II. DILLETflACEiE. 7 



breadth (the leaves of young trees larger thau those of older, often 

 attaining a length of 4 ft. or more), smooth and shining when old, downy 

 when young, the nerves of very young leaves densely clothed with white 

 hairs, nerves many, often forking towards the margins, margins M'ith 

 sharp villous teeth at the extremities of the main nerves and of each of 

 the furcations ; petioles about 2 in. long, channelled, sheathing. Flowers 

 scai'cely 1 in. in diam., fragrant, appearing before the leaves, in fascicles 

 from tuberosities on the naked, woody, 2- or 3-years' old branchlets ; 

 pedicels 1| in. long, erect, terete, glabrous. Sepals ovate, obtuse, | in. 

 long. Petals oblong-lanceolate, yellow. Filaments numerous, the 

 outer erect, the inner spreading, twice as long as the outer. Ovaries 5 ; 

 styles short ; stigmas spreading. Fruit edible, pendulous, size of a small 

 nutmeg, the fleshy sepals entix*ely enclosing 5 small, soft capsules. Seeds 

 reniform, 1 (rarely 2) ripening in each capsule. FL B. I. v. 1, p. 38; 

 Grab. Cat. p. 2 ; "Dalz. & Gibs. p. 2 ; Bedd. Flor. Sylv. t. 104; Talb. 

 Trees, Bomb. p. 2 ; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 11 (1897) p. 120 ; 

 Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 3, p. 114. — Flowers : Mar.-Apr. Vern. 

 Karmal. 



Common along the Western face of the Ghats. Konkan : Matheran, Coo/ce ! ; 

 Sakarpathar, IVoodrov.'. Gujakat : Dang jungles, IVoodroto. S. M. Oouxtrv : banks 

 of Gatparba river, Graham ; S. M. Country and Ghats up to Lat. 19°, Balzdl cf- 

 Gibson. Kanara : Ghats and Kalanaddi, Ritchie ! 



The large leaves are used to form a substratum for roof thatch and sold in bundles 

 for the purpose. 



Ordee III. MAGNOLIACE^. 



Trees or shrubs, often aromatic. Leaves alternate, undivided, entire 

 or toothed, stipulate or not. Flowers axillary and terminal, usually 

 showy. Sepals and petals hypogyuous, very deciduous, imbricate, 

 arranged in whorls of 3. Stamens indefinite, hypogynous ; anther-cells 

 adnate, bursting longitudinally. Carpels many, free or partly cohering, 

 in one or more whorls on an elongate axis ; ovules 2 or more ; styles 

 usually short. Seeds few, sometimes pendulous from a long funicle; 

 testa single and crustaceous, or double and the outer fleshy ; albumen 

 granular, or fleshy and oily ; embryo minute ; cotyledons spreading. — 

 DiSTEiB. Tropical Eastern Asia, N. America ; genera 9 ; species 70. 



1. MICHELIA, Linn. 



Trees. Leaf-buds enveloped in convolute deciduous stipules which 

 are connate in pairs. Sepals and petals similar, concolorous, 9 or 

 more, 3- or more-seriate, imbricate. Stamens numerous, many-seriate ; 

 anthers linear, adnate, introrse. Gynophore stipitate. Carpels many, 

 persistent, 2-valved, arranged in a lax or elongate spike, dehiscing dor- 

 sally ; ovules 2, or more. Seeds pendulous by a long funicle. — Dtsthib. 

 Temperate and subtropical mountains of India, also in Sumatra, Java 

 and China ; species about 12. 



1. Michelia Champaca, Linn. Sj). PI. (1753) p. 53G. A tall, 

 handsome, evergreen tree with a straight trunk ; branches ascending, 

 spreading, forming a close head. Leaves 7-10 by 2-3g in., lanceolate, 

 acute or acuminate, entire, glabrous above (except when young), glabrous 



