Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 2.djvu/38

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16
ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY.


Gært.) This species varies considerably in its foliage, being sometimes broader than long, at others spatulate, more rarely lanceolate, or merely a little broader upwards. It is however a very distinct species.

b. Cymes lateral (i. e.) from year old branches.

38. E. (S) reticulata (R. W.)leaves ovate lanceolate, acuminated, thick and coriaceous ; when dry, brownish beneath and finely reticulated with slender whitish veins : cymes axillary, corymbose, trichotomous : limb of the calyx much dilated, 4-toothed : flowers large. Assam. Griffith.

Judging from specimens only, this appears a rigid, very ramous tree, the leaves have much the texture and appearance of those of Buchanania or Mangifera. The flowers are about the largest of the sub-genus and very numerous.

I am indebted to Mr. Griffith for my specimens of this plant.

39. E. (S) alternifolia (R. W.) leaves alternate ! sub-orbicular, thick and coriaceous, penoinerved : cymes lateral, longish peduncled, corymbose, dense, sometimes congested near the apex of year old branches : calyx truncated entire : petals calyptrated. Balughaut Mountains near Madras.

A noble species, the leaves, which are nearly orbicular, being sometimes upwards of 7 inches across, very thick and coriaceous. The flowers are large, forming dense clusters in the axils of the leaves, apparently pure white. It seems nearly allied to E. cymosa Roxburgh and E. (S) densiflora Wall., being generally very like that species, but differs in the calyx being entire and the petals cohering.

40. E. (S) cordifolia (R. W. Calyptranthis cordifolia, Moon) leaves coriacious penninerved, ovate, accuminate, sessile, cordate, stem clasping, at the base : cymes corymbose, longish peduncled axillary, shorter than the leaves: calyx limb very slightly 4-tootbed, petals calyptriform.

Ceylon. Moon and Colonel Walker.- This is a large handsome species. The leaves are upwards of 6 inches long and nearly 3 broad, very coriacious, revolute on the margin ; flowers pretty large ; the fruit I have not seen.

41. * E. (S) Jambolana (Lam. Syz. Jambolanum DC. &c.) This like many other widely diffused and cultivated plants is a sufficiently variable species, and under this name may I suspect be ranged, in addition to the already long list of synonyms, E. fruticosa Roxb. at least so far as can be determined from specimens. Roxburgh seems to have looked more to habit than characters in constituting this last a distinct species, the characters of the two, though varying in words, being the same in substance, that is, whatever character is assigned to the one I find equally in the other when compared.

42. * E. (S) fruticosa (Roxb. Fl. Ind.)

43. E. (S) salicifolia (R. W. Syz. salicifolinm Graham's Cat. Bombay plants) leaves linear lanceolate, tapering towards both ends, obtusely acuminate I, transversely finely parallel veined, pellucid dotted, cymes numerous, trichotomous, small, from the scars of fallen leaves : flowers small : fruit— Ghauts near Bombay. Graham.

This seems distinct, but is certainly very near E. (S) Jambolana. It may be S. lineare or S.salicifolium Wall, which however, so long as 1 have no description nor authentic specimens of either to compare, must remain doubtful. The younger leaves when held between, the eye and the light present a most beautiful net-work of transparent veins but without pellucid dots, when older, the reticulations nearly disappear and are succeeded by pellucid points.

44. E. (S) Odorata ? (R. W. Syz. odoratum D.C.) leaves ovate, lanceolate, attenuated towards the base, with a blunt short acumen at the apex, glossy above, pale glaucous and transversely veined beneath, cymes corymbose, diffuse, each floriferous division ending in a cluster of from 6 to 9 small sessile flowers. Mergui — Griffith.

DeCandolle describes his S. Odoratum as having impunctate subcoriacious leaves. The leaves of my plant are coriacious and the older ones are impunctate, but when younger ones which have not altogether lost their translucency are examined, pellucid dots can be detected. He describes the peduncles as terminal, which in truth in most of my specimens they are, but, owing to their springing from the scars of fallen leaves, on one year old wood I refer it to this, as its true section.

45. E. (S) Toddulioidis (R. W.) leaves lanceolate, attenuated towards the base, ending in a long narrow acumen above, coriaceous, trausversely parallelly veined, pellucid dotted: cymes lateral di-trichotomus, each branch bearing 1-2 or 3 flowers : limb of the calyx much dilated, tube contracted not hicker than the pedicel. Mergui— Griffith.

The leaves of this species have the peculiar venation observable in species of Xanthocylon and Toddalia, whence the name, and being similarly perforated with pellucid dots, the species, not in flower, might be supposed referable to that order. The flowers are few, scattered in small cymes along the naked branches.

46. * E. (S) balsamea (R. W. Syzygium balsameum Wall.) leaves obovate, lanceolate, atenuated towards the base, tranvsversely veined, pellucid dotted: cymes corymbose small, several often springing from the same axil, much shorter than the leaves : calyx entire not toothed — Assam— Capt. Jenkins.

This is a very distinct species and easily recognized by its numerous short, but many flowered cymes, several springing from each axil or scar of a fallen leaf along the naked branch. My specimens are partly communicated by Dr. Wallich from the Calcutta Bot. Garden, partly by Captain Jenkins from Assam, neither however in fruit.

47. * E. (S) operculata (Roxb. — Syz. nervosum D.C.)

48.* E. (S) tetragonum (R. W. Syzygium tetraginum Wall.) stems 4-sided, angles winged: leaves, oblong-ovate, attenuated at both ends, penninerved, marginal nerves prominent; cymes lateral trichotomous, much shorter than the leaves : fruit globose about the size of a large pea.

This species seems very closely allied to the former, the decidedly 4-sided 4-winged ramuli seeming to form the only really available distinction, unless the absence of pellucid dots, which I cannot detect in the specimens before me, form another Communicated by Dr. Wallich.

49. E. (S) androsœmoides ? (D.C. Myrtus androsæmoides Lin ) leaves from broad oval to obovate-suhorbicular, coriacious, glabrous, short petioled, not shining, pellucid dotted : cymes lateral trichotomous diffuse : fruit about the size of a small pea, crowned with the dilated margin of the calyx, 1 seeded. Assam— Capt. Jenkins.

The specimens from which this character is taken were communicated by Captain Jenkins but are not very good. The leaves in their general appearance greatly resemble some of the broad-leaved varieties of Combretum ova-