50 



DICOTYLEDONS 



lanceolate-falcate, green, and vertical in tlie adult trees. The 

 fruit is a hard, leathery capsule opening by a lid which falls off 



(circumsciss). 



A very common shrub 

 on the hills is the Hill- 

 Gooseberry {BJiodomyrtus 

 tomentosn). 



Of great beauty are the 

 red flowers of Barringtonia 

 racemosa (Plate Xo. 643) 

 and the large, white flowers 

 of the tree Carey a arbor ea, 

 and last, not least, those of 

 the Bridal Myrtle {Myrtus 

 commimis). 



Allied Families 



Fig. 53. — Memecylon edule 

 (flowering' twig). 



three-nerved leaves and curiously 

 edule {Kan. Alamar, Mundi; Mai. 

 Kayavu; Tarn. Kaya) wliich, with 

 its clusters of sky-blue flowers 

 on bare branches, beautifies our 

 forests in May and June; 



the Lyfhracea', with the ])oauti- 

 ful tree, 'Pride of India', (Layer- 

 strceniia flos reyina' ; Kan. Maru- 

 vacala; 3/r</. Niruvendeku ; Tarn. 

 Kodalomukki) ; tho common shrub 

 Lawsonia r///va {Kaii. .Madai'ungi ; 

 Mai. Mailauci; Tarn. Maruddnri): 

 and the Pomegranate {Pnnica 

 yranatuni ; Kan. Dulimbc; S<tii. 

 Dalika, fig. 50; Plate No. (if).')) with 

 a leathery, red calyx and usually 

 more than fivo s(>j)als, petals, and 



are the Melastoiriacece, of 

 which we mention two hand- 

 some shrubs, viz., Melastonia 

 malabathricu4ti {Kan. Dodda- 

 nekkare; Mai. Kadali) with 

 jointed stamens; and Memecylo7i 



Fig. bi. — Ijdficrslnrniia /Jos reyina; 

 (capsulo). 



