1 24 ApOCynaceCB. [Carissa. 



pericarp thick, entirely filled with pulp, in which are immersed 

 numerous seeds each surrounded by a pulpy envelope; seed 

 |-i in. ovoid, compressed, testa thin, embryo large, dark 

 crimson. 



Forests of the moist region up to 4000 ft.; rather common. FI. 

 March ; yellow. 



Endemic. 



First collected by Wight in 1835. This is one of several plants called 

 * Kiri-wel.' The handsome fruit, like a very large pink-cheeked apple, is 

 a favourite food of monkeys. The stem is full of caoutchouc, but, as this 

 does not remain elastic after consolidation by exposure to the air, it is of 

 no use as rubber; but in its sticky condition it is ' employed by the 

 Sinhalese, smeared on frayed-out bamboos, to catch the insects so 

 destructive to crops of hill-paddy. 



Allamanda catharttca^ L., a native of Brazil, is very commonly met 

 with in an apparently wild state in the low country. It, however, never 

 produces seeds here. It is called ' Wal-Ruk-attana ' by the Sinhalese. 

 Moon has it in his Cat. (p. 19), and its introduction was probably not 

 much before his time. 



2. CARISSA, L. 



Shrubs or small trees with paired spines at the nodes, 

 dichotomously branched; 1. small; fl. in axillary and terminal 

 cymes; cal. small, segm. 5, narrow; cor. -tube cylindrical, 

 narrow, lobes 5, overlapping to right ; stam. 5, distinct, 

 inserted in cor.-tube, included ; ov. 2-celled, stigma conical ; 

 fruit ovoid, fleshy, indehiscent; seeds 2 or 4 with fleshy en- 

 dosperm. — Sp. 20; 5 in Fl. B. Lid. 



The rigid spines are clearly abortive inflorescences, and occasionally 

 bear flowers at the forked extremities ; they are found only at alternate 

 nodes, and at these only does the dichotomous branching occur. 



L. oblong, obtuse; fruit over | in. . . .1. C. CAR.A.NDAS. 



L. broadly oval apiculate ; fruit under i in. . . 2. C. SPINARUM. 



I. C. Carandas, L. Mant. i. 52 (1767). Kaha-karamba, S. 

 Perunklla, T. 



Moon Cat. 19. Thw. Enum. 191. C. P. 1823. 

 Fl. B. Ind. iii. 630. Wight, Ic. t. 426. 



A small tree or large shrub, branches very numerous, 

 divaricate, rigid, spines horizontal very sharp; 1. oblong-oval 

 or oblong-lanceolate, 1-2 A in., subacute at base, obtuse at 

 apex, glabrous, thin ; fl. in threes, shortly stalked, in clusters 

 at end of short axillary and terminal peduncles, bracts small, 

 linear; cal. and cor. as in the next; fruit |-i in., ovoid, bluntly 

 pointed, smooth, reddish-purple. 



