Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 2.djvu/37

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ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY.
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conical, limb produced beyond the ovary, truncated or repandly 4-5 lobed: petals 4-5, sometimes calyptrated, sometimes free and expanding (even in the same species), fruit subdrupacious. — Flowers numerous subsessile lateral, sometimes forming lateral spicate racemes, sometimes terminal racemose panicles.

The flowers of this subgenus being frequently quinary — having a 5-lobed calyx and 5-petaled corollo — indicate it as the transition towards Myrtus, Myrcia and Pimenta, in which both quinary and quaternary flowers occur and one species has numerous petals like E. (J.) polypetala : the seed however mark it as a true Eugenia.

24. E. (A) claviflora (Roxb. Fl. Ind. 2— p. 488.)

25. E. (A) leptantha (R. W.) Leaves oval, acute or acuminated at both ends, finely parellely veined : racemes spicate, lateral, from naked branches : calyx tube long, clavate, finely attenuated towards the base ; limb dilated and much produced beyond the ovary, margin slightly repand : petals usually 5, caducous, calyptriform ? Fruit ? Mergui.— Griffith.

So far as I can make out from Roxburgh's imperfect character, this seems very nearly allied to his E. claviflora.

26. E. (A) Wightiana (R. W.— Syz. Wightianum Wall. — W. and A.) calyx repandly 4-lobed, petals 12 or fewer by abortion ; the outer ones occasionally expanding .

This species owing to its numerous petals seems to hold the same rank in this subgenus that E. (J) polypetala does in Jambosa.

27- E. (A) lanciolata (Lam.)

These two are apparently nearly the same, Lamarck's description of the flowers of his E. lanceolata (Elles sont glabres, turbinees ou en massue et ont le calice a quatre lobes: leur style est simple;) is so far as it goes quite applicable to those of Wallich's S. Wightianum, and the foliage, making allowance for occasional variation, is also sufficiently in accordance. But I have another species from Ceylon which is so like that I for a long time thought it the same, but which, on closer examination I find differs both in the venation of the leaves, and in the flowers. The flowers accurately correspond with Lamarck's description ; the stamena, as in his specimen, have all separated leaving the simple style.

28. E. (A) Zeylanica (R. W.) Myrtus Zeylanica Linn. — Syzygium Zeylanicum et spicatem (D.C.) Acmena paiviflora ? (D.C.)

This in foliage is a variable species but the inflorescence is sufficiently uniform to mark it under every va- riation. I have now specimens from Malabar, Ceylon and Mergui, which sufficiently agree in that particular, though the foliage is somewhat different. This plant agrees so well with the character of Acmena parviflora (D.C.) that I have no hesitation in quoting that as a synonym, a view in which I am further confirmed by the character of the fruit of A. floribunda, B, elliptica— viz. " bacca globosa alba" which accurately describes that of E. (A) Zeylanica.

29. * E. (A) grata (Wall.) calyx conical, limb repandly 5-toothed : petals 5-corymbs: terminal and from the upper axils : leaves ovate lanceolate, ending in a longish blunt acumen: fruit globose l-2-seeded,crowned with the projecting throat of the calyx— Mergui. Griffith— Assam. Jenkins and Griffith.

This species seems very distinct from all the others of this sub-genus, but seems certainly referable to it both on account of the elongation of the tube of the calyx and the quinary tendency which its flowers exhibit, the globose fruit affords another mark of relationship with the preceding.

30.* E. (A) oblata (Roxb. Syzygium oblatum Wall.) This species is nearly allied to the last, so much so indeed, that 1 doubt whether they can be kept separate.

31 E. (A) bractiolata (R. W.) ramuli 4-sided, angles subacute : leaves short petioled, elleptico-lanceolate, acute or slightly acuminated at both ends, pellucid dotted : cymes terminal and from the upper axils, the extreme divisions terminating in a cluster of from 6 to 9 sessile flowers ; each division and each flower furnished with two minute, persistent, acute bracteols : calyx tube conical 4 sided ; limb repandly 4 lobed.

I am uncertain whence I received my specimen but I think from Mergui.

This species evidently forms the transition from Acmena to Syzygium, the glomerate flowers and conical calyx tube marking its relationship with E. (A) Zeylanica while its diminutive length and 4 not 5 toothed margin show its affinity with Syzygium-

5. SURGENUS SYZYGIUM (Gært.) Calyx tube short, that part enclosing the ovary contracted ( pedicel-like) inconspicuous, limb (beyond the ovary) dilated, cup-shaped, persistent, truncated, entire or repandly 4-toothed, petals either free and expanding or cohering calyptriform. Trees often of great size ; flowers numerous, small, white, limb of the calyx usually deciduous, cymes corymbose lateral or terminal.

§. 1. Petals cohering and separating in that state.

a. Cymes terminal, that is, from the upper axils of the young shoots of the same season.

32. E. (S) rubicunda (R. W. — S. rubicundum W. and A.)

33. E. (S) Neesiana (R. W. — Syzygium Neesianum Arnott's pugillus) leaves subsessile, oblong lanceolate, blunt pointed, subcoriaceous, pellucid dotted, penninerved : cymes terminal, laxly corymbose, trichotomous, peduncles 4-sided, the partial ones umbellately 3-7-flowered, pedicels half the length of the shortly turbinate slightly 4-lobed calyx — Arnott. Ceylon.

This species seems to have a nearly equal right to a place in both sections of this sub-genus as the petals are often free. Dr. Arnott remarks that it differs from all the other species of the genus in its sessile leaves, this is certainly an excellent character but not without exception, as 1 have, what appears to me, a petioled variety of this plant and another species with sessile leaves

34* E. (S) Myrtifolia (Roxb. Fl. Ind. 2, P. 490.)

35. * E. (S) Oleina (R.W.— Syzygium oleinum Wall) These two, if distinct, are so like each other that I can- not see by what characters they can be defined, I look, upon them, judging from specimens only, as identical.

36. E. (S) sylvestris (Moon) leaves obovate obtuse or spathulate, coriaceous, shining, short petioled : cymes corymbose, congested towards the summits of the branches and extreme axils, longish peduncled : fruit about the size of a crab-apple, redish.

Ceylon. — Most of the above character is copied from Moon's notes on this species.

37. E. (S) Caryophyllœa (R. W. Syz. Caryophyllæum