48 TILIACE^. 



The family is mainly a tropical one, tilia the lime tree of 

 England, Fr. Tilleul, Ger. Linden being almost the only genus 

 occuring north or south of the 30° line of latitude. It is also 

 pre-eminently Indian, some of the genera and many of the 

 species being found only in this country. 



Economically the most important species is the Jute or Gunny- plant, 

 CORCHORUS CAPSULARis, the fibre of which is obtained from the bark. The 

 Linden, tilia europea, is also a source of fibre (the hast of gardeners), 

 and ropes used to be made of this in various parts of England, and also in 

 olden days a rough kind of paper. 



The na7ne TILIA is said to have been deri7jed froin the Greek PTILON, a 

 wing because of the long bract attached to the flozver-stalk. 



ELi^OCARPUS. F.B.I. 28 XIII. 



Flowers in axillary spreading racemes, facing down- 

 wards ; petals conspicuously fringed ; anthers long, 

 opening at the top ; fruit I inch or more . . Mock-olive. 



Species about 50, mostly in or near India, a few only in 

 Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. 



Named from the Greek elais oil and carfon fruit. 



A round-topped tree ; leaves flat, oval, turning bright crimson. 

 Frequently planted in the open near villages . . . The 

 Nilgiri Mock-olive . . . E. oblongus. 



A flat topped tree, foliages in tiers ; leaves round backed, like 

 an inverted boat, and rusty ; anthers with a long projection. . 

 A shola tree E. ferrugineus. 



El320carpus oblongus Gcertner ; F.B.L i 403, XIII 1 3 ; 

 the Nilgiri Mock-olive. Stem white, well branched, 

 with domed foliage ; twigs with conspicuous lenti- 

 cels, as yellowish pustules. Leaves elliptic, acute or 

 acuminate, glabrous and shining above, crenate-serrate 

 with glad-tipped teeth almost or quite to the acute base ; 

 petiole also with two minute glands near the top. 

 Racemes 2 to 6 inches long, in the axils of the fallen 

 leaves, slender ; bracts minute ; pedicels /^ to J^ 

 inch ; buds ovate-acute. Sepals Ye inch, acute, finely 

 pubescent. Petals 1/5 inch wedge-shaped, with cuts 

 extending from the end half-way down. Stamens on a 



