524 POLYANDRIA MONOGYNIA. BaSSia. 



bractes, if any, fall so soon, and are so small, that I have 

 not detected them. Calyx of two opposite pairs of ovate 

 oblonof, rather acute, somewhat villous leaflets. Corol 

 Tube length of the calyx, gibbous, of a thick, firm, fleshy 

 texture ; border eight-cleft ; segments sub-lanceolate. 

 Filaments scarcely any. Anthers from sixteen to twenty, 

 attached to the inside of the tube of the corol. Germ 

 from six to eight-celled, with one seed in each, attached 

 to the inner and under-side of the cell. Style twice as 

 long as the corol. Stigma contracted, but evidently from 

 six to eight-toothed. Berry oblong, the size of a large 

 plum, villous, pulpy, when ripe yellowish, seldom more 

 th'tin three-celled, and one is more common ; in the germ, 

 always from six to eight. Seed solitary, oblong, of various 

 shapes according to the number in the berries, attached 

 to the lower half of the axis. Perisperm none. Embryo 

 erect. Cotyledons conform to the seed. Radicle round- 

 ish, inferior. 



I cannot account for Gaertner's large, five-celled, five- 

 seeded berry, and suspect it belongs to some species which 

 I have not yet met with, probably one Rumph's. Vidori- 

 cum. See vol. i. of his Hor. Amb. page 173 a?id iii. 184. 



Economical uses of the Illupie tree. Bassia longifolia 

 by the Rev. Dr. John of Tranquebar. 



1. The oil pressed from the ripe fruit is used by the na- 

 tives as common lamp oil, who cannot afford to buy co- 

 coanut oil. It is thicker, burns longer but dimmer, smokes 

 a little, and gives some disagreeable smell which common 

 people do not mind. 



2. It is a principal ingredient in making the country 

 soap, and keeps therefore often the same price with the 

 cocoanut oil. 



3. It is to the common people a substitute in place of 

 ghee and cocoanut oil in their curries and other dishes. 

 They make cakes of it, and many of the poor get their 

 livelihood by selling these sweet oil cakes. 



