XCVII. VEUBENACE.q?:, 435 



young parts densely fulvous-pubescent. Leaves 3-6 by 2-4| in., broadly 

 ovate or suborbicular, usually acuminate, crenate-serrate or dentate, 

 stellately hairy on both sides, base rounded ; petioles |-| in. long, stout, 

 densely pubescent. Flowers crowded in capitate pedunculate pubescent 

 cymes ; bracts in fruit reaching 1| by 1 in., obovate-oblong, obtuse, 

 densely pubescent. Calyx |-| in. long, white-tomentose and vi'ith fine 

 stellate hairs, campanulate-infundibuliform in flower, enlarged and 

 becoming somewhat urceolate-globose in fruit ; teeth 6-8, triangular- 

 oblong, subacute, i in. long. Corolla white, f in. long ; tube '^ in. long ; 

 lobes 12-16, lanceolate, acute. Stamens as many as the corolla-lobes ; 

 filaments glabrous. Ovary and style glabrous. Fruit |-g in. in diam., 

 enclosed in the persistent calyx. Fl. B. I. v. 4, p. 599 ; Talb. Trees, 

 Bomb. ed. 2, p. 273; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 12 (1899) p. 360 ; 

 Prain, Beng. PI. p. 837.— Flowers : Feb.-Mar. 



Rare. S, M. Country : Belgaum, Woodroiv, Talhot, Eifchie, 925 ! ; Dbarwar 

 districts, Talbot; Gokak, Ritchie, 925! — Distrib. India (W. Peninsula). 



13. AVICENNIA, Linn. 



Shrubs or small trees. Leaves coriaceous, opjDosite, entire. Flowers 

 small, sessile, in capitate pedunculate heads of close cymes, paired in the 

 penultimate axils or terminal in trichotomous corymbs; bracts small. 

 Calyx short, 5-partite, unaltered in fruit ; segments ovate, imbricate. 

 Corolla short ; tube wide, cylindric, straight ; lobes 4, subequal or the 

 uppermost rather the widest. Stamens 4, inserted on the corolla-throat ; 

 filaments subequal ; anthers shortly exserted, ovate, the cells parallel. 

 Ovary imperfectly 4-celled by a 4-winged central axis ; ovules 4, pendu- 

 lous between the axial wings ; style long or short ; stigma 2-fid. Fruit 

 a compressed capsule ; valves 2, thick, leathery. Seeds solitary, erect ; 

 embryo imperfectly covered by the two integuments ; cotyledons large, 

 longitudinally plicate ; radicle inferior, villous. — Disteib. Sea-shores of 

 the warmer regions of the globe ; species 4 or 5, 



A tree ; leaves very obtuse ; capsule 1 in. and more long ; stamens 



exserted; style long 1. A. officinalis. 



A shrub ; leaves very acute ; capsule less tban 1 in. long ; stamens 



included; style sbort 2. A. alba. 



1. Avicennia officinalis, Linn. Sp. Fl. (1753) p. 110. A small 

 tree with smooth pale bark. Leaves coriaceous, 2-3 by 1-1| in., elliptic- 

 oblong or obovate-oblong, very obtuse, glabrous, smooth and shining 

 above, pale and with a hard thin tomentum beneath, base acute, attenu- 

 ated into the petiole ; main nerves 4-6 pairs with reticulate venation 

 between ; petioles |-g in. long. Flowers dingy yellow, sessile in small 

 heads, on rigid angular peduncles which are often 2 together in the upper 

 axils or several in small terminal thyrses ; bract and 2 bracteoles con- 

 cave, ciliate, shorter than the sepals. Calyx 5-partite almost to the base ; 

 sepals g-^ in. long, broadly ovate or suborbicular, obtuse, concave, 

 ciliate. Corolla h in. in diara.; lobes 4, ovate, acute, subequal. Stamens 

 exserted. Ovary and style together reaching \ in. long, the ovary 

 tapering into and about as long as the style, both villous ; stigma shortly 

 2-fid. Capsules l-lg in. long, ovoid, compressed, beaked, green, 

 wrinkled especially at the base (Gammie). Seed completely filling the 

 fruit, often germinating on the tree. Fl. B. I. v. 4, p. 604 ; Bedd. For. 



2g2 



