Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 2.djvu/39

Rh lifolium. It seems very distinct from all the other species of the genus I have seen.

§. Petals usually free and expanding before falling off.

The plants referred to this section are few and I have found some difficulty in determining what really belong to it, from free and cohering petals occurring in the same species. Such being the fact the sectional character must be received with some latitude.

Cymes lateral.

50* E. (S) Wallichu (R. W. — E. bifaria Wall. MSS.)

The species figured by Wallich under this name does not resemble the specimens so named and communicated by Dr. Wallich himself, as well as received from both Mergui and Assam. The plate, judging from the size of the flowers, their short pedicels and the small number on each cyme, clearly represent a Jambosa, (I think Eugalba R.) while the specimens leave no doubt of their belonging to Syzygium and, as if to place the matter beyond a doubt the petals appear as often, much oftener indeed, to cohere and separate as a lid than expand ; my fir6t thought therefore was, before attentively examining the specimens and comparing them with the figure, to place it between E. (S) balsamea and operculata, which, judging from the specimens only, seems the proper place for it, except, that the calyx is more deeply cleft than is usual in that section, and it is in all respects so closely allied to the following that I cannot think of separating them.

51. E. (S) polyantha (R. W.) leaves penninerved oval lanceolate, tapering at the base, bluntly acuminated, coriaceous, dotted, shining above, dull, somewhat glaucous beneath : cymes numerous, short, many-flowered, several springing together from the scars of fallen leaves : calyx 4-cleft, petals 4, constantly expanding before falling : fruit. Mergui— Griffith.

In dried specimens, this species is easily known by the shining deep brown colour of the upper surface of its leaves, compared with the pale dull colour of the lower, and by the flowers, the petals of which in this species always expand, though, in all other respects, they resemble the most perfect species of Syzygium. It is very nearly allied to the preceding.

52. E (S) cymosa (Lam. Rumph. Amb. : 1 tab. 41) leaves short petioled, finely transversely veined, oval, acuminated, somewhat waved on the margin, acumen blunt pointed : cymes corymbose, contracted, trichotomous, few-flowered : flowers subsessile, clustered on the points of longish peduncles : calyx slightly lobed, petals free expanding. — Mergui— Griffith.

This is certainly a beautiful plant, and though in character not easily distinguished from the preceding, is yet very distinct. The leaves want the course conspicuous nerves, being quite even on both sides, the nervation resembling that of a Calophyllum plant, the midrib only conspicuous. The cymes, though as a whole small, yet seem to have long branches, the flowers being confined to their points and capitulate. The fruit I have not seen. Cymes terminal or from the axils of young shoots.

53. E. (5) rubens (Roxb.) "Leaves short petioled opposite and subalternate, lanceolar obtuse, fine veined hard and glossy : panicles terminal, ultimate divisions often unbelliferous. — R. Fl. Ind. 2. 496.

I have specimens from Mergui which answer, generally, exceedingly well to the above description, the under surface of the leaves of which, are of a rusty redish colour while the upper is glossy and very hard.

54. * E. (S) inophylla (Roxb. Syz. inophyllum DC.)

The petals of this species being free and expanding, with a tendency to the terbinate calyx of Jambosa, DeCandolle must have referred it here rather from habit than on account of its agreeing with his generic character. It has much the habit of Syzygium but not the calyptrated petals.

55. E. (S) rovoluta (R.W.) leaves short petioled obovate, very obtuse, revolute on the margin, very coriaceous, penninerved, polished above, dull glaucous beneath: cymes terminal longish peduncled, flowers sessile congested on the points of the floriferous ramuli : calyx 4-5 toothed : petals usually free sometimes cohering— Ceylon — Colonel Walker.

This species varies much in size and somewhat in the shape of the leaves — the smaller leaved varieties having them from oval to obovate lanceolate, while the larger ones are very broadly obovate, but all are very hard and coriaceous and, at least when dried, revolute on the margin.

My specimens were partly communicated by Colonel Walker and partly collected by myself.

56. E. (S) Arnottianum (R. W. Syz. densiflorum W. and A.) DeCandolle's Jambosa densiflora claims precedence in the name.

57. * E. (S) grandis (R. W. E. cymosa Roxb. Fl. Ind. not Lamarck.) A magnificent species at once distinguish- ed by its large broad oval, very obtuse, thick coriaceous leaves, and dense somewhat capitate many flowered cymes.

Mergui — Griffith Silhet ; My specimens from Mergui correspond accurately with those communicated by Dr. Wallich from the Botanic Garden Calcutta.

In a circular arrangement of the order the species of this section would form the transition to Jambosa, and so far as I am able to form an opinion on the subject, from the very imperfect materials now before me, I think it probable Jambosa will be found to form the typical group of the circle, Eueugenia the sub-typical and the other three sub-genera the aberrant. This, however, can as yet only be surmised, as it is impossible to determine the sequence of a genus until the whole order has been carefully analysed.

The places of the following species remain to be determined the character of the petals being unknown to me.

E. (S) rotundifolia (S. rotundifolium. Arn. pugil.) " Shrubby, leaves approximated, very short petioled, orbicular, subretuse, coriaceous scarcely punctuated, above glossy veinless,beneath penninerved: cymes terminal sessile capituliform few-flowered : calyx obovate shortly 5- toothed — Mountains of Ceylon : 6000 feet of elevation." — Arnott.

From the examination of an imperfect specimen of the plant now before me, I should rather describe the calyx as 4 than 5-toothed, in all other respects the character accords accurately with the specimen.

E. (S) calophylifolia (R. W.) shrubby, ramuli 4 -sided: leaves approximated, from obovate suborbicular to oval, very obtuse, coriaceous, smooth, dull, not shining, veinless above, penninerved beneath, slightly revolute on the margin, cymes terminal, corymbose, short peduncled, many-flowered, calyx limb repandly 4 -toothed, petals 4 orbicular expanding (?) before falling.

Ootacamund, Neilgherries.

This is quite distinct from, though evidently nearly al-