76 BixaceCB. \Hvdnocarpus. 



A tree, bark smooth, whitish, young shoots pubescent ; 

 1. 4-6 in., narrowly or broadly lanceolate, narrowed at base, 

 attenuate to subacute apex, shallowly serrate, glabrous above, 

 pubescent on veins beneath, thick, veins very oblique, petioles 

 |-i in., pubescent, stip. minute, soon falling; fl. fin., male in 

 small, short, crowded, shortly-peduncled, axillary panicles, 

 female solitary or 2 together, axillary, all densely pubescent ; 

 sep. rotundate, 2 larger ; pet. rotundate, rather shorter than 

 Sep., strongly ciliate, pet.-scales ovate, acuminate, very hairy, 

 golden brown ; stam. 5 ; ov. globular, shaggy, with golden- 

 brown hair, stigmas deeply bifid, flat, spreading, bright green ; 

 fruit nearly globular, with a short, blunt beak, |-i in. diam., 

 densely covered with thick, ferrugineous tomentum ; seeds 

 about 6, closely packed, angular. 



Low country up to about 2000 ft., on banks of rivers ; rather common. 

 Ratnapura : Kurunegala ; Hantane ; Peradeniya ; Colombo (Jonville, 

 1796, Mus. Brit.); Tambalagam Pattu, E. Prov. 



Fl. March, April ; brownish-white. Endemic. 



The fruits are used as a fish-poison, having narcotic properties ; and 

 it is said that these are sometimes communicated to the fish so killed. 

 The oil from the seeds is employed in skin complaints. 



Wood yellow, moderately hard. 



2. K. alpina, Wight, Ic. iii. 3, 2 (1845). Gomma, 5. Attuchan- 

 kulai, T. 



Thw. Enum. 19. C. P. 2918. 



Fl. B. Ind. i. 197. Wight, Ic. t. 942. Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. n. 



A large tree, young shoots nearly glabrous; 1. 3^-6 in., 

 lanceolate or oblong-oval, attenuate, narrowed at base and 

 often unequal, entire, glabrous ; fl. nearly i in., axillary, male 

 in crowded, paniculate fascicles, fern, solitary or 2 together, 

 ped. f in., pubescent ; sep. ovate, acute or obtuse ; pet. lan- 

 ceolate, longer than sep., margins revolute, pet.-scales strap- 

 shaped, pubescent ; stam. 5, shorter than pet. ; ov. densely 

 pubescent, stigmas flat, spreading or recurved ; fruit nearly 

 globose, pointed, tipped with persistent stigmas, i-i:^ in., 

 densely and finely tomentose ; seeds numerous, closely 

 packed. 



Low country, chiefly in the dry districts. Bintenne ; Batticaloa ; 

 Karawita Kande. 



Fl. April ; yellowish-white. 



Occurs also in the Nilgiri Hills, up to nearly 6000 ft. 



The name is unfortunately chosen ; even in the Nilgiris there is no 

 alpine country, and in Ceylon this tree shows no tendency to ascend into 

 the montane region at all. 



3. K. octandra, Thw. in Kcw Joitrn. Bot. vii. 197 (1855). 

 Thw. Enum. 19. C. P. 2640. 

 Fl. B. Ind. i. 197. 



