Gastonia. .. DECANDRIA:. MONOGYNIA. 407 
GASTONIA. Juss. gen. n. 242. 
Calyx obscurely from eight to ten-toothed. Petals 
from eight to ten. Germ inferior, from eight to ten-cell- 
ed ; cells one-seeded ; attachment superior. Stigma from 
eight to ten-rayed. Capsule evalvular, from eight to 
ten-celled. Seed solitary. Embryo inverse, and furnish. 
ed with a perisperm. ‘¢ 
1. G. palmata, R. 
Sub-arboreous, armed. Leaves palmate, serrate ; pe- 
tioles armed. , 
An erect, stout shrub, or small tree; every part well 
armed with numerous, short, straight prickles. A native 
of the moist vallies of Chittagong, where it blossoms in 
January and February, and the seeds pen in May % and 
June. : 
Stem, in luxuriant plants in the Botanic garden at 
Calcutta now three years old, straight, nearly simple, 
about as thick as our largest walking canes, from six to 
seven feet high, completely armed with numerous, small, 
straight and incurved prickles, toward the leaves, round, 
‘the top intermixed with appressed, feruginous, stiff 
bristles. Branches only two or three from the lower 
parts of the stem, where it is thicker, and more ligneous, 
in every respect like the stem. Full grown trees in 
their native vallies, are from ten to twelve feet high, 
With stems twelve inches in circumference, bearing only 
_ afew branches at the top. The /eaves round the top of 
the stem and branches are nearly round, alternate, ap- 
proximate, petioled, palmate; from five to nine-lobed, 
from five to nine-nerved, of a hard texture, the upper sur- 
face pretty smooth,the under one rather rough ; lobes lan- 
ceolate, acuminate, acutely serrate; sinuses round ; the 
length and breadth from twelve to thir yas inches. 
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