Mesua. polyandria monogynia. 605 



sub-inferior. (7a/).s?<?e one-celled, two-valved. Seeds from 

 one to four. Embryo erect, without perisperui. 



M. ferrea. Wllld. 3. 843. 



Leaves lanceolate. 



Na^acesara, Nagkesura, Sunscrit names. See Asiat. 

 Res. 4. 295. 



Beng. Nagsara or Naokesi^r. 



This most elegant tree is only, so far as I can learn, 

 found in gardens in Benfjal. I never saw it on the Coro- 

 mandel coast. Flowering time the beginning of the warm 

 season. 



Trunk straight, and beautifully slender in proportion to 

 its height ; hark smooth, dark ash-coloured. Leaves op- 

 posite, short-petioled, lanceolate, entire, veinless, above 

 smooth, and shining ; underneath whitish, with a subtile 

 dust, which may be rubbed ofl", from three to six inches 

 long, and one or a little more broad. Flowers terminal, 

 rarely axillary, solitary, or in pairs, short-peduncled, 

 large, delightfully fragrant, petals pure white, with a large 

 globe of bright gold-coloured anthers in the centre. Bractes 

 none. Calyx four leaved ; leaflets orbicular, concave, the 

 inner pair somewhat large, and with membranaceous mar- 

 gins. Petals four, expanding, nearly obcordate, curled ; 

 margins often torn, and forcibly bent inward from their 

 situation in the strong calyx before expansion. Filaments 

 numerous, several hundreds, about one fourth part of the 

 length of the petals, filiform, slightly united at the base, 

 unto a fleshy ring. Anther s\mc?ir.* 6?gn« superior, ovate, 

 conic, two-celled, with two ovula in each attached to the 



* The stamens are generally permanent and as the capsule en- 

 larges, the ring which they formed round the base of the germ, 

 bursts into several portions, which gives them the appearance of be- 

 ing polyadelphous. 



I am informed that the Grandees of Ava, stuff their pillows with 

 the dried anthers of this plants on account of their fragrance. 



