526 POLYANDRIA RIONOGYNIA. BaSSia. 



2. B. laiifolia. Willd. 2842. Corom. pi. 1. No. 19. 



Leaves oblong. Calyx four-leaved. Stamina from 

 twenty to thirty, within the gibbous tube of the corol. 



Madhaca, is the Sanscrit name. See Asiat. Res. 1. p. 

 300. vol. ii. p. 301, a?id iv. p. 280. 



Mudhooka, Gwroodshpoo, Madhararaa, Voonaprwstha, 

 Mwdhooshpootheela, Mwdhoo. 



Mahwa, Mwhooa, and M?<hoola of the Bengalese. 



Teling. Ipie. 



A middling sized tree, a native of the mountainous 

 parts of the Circars and ofBengal. Leaves deciduous dur- 

 ing the cold season, and appearing again with the llowers 

 in March and April. The seed ripens in July and August. 



Trunk straight but short, covered with smooth, ash- 

 coloured bark. Branches very numerous^ the lower ones 

 spreading horizontally. Leaves alternate, petioled, crowd- 

 ed about the extremities of the branches, oblong, rigid, 

 smooth above, somewhat whitish below, from four to 

 eight inches long, and from two to four broad. Peti- 

 oles round, about an inch long. Stipules subulate, downy. 

 Floivers numerous, crowded from the extremities of the 

 branchletSjpeduncled, at all times bowing, viz. bent with 

 the mouth of the flower directly to the ground. Pedun- 

 cles about an inch long, round, thickened, covered with 

 rust-coloured down. Calyx as in the genus. Corol tube 

 as in the genus. Border from seven to fourteen-parted. 

 Germ ovate, hairy, from six to eight-celled, with one seed 

 in each, attached to the upper end of the large axis. Ber- 

 ry, the size of a small apple. Seeds from one to four, ve- 

 ry rarely more. Embryo erect, and without perisperm. 



This is a very useful tree. The w ood is hard, very 

 strong, and proper for naves of wheel carriages, &c. 



The flowers are eaten raw by the natives of the moun- 

 tainous parts of the Circars, and by jackals. They have a 

 sweet spirituous taste. An ardent spirit is distilled from 

 them by the hill people, which is strong and intoxicating. 



