula Duthie ex P. Williams 506, 507 mexicana L. 2
compressa J. Mc Neill 505, 507 forma leiocarpa (E.Greene) Ownbey 2, 3
curvifolia Majumdar 505, 507, 508 forma mexicana 3, 4
debilis Hook.f. 504, 509 ochroleuca Sweet 2, 5, 6
densissima Wallich ex Edgew. & subfusiformis Ownbey 2, 5
Hook.f. 505, 509 Asteriastigma Beddome 417
depauperata (Edgew.) H.Hara 505, 509 macrocarpa Beddome 421
edgeworthiana Majuindar 505, 510 Atelanthera Hook.f. & Thomson 91, 176
ferruginea Duthie ex F. Williams 505, 510 pentandra Jafri 178
festucoides Royle 505, 511 perpusilla Hook.f. & Thomson 178
foliosa Edgew. & Hook.f. 547
glanduligera Edgew. 505, 511 B
glandulosa (Benlh. ex D.Don) F. Williams 509 Barbaraea R. Br. 89, 106
globiflora (Fenzl) Edgew. & Hook.f. 593 elata Hook.f. & Thomson 107
griffithii Boiss. 505, 512 intermedia Boreau 106, 107
holosteoides (C.Meyer) Edgew. 540 sicula PresI 107
juniperina Villars 509 taurica DC. 107
kansuensis Maxim. 505, 512 vulgaris R.Br. 107
kashmirica Edgew. 547 var. sicula Hook.f & TAnderson 107
littledalei Hemsley 505, 512 var. taurica Hook.f. & TAnderson 107
ludlowii H.Hara 593 Beheu vulgaris Moench 577
melanandra (Maxim.) Mallf. ex Hand - Benneltiodendron Merr. 387, 388
Mazz. 593 leprosipes (Clos) Merr. 338
melandryiformis F.Williams 504, 5 1 3 Bennettia longipes Oliver 388
melandryoides Edgew. 513 Bergsimia javanica Blumc 426, 427
monticola Edgew, 510 BIXACEAE 380
mukerjeeana (Majumdar) H.Hara 593 Bixa L. 380
musciformis Wallich ex Edgew. & Hook.f. 506 orellana L. 381, 382
neelgherrensis Wight & Arn. 506, 513 Blackwellia ceylanica Gardner 410
orbiculata Royle ex Edgew. & Hook.f. 514 napauleuse DC. 413
oreophila Hook.f. 505, 506, 514 tomenlosa Vent. 414
paramelanandra H.Hara 593 Bombax religiosum L. 383
polytrichoides Edgew. 505, 515 Bouchea marrubifolia 317
pulvinata Edgew. 505, 515 Brachystemma D.Don 503, 519
ramellata F. Williams 506 calycinum D.Don 519, 520
roseiflora Sprague 593 BRASSICACEAE 88
rubra L. 580
Tribe Alysseae Grenier & Fordon 89, 9 3
serpyllifolia L. 505, 515, 516 Tribe Arabideae DC. 89
strachcyi Edgew. 505, 517 Tribe Brassiceae Hayek 89, 90
 599

Tribe Drabeae O.Schulz 89, 91 Bunias tatarica Willd. 173

Tribe Euclideae DC. 89, 91
Tribe Hesperideae Prantl 89, 91 C
Tribe Lepidieae DC. 89, 91 Cadaba Forsskal 249
Tribe Matlhiolcae 0 . Schulz 89, 92 fruticosa (L.) Druce 249, 250
Tribe Sisymbrieae DC. 89, 92 indica Lam. 250
Brassica L. 90, 133 trifoliata (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. 249, 251
alba (L.) Rabenh. 149 Camelina Crantz 92, 236
campestris L. 138 sativa (L.) Crantz 236
subsp. rapa (L.) Hook.f. & T.Anderson 138 CAPPARACEAE 248, 315
var. napus (L.) Hook.f. & T.Anderson 135 Capparis L. 249, 252
eruca L. 143 Capparis sp. Hook. f. & Thomson 292, 294
erucoides Roxb. 143 acutifolia Sweet 254, 255, 258
griffithii Hook.f. & Thomson 142 subsp. acutifolia 256
juncea (L.) Czern. 134 subsp. bodinieri (A.Leveille) Jacobs 256
muralis (L.) Huds. 143 subsp. sabiaefolia (Hook.f. & Thomson)
napus L. 134, 135 Jacobs 256,257
subsp. napobrassica (L.) Jafri 135 subsp. viminea Jacobs 256, 257
subsp. napus 135 assamica Hook. f. & Thomson 254, 258, 259
var. quadrivalvis (Hook.f. & Thomson) andamanica King 271
O.Schulz 135 apetala Roth 329
var. trilocularis (Roxb.) O.Schulz 136 aphylla Roth 265
nigra (L.) Koch 134, 136 assamica Hook.f. & Thomson 254, 258
oleracea L. 134, 136 baducca auct non L. 285, 287
var. botrytis L. 137 bodinieri A.Leveille 255, 256
var. capitata L. 137 brevispina DC. 253, 260, 261, 281, 299
var. gemmifera Zenker 137 cantonensis 260
var. gongylodes L. 137 cantoniensis Lour. 254, 260
var. napobrassica L. 135 cataphyltosa Jacobs 263
quadrivalvis Hook.f. & Thomson 135 cathcartii Hemsley ex Gamble 292
rapa L. 134, 138 cinerea Jacobs 255, 262
subsp. campestris (L.) Clapham 138, 139 cleghornii Dunn 255, 263, 264, 279
subsp. rapa 138 decidua (Forsskal) Edgew. 253, 265
var. campestris (L.) Peterm. 138 divaricata Lam. 253, 266, 267, 269, 287, 289
stocksii Hook.f. & Thomson 140 diversifolia Wight & Arn. 255, 267, 268
tournefortii Gouan 134, 140 flavicans Kurz 253, 269
trilocularis (Roxb.) Hook.f. & Thomson 136 flavicans Hook.f. & Thomson 269
Braya Sternh. & Hoppe 92, 234 floribunda Wight 254, 270, 271
alpina auct. non Sternb. & Hoppe 225, 235 fusifera Dunn 255, 271, 272, 292
oxycarpa Hook.f. & Thomson 225 galeata Fresen. 295
var. stenocarpa O.Schulz 226 gluuca Wallich ex Hook.f. & Thomson 289, 290
rosea (Turcz.) Bunge 234 grandiflora Hook.f. & Thomson 254, 273, 289
thomsonii Hook.f. 234, 235 grandis L. f. 254, 274
tibetica Hook.f. & Thomson 234, 235 heyneana Wallich ex Wight & Arn. 285
uniflora Hook.f. & Thomson 188 himalayensis Jafri 296
Bryomorpha rupifraga Karelin & Kir. 592 horrida L.f. 298
600

incanescens DC. 289 tomentella Dunn 2 7 1 , 292

leucophylla DC. 296 viminea auct. non Oliver 255, 257
longispina Hook.f. & Thomson 287 viminea Oliver 258
loranthifolia Lindley 267 viminea Hook. f. & Thomson 258
oblongifolia Forsskal 331 zeylanica auct. non L. 260
orbiculata Hook.f. & Thomson 287 zeylanica L. 254, 298, 299
magna Lour. 324 Capsella Medikus 92, 189
membranifolia Kurz 255, 257 bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus 189
micracantha DC. 254, 275, 276, 299 elliptica C.Meyer 195
moonii Wight 254, 277, 278, 279, 299 thomsonii Hook.f. & T.Anderson 193
multiflora Hook.f. & Thomson 254, 280 Cardamine L. 90, 108
nilgiriensis Subbarao, Kumari & Chandras. 253, africana L. 108, 109
281, 282 circaeoides Hook.f. & Thomson 108, 109
olacifolia Hook.f. & Thomson 254, 283 elegantula Hook.f. & Thomson 109, 110
pachyphylla Jacobs 254, 283, 284 flexuosa Withering 109, 110, 111
parviflora sensu Beddome 271 griffithii Hook.f. & Thomson 109, 112
parviflora Boiss. 292 hirsuta L. 109, 112, 113
parviflora Hook.f. & Thomson 290, 292 var. oxycarpa Hook.f. & T.Anderson 118
pedunculosa Wallich ex Wight & Arn. 287 var. sylvatica auct. non Link 110
pyrifolia Lam. 299 var. sylvatica (Link) Hook.f. &
pyrifolia Wight & Arn. 273 TAnderson 112
pumila Benth. 260 impatiens L. 109, 114
rheedei DC. 253, 285, 286 inayatii O.SchuIz 118
rheedii 285 loxostemonoides O.SchuIz 109, 114
rotundifolia Rottler 255, 287 macrophylla Willd. 109. 115, 116
roxburghii auct. non D C . 263 subsp. polyphylla (D.Don) O.SchuIz 115
roxburghii DC. 255, 274, 279, 288 nudicaulis L. 223
roydsiaefolia Kurz 275 polyphylla D. Don 115
sabiaefolia Hook.f. & Thomson 255, 256 pralensis auct. non L. 114
sepiaria L. 255, 274, 289, 331 forma luxuriana Jafri 114
var. incanescens (DC.) Hook.f. & Thomson scoriarum W. Smith 108, 115
289 scutata Thunb.
shevaroyensis Sund.-Ragh. 255, 290, 291 susbsp. flexuosa (Withering) Hara 110
sikkimensis Kurz 254, 292. 293, 294 sikkimensis Hara 118
subsp. sikkimensis 294 smithiana Biswas 115
spinosa L. 254, 294 subumheliaia Hook. f. & T. Anderson 117
var. galeata (Fresen.) Hook.f. & Thomson trichocarpa Hochst. ex A.Rich. 109, 117
294, 295 trifoliolata Hook.f. & Thomson 108, 117
var. himalayensis (Jafri) Jacobs violacea (D.Don) Hook.f. & Thomson 108, 117
294, 295, 296 yunnanensis Franchet 109, 118
var. leucophylla sensu Hook.f.& Cardaria Desv. 91, 190
Thomson 296 chalepense (L.) Hand.-Mazz. 190
var. spinosa 295, 296 CARYOPHYL.LACEAE 502
srilankensis Sund.-Ragh. 281 Casearia Jacq. 387, 389
stylosaDC. 266 andamanica King 391, 392
tenera Dalz. 254, 258, 297 bourdillonii N.Mukherjee 391. 396, 400, 401
 601

championii Thwaites 390, 391, 393, 400, 401 triviale Link 523
coriacea Thwaites 397 vulgatum auct. non L. 523
elliptica Willd. 397 vulgatum L.
esculenta auct. non Roxb. 391 var. glomeratum (Thuill.) Edgew. & Hook.f.
esculenta Roxb. 394, 397, 399, 400 523
fuliginosa (Blanco) Blanco 395 var. triviale (Link) Edgew. & Hook.f. 523
glomerata Roxb. ex DC. 390, 393, 394 Cheirarrthus L. 91, 178
graveolens Dalz. 390, 394 albiflorus T .Anderson 127
grewiaefolia Vent. cheiri L. 178
var. deglabrata Koord. & Val. 394 himalayensis Cambess. 119
var. gelonoides (Blume) Sleumer 390, 394 incanus L. 219
var. insularis (Vasud. & T.Chakrab.) parryoides Hook.f. & T.Anderson 127
T.Chakrab. & Gang. 395 stewartii T A n d e r s o n 121
hexagona Decne tristish. 221
var. gelonoides Blume 394 Cherleria juniperina D.Don 509
insularis Vasud. & T. Chakrab. 395 sedoides L. 547
kurzii C.B.Clarke 390, 393, 394, 396 Chilmoria pentandra Buch.-Ham. 422
lanceolala Miq. 397 Chorispora R.Br, ex DC. 92, 214
leucolepis Turcz. 395 bungeana Fischer & Meyer 215
rubens Dalz. 390, 396, 397, 401 elegans Cambess. 216
var. gamblei N . Mukherjee 396 var. sabulosa (Cambess.) O.Schulz 216
sikkimensis N. Mukherjee 394 macropoda Trautv. 215
thwaitesii Briq. 390, 397 sabulosa Cambess. 215, 216
tomentosa Roxb. 390, 397 var. eglandulosa Naray. ex Naithani &
vareca Roxb. 390, 398 Uniyal 216
varians Thwaites 400 var. sabulosa 216
various Beddome 400 sibirica (L.) DC. 214, 217
wynadensis Beddome 390, 399 tenella (Pallas) DC. 214, 217
zeylanica (Gaertner) Thwaites 390, 399, 400 Christolea Cambess. 90, 118
Cathcartia Hook.f. 10 albijlora (T.Anderson) Jafri 127
lyrata Prain 19 crassifolia Cambess. 119
villosa Hook. 25 himalaicus Hook.f. & Thomson 119
Celastraceae 424 himalayensis (Cambess.) Jafri 119
Cerastium L. 503, 519 lanuginosa (Hook.f. & Thomson) Ovcz. 120
alpinum L. 521 parked (O.Schulz) Jafri 119, 120
aquaticum L. 548 pumila (Kurz) Jafri 119, 121
cerastoides (L.) Britton 519, 521, 522 scaposa Jafri 119, 121
dahuricum Fischer 521, 523 stewartii (T.Anderson) Jafri 119, 121
fontanum Baumg. 521 Cleome L. 249, 299, 300, 326

subsp. grandiflorum (Buch.-Ham. angustifolia Forsskal 300, 3 0 1 , 302

y
ex D.Don) H.Hara 593 ariana Hedge & Lammond 300, 302

subsp. triviale (Link) Jalas 523 aspera Koenig ex DC. 300, 301, 303, 313

glomeratum Thuill. 521, 523 asperrima Blatter 314, 315

indicum Wight & Arn. 521, 524 brachycarpa Vahl ex DC. 317

thomsonii Hook.f. 521, 524 var. glauca Blatter & Hallberg 316
trigynum Villars 521 var. longipetiolala Sabnis 316
602

burmannii Wight & Arn. 300, 301, Conringia Fabr. 90, 140
304, 305, 313 planisiliqua Fischer & Moyer 140
chelidonii L.f. 300, 302, 306, 307, 308 Coronopus Zinn. 91, 191
dolichostyla Jafri 309 didymus (L.) Smith 192
felina L.f. 300, 302, 308 Corydalis DC. 35, 36
fimbriata Vicary 300, 301, 308, 309 adiantifolia Hook.f. & Thomson 37, 40
fruticosa L. 250 var. adiantifolia 40
gynandra L. 300, 301, 309, 312, 320 var. heterocarpa Jafri 40
var. gynandra 310, 311 alpestris C. Meyer 36, 41
var. nana (Blatter & Hallberg) astragalina Hook.f. & Thomson 73
Bhandari 300, 310 borii C.Fischer 37, 41
hassleriana Chodat 300, 316, 320 boweri Hemsley 39, 42
heptaphylla L. 320 cashmeriana Royle 36, 42, 43
houtteana Schlecht. 320 var. ecristata Prain 42
monophylla L. 300, 301, 312, 313 casimiriana Duthie & Prain 38, 43, 71
oriiithopodioides Forsskal 317 cavei D.Long 38, 44
ornithopodioides L. 317 crispa Prain 38
papillosa Steudel 314 chaerophylla DC. 37, 44, 59
parviflora R. Br. 317 var. geraniifolia (Hook.f. & Thomson)
quinquenervia DC. 309 Hara 57
quinquenervia sensu Hook.f. & Thomson 308 changuensis D.Long 38, 45
rutidosperma DC. 300, 301, 304, 313 clarkei Prain 37, 46
scaposa DC. 300, 301, 314 comma Royle 39, 46, 47, 73
simplicifolia (Cambess.) Hook.f. & Thomson crassifolia Royle 36, 48, 49
300, 301, 314, 315 crassissima Cambess. 49
speciosa Raf. 300, 301, 316, 321 crispa Prain 38, 44, 49
spinosa Jacq. 321 crithimifolia Royle 37, 49
tenella L.f. 302 denticulato-bracteata Fedde 62
vahliana Fresen. 300, 302, 316, 317 diphylla Wallich 36, 50, 51
var. glauca Blatter & Hallberg 317 dorjii D. Long 36, 52
var. longipetiolata 317 drepanantha D.Long 38, 52
viscosa L. 300, 302, 317 dubia Prain 39, 53
var. nagarjunakondensis Sund.-Ragh. 300, dulhiei Maxim. 39, 53
318, 319 var. sikkimensis Prain 71
var. viscosa 318, 320 ecristata (Prain) D.Long 42
Clypeola maritima L. 98 var. longicalcarata D.Long 42, 43
Cochlearia L. 92, 190 elegans Hook.f. & Thomson 39, 53
cochlearioides (Roth) Santapau & Maheshw. elegaits sensu Hook.f. 46
191 falconeri Hook.f. & Thomson 38, 53
flava Roxb. ex Hook.f. & TAnderson 191 fiKcina Prain 38, 39, 55
himalaica Hook.f. & Thomson 191 filiformis Royle 38, 55, 71
hobsonii Pearson 241 flabellata Edgew. 37, 56
scapiflora Hook.f. & Thomson 126 flaccida Hook.f. & Thomson 36, 56
Cochlospermum Kunth ex DC. 380, 383 gerdae Fedde 64
gossypium DC. 383 geraniifolia Hook.f. & Thomson 37, 57, 58
religiosum (L.) Alston 383, 384 gorlschakovii auct. non Schrcnk 75
 603

gortschakovii Schrenk 39, 59 vaginans Royle 39, 76

govaniana Wallich 37, 60, 61 Crambe L. 90, 141
graminea Prain 69 cordifolia Steven
hendersonii Hemsley 37, 60 subsp. kotschyana (Bolss.) Jafri 141
hookeri Prain 39, 62 var. cordifolia 142
juncea Wallich 37, 63 var. kotschyana (Boiss.) O.SchuIz 141
laelia Prain 38, 63 kotschyana Boiss. 141
lathyroides Prain 37, 64 Cratacva 321
latifolia Hook.f. & Thomson 36, 64 Crateva L. 249, 321
leptocarpa Hook.f. & Thomson 36, 65 adansonii DC.
longipes auct. non DC. 55, 70 subsp. odora (Buch.-Ham.) Jacobs 322, 323
var. burkilli 70 lophosperma Kurz 324
var. phallutiana 70 magna (Lour.) DC. 322, 323, 324
var. smithii 70 nun'ala Buch.-Ham. 324
longipes DC. 71 nurvala sensu Blatter 322
meifolia Wallich 39, 66 odora Buch.-Ham. 322, 324
var. sikldmensis Prain 66 religiosa auct. non Forster f. 324
var. violacea Prain 66 religiosa Forster f. 322, 325, 326
moorcroftiana Wallich ex Hook.f. & Thomson var. nun'ala (Buch.-Ham.) Hook.f. &
49,59 Thomson 324
mucronifera Maxim. 38, 66 var. roxburghii (R.Br.) Hook.f. &
nana Royle 36, 67 Thomson 322
var. jacquemontii Fedde 73 religiosa sensu Dunn 323
oligantha Ludlow 36, 67 roxburghii R.Br. 322, 323, 324, 326
ophiocarpa Hook.f. & Thomson 37, 68 unilocularis Buch.-Ham. 322, 323. 325
pakistanica Jafri 40, 68, 71 Croton congestum Lour. 434
polygalina Hook.f. & Thomson 38, 69 Cucubalus L. 502, 504, 525, 526
prainiana Kanodia & Mukerjee 43 baccifer L. 525
pseudocrithimifolia Jafri 37, 70 viscosus L. 577
pseudolongipes Liden 39, 70, 71 Cuscuta 310
ramosa Hook.f. & Thomson 67
var. nana Hook.f. 67 D
var. vaginalis Hook.f. 76 Dactylicapnos macrocapnos (Prain) Hutch- 78
rutaefolia 50 roylei (Hook.f. & Thomson) Hutch. 79
rutiifolia auct. non Sibth. & Smith 50 thalictrifolia Wallich 79
shakyae Liden 37, 71 torulosa (Hook.f.& Thomson) Hutch. 81
sibirica auct. non (L.f.) Persoon 43, 70 Descurainia Webb & Berth. 92, 236
sikkimensis (Prain) Fedde 39, 71 sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl 237, 238
stacheyoides Fedde 49 Dianthus L. 504, 525, 548
stewartii Fedde 38, 72 anatolicus Boiss. 527
stracheyi Prain 39, 73 angulatus Royle ex Benth. 532
stricta DC. 37, 73 barbatus L. 527
tibetica Hook.f. & Thomson 37, 74 cachcmiricus Edgew. 527, 528
thyrsiflora Prain 39, 71, 75 caryophyllus L. 527, 528
trifoliata Franchet 36 chinensis L. 527, 528, 529
trifoliolata auct. plur. 75 var. aspera Koch 593
604

crinitus Smith 527, 530 elata auct. non Hook.f. & Thomson 166
deltoides L. 527, 530 elata Hook.f. & Thomson 152, 156
falconeri Edgew. 527, 531 ellipsoidea Hook.f. & Thomson 152, 157
fimbriates M. Bieb. 531 eriopoda Turcz. 152, 157
jacquemontii Edgew. 527, 531 falconeri O.Schulz 153, 158
orientalis Adams 527, 531 fladnitzensis var. homotricha (Ledeb.)
var. a n g u l a t u s (Royle ex Benth.) Hook.f. & T. Anderson 153
Majumdar 532 glacialis auct. non Adams 155, 167
var. orientalis 532 glomerala Royle 152, 158
olumarius L. 527 var. dasycarpa O.Schulz 158
seguierii Villars 528 gracillima Hook.f. & Thomson 152, 159, 160
Dicentra Bernhardi 35, 77 humillima O.Schulz 151, 159
grandifoliolata Merrill 79 incana auct. non L. 161, 162
macrocapnos Prain 78 incompacta auct. non Steven 170
paucinervia ICStern 77, 78, 7 9 korschinskyi (O.Fedtsch.) Pohle 151, 161
roylei Hook.f. & Thomson 77, 79 lanceolata Royle 152, 161
scandens auct. non (D.Don) Walp. 78 var. leiocarpa O.Schulz 161
scandens (D.Don) Walp. 77, 79, 80, 82 lasiophylla auct. non Royle 158, 163, 168
thalictrifolia (Wallich) Hook.f. & Thomson lasiophylla Royle 152, 161
torulosa Hook.f. & Thomson 77, 81 linearis auct. non Boiss. 168
ventii Khanh 78, 82 ludlowiana Jafri 153, 162
Dicranostigma Hook.f. & Thomson 1, 7 melanopus Komarov 152, 162
ractucoides Hook.f. & Thomson 7 muralis auct. non L. 163
Dielytra scandens D.Don 79 nemorosa L. 152, 163
Dilophila Thomson 91, 192 nubigena O.Schulz 161
salsa Thomson 193, 194 oariocarpa O.Schulz 153, 163
Diplotaxis DC. 90, 142 obscura Dunn 241
griffithii (Hook.f.& Thomson) Boiss. 142 olgae Regel & Schmalh. 152, 164

muralis (L.) D C . 142, 143 oreades Schrcnk 152, 164, 165

Dipterygium Decsne 249, 326 polyphylla O.Schulz 152, 166

glaucum Decsne 327, 328 pyriformis Pohle 167

Dontostemon Andrz. ex Ledeb. 90, 122 radicans Royle 152. 166

glandulosus (Karelirf & Kir.) O.Schulz 122 rosea Turcz. 234

pectinatus (DC.) Ledeb. 122, 123 rostrata Pohle 153

Draba L. 9 1 , 151 rupestris R.Br, var altaica C.Meyer 153

alpina auct. non L. 153, 159, 164, 166 setosa Royle 151, 167
var. korschinskyi O. Fedtsch. 161 sikkimensis (Hook.f. & Thomson)
altaica (C.Meyer) Bunge 152, 153 Pohle 153, 167
affghanica Boiss. 152, 153 stenobotrys Gilg & O.Schulz 153, 168
var. rostrata (Pohle) O.Schulz 153 var. leiocarpa O.Schulz 168
amoena O.Schulz 152, 154 stenocarpa Hook.f. & Thomson 152, 168
aubrietoides Jafri 152, 154 tenerrima O.Schulz 151. 169
cachemirica Gandoger 151, 155 var. trichocarpa O.Schulz 169
cholaensis W.Smith 152, 155 tibetica Hook.f. & Thomson 152, 169
var. leiocarpa Hara 155 var. duthiei O.Schulz 169
dasyastra O.Schulz 153, 156 var. thomsonii Hook.f. & T. Anderson 169
 605

var. sikkimensis Hook.f. & Thomson 167 longisiliquum Hook.f. & Thomson 179, 182
var. winlerbotlomii Hook.f. & melicentae Dunn 179, 184
Thomson 158, 170 odoratum auct. non Ehrh. 184
trinervis O.Schulz 151, 170 officinale L. 244
verna L. 171 pachycarpum Hook.f. & Thomson 179, 184
wahlenbergii Schur. parkeri O.Schulz 184
var. homotricha Ledeb. 153 planisiliquum (Fischer & Meyer) Steudel 140
wardii W.Smith 159 repandum L. 179, 184
winterbottomii (Hook.f. & Thomson) strictum Gaertner f. 182
Pohle 153, 170 thomsonii Hook.f. 179, 185
Drabopsis C.Koch 89, 123 violaceum D. Don 117
verna C.Koch 123 Eschscholtzia Cham. 1, 8
Drymaria Schultes 503, 532 californica Cham. 8, 9
cordata sensu Edgew. & Hook.f. 533 Euclidium R.Br. 91, 172
diandra Blume 532, 533, 534 syriacum (L.) R.Br. 172
villosa Cham. & Schlecht. 533 tartaricum (Willd.) DC. 173
Drypetes longifolia (Blume) Pax & Hoffm. 423 tenuissimum (Pallas) O.Fedtsch. 172, 173
Eutrema primulifolium (Thomson) Hook.f.&
E Thomson 232
Erophila DC. 91, 171 septigerum Bunge 213
tenerrima (O.Schulz) Jafri 169
verna (L.) Besser 171 F
vulgaris DC. 171 Farsetia Turra 89, 94
Epirixanthes Bhime 451 aegyptiaca auct. non Turra 97
elongata Blume 451, 452 edgeworthii Hook.f. & Thomson 97
Ermania albiflora (T.Anderson) O.Schulz 127 hamiltonii Royle 94, 95
himalayensis (Cambess.) O.Schulz 119 heliophila Bunge ex Cosson 94, 96
koelzii O-Schulz 121 jacquemontii Hook.f. & Thomson 94, 95, 96
parkeri O.Schulz 120 subsp. edgeworthii (Hook.f. & Thomson)
scaposa (Jafri) Botsch. 121 Jafri 97
stewartii (TAnderson) O.Schulz 121 subsp. jacquemontii 97
Eruca Miller 90, 143 macrantha Blatter & Hallberg 94, 97
sativa Miller 143 FLACOURTIACEAE 386,387
vesicaria (L.) Cav. var. saliva (Miller) Flacourtia L'Herit. 387, 401
Thell. 143 cataphracta Roxb. ex Willd. 403
Erysimum L. 91, 178 helferi Gamble 401, 402
aitchisonii O.Schulz 179 indica (Burm.f.) Merr. 401, 402, 403, 406
alliaria L. 225 inermis Roxb. 387, 407
altaicum C. Meyer 179, 180, 181 jangomas (Lour.) Raeusch. 401, 403, 404
barbaraea L. 107 latifolia (Hook.f. & Thomson) Cooke 401,
bhutanicum W.Smith 182 405,406
bicorne Aiton 221 montana Grahams 387, 401, 406
cachemiricum O.Schulz 179, 180 ramonlchii L'Herit. 402, 403
deflexum Hook.f. & Thomson 179, 180 var. latifolia Hook.f. & Thomson 402, 405
funiculosum Hook.f. & Thomson 179, 182 rukkam ZolJ. & Mor. 387, 407
hieraciifolitim L. 179, 182, 183 sepiaria Roxb. 402, 403
606

sumatrana Planch, ex Hook.f. & Thomson 402 Hepatosia loeflingiae Wight & Arn. 553
FRANKENIACEAE 500 Herniaria L. 503, 537
Frankenia L. 500 cachemiriana Gay 537, 538
puberulenta L. 500 hirsuta L. 537, 538
FUMARIACEAE 34 var. incana (Lam.) Hook.f. 538
Fumaria L. 35, 82 incana Lam. 537, 538
capreolata L. 83 Hesperis africana L. 186
indica (Haussk.) Pugsley 83, 84 Holosteum L. 503, 539
officinalis L. 83, 84 umbellatum L. 539
parviflora Lam. 84 Homalium Jacq. 388, 410
subsp. vaillantii (Loisel.) Hook.f. & bhamoense Cubbitt & Smith 411, 412
Thomson 84, 85 forma glabra 412
vaillantii Loisel. 83, 84, 85 var. debbarmani Kanjilal et al. 412
var. indica Haussk. 84 ceylanicum (Gardner) Benth. 410, 412, 415
subsp. ceylanicum 411, 412
G subsp. minutiflorum (Kurz) Mitra 411, 412
Glochidion hirsutum (Roxb.) Voigt 398 ciliatum N. Mukherjee 412
Gmelina indica Burm.f. 402 jainii A.N. Henry & Swamin. 410
Goldbachia DC. 91, 185 minutiflorum Kurz 411, 412
hispida Blatter & Hallberg 186 napaulense (DC.) Benth. 413
laevigata (M.Bieb.) DC. 185 nepalense C.B.Clarke 410, 413
Gooringia Uttledalei (Hemsley) F.Williams 512 schlichii Kurz 410, 414
Goujfda holosteoides C.Meyer 540 tomentosum (Vent.) Benth. 410, 414
Guillenia E.Greene 92, 237 travancoricum Beddome 410, 415, 416
axillare (Hook.f. & Thomson) Bennet 237 zeylanicum 410
duthiei (O.Sctfulz) Bennet 237, 239 Hutchinsia tibetica Thomson 193
flaccidum (O.Schulz) Bennet 237, 239 Hybanthus Jacq. 342, 343
minutiflorum (Hook.f. & Thomson) Bennet enneaspermus (L.) F. Muell. 343, 344
237,240 travancoricus (Beddome) Melchior 343, 345,
Gynandropsis 317 346
brachycarpa (Vahl) DC. 316, 317 Hydnocarpus Gaertn. 388, 415, 417, 423
pentaphylla (L.) DC. 309 alpina Wight 417, 418, 419, 420
var. nana Blatter & Hallberg 310 castanea Hook.f. & Thomson 423
speciosa (Raf.) DC. 316 kurzii (King) Warb. 409,417,418,421
Gynocardia R. Br. 388, 407 laurifolia (Dennst.) Sleumer 422
odorata R. Br. 407, 408, 421 macrocarpa (Beddome) Warb. 418, 421
Gypsophila L. 504, 535, 548 pentandra (Buch.-Ham.) Oken 417, 418, 422
alpina Habl. 549 sharmae P.S.N.Rao & Sreek. 424
cerastioides D.Don 535, 536 wightiana Blume 422
sedifolia Kurz 535, 537 Hymenolobus Nutt. ex Torrey & Gray 92, 195
procumbens (L.) Nutt. ex Torrey & Gray 195
H Hypecoum L. 34, 35. 85
Hedina Ostenf. 91, 193 leptocarpum Hook.f. & Thomson 86
tibetica (Thomson) Ostenf. 193 parviflorum Karelin & Kir. 87
Hedona ischnopetala F.Williams 542 pendulum L. 86, 87
Heiiotropium rariflorum 317 var. parviflorum (Karelin & Kir.) Cullen 87
 607

var. pendulum 87 ruderale L. 201, 206

procumbens auct. non L. 87 sativum L. 201, 206
procumbens L. virginicum L. 201, 207, 208
Lepyrodiclis Fenzl 503, 539
I holosteoides (C.Meyer) Fischer &
Iberidella andersonii Hook. f. & Thomson 211 C. Meyer 540, 541
Iberis L. 92, 195 tenera Boiss. 540
amara L. 196 Leucostemma latifolia Benth. ex G.Don 584
odorata L. 196 webbianum Benth. ex G.Don 591
sempervirens L. 196, 197 Lignariella Baehni 92, 240
umbeliata L. 196, 197 duthiei Naqshi 225
Illecebraceae 502 hobsonii (Pearson) Baehni 241
Ionidium suffruticosum (L.) Roemer & subsp. serpens (W. Smith) Hara 241
Schulles 343 obscura (Dunn) Jafri 241
travancoricum Beddome 345 Lobularia Desv. 89, 98
Isatis L. 91, 198 maritima (L.) Desv. 98
costata C.Meyer 198 Loxostemon Hook.f.& Thomson 90, 123
tinctoria L. 198, 199, 200 pulchellus Hook.f. & Thomson 123
Ludia spinosa Roxb. 431
J Lychnis L. 504, 542
Jakkia vitellina Blume 499 apetala auct. non L. 565
apetala L. var. himalayensis Robrb. 567
K bhutanica W.Smith 568
Kohlrauschia Kunth 548 brachypetala Hornem. 574
Krascheninikovia Turex. ex Fenzl 555 brachypetala sensu Edgew. & Hook.f. 572
heterantha Maxim. 555 cancellata Edgew. & Hook.f. 563
cashmeriana Royle ex Benth. 563
L coronaria (L.) Desr. 542, 543
Lepidium L. 92, 199 cuneifolia Royle ex Benth. 573
africanum (Burm.f.) DC. 201 himalayensis (Rohrb.) Edgew. & Hook.f. 567
apetalum Willd. 201, 202 indica (Roxb. ex Otth) Benth. 568
calycinum Stephan ex Willd. 246 var. fimbriata (Wallich ex G.Don)
capitatum Hook.f. & Thomson 201, 202 Edgew. & Hook.f. 565
chalepense L. 190 inflata (Wallich ex G.Don) Benth. 573
didymum L. 192 ischnopeUla (F.Williams) Majumdar 542
divaricatum auct. non Soland. 201 macrorhiza Royle ex Benth. 571
draba L. multicaulis Wallich ex Benth. 572
subsp. chalepense (L.) O.Schulz 190 nigrescens Edgew. 572
latifolium L. 201, 203, 204 nutans Royle ex Benth. 568
subsp. obtusum (Basiner) Thell. 203 pilosa (Edgew.) Edgew. & Hook.f. 570
var. platycarpum Trautv. 203 pumila Royle ex Benth. 567
obtusum Basiner 201, 203 stewartii Edgew. 574
perfoliatum L. 201, 205
pinnatifidum Ledeb. 201, 205 M
procumbens L. 195 Maerua Forsskal 249, 327
ruderale auct. non L. 202 apetala (Roth) Jacobs 329, 330
608

arenaria (DC.) Hook.f. & Thomson 331 falconeri Rohrb. 565

var. glabra 331 pilosum Edgew. 567
var. scabra 331 songaricum Fischer, C.Meyer & Ave-Lall. 574
oblongifolia (Forsskal) A. Rich. 265, 329, 331 Mezoneuron cucullatum 263
Malcormia R.Br. 9 1 , 186 Microsisymbrium axiltare (Hook.f. & Thomson)
africana (L.) R.Br. 186 O. Schulz 237
intermedia C A . M e y . 186, 187 duthiei O.Schulz 239
stricta Cambess. 229 flaccidum O.Schulz 239
strigosa Boiss. 186, 187 minutiflorum (Hook.f. & Thomson)
taraxacifolia Balbis ex Vass. 187 O.Schulz 240
Matthiola R.Br. 92, 217 Minuartia L. 503, 544
flavida Boiss. 218 biflora (L.) Schinz & Thell. 544, 545
incana (L.) R.Br. 219, 220 ebracteolata Majumdar & Giri 544, 545, 546
odoratissima auct. non (Pallas) R.Br. 219 kashmirica (Edgew.) Mattf. 544, 547
tenera Rech.f. 221 sedoides (L.) Hiem 544, 547
tristis (L.) R.Br. 221 Mollugo tetraphylla L. 553
Meconopsis Viguier 1, 10 Moullava spicata 263
aculeata Royle 10, 11, 12 Munnicksia 423
bella Prain 11, 13 laurifolia Dennst. 422, 423
betonicifolia Franchet 11, 13 Myagrum L. 91, 173
bikramii Aswal 11 perfoliatum L. 173
chelidonifolia 20 sativum L. 236
compta Prain 19, 20 Myosoton Moench 503, 548
discigera Prain 10, 14, 15 aquaticum (L.) Moench. 548
horridula Hook.f. & Thomson 10, 13, 17, 18
grandis Prain 11,16,17 N
latifolia (Prain) Prain 11, 19 Nasturtium R.Br. 90, 124, 128
lyrata (Prain) Prain 11, 18, 19, 20 benghalensis DC. 128
napaulensis D C . 11, 20, 2 1 , 22 indicum auct. non (L.) DC. 129
neglecta G.Taylor 10 indicum (L.) DC. 129
nepalensis 21 var. benghalensis (DC.) Hook.f. &
nipalensis sensu Hook.f. & Thomson 21 T.Anderson 128
paniculata Prain 1 1 , 21 madagascariensis D C . 129
polygonoides Prain 19, 20 microphyllum Boenn. ex Reichb. 124
racemosa Maxim. 17 montanum Hook.f. & Thomson 131
robusta Hook.f. & Thomson 11, 22, 23 officinale R.Br. 124, 125
simplicifolia (D.Don) Walp. 11, 22, 23 palustre (L.) DC. 131
sinuata Prain 11, 24 sylveslre (L.) R.Br. 132
var. latifolia Prain 19 Neslia Desv. 91, 174
superba Prain 11, 25 apiculata Fischer, C. Meyer &
villosa (Hook.f.) G.Taylor 10, 25, 26 Ave-Lall. 174, 175
wallichii Hook.f. 20 paniculata auct. non Desv. 174
Megacarpaea D C . 91, 209 paniculata (L.) Desv.
bifida Benth. 209 subsp. thracica (Velent.) Bornm. 174
polyandra Benth. 209, 210 thracia Velent. 174
Melandrium intrusum (Wight & Arn.) Rohrb. 564 Neurotvma midicaule (L.) DC. 223
 609

Niebuhria apetala (Roth) Dunn 329 alpina (Habl.) Ball & Heywood 549, 550
arenaria DC. 331 Phaeonychium O.Schulz 90, 126
linearis DC. 329 albiflorum (TAnderson) Jafri 126, 127
Notoceras R.Br. 92, 221 parryoides (Hook.f.& TAnderson) O.Schulz
bioorne (Aiton) Amo 221 126, 127
canariense R.Br. 221 Phoberos crenatus Wight 430
hispanicum DC. 221 roxburghii Bennett 431
Physolychnis gonosperma Rupr. 567
O PITTOSPORACEAE 438
Ochradenus Del. 336 Pittosporum Banka ex Solander 438
baccatus Del. 337 anamallayense Nayar & Giri 439, 440
Odontostemma glandulosa Benth. ex G.Don 509 ceylanicum Wight 439, 441
Oligomeris Cambess. 336, 337 dasycaulon Miq. 439, 442, 443, 449
glaucescens Cambess. 337 eriocarpum Royle 439, 442
linifolia (Vahl) Macbr. 337 ferrugineum Aiton 439, 444
floribundum Royle 445, 446
P floribundum Wight & Arn. 445, 446
Pangium Reinw. 388, 424 glabratum auct. non Lindley 446
edule Reinw. 424 var. neriifolium Rehder & Wilson 447
PAPAVERACEAE 1 humile Hook.f. & Thomson 439, 444
Papaver L. 1, 27 neelgherrense Wight & Arn. 439, 446
dubium L. 28 napaulense (DC.) Rehder & Wilson 439,
hybridum L. 27, 28 445, 446
macrostomum Boiss. 27, 29, 30 podocarpum Gagnepain 439, 446
nudicaule L. 27, 31 var. angustatum Gowda 441, 447
rhoeas L. 28, 31 var. podocarpum 447
simplicifolium D.Don 22 tetraspermum Wight & Arn. 439, 441, 447
somniferum L. 27, 32 viridulum Nayar et al. 439, 448, 449
Parrya R.Br. 92, 222 Polanisia chelidonii (L.f.) DC. 306
chitralensis Jafri 222 felina (L.f.) DC. 308
exscapa Ledeb. 222, 223 simplicifolia Cambess. 314
lanuginosa Hook.f. & Thomson 120 Polycarpaea Lam. 503, 549
macrocarpa R. Br. 223 aurea Wight & Arn. 551
minjanensis Rech.f. 222, 223 corymbosa (L.) Lam. 549
nudicaulis (L.) Regel 222, 223 var. aurea (Wight & Arn.) Wight 551
platycarpa Hook.f. & Thomson 222, 224
var. corymbosa 551
pumila Kurz 121
var. longipetala Sriniv. & Narasimh. 551
stenocarpa Karelin & Kir.
diffusa Wight & Arn. 549, 552
subsp. gilgitica Jafri 223
spicata Wight & Arn. 549, 552
var. pinnatisecta O.Schulz 223
Polycarpon L. 503, 552
'egaeophyton Hayek & Hand.-Mazz. 90, 125
loeflingiae (Wight & Arn.) Benth. 553
minutum Hara 125
prostratum (Forsskal) Aschers. &
scapiflorum (Hook.f.& Thomson)
Schwenf. 553, 554
Marquand 125, 126
tetraphyllum (L.) L. 553
~*eriandra caespitosa Cambess. 592
POLYGALACEAE 450
'etrorhagia (Ser.) Link 504, 548
Polygala L. 451, 453
610

abyssinica Fresen. 455, 456 khasyana Hassk. 473

angustifolia (Chodat) R.N.Banerjee 457 leptalea DC. 476
arillata D. Don 454, 457, 458 linarifolia Willd. 456, 476, 477
forma chartacea Mukerjee 459 longifolia Poiret 455, 476
forma kachinensis Mukerjee 470 mariesii Hemsley 454, 478, 479
forma revoluta Mukerjee 460 persicariaefolia 480
forma siklcimensis Mukerjee 459 pericariifolia DC. 480
var. arillata 459 raoii R.N.Banerjee & L.KBanerjee 473
var. chartacea (Mukerjee) Giri 459 ramaswamiana Mukerjee 462
var. laevicarpa R.N.Banerjee & Giri 459 forma devicolamensis Mukerjee 463
var. purpurascens Clarke ex Mukerjee 459 var. pulniensis Mukerjee 463
var. revoluta (Mukerjee) Giri 459, 460 rosmarinifolia Wight & Arn. 456, 480
arillata sensu Bennett 485 sibirica auct. non L. 473
arvensis Willd. 465, 460, 461 sibirica L. 454, 481, 482
bulbothrix Dunn 455, 462 var. heyneana Bennett 473
var. bulbothrix 462, 463 tartarinowii Regel 454, 483, 484
var. devicolamensis (Mukerjee) R.N. telephioides Willd. 455, 485
Banerjee 462, 463 tricholopha Chodat 454, 485, 486
var. pulniensis (Mukerjee) R.N. triphylla auct. non D.Don 483
Banerjee 462, 463 triphylla D.Don 469
buxiformis Hassk. 455, 463 var. glaucescens (Royle) Bennett 469
chinensis auct. non L. 460 triphylla sensu Haines 487
chinensis L. 456, 464, 465, 466 umbonata Craib 454, 487
var. linarifolia (Willd.) Chodat 476 wightiana Wight & Arn. 455, 488
var. linarifolia sensu Mukerjee 460 Prosopis spicigera 265
ciliata L. 490 Pseudostellaria Pax 503, 555
ciliata Wight & Arn. 462 heterantha (Maxim.) Pax 555
crotalarioides Buch.-Ham. ex DC. 455, 466 var. himalaica Ohwi 555, 556
var. glabrescens Collett & Hemsley 466 var. nepalensis (Majumdar) H.Hara 593
dunnii Panigr. 472 sylvatica (Maxim.) Pax 593
elongata auct. non Klein 488 Ptilotrichum C.Meyer 89, 98
elongata Klein 455, 466 canescens (DC.) C.Meyer 99
erioptera DC. 455, 467, 468 Pycnoplinthus O.SchuIz 91, 188
furcata Royle 454, 469 uniflorus (Hook.f. & Thomson) O.SchuIz 188
glomerata Lour. 464, 466
globulifera Dunn 454, 470, 471
var. kachinensis (Mukerjee) R.N. Raphanus L. 90, 144
Banerjee 470 caudatus L. 146
var. globulifera 470 laevigatus M.Bieb. 186
heyneana Wight & Arn. 481 raphanistrum L. 145
irregularis Boiss. 455, 472 sativus L. 145
jacobii Chandrab. 456, 472 var. caudatus (L.) Hook.f. & T.Anderson 146
japonica Houtt. 455, 473 var. sativus 146
javana DC. 455, 473 sibiricus L. 217
var. angustifolia Thwaites 473 tenellus Pallas 217
karensium Kurz 454, 474, 475 RESEDACEAE 336
 611

Reseda L. 336, 338 var. cdentula (DC.) R.N.Banerjee 489, 490

albaL. 339 ciliata (L.) DC. 489, 490, 491
aucheri Boiss. 338, 339 edentula DC. 489, 490
linifolia Vahl 337 oblongifolia DC. 490
luteola L. 338, 340 Salvadora oleoides 265
odorata L. 339, 341 Salvadora persica 265
pruinosa Del. 339, 340 Saponaria vaccaria L. 593
subulata Del. 337 Schouwia DC. 90, 147
Rinorea Aublet 342, 347 arabicum (Vahl) DC. 147
bengalensis (Wallich) O.Ktze 348, 349 purpurea (Forsskal) Schweinf. 147, 148
heteroclita (Roxb.) Craib 347, 348 Scleranthus L. 503, 559
longiracemosa (Kurz) Craib 347, 3S0 annuus L. 560
macrophylla (Decsne) O.Ktze 348, 351 Scolopia Schreb. 388, 427
Rorippa Scop. 90, 107, 127, 128 acuminata Clos 428, 429, 430
benghalensis (DC.) Hara 128 burmanica N. Mukherjee 430
dubia (Pers.) Hara 128, 129 chinensis (Lour.) Clos 430, 433
indica (L.) Hiern 128, 129, 130 crassipes 430
var. benghalensis (DC.) Deb 128 crenata auct. non (Wight) Clos 428
islandica auct. non (Deder) Borbas 131 crenata (Wight) Clos 428, 430
madagascariensis (DC.) Hara 128, 129 var. brevifolia N. Mukherjee 430
montana (Hook.f. & Thomson) Small 128, 131 gaertneri Thwaites 428
nasturtium-aquaticum (L.) Hayek 125 gaertneri auct. non Thwaites 428
palustris (L.) Besser 128, 131 kermodii C. Fischer 427, 430
pseudoislandica H J.Chowdhery & R.R.Rao 131 pusilla (Gaertn.) Willd. 428
sylvestris (L.) Besser 128, 132 roxburghii (Bennett) Clos 431
Roydsia Roxb. 332 schreberi auct. non Gmelin 428
parviflora Griffith 332 schreberi Gmelin 428
suaveolens Roxb. 333 spinosa (Roxb.) Warb. 427, 431, 432
Ryparia Blume 426, 427 Securidaca L. 451, 492
Ryparosa Blume 388, 425, 427 inappendiculata Hassk. 492, 493
caesia auct. non Blume 426 tavoyana Bennett 492
javanica (Blume) Kurz 426 Senacia napaulensis DC. 445
kurzii King 426 Senebiera didyma (L.) Pers. 192
pinnatifida DC. 192
S Silene L. 504, 560
Sagina L. 503, 557 alba (Mill.) E.H.Krause 593
apetala Ard. 557 amoena L. 561, 562
japonica (Sw.) Ohwi 557, 558 armeria L. 593
procumbens auct. non L. 558, 559 bhulanica (W.Smith) Majumdar 568
procumbens L. 557, 558 brachypetala Rob. & Cast, ex DC. 574
purii R.D.Gaur 557, 558 brigittae Bocq. 593
saginoides (L.) Karsten 557, 559 caespitella F.Williams 562
Salomonia Lour. 451, 488 cancellata (Edgew. & Hook.f.) Majumdar
aphylla Griffith 451 561, 563
cantoniensis Lour. 489 cashmeriana (Royle ex Benth.) Majumdar
var. cantoniensis 489 562, 563
612

chambensis Majumdar 574 stewartii (Edgew.) Majumdar 5 6 1 , 574

chodatii Bocq. 593 stracheyi Edgew. 593
colorata Poiret 562, 564 tenuis Willd. 562
conoidea L. 562, 564 thomsonii Majumdar 568
cuneifolia J.Gmclin 573 vagans C.B.Clarke 562, 576
edgeworthii Bocq. 561, 565 vautierae Bocq. 595
falconeri (Rohb.) Bocq. 561, 565 viridiflora L. 561
falconeriana Royle ex Benth. 561, 566 forma webbiana (Wallich ex Benth.)
fimbriata Sims 565 Rohrb. 576
fissicalyx Bocq. & Chater 593 viscosa (L.) Pers. 5 6 1 , 577
gallica L. 562, 566 vulgaris (Moench.) Garcke 562, 577
gonosperma (Rupr.) Bocq. 561, 567 webbiana Wallich ex Benth. 576
subsp. gonosperma 567 Sinapis L. 90, 147
subsp. himalayensis (Rohb.) Bocq. 567 alba L. 149, 150
griffithii Boiss. 577 erysimoides Roxb. 136
helleboriflora Excell & Bocq. 593 juncea L. 134
himalayensis (Rohrb.) Majumdar 567 nigra L. 136
holosteifolia Bocq. & Chater 595 trilocularis Roxb. 136
indica Roxb. ex Otth. 562, 568 Siphonodon 424
var. bhutanica (W.Smith) Bocq. 568 celastrineus Griffith 424
var. indica 568 Sisymbrium L. 92, 242
inflata Smith 573, 577 alliaria (L.) Scop. 225
intrusa Wight & Arn. 564 altissimum L. 242
julaensis Grierson 595 axillare Hook.f. & Thomson 237
khasiana Rohrb. 562, 569 amphibium L. var. palustre L. 131
kumaonensis F.Williams 562, 569 bhutanicum Balakr. 228
kunawurensis Royle ex Benth. 561, 570 brassiciforme C.Meyer 242, 243
laxantha Majumdar 561, 570 columnae Jacq. 245
linae Bocq. 595 columnae auct. non Jacq. 243
madens Majumdar 561, 571 dubium Pers. 129
macrorhiza Gay & Durieu ex Lacaita 571 foliosum Hook.f. & Thomson 229
maheshwarii Bocq. 562 heteromalum C.Meyer 242, 243
moorcroftiana Wallich ex Benth. 561, 571 himalaicum (Edgew.) Hook.f. & Thomson 227
multicaulis Guss. 572 humile C. Meyer 247
nepalensis Majumdar 561, 572
indieum L. 129
nigrescens (Edgew.) Majumdar 561, 572
irio L. 242, 243
noctiflora L. 593
irioides Boiss. 243
pendula L. 593
lasiocarpum Hook.f. & Thomson 228
pilosa Willd. 570
loeselii L. 242, 244
pseudo-cashmeriana Bocq. & Chater 595 minutiflorum Hook.f. & Thomson 240
pumila St.Lager 567 mollissimum C.Meyer 228
purii Bocq. & Saxena 595 murale L. 143
rechingeri Bocq. 561, 573 nasturtium-aquaticum L. 125
setisperma Majumdar 561, 573 nudum (Bel. ex Boiss.) Boiss. 123
songarica (Fischer, C.Meyer officinale (L.) Scop. 242, 244
& Ave-Lall.) Bocq. 561, 574, 575 orientale L. 242, 245
 613

panonicum Jacq. 242 depauperata Edgew. 509

pectinatum DC. 123 depressa Schmid 595
planisiliquum (Fischer & Meyer) Hook. f. & glauca With. 586
Thomson 140 graminea L. 582, 583
primulifolium Thomson 232 gyangtsensis F.Williams 595
pumilum Stephan 228 himalayense 584
sophia L. 237 himalayensis Majumdar 581, 584
strictum (Cambess.) Hook.f. & Thomson 229 lanata Hook.f. 582, 584
sylvestre L. 132 latifolia (Benth. ex G.Don) Edgew.
thalianum (L.) Gay & Monnard 231 & Hook.f. 584
thomsonii Hook.f. 228 longissima Edgew. & Hook.f. 587
wattichii Hook. f. & Thomson 232 media (L.) Villars 581, 585, 591
Smelowskia C.Meyer 92, 245 var. procera Klatt & Richter 595
calycina (Stephan ex Willd.) C.Meyer 246 micrantha Hayata 587
Sodada decidua Forsskal 265 monosperma D.Don 581, 585
Spergula L. 503, 5 7 8 var. monosperma 586
arvensis L. 578, 579 var. paniculata (Edgew. ) Majumdar 586
fallax (Lowe) E.H.Krause 578, 580 nepalensis Majumdar & Vartak 595
japonica Sw. 558 ovatifolia (Mizushima) Mizushima 595
rosea Blatter 595 palustris Retz. 582, 586
rubra (L.) Edgew. & Hook.f. 580 patens D.Don 582, 587
saginoides L. 559 paniculata Edgew. 586
Spergularia (Pers.) J.S. & C.Presl 503, 580 reticulivena Hayata 582, 587
fallax Lowe 578 saxatilis D.Don 590
pentandra sensu Edgew. & Hook.f. 578 semivestita Edgew. 581, 588
rubra (L.) J.S. & C.Presl 580 sikkimensis Hook.f. 581, 588

vernalis auct. non Willd. 578 subumbellata Edgew. 582, 589

veraalis Willd. 580 tibetica Kurz 581, 589

Stellaria L. 503, 581 uliginosa Murray 582, 589

aquaiica (L.) Scop. 548 var. uliginosa 590

biflora L. 545 var. undulata (Thunb.) Fenzl 590
bulbosa auct. non Wulfen 555 undulata Thunb. 590
cerastoides L. 521 vestita Kurz 581, 590
cherleriae (Fischer ex Ser.) F.Williams 582 wallichiana Benth. ex Haines 581, 591
congestiflora H.Hara 595 webbiana (Benth. ex G.Don) Edgew.
crispata Edgew. & Hook.f. 585 & Hook.f. 581, 591
decumbens Edgew. 581, 582 Steriphoma Sprcng. 248
var. acicularis Edgew. & Hook.f. 582 Stylopodium lactucoides (Hook.f. & Thomson)
var. decumbens 582, 583 Benth. & Hook.f. 7
var. edgeworthii Edgew. & Hook.f. 583 Stixis Lour. 249, 332
var. minor Edgew. & Hook.f. 582, 583 manipurensis Deb & Rout 332, 333
var. polyantha Edgew. & Hook.f. 582, 583 scandens Lour. 332, 333
var. pulvinata Edgew. & Hook.f. 582, 583 suaveolens (Roxb.) Pierre 332, 333, 334
var. stracheyi Edgew. & Hook.f. 583 Storemeria 251
614

Slroemia trifoliata Roxb. 251 betonicifolia J. Smith 352, 353, 355, 366
Subulana purpurea Forsskal 147 subsp. betonicifolia 355
subsp. jaunsarensis (W.Becker) Hara
T 355, 356, 357
Taraktogenos Hassk. 417 subsp. nepalensis (Ging.) W.Becker 355
kurzii King 421 biflora auct. non L. 378
macrocarpa (Beddome) Balakr. 421 biflora L. 352, 353, 355, 379
Tauscheria Fischer ex DC. 9 1 , 176 var. hirsuta 358
lasiocarpa Fischer ex DC. 176, 177 var. platyphylla 358
Thlaspi L. 92, 210 bulbosa Maxim.
africanum Burm.f. 201 subsp. bulbosa 359
alpestre auct. non L. 213 subsp. tuberifera (Franchet) W.Becker
andersonii (Hook.f. & Thomson) O.SchuIz 211 354, 358, 359
arabicum Vahl 147 caespilosa D.Don 355
arvense L. 210, 211 cameleo Boiss. 353, 359
bursa-pastoris L. 189 cancscens Wallich 252, 354, 359
cardiocarpum Hook.f. & Thomson 212 cariina L.
cochleariforme auct. non DC. 213 var. sylvatica (Fries ex Hartman f.)
subsp. griffithianum (Boiss.) Jafri 213 Hook.f. & Thomson 376
cochlearioides Hook.f. & Thomson 211, 212 cinerea Boiss. 360
kotschyanum Boiss. & Hohen 210, 212 forma kathiawarensis 361
montanum L. 211, 213 forma stocksii 361
septigerum (Bunge) Jafri 211, 213 var. cinerea 361
Thylacospermum Fenzl 504, 592 var. stocksii (Boiss.) W.Becker 352,
caespilosum (Cambess.) Schischkin 592 353, 360, 361
rupifragum (Karelin & Kir.) Schrenk 592 cinerea sensu Hook.f. & Thomson 360
Torularia (Coss.) O.SchuIz 92, 246 diffusa Ging. 352, 354, 361
humilis (C.Meyer) O.SchuIz ex distems Wallich 363
Limpricht 247 var. acaulis Hook.f. & Thomson 363
Tunica auct. 548 var. fimbriata Hook.f. & Thomson 362, 363
stricta (Ledeb.) Fischer & C. Meyer 549 enneasperma L. 343
Turritis L. 90, 132 falconeri Hook.f. & Thomson 367
glabra L. 133 fedtschcnkoana W.Beckcr 352, 353, 361
var. fedtschenkoana 362
V var. muzaffarabadensis W.Becker 362
Vaccaria Medikus 504, 592 glaucescens Oudem. 352, 353, 362
pyramidata Medikus 593, 594 var. rubella W.Becker 363
Vareca heteroclita Roxb. 348 hamiltoniana D.Don 352, 354, 363
zeylanica Gaertner 399 hediniana W.Becker 353, 359, 364
Vella tenuissima Pallas 173 himalayensis W.Becker 374
VIOLACEAE 342 hookeri Thomson 352, 354, 364, 365, 372, 37<
Viola L. 342, 351 hossei W.Becker 354, 365, 379
alba Besser 372 inconspicua Blume 352, 353, 365
apetala auct. non Schmidt 365 indica W.Becker 352, 354, 366
arcuata Blume 363 forma barbata (W.Becker) S.P.Banerjee &
arenaria DC. 373 Pramanik 366
 615

forma indica 366 subsp. garhwalensis W. Becker 371

var. barbata W. Becker 366 var. canescens (Wallich) Hook.f. &
jangiensis W.Becker 353, 367 Thomson 359
jordanii Hanry var. deltoidea W.Becker 371
var. falconeri (Hook.fA Thomson) var. glabra Hook.f. & Thomson 371
W.Becker 354, 367 sikkimensis W.Becker 354, 365, 374, 375
kashmiriana 357 stocksii Boiss. 360
kunawarensis Royle 352, 353, 367 suavis M.Bieb. 354, 376
var. angustifolia W.Becker 368 suffruticosa L. 343
macroceros Bunge 352, 353, 368 sylvatica Fries ex Hartman f 352, 354, 376
moupinensis Franchet 354, 368, 370 thomsonii Oudem. 354, 377
odorata L. 352, 354, 369, 372, 376 tricolor L. 352, 353, 377
paravaginal Hara 353, 370 tuberifera Franchet 358
patrimi sensu Hook.f. & Thomson 355, 368 wallichiana Ging. 353, 357, 378
patrimi DC. yunnanensis W.Becker 354, 379
var. nepalensis Ging. 355 Vyedenskiella pumila (Kurz) Botsch. 121
var. suaveolens G. Watt 357
philippica Cav. 353, 370 X
subsp. philippica 371 XANTHOPHYLLACEAE 494
subsp. muiida 371 Xanthophyllum Roxb. 494
var. garhwalensis 371 andamanicum King 494, 495, 496
pilosa Blume 352, 363, 371 angustifolium Wight 497
pilosa Blume 354, 360, 371 arnottianum Wight 497
placcida W.Becker 354, 372 burkillii J.R. Drumm. & Dunn 494, 495
pogonantha W.Smith 354, 372 flavescens Roxb. 494, 497
prionantha Bunge var. angustifolium (Wight) Bennett 497
subsp. jaunsarensis W.Becker 357 var. flavescens 497, 498
reichenbachiana Jordan ex Boreau 354, 373 wrens Roxb. 497
reniformis Wallich 357, 378 vitellinum (Blume) Dictr. 494, 499
rupestris F.W.Schmidt 354, 373, 374 Xylosma G. Forst. 387, 406, 433
var. himalayensis (W.Becker) S.P.Banerjee congestum (Lour.) Merr. 433, 434
&Pramanik 373, 374 controversum Clos 433, 434, 435
var. rupestris 373, 374 latifolium Hook. f. & Thomson 406
serpens Wallich ex Ging 371 leprosipes Clos 388
subsp.serpens 371 longifolium Clos 433, 436, 437
 Index
)
(Common names)

Assalia (Mar.) 206

A
Athandi (Tam.) 266
Aayiti-kura (Tel.) 310
Atichara (Sans.) 343
Abhini (Tel.) 32
Allak(Mar.) 406
Abini(Tam.) 32
Attuchankalai(Tam.) 418
Adalavithulu (Tel.) 206
Avalu(Tel.) 136
Adanda (Tarn.) 260
Aveen(Mal.) 32
Adandai (Tam.) 298
Avyata (Sans.) 343
Adandi(Tel.) 298

Addamorinika (Tel.) 250 B

Adeli (Tel.) 206 Badreni (TeL) 266
Adi-badam (Tel.) 422 Baduhugli (Kan.) 263
Adkyakaran(Guj.) 310 Badumungri (Kan.) 263
Afim(Hindi) 32 Bagdanch (Nep.) 298
Afim(Punj.) 32 Bagh-muta (Hindi) 445
Afium(MaL) 32 Bagnai (Hindi) 298
Afyum(Hindi) 32 Bagra (Hindi) 318
Ahifen(Sans.) 32 Baincha (Or.) 403
Ahlya (Raj.) 206 Bagro(Raj.) 318
Ajagandha(Kan.) 310 Ban-saaphla(Beng.) 84
Aliverai (Tam.) 206 Banafsha (Beng., Guj. & Hindi) 369
Amburuha (Sans.) 343 Banafsha (Guj. & Punj.) 360
Anatto tree (Engl.) 381 Banafsha (Hind. & Punj.) 371
Ansarisha(Beng.) 310 Banafsha (Hindi & Punj.) 371
Anthundikai (Kan.) 298 Bandha-gobhi (Asm., Beng., Guj. & Hindi) 137
Aphina(Guj.) 32 Bandre (Nep.) 421
Aphu(Mar-) 32 Banfsa (Hindi) 357
Apparutakka (Mai.) 383 Barna (Beng. & Hindi) 323
Arishina-boorage (Kan.) 383 Barna (Hindi) 324
Arnatto (Eng.) 381 Barosial-kanta(Beng.) 3
Asalio (Hindi) 244 Barun (Asm.) 325
Asaria (Hindi) 298 Barun (Beng. & Hindi) 323
 617

Barun (Hindi) 325 CaralH (Mai.) 430

Benarisi-rar (Beng.) 136 Cauliflower (Eng.) 137
Beniman(Or.) 394 Chach (Kash.) 210
Bhagni (Asm.) 398 Chatirin-pazham (Mai.) 406
Bhagri(Raj.) 310 Chalmugra (Man.) 421
Bhar-bhand(Hindi) 3 Chamani (Mar.) 312
Bhat-kateya(Punj.) 3 Champari (Mar.) 406
Bhatkani (Guj.) 250 Charal-maram (Mai.) 406
Bhatmil(Punj.) 3 Charalu (Tarn.) 430
Bher-bhandi(Punj.) 3 Charati (Sans.) 343
Bhumichakkarai (Tarn.) 331 Chatri (Kash.) 210
Bhutmala(Asm.) 310 Chattarhak (Kash.) 210
Bil-rai(Beng.) 128 Chaulamugra (Beng.) 421
Bilepatra(Kan.) 324 Chaulmoogra (Kan.) 422
Bilibu (Garo) 421 Chaulmugra (Beng.) 409
Bir-surajmukhi (Sant.) 343 Chavruka (Hindi & Kon.) 285
Birma-dandu(Tam.) 3 Cr^eka-chumu (Nep.) 211
Blue-mustard (Eng.) 217 Chekmadi (Tel.) 250
Bokhada (Mar.) 394 Chera-kanji (Mai.) 428
Bon-jhalukia (Asm.) 398 Cherru-mullikka-chedi (Mai.) 402
Bonsha (Ass.) 409 Chila-pati (Nep.) 255,256,257
Boogri (Kan.) 442 Chilaka-duddi (Tel.) 397
Borun-khosai (Asm.) 283 Chilla (Hindi) 394,397
Brahma-dandi(Sans.) 3 Chimurudi (Tel.) 250
Brahma-dandi-chetUi(Tel.) 3 Chiple (Nep.) 323
Brahmadanti(Mal.) 3 Chirunda (Punj.) 436
Brama-dandi(Urdu.) 3 Chonoo(And.) 495
Broad-leaved-pepper-grass (Eng.) 203
Chorakazhita-chedi (Tarn.) 266
Buch-bucha (Hindi) 585
Chosa(Sans.) 32
Bugra(Punj.) 318
Chovanna-kashakhasa(Mal.) 31
Buraasaria (Sans.) 298
Chum-sue (Nep.) 206
Churcha (Hindi) 397
Churota(Hindi) 310
Cabbage (Eng.) 137
Clasping-leaved pepper-grass (Eng.) 205
 618

Common Turnip (Eng.) 138 EUuku-sakkalathi (Tam.) 312

Common-pepper-cress (Eng.) 201 Eva-gassa-gassa-la(Tel.) 31
Curled-cress (Eng.) 206 Eva-postakaya(Tel.) 31

D F
Dabi (Raj.) 250 Farangi-dhutura(Hindi) 3

Dalmungri (Beng.) 421 Field Penny-cress (Eng.) 211

Darudi(Guj.) 3
G
Debosundu (Or.) 445
Gaighura (Sant.) 460
Dela (Hindi) 265
Gailshe(Ladakhi) 3
Diangsh-sah-saw (Kh.) 258
Gajale (Kan.) 406
Dieng-Duma (Kh.) 445
Galgal (Hindi) 383
Dieng-kani (Kh.) 436
Gandhuli(Hindi) 310
Dieng-lo-shiring-synrang (Kh.) 446
Ganeri (Mar.) 383
Dieng-mulo (Asm.) 445
Ganth-gobi, (Hindi & Beng.) 137
Dieng-sanyar-um (Kh.) 446
Gapsundi (Mar.) 442
Dieng-sia (Kh.) 283
Garden-cress (Eng.) 206
Dieng-sning-sning (Kh.) 256
Garshuma (Hindi) 442
Dieng-soh-lap (Kh.) 421
Garsilug (Hindi) 442
Dieng-soh-mara (Kh.) 414
Garudaphala (Sans.) 422
Dieng-soh-phailing (Kh.) 409
Gasagasala(Tel.) 32
Dieng-soh-tyilul (Kh.) 446
Gasalu(Tel.) 32
Dieng-thyllong(Kh.) 445,446
Gasha-gasha(Tam.) 32
Dittander (Eng.) 203
Globe-candytuft (Eng.) 197
Doda(Punj.) 32
Gohawa (Hindi) 143
Dolphuli (Hindi) 549
Golden-Silk-Cotton-Tree (Eng.) 383
Drati(Kash.) 189
Gonyach (Ladakh) 203
Duan (Hindi) 143
Govind-phal (Mar.) 260
Dumra (Guj.) 274
Gorjuoi-saag (Tel.) 312
Dumrejohod (Guj.) 274
Gulela-kebija(Urdu.) 31
Dyer's wood (Eng.) 199

E H
Edging-candytuft (Eng.) 197 Hade-hurhuria (Beng.) 318
Ekkathari (Tam.) 298 Hais (Nep.) 283
 619

Halim (Beng.) 206 Kabra (Hindi) 296

Halim (Hindi) 206 Kabra(Man) 296
Handi-bagro (Raj.) 318 Kaccapatta (Mai.) 447
Handiphuta (Or.) 288 Kachapatta (Mai.) 447
Hathi-ankusa (Or.) 289 Kadagatthi Tam.) 250
Heens (Hindi) 289 Kadu-kavata (Mar.) 422
Hemkand (Guj.) 331 Kadugu(Mal-) 136
Hennu-sampigi (Kan.) 406 Kadugu(Tam.) 136
Heti (Kan.) 306 Kadukattiri (Tam.) 289
Hettari-mullu (Kan.) 402 Kadukokku (Kan.) 324
Higul (Punj.) 318 Kadusassive (Kan.) 318
Hiram-chabba (Hindi) 94 Kaduthottimara (Kan.) 331
Hulhul(Hindi) 310 Kagnika (Kan.) 250
Hulhulla(Hindi) 310 Kakkaltee (Mar.) 287
Hulikaddi-mara (Kan.) 411 Kakria (Nep.) 442
Hunkufa (Sans.) 298 Kal-champigai (Kan.) 405
Hurhura (Bcng.) 312 Kala (Kan.) 411
Hurhuria (Hindi) 316 Kala-pinjola (Guj.) 331
Hurwal (Punj.) 192 Kalaria (Hindi) 316
Kalasakal (Mar.) 250
I
Kalavri (Mar.) 296
Iruvalli (Tarn.) 329
Kali-sarson (Hindi) 136
Izhudhi (Tam.) 250
Kaliakhara (Beng.) 289

J Kalipat (Nep.) 348

Jaginbel (Hindi) 298 Katitaka (Mar.) 250

Jamurdhi (Or.) 394 Kalthamara (Mai.) 343

Japhara (Tarn.) 381 Katvari (Sind.) 296

Jong-sia (Garo) 325 Kalvikhima (Raj.) 310

Jungji-mooli (Hindi) 145 Kalwari (Mar.) 331

Jungiiswas (Hindi) 306 Kandiari(Punj.) 3

Kanji (Tel.) 403

K Kanphuti (Kan.) 318

Kaba (Mar.) 331 Kantata (Guj.) 296

Kabia (Beng.) 296 Kantel (Mar.) 422

620

Kanthar(Guj.) 289 Kattukalai (Tam.) 402

Kanthara (Mar.) 289 Kattukanji (Tam.) 260
Kanthare (Guj.) 289 Kattukaiya (Tam.) 274
Kanthera (Guj.) 296 Kattu-sampangi (Tam.) 445
Kanthodi (Mar.) 289 Kavanthi (Kon.) 422
Kantikapala (Or.) 289 Kedar-jowar (Mar.) 312
Kantukusam(Or.) 3 Kelu-kira (Beng.) 260
Kaodimi (Or.) 288 Ker (Hindi) 265
Karei (Mar.) 397 Kera-guj (Guj.) 265
Kari-kunnan (Mai.) 399 Kerdo(Guj.) 265
Karil (Hindi) 265 Kerail (Punj.) 296
Karina (Kan.) 265 Keri (Punj.) 296
Karipandal-chedi (Tam.) 281 Keti (Mar.) 422
Karir (Hindi) 265 Khakasa(Sans.) 32
Kariuppugida (Kan.) 265 Khandilal (Hindi) 578
Karphut (Hindi) 318 Khas-khas(Hindi) 32
Karunali (Tam.) 497 Khas-khas(Punj.) 32
Karungali (Mai.) 497 Khas-khashiyah(Urdu.) 31
Karunkurichi (Tam.) 252 Khasa(Sans.) 32
Kasa-kasa(Tam.) 32 Khasakasa(Tel.) 32
Kasouli-Iahara (Nep.) 333 Khash-khasu-faid(Urdu.) 32
Kastel (Mar.) 418,422 Khasha4chasha(MaI.) 32
Kasturi (Guj.) 316 Khira-mor(Raj.) 316
Kasturi (Raj.) 316 Khishshash(Punj.) 32
Kata-koli (Asm.) 436 Khub-khala (Hindi) 244
Kata-ponial (Asm.) 436 Khus-khus(Guj.) 32
Katai (Hindi) 436 Khus-khus(Mar.) 32
Katar(Guj.) 295 Kidagogu (Tel.) 383
Katarlingad (Mar.) 324 Kindagogu (Tel.) 383
Katei(Punj.) 3 Kisan (Hindi) 445
Kathal(Punj.) 310 Knol-khol (Eng.) 137
Katikial (Guj.) 250 Kobased (Mar.) 422
Kattari (Hindi) 436 Kodali (Tam.) 430
Kattu-kadugu (Tam.) 129, 310 Kodali-mara (Kan.) 430
Kodhab (Hindi) 250 Lesser-wart cress (Eng.) 192

Kodi (Mai.) 422 Lokra(Asm.) 283

Kodichai (Tarn.) 397 Luck-luki (Asm.) 403

Kodumundi (Tarn.) 402 Lukki-chettu 329

Kokra (Or.) 394,397 Luthikai (Kon.) 277

Kolisna (Mar.) 287

M
Kolu-gadde (Kan.) 137
Machechi (Hindi) 549
Kotahar (Asm.) 283
Madakka (Mai.) 497
Kothi (Kan.) 289
Madhabimalati (Asm.) 333
Koti (Mai.) 422
Madhio(Raj-) 316
Kottagovai (Tarn.) 400
Madholata (Kh.) 333
Kowti (Mar.) 422
Madhumalati (Asm.) 333
Kral-mund (Kash.) 189
Mala-maravetti (Mai.) 418
Kuramulli (Mai.) 402
Mala-marotti (Mai.) 418
Kudagai (Tarn.) 323
Malaithothikai (Kan.) 263
Kumbi (Hindi) 383
Malayvarinai-poondu (Tarn.) 303
Kuramullu (Mai.) 402
Maloone (Punj.) 192
Kurukkum-chedi(Tam.) 3
Mamiran(Kash.) 76
Kushimavu (Kan.) 446
Mamiri(Kash.) 76
Kuyimavu (Kan.) 447
Manja-kadugu (Tarn.) 318
Kyadoo(And.) 348
Manoj (Kh.) 333

L Manthala-mukki (Mai.) 411

Manudu-kkurundu (Tarn.) 252
Laban-kavanthi (Kon.) 430
Maradu (Hindi) 460
Lahi(Asm.) 134
Maragacha (Kan.) 250
Lai (Asm.) 134
Maragadhachoppu (Kan.) 250
Lakshmishreshta-padma (Sans.) 343
Maralinga (Tarn.) 324
Lala(Guj.) 31
Maravattai (Tarn.) 422
Lalkhaskhas(Guj.) 31
Maravetti (Mai.) 422
Lalposht(Beng.) 31
Maravetti (Tarn.) 422
Lalpost(Hindi) 31
Marcha (Nep.) 457
Lantern (Ass.) 421
Marotti (Mai.) 422
Lemtem (Ass.) 409
/ Matta (Lus.) 421
Lens-podded hoary cress (Eng.) 190
Matta (Tipp-) 421
Lephra (Or.) 260
622

Mattei (Tam.) 497 Nangundai (Tam.) 445

Maula (Jaunsar) (Hindi) 211 Narum-byale-soppu(Kan.) 310
Maun(Beng.) 397 Naski(Nep.) 283
Mavilandam (Tam.) 323 Navi-karemanjahanu (Kan.) 263
Meda-tumra (Hindi) 442 Nayibela (Kan.) 318,406
Menasinakare (Kan.) 312 Neela-naikadugu (Tam.) 306
Mibonji (Kachari) 325 Neelachedi (Tam.) 252
Mochukkodi (Tam.) 331 Neervala (Kan.) 324
Mohari (Mar.) 136 Negli (Kon.) 460
Mootaghos, Muttakhoos (Mai. & Tam.) 137 Nelasakregadde (Kan.) 331

Morolia (Asm.) 585 Nemali-adugu (Tel,) 329

Morundan (Tam.) 298 Nilaisedachi (Tam.) 551

Mota-koli (Asm.) 436 Nilakobari (Tel.) 343

Motio-hiran-chabbo (Raj.) 97 Niphera (Or.) 260

Mougri (Punj.) 146 Nir-mathalam (Mai.) 324

Muchmuchia (Hindi) 578 Niradi (Tel.) 422

Mudkondai (Tam.) 274 Niradi-mattu (Tam.) 422

Mugalinga (Tel.) 323 Niralam (Mai.) 422

Mugra (Punj.) 146 Nirvala (Kan.) 323

Mula(Beng.) 146 Nirvetti (Mai.) 422

Muli (Hindi) 146 Noli (Raj.) 316

Mullangi (Tel., Tam., Kan., & Mai.) 146 Nunbora (Beng.) 343

Mulmurandai (Tam.) 331

o
Musna (Hindi) 593
Odhaperali (Tam.) 252
Mustard (Eng.) 136
Orilathamara (Mai.) 343
Muwa(Tel.) 323
Ol-gobhi (Hindi & Beng.) 137
N Orapa(Raj.) 331
Nadi (Raj.) 316 Orilai-tamarai (Tam.) 343
Naga-champigai (Kan.) 405
Naga-sentur (Naga) 325
Naikadugu (Tam.) 302,318 Pachara (Mar.) 274

Naivelai (Tam.) 318 Pachra(Mar.) 289

Nakkulijan>(Tam.) 274 Pach«da(Mar.) 289

NaUa-velai(Tam.) 310 Pachuada (Mar.) 266

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Pachundi (Mar.) 274 Posto(Beng.) 32

Padmacharini (Sans.) 343 Potiakand (Hindi) 331
Padmavaha (Sans.) 343 Pula-tiga (Tel.) 269
Padmavati (Sans.) 343 PurnafTam.) 252
Pahchunda (Mar.) 289 Purusharatnam (Tarn.) 343
Pandri-tihvan(Mar.) 310 Pushkaranadi (Sans.) 343
Paniala (Beng. & Hindi) 403 Pushkarini (Sans.) 343
Paniol (Asm.) 403 Pushkarna (Sans.) 343
Parappu-chedi (Tarn.) 466
R
Parpapata(Ladakh) 86
Radish (Eng.) 146
Pepper-grass (Eng.) 207
Rai (Beng. & Hindi) 134
Perennial-pepper-grass (Eng.) 203
Rakamuti (Tel.) 445
Periyanka (Mai.) 466
Rakta-posta-virkshaka(Sans.) 31
Perryanka (Tarn.) 466
Ralchat(Ladakh) 54
Phabare-ghans (Nep.) 469
Ralchatnakpo(Ladakh) 60
Phackcena-lata (Asm.) 492
Ramya (Sans.) 343
Philla-phang (Kachari, Asm.) 283
Rangamala (Kan.) 381
Phulgobhi (Hindi) 137
Ratanpuras (Hindi) 343
Phutani (Mar.) 460
Revdi(Kan.) 266
Pila-dhutura(Hindi) 3
Roadside-pepper-grass (Eng.) 206
Pilahurshur (Hindi) 318
Rocket-candytuft (Eng.) 196
Pitwani (Punj.) 331
Rubble-pepper-cress (Eng.) 201
Pinjola(Guj.) 331
Pit-papra(Hindi) 84 s
Pitpada(Mar.) 84 Sabuni (Beng.) 593
Pivili-tilwan (Mar.) 318 Sadahurhuria(Beng.) 310
Ponwar(Raj) 316 Safed-bagro(Raj.) 310
Poorwi (Mar.) 277 Safed-phulke (Hindi) 585
Post(Hindi) 31 Safed-sarson (Hindi) 149
Posta(Guj.) 32 Santa! (Mar.) 312
Posta(Mar.) 32 Sanusotti (Kan.) 418
Postaka(Tam.) 32 Sarayda (Sans.) 343
Pastehij(Hmdi) 32 Sarelmaram (Mai.) 430
Postekehiya(Hindi) 31 Sasive(Kan.) 136
624

Satitalwani(Guj.) 310 Sweet-scented-candytufts (Eng.) 196

Satyanasa(Punj.) 3 Swet-sarisha (Beng.) 143

Sebuwa (Hindi) 143

Selagachedi (Tarn.) 474
Sendri(Mar.) 381 Taiwala(Tam.) 310
Sengam (Tarn.) 265 Talwani(Guj.) 310
Sengathali (Tarn.) 266 Tamana (Mai.) 422
Serraputtai (Tam.) 289 Tambat (Mar.) 405
Shalgam (Hindi) 138 Tammatha (Kan.) 445
Shepherd's purse (Eng.) 189 Tar-bor(Mar) 406
Shial-kanta(Hindi) 3 Taramira (Punj.) 143
Shield-cress (Eng.) 205 Taramoni (Beng.) 143
Shi-ing (Asm.) 445 Taranuri (Hindi) 143
Sial-kanta(Beng.) 3 Taribad (Kash.) 192
SiaI-kan,ta(Punj.) 3 Telichemkand (Guj.) 250
Sigappu-gashagasha(Tam.) 31 Terunai (Tam.) 430
Siguppu-postaka(Tam.) 31 Thaivela(Mal.) 310
Sike-lulpi (Garo) 409 Thanim-niu-tre (Asm.) 279
Sinduriva (Hindi) 381 Thikari (Guj.) 274
Singri (Hindi) 146 Thirudi-bhaji (Tel.) 318
Sipligan (Nep.) 325 Thit-phew (And.) 495
Sirikaladide(Kan.) 310 Thorattai (Tam.) 289
Sottukalai (Tam.) 402 Thottala (Kan.) 266
Srigala-kanta(Sans.) 3 Thottimara (Kan.) 273
Srika1a<Kan.) 310 Thungtu (Garh.) 371
Sthalapadmini (Sans.) 343 Tikthashak (Beng.) 324
Sthalaruha (Sans.) 343 Tiloni(Kan.) 310
Sugandhamula (Sans.) 343 Tinnani (Guj.) 318
Sunari (Tam.) 447 Tondai(Tam-) 298
Supuskhara (Sans.) 343 Tondi-sol (Sant.) 343
Suranti (Kan.) 422 Torathi (Kan.) 418
Surti (Kan.) 422 Toratti (Kan.) 422
Suryavarta(Kan.) 310 Toratti (Mar.) 298
Sweet Violet (Eng.) 369 Toratti (Tam.) 266, 298
 625

Tripanjozadi (Guj.) 324 Viluti (Tam.) 252

Turatta (Tarn.) 274 Violethoo (Kan.) 369
Tuvrak (Sans.) 422 Virginian-pepper-cress (Eng.) 207
Voolemara (Tel.) 324 \\
U
Vulimiri-chettu (Tel.) 324
Ubhitaveli (Guj.) 306
Vundri(Mar.) 296
Ullasata(Sans.) 32
Uskiaman (Tel.) 324 w
Uthou (Man.) 421 Wagati (Mar.) 260, 277,298

Wagboti (Hindi) 331

V
Wairoda (Mar.) 323
Vaita(TeI.) 310
Water-cress (Eng.) 125
Vaivarna (Mar.) 323
Wild Radish (Eng.) 145
Vaivarna (Guj.) 324
Wood-Dog Violet (Eng.) 373
Vaminka(Tel.) 310
Vayilettu (Tel.) 369 Y
Vayiti-kura(Tel.) 310 Yekadia (Mar.) 445
Vela-kura(Tel.) 310 Yekkuddy (Mar.) 445
Vella-kunnan (Mai.) 391
Yenna-mara (Kan.) 422
Vellai-chedi(Tam.) 310
Yenuka-parika (Tel.) 250
Ventum(Tel.) 310
Yup-Nga-Lap (Mani.) 485
Vetti (Mai.) 422
Vialettu (Tam.) 369
z
Vikhari (Mar.) 445 Zinko-banaphsha (Guj. & Punj.) 360