152 MONAUKLIMHA DODECANDRIA. SterciiHa. 



10. S. alata. Roxh. 



Leaves cordate, entire, IVoin three to live-nerved. /?«- 

 cejwes crowded about the ends of'the branchlets, length of the 

 petioles. Follicles sub-rotund. Seeds numerous, winged. 



A native of the countries immediately east of Bengal, 

 where it grows to l)e a large, handsome, very ramous tree. 

 Flowering time, in the Botanic garden, February and Marcli, 

 and the seed ripens about the close of the year. In the pro- 

 vince of Chittagong, the tree is called Buthlha JSTimkella, 

 which may be translated, BoocUi's Coco-nut^ JVarikella be- 

 ino" one of the Sanscrit names of the Coco-nnt. In Silhet it 

 is called Toola, and there the seeds are said to be eaten by 

 the natives as a cheap substitute for opium. 



Trunk, in trees twenty-five years old, n<iw growing in the 

 Botanic garden, straight, tall, four feet above the ground, 

 three and a half feet in circumference. Dark fjuite smooth, 

 and ash-coloured. Branches numerous, towards the top of 

 the tree ascending-, below divaricate. In its native soil, 

 they arrive at a much greater size ; viz. ten feet in circumfe- 

 rence, and above one hundred high. Leaves alternate about 

 the ends of the branchlets, petioled, cordate, entire, smooth, 

 from three to five-nerved, from four to twelve inches long, 

 and from three to eight broad. Deciduous about the time 

 the blossoms appear in February and March. Petioles 

 round, smooth, from one to four inches long. Stipules mi- 

 nute, subulate, caducous at a very early period. Racemes 

 axillary, sometimes terminal, thin, sub-panicled, but the most 

 common mode is racemes in pairs from the ax ills of the for- 

 mer years toward the ends of the branchlets, and about as 

 lono- as the petioles, or more densely clothed with ferrugin- 

 ous stellate pubescence. Floicers pretty large, short- pedi- 

 celled, reflex ; male and female on the same racemes. Bractes 

 ensiform, three under each flower, and caducous at a very 

 early period. Calyx campanulate, divided nearly to the base, 

 into live thick, fleshy, recurved, lanceolar segments ; outside 

 clothed with ferruginous, stellate pubescence; inside ele- 



