“ 
Mangifera,  PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA, 643 
* 
Calyz five-leaved ; ; leaflets oblong, concave. Petals five, lan- 
ceolate, epremtings: twice the length of the calyx. Mectary 
five, large, yellow, fleshy bodies surrounding the base of the 
germ, forming as it were an excavated, five-lobed receptacle 
for it to sit in, each of the lobes as large as the germ itself. 
Filament single, subulate, ascending, half the length of the 
petals, inserted between the lower lobe of the nectary and the 
germ. Anther oval, purple. Besides these there are general- 
ly two, three, four, or more, very minute, sterile filament like 
‘bodies, issuing from the apices of the lobes of the nectary. 
Germ obliquely oval, one-celled, and containing asingle vvu- 
lum, attached to the side of the cell, opposite to the fertile 
stamen, and under the style. Style from the side of the germ, 
length of the stamen, subulate, declining, so as to bring the 
- stigma which is small, and incurved nearly to touch the an- 
ther. Drupe oblong, or kidney- -formed, also a little compress- 
ed like a kidney, fleshy, smooth, when ripe yellow, size va- 
rious, but in general about as large as a goose-egg, Nut con- 
form to the drupe, but more compressed, woody, one-celled, 
two-valved, covered on the outside with many fibrous ram 
ments, particularly on the worst sorts. s 
It is by no means necessary for me to mention thatthe ‘pe. 
fruit of this tree, (when of a good sort,) is universally eaten, 
and esteemed the best fruit in India. Jellies, preserves, tarts, 
pickles, &e. are made of them before ripe. 
“The kernels are large, and seem to contain much nourish-. 
ment, however they are made no use of, exeept during times 
of scarcity and famine ; they are then boiled in the, soon of 
= and used as an article of diet, 3 
~ The wood is of a dull gray colour, porous, yet pes Aue 
rable if kept dry, but soon decays if exposed to wet. In very 
large old trees it acquires a light chocolate colour towards 
the centre of the trunk, and larger branches, This is hard, 
closer grained, and much more derable. | 
From wounds made in ‘the bark, there issues a soft, red- 
dish, brown gum resin, which age hares, and renders ex- 
Ge2: * ; 
