TJiymelcEace<2 . 457 



A large family nearly confined to Australia and the Cape. Helicia is 

 the only Trop. Asiatic genus. 



KX:Z.ZCXA, Lour. 

 For characters, see Order. — Sp. 25 ; 10 in Fl. B. hid. 



H. zeylanica, Gardn. in Calc. Joiirn. Nat. Hist. vii. 453 (1846). 

 [Plate LXXIX.] 



Meissn. in DC. Prod. xiv. 438. Thw. Enum. 250. C. P. 690. 

 Fl. B. Ind. V. 190. 



A small tree about 20 ft, bark dark grey, smooth, yoimg 

 parts glabrous; 1, 2-4 in., oval or obovate-oval, acute at base, 

 obtuse or rounded, entire or distantly denticulate -serrate, 

 glabrous, petiole stout ; fl. numerous, moderate-sized, on hori- 

 zontal ped., in stiff divaricate racemes, 3-4 in. long from axils 

 of fallen 1., bracts inconspicuous; perianth f-i in., club-shaped 

 in bud, segm. linear, acute, recurved; fil. o, anth. linear-oblong; 

 style much exserted ; fruit under i in., broadly ovoid, acuminate, 

 purplish-black, i- (rarely 2-) seeded, testa with the upper half 

 much thickened (indenting the embryo to an equal extent), 

 rugose. 



Moist region, 2-4000 ft. ; rather rare. Near Navalapitiya (Gardner); 

 Dolosbagie ; Galagama ; Rangala. Fl. Feb.-April, September ; creamy 

 yellow, the infl. dark purple. 



Endemic. 



The leaves are sometimes sharply denticulate, and I suspect that H. 

 nilagirica., Bedd., will prove to be specifically the same. 



Grevillea robusta, A. Cunn., a native of Queensland and N. S. Wales, 

 has been very largely planted as a shade and fuel ttee, especially on tea 

 estates. It was introduced in 1856, and is found to thrive at all elevations, 

 seeding freely. 



CXV.— THYMEL^ACE^. 



Shrubs or trees, 1. opp. or alt, entire, without stip., fl. small, 

 regular, bisexual, in clusters, heads or racemes ; perianth 

 tubular, often with a ring of scales or hair at mouth, segm. 

 4 or 5, imbricate; stam, 5 in i row or 8 or lo in 2 rows, 

 inserted at mouth of pen; ov, i- or 2-celled, with a single 

 pendulous ovule in each cell ; fruit dry (fleshy in Phaleria), 

 indehiscent (2-valved in Gyrinops) ; seed lateral or pendulous, 

 embryo straight with or without endosperm. 



