KAMAL A. MALIK

Leaves linear-spathulate, 1.5-2.5 cm x 2-6 mm, densely pubescent, sessile or shortly petioled, midrib prominent, lateral nerves obscure. Flowers yellow. Sepals c. 8 x 3 mm, pubescent, connate at base. Petals imbricate, obovate, c. 5 x 2-3 mm. Ovary pilose. Styles filiform. Fruit velvety, globose, pointed at the base, c. 3 mm in diameter.

Lectotype: Sloane, Voy. Isl. Madera, Barbados . . . Jamaica Nat. Hist. 2: t. 162. f. 4. 1725 (BM).

Distribution: Similar to the genus.

Murray had collected it from coast of Sind and Cutch (R.R. Stewart, l.c.) but no material of our region is present either in our herbaria or in Kew and British Museum; the record therefore seems dubious.

Though Linnaeus cites his generic name from Hortus Cliffortianus but Dr. N.K.B. Robson has kindly intimated that now there is no specimen in the Clifford Herbarium. As all the three specimens in LINN. were acquired after 1753 hence these are not elligible to be treated as Types. This leaves three literature references as Syntypes. Plumier, from which Linnaeus-took the generic name, has not given any illustration. Pluknet (alm.: t. 241. f. 5. 1696) gives a rather stylised illustration of sterile material. Hence the illustration given by Sloane (loc. cit.) is chosen here as the Lectotype.