624 CXV. EUPnOBBIACEJE. 



36. EXCCECARIA, Linn. 



Glabrous trees or shrubs with ;vcrid milky juice. Leaves alternate or 

 opposite, entire or subserrate. Elowers dia^cious or monoecious, in 

 lateral axillary or terminal 1-sexual or androgj'nous racemes or spikes ; 

 males 1-3 m each bract, 2-bracteolate ; I'emales at the base of the raceme 

 or in separate racemes ; rliachis with large glands beneath or at the 

 side of the bracts. Perianth simple. Male flowers : »Sepals 3, small, 

 subequal. Petals 0. Disk 0. Stamens 3 ; iilaments free ; anthers 

 didymous, the cells globose, distinct, contiguous, parallel. Pistillode 0. 

 piiBiALE I'LOWEiiS : Calyx 3-fid or 3-partite. Petals 0. Disk 0. Ovary 

 3-celled ; ovule 1 in each cell; styles stout, shortly connate below, 

 spreading and recurved above, entire. Fruit a 3-coccous capsule, the 

 cocci separating from the columella with elastically-twisted valves. 

 Seeds subglobose or 3-gonous, estrophiolate ; testa crustaceous ; albumen 

 fleshy; cotyledons broad, flat. — Disxkib. Tropical Asia, Africa, and 

 Australia ; species about 30. 



Leaves alternate, elliptic 1. E. A(jallocha, 



Leaves opposite, linear-oblong 2. E. rolmsta. 



1. Excoecaria Agallocha, Linn. ,St/st. Nat. ed. 10 (1759) p. 1288. 

 A small poisciHOUs e\ergreen tree with white highly acrid juice. Leaves 

 alternate, thickly coriaceous, 2—1 by 1^-2 in., elliptic, acuminate, entire 

 or shallowly sinuate-crenate, base acute; petioles i-l^ in- loiig* 

 Flowers minute, fragrant, yellowish-green ; bracts rounded, fleshy. 

 Male fLowEiis sessile, in numerous catkin-like spikes 1-2 in. long : 

 bracts with 1 flower and several minute bracteoles. Sepals minute, 

 unequal, subserrulate. Stamens long, exserted. Female flowers 

 pedicellate. Eacemcs few, ^-1 in. long, the upper flowers usually im- 

 perfect. Sepals bi'oadly ovate, acute, subserrulate. Styles free nearly 

 to the base. Capsules very variable iu size, 5-I in. in diam. Seeds 

 subglobose, smooth. Fl. B. I. v. 5, p. 472 ; Grab. Cat. p. 185 ; Dalz. 

 & Gibs. p. 227 ; Eedd. For. Man. iu Flor. Sylvat, p. ccxv ; AVight, Icon, 

 t. 1865 B ; Hook. Comp. Bot. Mag. v. 2 (1836) p. 306, t. 30 ; Trim. Fl. 

 Ceyl. V. 4, p. 77 ; Talb. Trees, Bomb. ed. 2, p. 320 ; Woodr.in Journ. 

 Bomb. Nat. v. 12 (1809) p. 373 ; Prain, Beng. PI. p. 955 ; Watt, Diet. 

 Econ. Prodr. v. 3, p. 306. Excacaria Camettla, Willd. Sp. PI. v. 4, 

 p. 864; Grab. Cat. p. 185. — Flowers: July-Aug. Yern. Geva ; 

 Surund ; Phunr/ali. 



In Utlal luarslu'S along the coasts of the Presidency. Konkan : S/ockn ! Kanaka : 

 Kumpta, Wofidrmv !. — DisTiun. India (.Suudribans, Birma, W. Peninsula) ; Ceylon, 

 Indian Archipelago, N. Australia, New Caledonia. 



The tree is soinolinies called The lUindiny Tree., The juice is extremely acrid, pro- 

 ducing blisters on the skii:. It liardens into a liind of a black caoulcbouc. 



2. Excoecaria robusta, I fool-, f. FL B. I. v. 5 (1888) p. 474. A 

 shrub ; branches stout, as thick as a goose-quill. Leaves opposite, 

 coriaceous, 5-8 by ^\-~h in., linear-oblong, acuminate, entire or sinuate- 

 subserrate, base acute; main nerves 15-20 pairs, spreading, slender; 

 petioles ^— | in. long, stout, eglandular. Flowers iu axillary 1-sexual 

 robust spikes. Male flowers : Sj)ikes solitary, 4-5 in. long ; rhachis 

 very stout; bracts small, broad, fleshy; bracteoles large, embracing the 

 unexpaudcd flower. Sepals 3, membranous, \\ith a broad cordate base, 



