Elccagnus.] Elceagiiacecs. 46 1 



CXVI.-ELy^AGNACE^. 



Large usually scandent shrubs, 1. alt, entire, without stip., 

 scaly beneath, fl. small, regular, bisexual, in axillary clusters; 

 perianth scaly, tube narrow below, globose above, segm. 4, 

 valvate ; stam. 4 inserted at mouth of per. ; ov. superior, 

 i-celled with a solitary erect basal ovule, style rather long, 

 stigma lateral ; fruit enclosed in the persistent thickened base 

 of pen-tube, indehiscent, seed without endosperm, embryo 

 straight, with thick cotyledons. 



ez.h:agnus, l. 



For characters, see Order. — Sp. 12 ; ^'m. Fl. B. Ind. 



E. latifolia, L. Sp. PL 121 (1753). Wel-embilla, Katu- 

 embilla, S. 



Herm. Mus. 8. Burm. Thes. 92. Fl. Zeyl. n. 58. Moon Cat. rr. 

 Thw. Enum. 252. C. P. 83, 2263, 2264. 



Fl. B. Ind. V. 202. Burm. Thes. t. 39. Wight, Ic. t. 1856. Bedd. 

 For. Man. t. 25, f. i. 



A shrub or small tree, usually more or less scandent by 

 the horizontal often spinescent branches, bark whitish-brown, 

 scaly when young; 1. numerous, very variable, i|-4j in., 

 broadly or narrowly oval, acute at base, obtuse or rounded at 

 apex, entire, often undulate, thin, glabrous above, densely 

 covered beneath with a shining coat of minute, peltate, silvery 

 or rusty scales, petiole \-\ in., scaly; fl. on short scaly ped., 

 2-5 in axillary clusters; perianth over \ in., fleshy, densely 

 covered with scales, lobes ovate, acute, spreading, fil. short, 

 style stout ; fruit nearly i in., ovoid-oblong, with 8 strong 

 blunt ribs, capped with persistent per.-limb, scaly, pinkish-red, 

 fleshy; seed | in., linear-oblong, pointed, ribbed. 



Van /3, Thwaitesii. E. TJnvaitesii^ Schlecht. in DC. Prod. xi. 611. 

 C. P. 2724, 83 (part). 



L. broader, rounded at base, more acute, thicker, scales all 

 ferrugineous. 



Moist and intermediate region from sea-level to highest elevations ; 

 common. Van /3, only in montane zone. Fl. Oct.- Feb.; white, greenish 

 or pale yellow, sweet-scented. 



India, Burma, Malaya, China. 



A remarkably variable plant in habit and foliage. When a climber, it 

 is often very thorny. The leaves are often mottled above with purplish- 

 brown stains. 



