Morns. MONOECIA TETRANDRFA. 595 



2. M. atropurpurea. R. 



Leaves cordate, very rarely loba(e, serrate, smootli. Ament 

 cylindric. fruit cylindric, dark purple. 



M. rubra. Lourier. Cochin Ch. G79. 



From China this large species was introduced into the Bo- 

 tanic garden at Calcutta, where it thrives luxuriantly, blos- 

 soms about the begiiming of the hot season, in February, and 

 the fruit ripens in March and April. 



Attempts have been made to feed the silk-worm in Beno-al 

 M'ith its leaves ; but, so far as 1 can learn, with little or no 

 success. 



Trunk rarely more than a few feet in height, and in our 

 young trees in Bengal from eighteen to twenty-four inches in 

 circumference. Bark ash-coloured, and rather scabrous. 

 Branches and branchlets nearly erect, long, simple, and pret- 

 ty stout, bark of the old ligneous parts like that of the trunk ; 

 that on the younger branches more smooth, and lighter co- 

 loured ; the general height of our largest trees about twen- 

 ty feet, ieaves alternate, cordate, serrate, acuminate, smooth, 

 three-nerved, with a gland on the base of the lateral nerves, 

 about six inches long, by five broad, caducous during the 

 cool season ; and the new foliage begins to appear with the 

 flowers in February. Petioles nearly round, smooth, an inch 

 and a half long. <S'f?/??Jesensi form, chaffy, caducous. Aments 

 axillary, and below the first leaves of the tender shoots, pe- 

 duncled, generally drooping. The male flowers on one tree 

 and the female ones on another, though sometimes they are 

 monoecous, or polygamous. Male. Aments cylindric, 

 drooping. Coro//<?<s pedicelled. Ca/yx' four-leaved, or deep- 

 ly four-parted. Carol none. Filaments four, more than twice 

 the length of the calyx. Anthers oval. Germ none, but a 

 small conic gland in its place. Female. Aments cylindric, 

 drooping. Corollets sessile. Calijx four-leaved. Leaflets 

 obovate, appressed to the germ. Corol none. Stamina none. 

 Germ oval, one-celled, containing oneovulum attached to the 

 top of the cell. Styles two, revolute, villous, rather united at 



3 w 2 



