1 06 Giittiferce. [Mesua. 



finely pubcrulous outside, persistent, the inner pair twice as 

 long as the outer ; pet. 2 in., obovate, with a broad cuneate 

 base, crisped and undulated, wide-spreading, fugacious ; stam. 

 very much shorter than pet. ; ov. pyramidal, compressed, 

 style twice as long as stam., stigma capitate, 2-lobed ; fr. 

 surrounded by the enlarged crustaceous sep., ovoid or sub- 

 globular, pointed, 1-I4 in., pericarp tough, semi- woody, 

 ultimately 2-valved ; seeds 1-4, angular, testa crustaceous, 

 smooth, chestnut brown. 



Var. p. sclerophylla, 77/w. Enum. 407 (sp.). M. speciosa, var. /3. 

 Thw. Enum. 50. C. P. 603. 



L. rounded at the base, very thick and rigid, veins quite 

 hidden. 



Var. y. pulchella, Planch, and Tri. 1. c. 279 (sp.). M. coromafi- 

 delhia, Thw. Enum. 50 (non Wight). Thw. Enum. 407. C. P. 3404. 



L. quite without white powder beneath ; fl. 1-3 together 

 in axils. 



Forests of the low country especially in the moist region ; common. 

 Var. /3. four or five trees only in Reigam Korale. Var. y. in .Singhe Raja 

 Forest. A very narrow-leaved form {Af. salictna^ Planch, and Tri.) abun- 

 dant at (lalagama. Fl. April-June ; sep. bright pink, pet. white, anth. 

 orange, fil. lemon-yellow. Very sweet-scented. 



Throughout Indian and Malay Peninsula and Andaman Is. 



One of our most beautiful trees, and much planted, especially near 

 Buddhist temples. The large fl. are deliciously scented, and the young 

 leaves of an intense blood-red passing into the dark green of the adult 

 growth through delicate shades of pink. 



The ' Iron wood' of the English. Wood very hard and heavy, dark 

 red, extremely durable. 



An oil is obtained from the seeds. 



2. M. Thwaitesii, Planch, and Tri. in Ann. Sc. Nat. 4. xv. 305 

 (1861). I>iya-na, A'. 



M. spcciosa, Thw. Enum. 50 (non Chois.). Thw. Enum. 407. C. P. 

 1675. 



Fl. B. Ind. i. 278. 



A tree, with rather smooth bark, young parts glabrous ; 

 1. very long, 8-12 in., linear-oblong, rounded or narrowed at 

 base, acuminate, coriaceous, glabrous, covered with white 

 powder beneath, petiole ^ in. ; fl. very large, 3-4^ in. diam., 

 sessile, 1-3 together on a short peduncle in leaf-axils, each 

 surrounded by 2 or 3 large adpressed bracts ; fr. surrounded 

 by enlarged sep. and bracts, depressed-globose, apiculate, 

 valves very thick ; seeds 2, testa dark brown, smooth. 



Moist low country in forests, near streams ; rather common. Ratna- 

 pura ; Kitulgala ; Palabadulla ; Labugama. 



