71 



BOMBAX INSIGNE. Tab. 79. 80. 



Inerme ; foliis 9-foliolatis, follolis obovatis, breve acuminatis, subtus petiolisque glaucis ; corolla calyce bilobo qua- 

 driiplo, staminibus duplo longiore ; petalis extiis villosis ; stigmate 5.1obo, subiilato; capsula longissima. 

 Crescit prope Yenangbeun in regno Barmanico. Floret initio anni. 



Arbor inermis, altitudinis pedum 20 ad 30. Truncus crassus, jequalis, cortice fjlabriiisculo. Hamuli crassi, cylindrici, cinereo- 

 glaucescentes, petiolorum delapsorum cicatricibus notati, glabri. Folia versus rauiulorum extrcmltatcs sparsa, petiolata, peltatim 

 9-foliolata, decidua. Foliola obovata, brevfe acuminata, integerrima, deorsiim attenuata, coriacea, 5-poIlicaria, glaberrima, subtus glauca, 

 nervis suboppositis, approximatis, intra marginem arcuatis et anastomosantibus, cum costa gracili clevatis, venis reticulatis. Pktioli's 

 communis cylindricus, glaucus, supra sulcatus, basi pariim intumescens, apice suborbit'ulato^)lanus ; partialis ^-])ollicares vol pollicares, 

 basi articulati, supra sulcati. Flores niaximi et speciosissimi, ruberrimi, per ranuilos nudos sparsi, solitarii, suffulti pedunculo valdt^ crasso, 

 clavato, semipollicari, cum basi contracta calycis articulato. Calyx valdfe crassus et coriaceus, urceolato-globosus, sesquipollicaris, 

 corolla quadruple brevior, extils rufescens, glaber, intiis sericeo-lanuginosus, ore truncate inaequaliter et obtusfc 2-lobo, deniiim 

 utrinque ad basin usque fisso. Petala 5, oblonga, obtusa, deorsiim parfim angustata, 5 — G-pollicaria, recurvato-patentissima, crassa 

 et coriacea, caduca, supr^ ruberrima glabra, subtus villis copiosis, sericeis obtecta, pallida. Stamina plurima, glabra, petalis dimidic) 

 ferfe breviora, sursilm seriebus 4 vel 5 ordinata, erecto-divergentia ; Jilamenta camosa, iiliformia, basi ineequalit^r connatu in tubum 

 amplum, ^-poUicarem, supernfe irregularitfer multifidum ; anthenv reniformes, flav.-p, dorsi medio adfixoe. Ovarium ovato-conicum, calyce 

 plurifes brevius. Stylus cylindricus, erectus, glaber. Stigma supra stamina pariim elevatum, carnosum, 5-lobum, lobis subulatis, patulis, 

 inaequalibus. Capsule valvulce delapsce planae, lignosae, oblongae, 10-unciales, ultra pollicem latae, basi attenuatse, apice incurvd acutae, 

 utrinque glabrae, extCis fuscee. « 



The only place where I met with this magnificent tree was among ravines, on a very arid tract of conntry, at a 

 distance of a few miles from the petroleum wells on the Irawaddi, near the town of Yenangbeun, in the beginning of 

 January 1827. I saw a number of individuals entirely destitute of leaves, but covered with a profusion of superb, 

 vivid red flowers, the petals of which were successively dropping down among the withered leaves and fragments of 

 the capsules, which lay scattered on the ground. In stature the tree is smaller than the common cotton-tree of India, 

 {Bombax malabarkum, DeCand.), but the flowers are nearly twice as large. I foimd the last-mentioned sj)ecics very 

 plentifully along the banks of the Irawaddi, round villages and in forests, together with the majestic i)alm called Borassus 

 fabelliformis, the Tamarind, and Ficus religiosa, all of them attaining a ^■ery great size. On the mountain Taong Dong 

 I met with a variety of the cotton-tree with white instead of red flowers ; and on the banks of the river Sahien in 

 the province of Martaban I observed the common red sort growing in great abundance. 



Plate LXXIX. Fig. 1. Calyx opened. 2. Part of the stamens. • 



WIGHTIA. 



Calyx 4-dcntatus Corolla infundibuliformis ; limbi 4.fidi lacinia superiore biloba. Stamina 4, didynama ; sterile 

 dkcusouc hjpogynus ntiUa. Stigma clavatum. indivisum. Capsula follicularis, 2-valvis. Disseplmkntum parallelum, 

 utrinque placentiferum, demi.m liberum. Semina longitudinaliter imbncata, utnnque alata. Radicula infera. 



Classis Linneana : Didijnamia Amriospermia. 



Ordo naturalis : i5/Vr«o/i/ff«Yi?, Brown. • .-^ . n .-^ \^..\\\ 



Frutex maximus, alte volubilis ; foHis oppositis, simplic.bus, peduncuhsque obtect.s pu he mnmta, stellata, subses .h. 

 sdubili. Racemi axillares, maximi, pedunculis trichotonns. Ah omnibus gener.hus b.gnomace.s vk letur abludere 

 absentia completa disci hypogyni et staminis sterilis. capsula follicular., valvularum margmibus inflex.s d.ssep.mentum 



nHfio-pntlhiKs scminibus erectis, radicula infera. . 



gC apVXtu! in honorem amici a,l,„o,I,„„ ,«.„„,a,i l.icl.an.i Vish, h,.,„r,. natural,, tot.,. ,„ ,.c..u„.s.la 

 Indi« Oriental^ cultoris devo&simi, botanicl ..,,tinu. .ncri.i, ,.eregnnat„r,s indefc 



tessi. 



WIGHTIA GIGANTEA. Tab. 81. 



Crescit in montibus Napali. Sumbunath et Sheopur. florens Decembri et Januario, fructificans Majo. 



,. •>.„« volubilis diametro pollices 6 usque ad 12 emctiens, supemJ" divisus in ramos multos volub.lcs, vel 

 Truncus altissimfe super arbonbusvoiu ., r^sci fcunctis callosis, cinereis, frequentibus scabri, ad foliorum inscrtioncm par5m 



lax6 subpendulos. Hamuli crassi, cylindnci, iJE\es, lUbc ,^ 



