Vatena.'] DipterocarpacecE. 131 



large, indehiscent, supported on the slightly enlarged, some- 

 what reflexed sep. ; cotyledons very unequal, the larger 

 deeply 2-fid. — Sp. 2, both in Fl. B. Ind. 



V. acuminata, Hayne Arzneik. xi. 5 (1830), non Thw. Hal., S. 



Elaocarpus copallifertcs, Retz. Obs. iv. 27. V. indica, Bl. Mus. Bot. ii. 

 29 (non L.); Moon Cat. 42; Thw. Enum. yj. A. DC. 1. c. 625. C. P. 

 1918. 



Fl. B. Ind. i. 313. Gaertn. Fruct. iii. t. 189 (fruit). Bl. Mus. Bot. ii. 

 t. 4. {V. indica.) 



A large tree, with spreading branches and a round head, 

 young shoots covered with brown, stellate hairs ; I. large, 

 6-10 in., oblong or lanceolate-oblong, rounded or subcordate 

 at base, very shortly acuminate, entire, coriaceous, glabrous 

 and shining above, slightly hispid on veins beneath, midrib 

 very thick, lat. veins 18-20, all very prominent beneath, 

 petioles i^-if in., very thick, swollen at top, cylindrical, 

 hairy ; fl. large, i in. diam., on stout ped. as long as sep., in 

 stout, ascending panicles from the ends of the branches below 

 the terminal bud, bracts large, ovate, acute, deciduous, whole 

 infl. shaggy with tufts of rufous hair ; sep. oblong-oval, sub- 

 acute, shaggy outside ; pet. rotundate, subacute ; anth. almost 

 sessile, the cells linear, auriculate at base, prolonged into 

 filiform hooked points; ov. densely silky; fr. large, 3-5 in. 

 long, oblong-ovoid, somewhat pointed, rounded-truncate at 

 base, where it is supported by the enlarged lanceolate sep., 

 indehiscent, 3-grooved, rough, pale reddish-brown, pericarp 

 thick, spongy-woody ; embryo very large, cotyledons very 

 unequal, the smaller one undivided, the larger deeply split 

 into two nearly separate portions. 



Moist low country, especially near streams, up to about 2000 ft.; 

 common. Fl. April, May ; cream-coloured, sweet-scented. 



Endemic. 



A very beautiful tree, often planted for ornament. 



The stem exudes a clear yellowish (erroneously said to be ' green ' in 

 Fl. B. Ind.) resin abundantly, equal to the best dammar. The bark is 

 much used for checking the fermentation of toddy, and many trees are 

 killed by being stripped. Wood light, rather hard, yellowish-grey. The 

 seeds are ground into meal and eaten. 



Gaertner's figure of the fruit is very good, but represents a small 

 specimen. Though the pericarp is indehiscent, it partially splits down 

 the line of the grooves at the time of germination to allow the exit of the 

 radicle. 



Hermann seems to have known this, as Blume says there are speci- 

 mens from him in the herbaria of J. Burman and Van Royen ; but he did 

 not clearly distinguish it from Canarium zeylanicion. There are speci- 

 mens from Koenig in the Brit. Museum. 



