17. Canthium.] 71. BJJBIAQEM. 



2. C. didymum, B,oxb. Syn. Plectronia didyma, Kur%. ; Jur., K. ; 



Garbha gojha, 8. ; Rangruri (Ranchi) ; Dalsing, Kiimar-chikni, 

 Or. ; Beniman (Sambalpur). 

 A low-branched tree or large shrub with spreading or drooping 

 brauchlets flattened at the upper extremities. Leaves bifarious, 

 dark green ovate or lanceolate-ovate, acuminate, 4-6" by 2'o-3", base 

 rounded or cuneate often unequal, sec. n. 3-5, some Avith gland-pits 

 in their axils. Petiole '?,-^". Cymes sessile or shortly j)eduncled, 

 pubescent or puberulous, very dense, -l-V long and broad. Flowers 

 5-merous, greenish or white, •2" long and •25" diam., corolla with 

 campanulate tube and rotate lanceolate petals. Frt. black globose 

 or slightly longer than broad, '3" with 2 oblong nearly terete pyrenes. 



Central and Southern areas. A very common tree along: the edges of streams and 

 dry watercourses in all the forest districts. Fl. Feb.-Apri). Fr. May. Ever- 

 green. 



Bark smooth but with vertical cracks, dark grey. Leaves shining above, pale 

 beneath, tertiary nerves indistinct. Stipules variable, deltoid or linear or, in one 

 variety in Pari, one of each pair becoming large and foliaceous as in Mesoptera ! 

 Peduncles usually very short and stout having connate bracts at the apex sub- 

 tending the cyme-branches, which are at first 2-3-chotomous and then scorpioid. 

 Pedicels "l-'o" long with very minute bracts at their base. Hypanthium with the 

 small deltoid sepals "Oo-'O?", sometimes glabrous. Stamens on mouth of corolla 

 with short filaments. Style long, stigma mitriform. Pyrenes slightly rugose in 

 some plants. 



I have never seen the fruit didymous in its natural state, though it may become 

 60 when dried. The pedicels are often recurved in fruit. 



The wood is used to a slight' extent for handles of implements, etc. Gamble 

 states that it has a great resemblance to boxwood and is hard, close- and even- 

 grained. Weight about 50 lbs. The bark is said to be used for killing fish in 

 Sambalpur so it probably contains much tannin. 



3. C. parYiflorum, LamTc. Syn. Plectronia parviflora, Becld. 



An intensely thorny glabrous shrub with obtusely -l-angled twigs, 

 opposite and decussate slender very strong and sharp thorns from 

 above all the axils, and fascicles of small leaves and small green 

 floAvers in short sessile cymes below the thorns. In fruit the leaves 

 are mature, ovate or elliptic, 15-3" long, Avith the base narroAved into 

 a short slender petiole. Fruit yelloAv sub-globose 75" diam. on 

 peduncles about '5" long, apical areole often surrounded by the 4 

 short linear deciduous sepals. 



Puri, rocky hills near the coast ! Fl. April-May. Fr. Nov. -Dec. Deciduous 

 March-April when the young leaves appear with the flowers. 



Bark grey with longitudinal flakes. Thorns "S-l'S". There is often a fascicle of 

 leaves below the thorns due to the development of an axillary bud, the subtending 

 leaf of which has fallen. Leaves at time of fl. S-'T' obtuse, sec. n. 3-.5 slightly 

 raised, translucent. Stipules minute subulate. Cj-mes shorter than the leaves, 

 mostly bifurcate from the base and then 3-chotomuus. Fls. 4-(-3)-merous, '15-'2" 

 diam. Calj'x minute toothed. Cor. campanulate to globose with spreading ovate 

 lobes, mouth villous. Anthers on the mouth, sessile, exserted. Stigma large 

 capitate, slightly 2-lobed, 



The ripe fruit is eaten and the young leaves used as a sag. 



4. C. parvifolium, Roxh. 



A mod.-sized rigid much-branched thorny shrub with the shoots 

 and leaves beneath hairy. Leaves ■5-l*5" ovate or elliptic, subacute. 

 Petiole very short. FloAvers 5-merous sub-sessile axillary crowded. 



438 



