Pentaptera. decandria monogynia. 441 



A timber tree, a native of various parts of India. It 

 flowers in May and the seed ripens in the cool season. 



7. P. bialata. R. 



Arboreous. Branches horizontal. Leaves alternate, 

 cuneate-oblono^, waved, pointed, polished. Spikes axil- 

 lary, drooping. Drupe two-winged. 



Of this very distinct species, there is a large one in the 

 Botanic garden which blossoms about the beginning of 

 the rains. It is a native of the mountainous parts of In- 

 dia. 



Trunk perfectly straight, even up through the horizon- 

 tal subverticelled branches to the very top ; it is from five 

 to six feet in circumference four feet above ground. Bark 

 smooth, of a brownish ash colour ; the height of the whole 

 tree about fifty feet. Leaves alternate, about the ends of 

 the branchlets, long-petiolcd, oblong-cuneate, entire, acute, 

 with waved margins, smooth, polished, of a deep green on 

 both sides, from four to seven inches long, and from two to 

 three broad. Petioles about half the length of the leaves, 

 very smooth,the lower half being round, and the upper half 

 flattened on the upper side. Spikes axillary, solitary, 

 smooth, drooping, about as long as both leaf and petiole. 

 Flowers numerous, small, of a greenish yellow, herma- 

 phrodite in the lower half of the spike, and male in the 

 rest. Bractes minute, one-flowered, caducous. Calyx cam- 

 panulate, five-parted, having the bottom filled with brown 

 hairs. Filaments ten, alternately a little shorter, the short 

 ones do not expand so much as the longer five. Anthers 

 two-lobed. Germ beneath, ovate, villous. Style nearly as 

 long as the stamina. Stigma acute. Drupe oblong, vil- 

 lous, tapering equajly towards each end, and enlarged 

 with two broad, membranaceous, waved, villous wings. 

 Seed lanceolate. Embryo with its two large thin cotyle- 

 dons, rolled spirally up round each other and the superi- 

 or radicle. 



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