Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 1/Elaeocarpeae

by Robert Wight

XXVII.—ELAEOCARPEAE.

A small order of plants and principally of Indian origin, 10 out of about 20 described species, being natives of this country. The species are either handsome trees, or shrubs, with alternate, stipulate leaves, the stipules usually early deciduous, racemose flowers, and divided fimbriated petals.

Sepals 4 or & without an involucrum, the cestivation valvate. Petals 4 or 5 hypogynous, rarely wanting, lobed or fringed at the point, cestivation imperfectly imbricated or sometimes valvate. Disk glandular, somewhat projecting. Stamens hypogynous or rarely perigynous, some multiple of the sepals, (8—80) filaments short, distinct, or slightly united at the base, anthers long, opening at the apex by a double pore. Ovary with two or more cells : style solitary, simple, or sometimes trifid, rarely several : stigmas either free, equalling the cells of the ovary, or united. Fruit variable, indehiscent, dry, drupacious, or valvular and loculicidal; sometimes by abortion 1-celled. Seeds one or two in each cell. Albumen fleshy. Embryo inverted. Cotyledons flat, foliaceous, radicle superior.

Affinities. As this order only differs from Tiliaceae in its fringed petals, and the elongated anthers opening at the apex by pores, in place of the cells splitting their whole length, it is of course more nearly allied to that order than any other, and has been, apparently not unjustly, referred to it by Kunth, no mean authority, whose opinion has been adopted by Bartling. Such being the case, whatever may be the affinities of the one order are equally those of the other, and therefore, I refer to Tiliaceae for any further information that may be wanted on this head.

Geographical Distribution. India and her islands seem to be the head quarters of this order, the species of which we find very generally distributed over the sub-alpine regions of the country, though not confined to them. Dr. Wallich in his list of Indian plants enumerates no fewer than 28 species, not however all continental. Dr. Roxburgh gives descriptions of 9 species, and Blume in his flora of Java of 11. These last however are not all distinct from those named by Wallich. Only five or six species have yet, so far as I am aware, been found in the Peninsula and Ceylon. In addition to these Indian ones, a few are found in Australia and South America, whence it would appear, that in proportion to the number of species, few orders are spread over a more extensive surface than the Elceocarpeae.

Properties and Uses. Respecting these, if they possess any, little is known, Dr. Horsfield mentions that the bark of one species is very bitter, and is used in Java as an anthelminthic. The olive-like fruit of El. serratus is dried by the natives and used in curries, and also pickled, Dr. Roxburgh tried in vain to extract oil from the seeds. The nuts of Monocera, as well as those of some of the Elaeocarpi, are polished and set in gold as beads ; in which state they are esteemed sacred by some casts of the Hindoos. They are of a dark brown colour, very hard, tuberculated on the surface, and are readily known by their splitting into two or three pieces, the number of carpels namely, that unite to form the perfect fruit.

Remarks on Genera and Species. The characters, of both the genera and species of this order, seem involved in much doubt and uncertainty, and with my imperfect materials, I fear, I shall not be able to throw much light on the subject, or to supply what is wanting to place either on a better footing than that on which they now stand. The uncertainty appertaining to the genera, seems in part to have arisen from DeCandolle having taken his character of Elaeocarpus, from a species which did not belong to the genus, as defined by Linnaeus, and then characterizing a genuine Elaeocarpus under a new name, Aceratum, still retaining however several true Elaeocarpi, congeners of his Aceratum, under his modified Elceocarpus, though a quite distinct genus. From the confusion thus introduced Dr. Jack's genus Monocera has happily relieved us. The leading peculiarities of Linnaeus' Elaeocarpus consists in its having 5 sepals, 5 fimbriated petals, numerous stamens, the anthers 2-valved at the apex, not awned, to which was afterwards added a 3-celled ovary. Of this series of distinctive marks, the only ones not common to Monocera are,—the truncated 2-valved anthers, and the 3-celled ovaries—these therefore form the essential characters of the genus which may be thus denned, 'stamens numerous, anthers 2-valved at the apex, valves equal, muticous, sometimes bearded, ovary 3-celled.' Monocera on the other hand has the anthers terminating in a bristle or awn, and a 2-celled ovary. Elaeocarpus ganitrus having a 5-celled ovary, and anthers without bristles, has been made the type of a new genus under the name of Ganitrus. Blume proposes as a fourth genus Acronodia distinguished by having unisexual flowers, quaternary sepals and petals, and 8—12 stamens, destitute of terminal bristles. Adopting these generic distinctions Roxburgh's 9 species of Elaeocarpus may be thus distributed.

Gawitrus—Anthers muticous, ovary 5-celled.

G. Roxburgii—Elaeocarpus Ganitrus—R.

Elaeocarpus. Anthers muticous, often bearded at the apex, ovary 3-celled.

E. serratus. E. robustus. E. lanccefolius. E. frutescens.

Monocera—Anthers furnished with a bristle, ovary 2-celled.

M. tuberculata. E. tuberculatus. R. — M.rugosa. E. rugosus. R. — M. Roxburgii (R. W.) E. aristatus. R.—To these may be added a species, I think new, from Mergui, collected by Mr. Griffith : M. Griffithii R. W. one from Ceylon, M. glandulifera R. W. and one from Coorg. M. Muroii. R. W.

Species not sufficiently known.

Elaeocarpus lucidus—Roxb.

Of the 22 species enumerated in Dr. Wallich's list I can give no account, as we have names only : neither can I refer any of Blume's species to other genera than the one he has assigned, as he neither gives a generic character, nor once mentions, in his specific ones, (which are all taken from the forms of the foliage, relative length of the racemes and leaves, and form of the fruit) the stamens or ovaries. The whole of his species therefore, 11 in number, require to be re-examined. The new Zealand genus Dicera is only distinguished from Monocera by the anthers having two, in place of one bristle, whence the name, a species of which is said to be a native of Cochin-China, but is very imperfectly known.

Thus simplified in their generic distribution and greatly reduced in number, the species of Elaeocarpus, hitherto most difficult to define, may henceforth be more easily distinguished, an operation which will be still further facilitated by subdividing what remains into two sections, one with, the other without, bearded anthers. To the first of these sections belong—Roxburgh's E. serratus, E. robustvs, E. lancifolius, and E. fruticosus , and lastly, one from Quilon, E. cuniatvs, R. W. To the other E. oblongus, E. coriaceus Hooker, E. serratus? Moon, and one from Mergui, E. angustifolius? Blume.

As my materials do not extend to the other genera of the order I can offer no remarks regarding them; but the following characters will, I hope, prove sufficient to distinguish the new species named above.

ELAEOCARPUS.

Sect. 1. Anthers bearded.

E. cuniatus, R. W. Leaves cuneate obovate, terminating in a short obtuse acumen, tapering below into the petiol : Stamens numerous, bearded, hairs at length reflexed : Ovary 3-celled, elevated on a prominent torus, and with it, thickly clothed with appressed white hairs.

Malabar Coast about Quilon, also in Ceylon.

This species is nearly allied to E. oblongus except in having bearded anthers and an elevated torus, in place of being beardless, with the ovary sessile and surrounded by a number of glands, the more usual structure of the genus.

Sect. 2. Anthers beardless.

E. coriaceus (Hooker in Herb. Walker). Leaves coriaceous, glabrous, very obtuse above, somewhat cuniate downwards, slightly serrated on the margin, occasionally somewhat cordate at the base; glands in the axils of the veins : racemes axillary; flowers drooping; sepals lanceolate, tomentose : anthers beardless: ovary surrounded by glands : fruit globose.

E. obovatus, Arnott not Den.

Neuera Ellia, Ceylon—Colonel Walker.

This species which I have only seen from Ceylon was found by Colonel Walker in the most elevated parts of the island, and named by Sir W. J. Hooker, from specimens sent to him. It was also named and described by Dr. Arnott in his Pugillus Plantarum &c, but as his name was pre-occupied I have adopted the manuscript name of Sir W. J. Hooker.

E. angustifolius? Blume. Leaves long petioled, oval-oblong, acuminated, remotely crenato, serrated, without glands on the under surface : racemes axillary, about twice the length of the petiols : flowers rather small, glabrous : anthers beardless : ovary, surrounded at the base by 10 globose hairy glands.

Mergui—communicated by W. Griffith, Esq.

This species, which corresponds with BluMe's character so far as it goes, but differs as to the native country, is very like our E. oblongus, and is I suspect but a variety of that species. It is much to be regretted that Blume's characters are so brief, and that he does not make use of marks derived from the parts of the flower in his specific characters, as I have always found these most to be depended upon.

In addition to the preceding, I have a species referable to this section, but the specimen being somewhat imperfect, prevents me determining with certainty whether or not it is described, neither do I know its native country. The flowers correspond so exactly in appearance with Monocera tuberculata that for a long time I believed it that plant. Should it prove new I would propose the name Monoceroides.

E. monoceroides, leaves elliptic, glabrous, racemes lax few flowered, flowers drooping; Stamens numerous, glabrous, anthers somewhat pointed, beardless shorter than the style.

MONOCERA.

M . glandulifera. (Hooker MSS. in Herb. Walker.) Leaves ovate, lanceolate, or somewhat undulated on the margin, crenately serrated, glabrous, with numerous saccate glands in the axils of the veins on the under surface : racemes axillary, shorter than the leaves : flowers numerous, short pediceled, drooping : petals pubescent; anthers hairy : fruit oval.

Ceylon.—This seems a very distinct species, though nearly allied to the next from the same country.

M. Walkerii R. W. Glabrous, except the petals, leaves broadly ovate, acuminate, entire, or very slightly crenated and revolute on the margin, glaucous beneath, not furnished with glands : racemes axillary, equalling the leaves : flowers long pedicelled drooping, petals obtuse, cuniate, sparingly fimbriated, densely clothed on the back with appressed white hair; a ring of glands surrounding the base of the ovary.

Ceylon.—Colonel Walker.

The only specimen I have seen is in Col. Walker's herbarium, marked, "Elaeocarpus pubescens Hooker," but as it is every where glabrous except the petals, and as all the species partake more or less of that character, I fear some mistake in the naming; the more so, as there is a Ceylon species of Elaeoearpus with pubescent leaves. On these grounds i have ventured to change the name. It seems closely allied to M. Ceylanica, Arnott, but in his plant the racemes spring from below the leaves "racemis infra folia hornotina ortis" while in this they are above, in his the petals are sparingly pubescent on the back, in this they are very thickly clothed with appressed hairs.

M. Griffithii (R. W.) Arborious, glabrous, branches smooth, leaves ovate, lanceolate, acuminate, shining above, pale beneath ; racemes axillary, longer than the leaves, many flowered: pedicels equalling the petiols : petals lanceolate acute, slightly 3-toothed at the apex, involute on the margin, hence aestivation valvate, hairy on both sides : Stamens numerous; anthers hairy, bristle reflex hooked : Ovary, with 5 small, somewhat 2-lobed, glands at the base, 2-celled : fruit.

Mergui.—Griffith.

My specimens of this very distinct species were kindly communicated by W. Griffith, Esq. along with a large collection of plants from that as yet little explored coast, among which I have, in the course of a slight examination, observed numerous very interesting and little known species, of which I trust Mr. G. will ere long find leisure to give some account.

M. Munroii.—R. W. Glabrous, leaves ovate-lanceolate, acuminated, slightlv crenated on the margin without glands on the under surface : racemes about the length of the leaves, many flowered; flowers drooping : sepals lanceolate acute : petals not involute on the margins : anthers glabrous, bristles at length reflexed : ovary elevated on the torus, very hairy, fruit about the size of an olive.

Coorg.—Lieutenant Munro.

Mr. Munro remarks in a note which accompanied the specimens " This is a large tree common in Coorg. The fruit is eaten by the Natives.

This species is most nearly allied to M. glandulifera, but differs in the leaves being totally destitute of glands.

ELÆOCARPEÆ

MONOCERA TUBERCULATA (W. & A.)

EXPLANATION OF PLATE 35.

1. Flowering branch of Monocera tuberculata — natural size. 2. A flower forcibly opened, showing the filaments slightly united at the base. 3. Back and front views of the anthers. 4. A detached petal. 5. The ovary surrounded at the base by a ring of glands. 6 and 7. The same cut vertically and transversely.