Hernandia. | CXVIA. HERNANDIACEE (SPRAGUE). 191 
2, HERNANDIA, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pl, iii, 164 
Flowers monecious. Perianth-segments in two valvate whorls, 
free, spreading. Male flower: Perianth-segments 6 (in both the 
African species) or 8. Stamens 3 or 4, opposite the outer segments; 
anthers dehiscing introrsely, valves opening outwards. Staminodes 
either as many as the stamens and alternate with them, or (in both the 
African species) twice as many and attached one on either side at the 
base of each filament, or absent. Female flower surrounded at the 
base by a cupular truncate or bilobed involucel, Perianth-segments 
8 (in both the African species) or 10. Staminodes 4 or 5, opposite the 
outer segments. Style geniculate at or a little above the middle; 
stigma obliquely peltate. Fruit more or less distinctly 8-ribbed, sur- 
rounded by an inflated fleshy cupule. Cotyledons lobed like the human 
brain.—Trees. Leaves simple, long-petioled, undivided, sometimes 
veltate. Cymes long-peduncled, corymbose, bracteate, borne in the 
axils of the upper leaves ; cymules surrounded by an involucre of 4-5 
foliaceous bracts, usually 3-flowered, the central flower female, the two 
dateral male. 
Species 12, in the tropical parts of both the Old and New World. 
Branchlets glabrous; leaves distinctly peltate, 7-nerved 
at the insertion of the petiole . ° “ : 
Branchlets puberulous; leaves not peltate or slightly 
peltate, 5-nerved at the insertion of the petiole . . 2. H. beninensis. 
1. H. peltata. 
1. H. peltata, Veisn. in DC. Prodr. xv. i. 263. A tree, 40-50 
ft. high with a clear trunk of 20-25 ft., 5-12 ft. in circumference ; 
head wide-spreading; wood soft, light, grey. Branchlets stout, 
glabrous. Leaves broadly ovate, peltate, rounded-truncate, retuse or 
cordate at the base, shortly acuminate and subobtuse at the apex, more 
rarely obtuse or rounded, 44-12 in. long, 3-9 in. broad, subcoriaceous, 
glabrous, digitately 7-nerved at the insertion of the petiole, remaining 
nerves 3—4 on each side of the midrib; petiole 24-8 in. long. Corymbs 
4-12 long including the peduncle, which is 24-7 in. long. Flowers 
whitish. Perianth-segments of male flower about 2 lin. long. Stamens 
monadelphous for } lin. below; anthers # lin. long; free part of fila- 
ment # lin. long, pubescent. Fruit ellipsoid, with a broad rounded 
umbo, 8-ribbed, 1} in. long; cupule subglobose, about 14 in. in diam. 
—Seem. Fl. Vitien. 204, t. 52; Benth. Fl. Austr. v. 314; Beddome, 
Fl. Sylv. t. 300; Baker, Fl. Maurit, 293 ; Kurz, For. Fl. Brit, Burma, 
ii. 309; Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. v. 188; Trimen, Handb. Fl. Ceylon, 
iii. 456; Engl. Pf. Ost-Afr. C. 183; Greshoff, Nutt. Ind. Pl. t. 21; 
Brandis, Indian Trees, 542; Hattori in Journ. Coll. Sci. Tokyo, xxii. 
x. 13. H. sonora, Linn. Sp, Pl. ed. i, 981 (as to the Ceylon plant only) ; 
Wight, Ic. t. 1855. 
Mozamb. Dist. Zanzibar: on the eastern, stony part of the island, Stuh/mans, 
ser. i, 783, 
