XXXVIII. OLACACE^. 221 



the edges of the petals and attached to their bases, rarely opposite their 

 centres ; anthers adnate to the filaments, oblong, 2-celled, dehiscing 

 longitudinally. Staminodes 5-6, bifid, usually opposite the petals. 

 Ovary free, more or less 3-celled below, 1-celled above, usually surrounaed 

 by a cup-shaped hypogynous disk ; ovules 3, linear, pendulous from the 

 apex of a central placenta ; style simple ; stigma 3-lobed. Drupe 

 globose or oblong, more or less covered by the accrescent calyx ; stone 

 crustaceous, 1-celIed, 1-seeded. 8eed spuriously erect, albuminous ; 

 eml)ryo minute in the apex of Heshy albumen ; radicle superior. — 

 DiSTEiB. Chiefly in the Tropics of the Old World, a few in Australia ; 

 species 25-30. 



Oliinbing slirubs. 



Armed; drupe | in 1. 0. scandens. 



Uuanned ; drupe | in 2. 0. Wightiana. 



A low uodershrub ; pedicels solitary 3. 0. nana. 



1. Olax scandens, Roxh. Cor. PL v. 2 (1798) p. 2,t. 102. A chmbing, 

 much-branched shrub, armed with slightly curved stout prickles on the 

 old wood ; branches terete, more or less pubescent. Leaves 2-31 by 

 1-1 1 in., elliptic or oblong-elliptic, usually obtuse, glabrous above, 

 glabrous or pubescent beneath, entire, base rounded or subacute ; petioles 

 |-4 in. long, pubescent. Tlowers white, fragrant, about \ in. long, in 

 axillary racemes which are shorter than the leaves ; buds oblong, some- 

 what clavate ; pedicels short, pubescent ; bracts ovate-oblong, as long as 

 the pedicels, pubescent, ciliate, caducous. Calyx cup-shaped, truncate, 

 ciliate. Petals linear, acute, more or less connate. Stamens about half 

 as long as the petals. Ovary ovoid, glabrous ; style about half as long 

 as the petals ; stigma 3-lobed. Drupes globose, | in. in diam., apiculate, 

 covered, except the top, by the accrescent calyx, il. B. I. v. 1, p. 575 ; 

 Grah. Cat. p. 22 ; Trim. Y\. Ceyl. v. 1, p.' 256 ; Engler, in Engl. & 

 Prantl, PHanzeuf. v. 3, part 1, p. 240, fig. 153 ; Talb. Trees, Bomb, 

 p. 44 ; Woodr. in Jouru. Bomb. Nat. v. 11 (lb97) p. 270 ; Watt, Diet. 

 Econ. Prod, v, 5, p. 479. — Elowers : Feb. 



Along the Ghats, Graham. Deican: Khandala, Woodrow, Graham. Kanaea : 

 Nilkund (N. Kanara), Woodrow. — Distrib. Throughout Tropical India andBirma; 

 Ceylon. 



2. Olax Wightiana, Wall. Cat. (1828) 6779. A large much- 

 branched unarmed scandent shrub or small tree ; young parts glabrous. 

 Leaves 3-5 by l5-2:j in., oblong-elliptic, acuminate, subacute or obtuse, 

 glabrous and sliining, entire, base acute or rounded ; petioles | in. long. 

 Elowers about | in. long, white, in axillary solitary or clustered racemes 

 about 1 in. long ; buds clavate ; pedicels puberulous or subglabrous ; 

 bracts minute, much shorter than the pedicels, caducous. Calyx ex- 

 ternally puberulous, truncate or obscurely lobed. Petals puberulous on 

 the outside near the apex, linear, acute. Stamens 3, each inserted at 

 the edge of a petal and about half its length. Staminodes 5, opposite 

 the petals and nearly as long as them. Ovary ovoid, glabrous ; stvle a 

 little shorter than the petals ; stigma deeply 3-Iobed. Drupes I in. 

 long, oblong or subglobose, covered, except at the top, by the accrescent 

 calyx. Fl. B. I. v. 1, p. 575 ; Dalz. & Gibs. p. 27 ; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 1, 

 p. 256 ; Talb. Trees, Bomb. p. 44 : Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 11 

 (1897) p. 270.— Flowers : Dec.-Feb. 



