Ophioxylon. pentandria monogynia. G93 



A pretty large tree, a native of salt swamps near the shores 

 of various parts of India, yet it thrives well in the sweet and 

 comparatively rich soil of the Botanic garden at Calcutta, 

 where the trees are fully as large as the largest pear trees, 

 and in flower and seed the whole year. 



The wood is remarkably soft, spongy and white, the bark 

 on the young, generally trichotomous shoots polished, deep 

 green. Leaves alternate, and crowded about the ends of the 

 branchlets, short- petioled, lanceolar, firm and polished. Co- 

 rymbs terminal. Flowers large, white and fragrant. Br tides 

 and cali/cine segments linear and revolute. C 'or o I infundi- 

 buliform; segments of the border sub-triangularly falcate, in 

 the bud imbricated. Stamina enclosed. Germ two-lobed, 

 each lobe with a groove on the outside, and containing two 

 cells, with two ovula in each, attached to the partition. I ne- 

 ver saw more than one of the lobes come to maturity, and that 

 with rarely more than one seed, the other cell proving abor- 

 tive. The style is slender, and the stigma in this species is 

 remarkably large, conical, resting in a saucer-shaped recep- 

 tacle, the circumference fluted with ten grooves, and the apex 

 two-cleft. Gartner's description and figures of the mature 

 seed vessel and seed, are so good as to render any thing 

 farther unnecessary. 



3. C. maculata. WiUtl. spec. ii. 1223. 



Leaves sub-verticelled, oblong, tapering most toward the 

 base, smooth, veined. Drupes acuminate. 



Ochrosia. Jussieu. gen. plant, 161. 



Found by Colonel Hardwicke indigenous on the Island of 

 Mauritius, in seed in September. From his specimens the 

 above definition is taken. 



OPHIOXYLON. Schreb. gen. N. 1578. 

 Calyx five-toothed. Cowl funnel-shaped. Germ two- 

 celled ; cells one-seeded ; attachment inferior. Berries twin, 



Rr3 



