514 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVIII. 



The ovary consists of many carpels, 12-20. In the N. 0. Euphorbiacese, 

 the ovary is typically trilocular. But in the Genus Hura it is multilocular. 

 Prof. Vines says that in Hura crepitans the carpels are from 5-20. (Text- 

 Book of Botany, p. 621, 1895, London.) 



The fruit is a capsule, rounded, consisting of curiously-shaped hard-shelled 

 carpels and about the size of an orange. They have as many deep furrows as 

 there are cells. When the fruit is mature and dry and " exposed to the 

 action of a dry atmosphere, it bursts with great force accompanied by a loud 

 sharp crack, like the report of a pistol for which reason it is often called the 

 Monkey's Dinner-Bell." (A. A B.). In the 3rd edition of Lyon's Medical Juris- 

 prudence there is the following remark on the Sand-box tree : — " Chevers on 

 the authority of Dr. H. Cleghorn remarks that this tree introduced from the 

 West Indies is not uncommon at the Presidency Towns." Mr. Millard, our 

 Honorary Secretary informs me that he believes that the Khandala tree was 

 introduced there by the Hon'ble Mr. Rustomji Jamsetji Jijibhoy in 1864. 



The seeds are lenticular, varying in diameter from 17 mm. to 20 mm. 

 according to Kerner von Marilaun. 



The inflorescence appeared at Khandala in May last and the fruit was ready 

 in October last. Both Johnson and Paxton say that the plant was introduced 

 into England in 1733. As a stove-evergreen tree it bears whitish-yellow 

 flowers, say Johnson and Paxton. But Loudon says that the male and female 

 flowers are violet. The Khandala flowers were beautiful lake-coloured. 



Loudon observes that the species are propagated by large ripened cuttings 

 planted in heat and covered in a hand-glass. His description of the fruit is 

 characteristic. It runs thus : — " The fruit is of a very elegant form resem- 

 bling a depressed sphere with many rounded ribs, arranged with the utmost 

 symmetry." 



The seeds are violently purgative. The sap of the leaves and bark, says 

 Loudon, is corrosive and the seeds " vilien roasted purge both upwards and 

 downwards." According to Lunan dry seeds lose their drastic property ; the 

 seeds are drastic and emetic only in the green state. Boussingault says that 

 when he and M. Rivers analysed some milk of the Hura sent to them from 

 Guaduas by Dr. Roulin, they were attacked with erysipelas. " The courier 

 who brought it was seriously injured, and the inhabitants of the houses where 

 he had lodged on the road experienced the same effects." (Le M. and D.) 

 What is called " milk" is not white, but thick sap resembling the syrup of cane 

 sugar. When I took the plant from Khandala to Lanoli, the few drops that 

 trickled down my fingers from cut ends of the sprigs, irritated my hands. 

 There was an itching sensation, and nothing more. 



K. R. KIRTIKAR. f.l.s., 



Lt.-Col., I.M.S., (Ret.) 



Andheri, Salsette, December 1907. 



