XXT. MALVACB^. 121 



Talb. Trees, Bomb. p. 21 ; Woodr. iu Jouru. Bomb. Nat. v. 11 (1897) 

 p. 128. — Plowers : Feb. -Mar. 



Appears to be var. Wpjhiii of Praia iu Jouru. Asiat. Soc. Beng. v. 62 

 (1893) p. 67. 



Southern districts of tlic Presidency, not common. Kanaka : Kaiga GLat, Talbot ; 

 N. Kanara, in deciduous forests, Talhof ; below the fall on the Kala naddi, Ritchie, 

 1G29! — DisTKiB. Burma and the Andaman Islands. 



16. ERIODENDRON, DC. 



Trees unaruied or with thorns. Leaves digitate ; leaflets usually 

 entire. Pedicels 1 -flowered, axillary, solitary or clustered. luvolucral 

 bracts 0. Calyx cup-shaped, truncate or irregularly 3-5-lobed, persistent. 

 Plowers rosy or whitish ; petals 5, oblong, slightly connate at the base, 

 pubescent or woolly. Htamens iu 5 bundles opposite the petals, connate 

 at base, each bearing 2-3 sinuous or linear anthers. Ovary 5-celled ; 

 cells ]nan3^-ovuled ; style cylindric, dilated ; stigma obscurely 5-lobed. 

 Capsule woody or coriaceous, oblong, dehiscent by 5 thin deciduous 

 valves, densely woolly within. Seeds obovoid or globose, numerous, 

 enveloped in copious silky cotton ; testa crustaceous, polished ; albumen 

 thin ; cotyledons contortuplicate. — Distrib. America, tropical Africa ; 

 species about 3. 



1. Eriodendron anfractuosum, DC. Prodr. v. 1 (1824) p. 479. 

 A tall tree ; trunk prickly when young ; branches horizontal, in whorls 

 of 3. Leaves glabrotis ; petioles 4-6 in. long ; leaflets 5-8, lanceolate, 

 2-5 in. long, cuspidate, entire, glaucous beneath ; petiolules y^- iu. loug; 

 stipules filiform, caducous. Pedicels 1-2 in. long, in clusters of 2-8. 

 Calyx =^-| iu. long, glabrous outside, hairy at the base within, 5-lobed ; 

 lobes rounded or triangular, sometimes almost obsolete. Flowers 14-2 in. 

 in diam., dirty white, appearing witb the young leaves at the ends of 

 the branches ; petals twice the length of the calyx, woolly outside. 

 Ovary conical, glabrous. Capsules fusiform, blunt, lined with long 

 white silky hairs. Seeds 5 in. long or more, ])yriform, glabrous, black, 

 enveloped in silky wool. Fl. B. I. v. 1, p. 350 ; Grab. Cat. p. 17 ; Dalz. 

 & Gibs. p. 22 ; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 1, p. 161 ; Talb. Trees, Bomb. p. 21 ; 

 AVoodr. in Journ. Bomb. Xat. v. 11 (18l»7) p. 129; Watt, Diet. Ecou. 

 Prod. v. 3, p. 258. — Flowers: Jan. The White Silk-cotton tree. Vekis-. 

 SJiameula ; Pdndhari-iSdvar. 



The floss from the capsules is used for the sams purposes as that of 

 Borahax malaharmim, but is of greater commercial value and is largely 

 imported into Europe, where it is known as Kapolc. The tree is so rare 

 iu Bombay that it is not of economic importance in that Presidency. 



Very rare in the Bombay Presidency. Deccan : wild in Khandesh, Graham ; 

 Kliandesh, Da.lzcU tf- Gibson ; Maw.il (Poona districts), planted, Wooclroiv ! — Distrib. 

 S. America, W. Indies, Ceylon. 



Order XXVI. STERCULIACE^. 



Herbs, shrubs or trees, usually with soft wood, the herbaceous parts 

 usually with stellate often mixed with simple hairs. Leaves alternate, 

 simple, lobed or digitate, usually stipulate. Inflorescence axillary (rarely 

 terminal), usually cymose. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite or unisexual. 



