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Rh These flowers which constitute an Indian dye stuff of minor importance, yeild a minute amount of a red, crystalline colouring matter C15H18O3, identical with the nycanthin obtained by Hill from the flowers of Nycanthis arbor tristis. This melts at 285°— 287° and not 234° — 235°C. as given by Hill, and in dyeing and other properties closely resembles, but is not identical with, the bixin of annatto (Bixa Orellana). The presence of quercetin contaminated with a trace of an allied colouring matter as glucosides, and of a sugar, C12H22O11 have also been detected, and to the former the main dyeing properties of the flowers appear to be due.

J. Ch. I. 31st August, 1912 p. 765.

Syn. :— Swietenia Chloroxylon, Roxb. 370.

Eng. : — The Indian Satin wood.

Vern. : — Dhoura, bhirra, girya (H.) ; Behru, biluga,bhayrú bheyri(Uriya) ; Behra, girya, behru, bihri (C. P.) ; Sengel sali (Kol.); Bhira (Gond.) ; Hulda, billú hardi, bheria (Bom.); Halda, bheria (Mar.) ; Múdúdad, burús, purúshmúdudad- maram, purus-burus, vummray, múdúda, vummaai-porasham, kodawah-porash, kodawah-porasham, vummay-maram, Kodawa purrh (Tam.) ; Billu, billuda, bilgu, biluga, billuchettu, billa- kora, billukura, bhallú-chettu (Tel.) ; Mashuda (Kan.) ; Hura- galu (Mysore). Ceylon Tamil, Mutrrai ; Buruta (Sinhalese).

Habitat : — Western Peninsula, from the Concan to the Nilghiris. Ceylon dry regions.

A moderate-sized, deciduous tree. Bark ⅓in. thick, soft spongy, light grey or yellow. Wood very hard, yellow, or cream-coloured, the inner wood darker than the outer, but no distinct heart-wood ; having only a fine satiny lustre ; fragrant. young parts, petioles and inflorescence covered with grey pubescence. Leaves paripinnate 5-9in. Leaflets 10-20 pair, ⅔-1⅓ by ¼-⅝in., opposite, sub-opposite or alternate, gland-dotted un-equal-sided, obtuse. Flowers bisexual, cream-coloured, in small, terminal and axillary panicles Pedicels longer than the flowers Petals 5, coloured, spreading, imbricate in bud. Disk fleshy, 10-lobed. Stamens 10, inserted outside the disk at its base ; anthers cordate, apiculate, versatile. Ovary immersed in the disk, 3-celled ; ovules 8 in each cell. Capsule 1in. long by ½in, thick, oblong, coriaceous, 3-celled loculicidally, 3-valved, the