dipterocarpe.t: of new guinea. 101 



Dr. Hance has described,'^ from Sumatra, a Dipterocarp in 

 fruit, to which he has given the name of Dryobalanoj^s Scheferi. 

 He remarks that "I really do not know where it is to be i3iaced 

 imless here. Possibly it may be the type of a distmct genus." 

 This greatly stimulated my curiosity, and I was much gratified 

 when Dr. Hance, with his accustomed kindness, sent me a specimen 

 of the plant. At the same time I received others from Dr. Scheffer, 

 as well as what I beheve to be the same species in a flowering stage. 

 It was at once apparent that the species, though very remarkable, 

 would not go into Dnjohalcmops as I understand that genus, being 

 excluded, apart from the absence of the characteristic close linear 

 venation of the leaves, by the evanescence of the calyx-tube which 

 is always well-developed in the fruit of Dryobalano2JS. There is, 

 however, no real difficulty m placing the species in Vatica, the 

 peculiarity of the fruit simply consisting in the excessive horizontal 

 and downward dilatation of the accrescent calyx-lobes, the margins 

 of which stand out and meet in a sub-valvate manner. This is, 

 in fact, only an extreme exaggeration of the sub-valvate aestivation 

 of the calyx which is characteristic of the genus. Similar fruits, 

 though not so strongly developed, are afforded by Vatica SchoiUeniana, 

 Scheff., and Vatica bancana, Scheff., of both of which I have had 

 the opportunity, through Dr. Scheffer' s kindness, of studying the 

 type -specimens. 



I am inclined to beheve, as I have said above, that amongst 

 the unnamed Dipterocarpece sent me by Dr. Scheffer are the flowering 

 state of this plant, and it seems to me to differ m no material 

 respect from Vatica pallida, Dyer, described by mef from Maingay's 

 specimens collected at Penang. Of this I had seen no fruiting 

 specimens, but I see indications in the deflexed calyx, which I have 

 pointed out in my description, of the assumption of the striking 

 development presented by the matm-e fruit. 



Vatica lancecBfolia, Bl. In describing this species for the 'Flora 

 of British India ' (vol. i., p. 302), I had not had the opportunity of 

 seeing mature fruit. Specimens in this state, collected by Sir 

 Joseph Hooker, have lately turned up in the Kew Herbarium, 

 where they had long been indeterminate. They have so little the 

 aspect of a Dipterocarp that Sir Joseph Hooker labelled them at 

 first sight as belonging to a species of Diospyros, and under this 

 name they may lurk undetected in other herbaria. The absence, 

 however, of albumen in the seeds shows that they are not 

 Ebenaceous. 



The geographical distribution of the species may also be some- 

 what amended. Mr. C. B. Clarke informs me that Silhet, in 

 Walhch's Catalogue, always means Khasia. The species is a liigli- 

 level one, and does not occur on the plains of E. Bengal at all. It 

 is distributed over a w^ell-defined district formed of Bhotan, Assam, 

 Khasia, Cachar, and Upper Bh-ma. 



* ' Journal of Botany,' 1876, pp. 307, 308. 

 + ' Flora of Britislj India/ i. p. 303. 



