Ruta, DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 373 
Kada Kandel. Rheed. Mal. vol. 6. t. 37. 
Beng. Kripa, 
A pretty large tree, a native of the Delta of the Ganges, 
where the spring-tides rise so high as to overflow the 
ground onawhich they grow. Flowering time the hot season, 
Trunk straight, bark scabrous. Branches numerous, 
erect, and ascending, with dark brown, smooth, bark. 
Leaves alternate, subsessile, obovate, emarginate, slight- 
ly crenate, almost veiniess, smooth on both sides, and 
fleshy, about two inches long, and one broad. Stipules — 
none. Spikes axillary, solitary, generally simple, about 
as long as the leaves, each bearing from six to twelve, 
alternate, small, white flowers. Bractes, a very minute 
one at the base of each germ, and two growing on the 
Opposite sides ofits middle. Calyx five-toothed ; teeth 
rounded and frequently unequal. Petals five, inserted 
within the fissures of the calyx, oblong, entire, first ex- 
panding, then recurved. Filaments ten, alternately a 
little longer, about the length of the petals. Anthers 
ovate. Germ inferior, ovate, compressed. Style awled, 
as long as the stamens. Stigma acute. Pericarpium a 
small ovate, oblong, compressed, drupaceous berry, with 
a single linear, oblong seed. . 
The wood is remarkably strong and durable; it is much 
used for posts and other parts of the houses of the na- 
tives, but its chief consumption about Calcutta is for fuel, 
large quantities being brought daily from the Sunder- 
bunds (low parts of the Delta,) for that purpose. 
I doubt if this can with propriety be considered a Pe- 
taloma, ‘The habit does not by any means agree, It 
“will probably form a genus. 
RUTA. Schreb. gen. n. 725. 
Calyx five-parted, Petals.concave. Receptacle of the 
germ impressed with ten melliferous pits. Capsule ie 
