Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 1.djvu/216

102 the first from his not knowing any thing of the genus, the last owing to his supposing the flowers apetalous, which is not the case, Gomphandra is not in his list. I subjoin generic characters of Opilia, Stemonurus, Gomphandra, and Balanites, which have not yet been introduced info our Prodromus, though I now possess peninsular specimens of all except Stemonurus, and of that I think I have Peninsular specimens, but do not feel quite certain.

— Roxburgh, — (Grontea Flor. Senegam.) Calyx very short, truncated, concreted with the torus, and not afterwards enlarging. Petals 5 inserted into the margin of the calyx, oblong, linear, at first slightly cohering at the base by their margins, afterwards distinct and revolute. Stamens 5, opposite the petals, inserted with, but distinct from them. Glands 5, alternate with the stamens thick and fleshy, truncated, about as long as the ovary. Ovary oblong, solid below, 1-celled in its upper part. Ovule solitary, pendulous from the apex of a central placenta that rises from the bottom of the cell. Style none, stigma of 3 blunt points, fruit drupacious (at first fleshy afterwards coriaceous, becoming when dry crustacious) one seeded. Albumen amigdaloidal. Embryo cylindrical, slender in the axis of the albumen, and nearly of the same length. Cotyledons semi-terate long conferruminate; radicle short, obtuse, superior. — Small trees, with slender branches, alternate short petioled, quits entire, or slightly serrated, glabrous, shining, leaves, the petiols jointed at the base. Racemes axillary, at first closely imbricated with small peltate roundish 2-4 flowered caducous scales. Flowers small, greenish yellow.

O. Amentucea Roxb. Cor. Plants and Flora Indica.

Ximenia Olacioides, W. and A. Prod, page 89. Found in hilly tracts of country. Roxburgh found it in the Circars, and I have recently received profusion of specimens from the hills in the neighbourhood of Madras. I also have it from the Pulneys, but how much further south it extends I am unable to say. With the aid of these recent acquisitions which are both in flower and fruit I have ascertained that our Ximenia olacioides is this plant, on which account I have extracted from that work the character of the fruit, to complete the generic character. It seems probable, judging from Roxburgh's figure of the fruit; that there are 2 species, but I refrain from characterizing them until I have seen specimens from the Circars.

— Blume — Flowers bisexual or occasionally by abortion unisexual. Calyx short, entire, or obsoletely toothed. Petals 4-5 or rarely 6, cohering below. Stamens hypogynous, equalling the number of petals and alternate with them ; filaments compressed, the apex and back of the anthers furnished with tuffs of matted hairs. Anthers 2-celled introrse. Ovary, oblong, 1-celled, with 2 pendulous ovules. Stigma sessile, obtuse. Fruit a baccate drupe, umbilicate. Nut one seeded. Embryo small, inverse, immersed in the apex of the albumen. Trees or shrubs with alternate entire leaves, and small flowers in axillary spikes or cymes.

This character which is copied from Blume's Flora of Java, I have been induced to introduce, under the conviction that species of the genus exist in the Peninsula, and that I actually possess specimens, though I am for the present enable to find them. The genus appears very nearly allied to Gomphandra, perhaps too much so, but still they are so far distinct, that I do not, in the present state of my information feel myself justified in uniting them. The following character of Gomphandra is taken partly from the imperfect one given by Dr. Lindley in his Natural System of Botany, page 439, but mainly from the examination of my own specimens.

— Wall. — Flowers by abortion unisexual. Calyx 4-5 toothed. Corolla 4-5 petaled, inappendiculate, inflexed at the apex, glabrous, or clothed with clavate hairs. Stamens 4-5 somewhat clavate; filaments compressed free, or slightly united, forming a tube round the ovary. Male flowers, anthers 2-celled, cells contiguous parallel, partly immersed in the apex, of the filament, the back, and under the cells crested with matted or clavate hairs, ovary rudimentary. Female flowers, calyx corolla, and filaments as in the male, anthers empty of pollen. Ovary large, (equalling the petals) 1-celled, with 2 oblong pendulous clavate ovules suspended from the apex. Stigma sessile, large, covering the whole apex of the ovary. Fruit, a dry coriaceous drupe, 1-2 seeded. Shrubs or small trees/ with simple, alternate leaves, axillary,