590 CIV. EUPHORBIACE^. 



1. Putranjiva Roxburghii, Wall Tent. Fl. Nep. (1826) p. Gl. 

 An evergiven tree 30-40 ft. liigh with pendent branches, nearly glabrous 

 except the young shouts ; bark corlcy, ])ale. Leaves coriaceous, dark- 

 green, shining, 2|-4 by |-1| in., elliptic-oblong, acute, obtuse or 

 shortly acuminate, distantly serrulate ; main nerves numerous, slender, 

 u ith reticulate venation between ; petioles \ in. long ; stipules small, 

 triangular, acute, soon falling. flowers dioecious. Male flowers 

 very sliortly pedicellate, crowded in rounded axillary clusters on the 

 main or on short axillary branches. Sepals ^ in. long, oblong, obtuse, 

 ciliolate. Filaments -i\-j'i7 in. long, more or less connate at the base ; 

 anthers globose, y^-iV ^"- ^^ diani. Female floweks 1-3 in au 

 axil ; pedicels ^-h in. long. Sepals broadly elliptic, obtuse, concave, 

 ciliolate, -^-^ in. long. Ovary finely silky, 3-celled ; styles 3, recurved, 

 dilated into broad fleshy crescent-shaped stigmas. Drupe g— | in. long, 

 ellipsoid, rounded or pointed at the apex, narrowed at the base, white- 

 toraentose, with pedicels rj-l in. long ; stone pointed, rugose, ver}'' hard. 

 Fl. B. I. V. 5, p. 336 ; Dalz. & Gibs. p. 236 ; Wight, Icon. t. 1S76 ; 

 Bedd. Flor. Sylvat. t. 275 ; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 4, p. 35 ; Talb. Trees, 

 Bomb. ed. 2, p. 305 ; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 12 (1899) p. 370; 

 Prain, Beug. PI. p. 936 : Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 6, part 1, p. 372.— 

 Flowers : Mar.-May. Verk. Putranjiva. 



KoNKAN : Talbot; Kanheri and Alibai? jungles, Dahe/l cji' Gibson. Decoan: 

 Pooiia, Woodrow (planted) ; Kliandala, Babell cj- Gibson. S. M. Country : Belgauni, 

 DalzM 4'- Gibson. Kanara : evergreen forests of N. Ivanara, nowhere common, 

 Talbot; Bunwasi, Talbot '. — Distrib. Tlirougliout Tropical India wild and cultivated; 

 Ceylon. 



The stones of tlie fruit arc made into necklaces and put round the necks of children 

 to ])reserve theui from evil ; hence the native name, whicli means the life of the child. 

 The wood is used for turning. See Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. 1. i'. 



13. HEMICYCLIA, Wight & Arn. 



Trees or shrubs. lieaves evergreen, alternate, petioLite, quite entire, 

 usually very luiequal-sided at the base. Flowers small, pedicellate, 

 dioecious, apetalous. Male flowehs : Sepals 4-5, imbricate, the inner 

 usually larger and subpetaloid. Stamens 4-23, inserted round an orbi- 

 cular disk ; filaments free; anthers erect, the cells i)arallel. PistillodeO. 

 Femai,e FLOWEKS : Calyx as in the male. Disk flat, annidar. Ovary 

 obliqiu4y ovoid, 1 (rarely 2)-celled ; ovules 2 in each cell ; stigma 1 

 (rarely 2), sessile or on a short style, broadly reniform or semiorbicular, 

 flat or recurved, entire or emargiuate. la'uit drupaceous, globose or 

 ovoid, indehiscent ; endocarp liard. Seed usually solitar}', oblong, 

 grooved on one face, arillate ; albumen fleshy ; embryo straight ; coty- 

 ledons broad, flat. — Distrib. Iiulia, Malay Arcliipelago, Australia; 

 species 9. 



Fruit globose, small, .^-A in. in diam 1. H. scpiaria. 



Fruit ohovoid, \ in. long '2. H. vcnusta. 



1. Hemicyclia sepiaria, Wvjlit ^' Am. in Edinh. New PliiJ. Jonrn. 

 V. 14 (iN;)3) p. 297. A rigid mucli-branched shrub6-9ft. high ; young 

 shoots puberulous. Jjcaves very coriaceous, 1 4-3.] by ^-^'1 in., clliijlic 

 or flliplic-oblong, obtuse or ret use, glabrous, shining above, base 

 rounded or cordate. Flow ers pubescent or villous, pedicellate. Sepals 4. 



