Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 1/Cedrelaceae
XL.—CEDRELACEAE.
This small order, long united with the preceding, and even now considered by some eminent Botanists as at most a sub-order, ranks among its species some of the most magnificent trees of the forest, not less famed for their size, than for the beauty of their timber; not the least remarkable of which, in both these respects, is the Mahogany of America, and in the latter, the Satin wood of this country. It is principally distinguished from the preceding by its flattened, winged, exalbuminous seed. Adr. de Jussieu gives the following character of the order.
Calyx 4-5. cleft. Petals 4-5, longer. Stamens 8-10, either united into a tube (Swietenieae) or distinct (Cedreleae) and inserted into an hypogynous disk. Style and stigma simple, cells of the ovary equal to the number of petals or fewer (3) with 4, or often more, ovules, imbricated in two rows, fruit capsular, with the valves separable from the dissepiments with which they alternate, (or, in Chloroxylon, adherent, with loculicidal dehiscence). Seeds flat winged, albumen thin or none.
Trees, usually with hard fragrant, and beautifully coloured wood, alternate, exstipulate, pinnated leaves. Panicles terminal or subterminal, large, rarely axillary. Flower imperfectly bisexual, that is, the ovaries of some becoming depauperated and sterile with polleniferous stamens, while in others the pollen is wanting and the ovary is perfect and fertile.
Affinities. These are the same as Meliaceae, from which they are chiefly distinguished by their winged and indefinite seeds. The pellucid dots in the leaves of Chloroxylon establish another link of affinity between these orders and Aurantiaceae.
Geographical Distribution. Like Meliaceae these are natives of the tropics, or the warm countries bordering on them, but have as yet principally been found in America and Asia, only one has been met with in Africa or the adjoining islands. When Jussieu published his memoir in 1830, 14 species only were known to him, and I am not aware of the list having since then been augmented by the publication of additional species. I have however recently received from Mr. Nimmo, of Bombay, specimens of a Chickrassia, which he thinks new, and which so far as I am enabled to determine from a somewhat imperfect specimen is distinct from C. tubularis. Mr. Graham of that place has named this species C. Nimmmonii. It is described as a very large tree, and differs from my specimens of C. tubularis in having thick coriaceous leaves, softly villous on the under surface, in place of membranous and perfectly glabrous on both sides. The specimen not being in flower I am unable to carry the comparison further, but I think it will prove a good species. I am not at present aware of any other addition to the order.
Properties and Uses. Nearly all the species of this order are remarkable for some useful property. The Swietenia Mahogoni affords the beautiful and highly prized Mahogany wood. The bark of the Soymida (Swietenia) febrifuga of Roxburgh is said to possess antiseptic and febrifugal properties, but little inferior to the Cinchona bark ; it is also employed by the natives for dying, while the timber is but little inferior in hardness and durability to teak, and acquires a very large size. The Chickrassia tubularis supplies the well known Chittagong wood so much used in
this country by the cabinet-maker, while the Chloroxylon Side tenia affords the beautiful and fragrant Satin wood, and lastly, the Toon tree (Cedrella toona) inferior to none of the others fur- nishes a beautiful timber, resembling Mahogany, while the bark has nearly all the medicinal properties of the Soymida, and lastly, the flowers are used in Mysore in dying cotton, a beau- tiful red colour. Endowed with so many useful properties it seems desirable that the cultiva- tion of almost every species should be attempted on a large scale. The Chittagong wood tree, the Toon and the Satin wood, are all found in the neighbouring jungles, and I think also, the Soymida, but I have not seen them in cultivation.
Remarks on Genera and Species. The genera of this order, like those of Meliaceae, naturally divide themselves into two sections, those namely, having the filaments free to near the base, and exalbuminous seed, (Cedreleae) and those having their filaments united into a tube and albuminous seed: to the first of these sections Cedrelae and Chloroxylon belong, to the second Chickrassia and Soymida are referable, and with the exception of the new species of Chickrassia no recent additions have been made. The accompanying plates exhibit a species of each of these tribes.
EXPLANATION
1. Chickrassia tubularis, natural size.
2. A flower, fully expanded.
3. Stamen tube split open, showing the ovary, style, and stigma.
4. Anthers back and front views.
OF PLATE 56.
5. Ovary cut transversely, 5-celled, with two rows of ovules in each.
6. The same cut transversely.
7. A full grown fruit.
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 57-
1. Chloroxylon swietenia, natural size.
2. An expanded flower. ■
3. Stamens back and front views.
4. Ovary and cup-shaped torus.
5. Ovary cut vertically.
6. Cut transversely, 3-celled, with several ovules in each cell.
7. A full grown capsule burst, showing it 3-valved, with loculicidal dehiscence.
8. Cut transversely.
9. A valve of the capsule, showing the seed imbri- cated.
10. A seed, the apex winged.
11. The same, cut obliquely across the base.
12. A seed cut transversely, showing the wing.
13. A seed lobe, with the radicle superior — all more or less magnified.
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CHLOROXYLON SWIETENIA. (DC.)