XL. CELASTEACE.E. 231 



V, 1, p. 271 ; Talb. Trees, Bomb. p. 48 ; Woodr. in Joiirn. Bomb. Nat. 

 V. 11 (1897) p. 270. 



The GhAts, Dalsell ^- Gibson. — Distrib. India (mountains of the W. Peninsula) ; 

 Ceylon, Mauritius, Madagascar. 



5. CELASTRUS, Linn. 



Shrubs usually scandent, unarmed. Leaves alternate ; stipules 

 minute or 0. Flowers in axillary and terminal racemes or panicles, 

 sometimes unisexual. Calyx urceolate at the base, 5-tid. Petals 5, 

 inserted below the disk, spreading at the apex. Stamens 5, inserted on 

 the margin of the disk. Disk cup-shaped or concave, 5-lobed. Ovary 

 seated on the disk (not immersed), 2-4-Iobed, 2-4-celled ; ovules 2 from 

 tlie base of the cell, collateral, erect; style thick; stigma 3-4-lobed. 

 Capsule terete, globose or oblong, coriaceous, 2-4-celled, dehiscing locu- 

 licidally, the cells 1-2-seeded. Seeds erect, enclosed in a fleshy aril ; 

 testa membranous ; albumen copious, fleshy ; cotyledons foliaceous. — 

 DisTBiB. Tropical Asia, China, Japan, Australia, N. America, and 

 Madagascar; species about 15. 



1. Celastrus paniculata, Willd. Sp. PI v. 1 (1797) p. 1125. A 

 climbing unarmed shrub ; young branches usually covered with pale 

 lenticular warts. Leaves alternate, 2^-4 by 1|-2| in., broadly elliptic, 

 ovate, or obovate, shortly acuminate, crenate-serrate in the upper part, 

 usually entire near the base, glabrous, base I'ounded or acute ; petioles 

 5— I" in. long. Flowers yellowish- or greenish-white, unisexual, in 

 terminal pyramidal panicles 2-6 in. long; pedicels pubescent; bracts 

 small, lanceolate. Calyx pubescent outside; lobes semiorbicular, ciliate. 

 Petals g in. long, oblong, rounded at the apex. Male flowers : 

 Stamens inserted on the margin of the disk; fllaments short; anthers 

 oblong, about -J^ in. long. Eudimentary ovary small, subconical, slightly 

 3-toothed at the apex. Female flowers : Ovary globose, narrowed 

 into a short stout style, glabrous ; stigina large, 3-lobed. Stamens 

 inserted on the edge of the disk which is larger than the disk in the 

 male flowers ; anthers small, without pollen, ovate, acute or subtriangular, 

 about gij in. long. Capsules |-i- in. in diam., subglobose, bright yellow, 

 transversely wrinkled, 3-valved, the valves spreading after dehiscence 

 remaining united at the base exposing the seeds. Seeds 1-6, often 

 solitarv, ovoid, cinnamon-brown, striate; completely enveloped in a 

 scarlet fleshy aril. Fl. B. I. v. 1, p. 617 : Grab. Cat. p. 38 ; Dalz. & 

 Gibs. p. 47; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 1, p. 272; Lcisener, in Engl. & Prantl, 

 Pdanzenf. v. 3, part 5, p. 194, flg. 120, E-n ; Talb. Trees, Bomb. p. 48 ; 

 Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 11 (1897) p. 270 ; Watt, Diet. Econ. 

 Prod. V. 2, p. 237. — Flowers : Nov.-Feb. Vern. Mdl-Mngoni ; Karad- 

 Jcdngoni. 



KoNKAN : throughout the hilly parts, Graham, Bahell cf- Gibsov ; Matheran, H. M. 

 Birdwood. Deccan ; hills near Alandi (Poona districts), Kanitkar \ ; Deccan, widely, 

 ex Woodrow. Gujarat : widely, ex Woodrow. S. M, Country : Belgaum, Ritchie, 

 1668! 



An oil of some therapeutic value is extracted from the seeds and known as Black 

 Oil (Oleum nigrum). Consult Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod, 1. c. — Distkib. Throughout 

 India in hilly districts ; Ceylon, Malaya, Philippines. 



