80 CELASTRACEiE. 



A medium-sized tree with thick branches and smooth 

 dark purple twigs. Leaves opposite or nearly so, erect, 

 stalk y^to^i inch, without stipules ; blade I to 4 by % 

 to 3 inches, broadly elliptic or obovate, coriaceous, quite 

 glabrous ; margin entire, strongly revolute ; midrib strong, 

 nerves about six straight. Flowers honey-scented ; 

 clusters at length thick and woody. Sepals imbricate, 

 rounded, with scarious broken margin. Petals '% inch, 

 broadly obovate, spreading."^ Stamens alternate with the 

 petals and attached to them and to each other by a thick 

 ring well above the ovary. Fruit an ovoid capsule, 5^ 

 inch long, brown (not unlike a Sapodilla), with the 

 persistent unequal sepals at the base, and a short sharp 

 point ; and opening by two valves which fall off before 

 the seed. Seed one only, red, without aril, erect ; coty- 

 ledons leafy, orbicular, flat ; radicle pointing down- 

 wards, t. 61, Wight Ic. t. 977. 



In sholas, easily recognised by the foliage. Pulneys : on 

 the downs above and round Kodaikanal and below. Nilgiris : 

 in the sholas of the plateau, frequent. Fyson 2596. Bourne 

 493. 



Gen. Dist. Also in Ceylon. 



In t. 62 : I. bud from above; c. corolla opened showing the stamens 

 on the annular disc; d. a closed, faded, flower; e. section of flower; c. 

 calyx tube ; s. sepal ;/?. petal; d. disc ; o. section of ovary ; d. above a 

 cluster of fruits, one open and showing the solitary seed ; /. seed with 

 aborted ovule and carpels at the base. 



Microtropis microcarpa Wight ; F.B.I, i 614, III 5 ; 

 shrub or small tree with the stiffy erect leaves of a 

 MICROTROPIS, but the slender peduncles of a EUONYMUS. 

 Tree up to 20 feet with ascending branches. Foliage 

 bluish green ; leaves stifily erect, elliptic or broadly 

 lanceolate, I to 2 inches by % to l54 inch, quite glab- 

 rous, coriaceous ; obtuse and notched : margin revolute ; 

 stalk y% inch. Flowers in cymose corymbs, peduncled 



* F.B.I, in description of genus says petals erect. 



