10. Alstonia.] 89. APOCYNACE^. 



Orissa States, fairly common, Cooper. Narsingpur ! Fl. Nov,-Jan, Fr. r.s. 

 Evergreen. 



Attains 6 ft. girth. Bark nearly smooth, blaze moderately hard, mottled brown 

 and cream, then white with a copious flow of milk. L. glabrous oblanceolate to 

 obovate obtuse or retuse (or obtuselj' acuminate, F.B.I.) , narrowed into a •25-'5"- 

 long petiole, sec. n. very numerous close horizontal. Inflorescence puberulous, 

 peduncled or sessile, branches 2-4" with often 2-3 whorls of secj'. branches •25-1" 

 long and flowers subcapitate at the ends. Corolla -a-'o". Disc 0. Ovary hirsute. 

 Follicles "VZ" diam. terete, clustered. Seeds '3". 



" The wood is not durable but is easily worked. It is used for boxes, furniture, 

 scabbards and other purposes. Wt. about 28 lbs, per c. ft.," Gamble. It used to be 

 occasionally sold for tea-boxes in the Duars. The bark is described (Duff) as 

 tonic, alterative and useful in fever and skin diseases. 



2. A. venenatus, B. Br. 



A shrub sometimes 20 ft. high with numerous erect stems and 

 mostly 3-nately whorled, linear or oblong-lanceolate long-acuminate 

 leaves 4-12" long. Flowers i^ure Avhite in terminal 2-chotomous 

 cymes much shorter than the leaves. Calyx glabrous Avith ciliate 

 sepals, very small. Corolla tube very slender "75-1" long Avith the 

 anther swelling near the top, petals -5". Follicles slender terete 

 3*5-4" long by •2--25" wide in middle, tapering both ends and Avith a 

 long beak '7-1" long. 



Ravines in the Angul hills, rare ! Kalahandi, Cooper ! Fl. April-May also July. 

 Fr. Feb. -May (it probably flowers at various times and fruits soon after). 



Bark delicately rugose, blaze green, greenish-yellow and white. The green is 

 much more diffused in the bark tiian in most trees. 



Leaves with very numerous spreading strong sec. parallel nerves united in an 

 intra-marginal one, softly hairj^ beneath but more or less glabrescent with age. 



3. A. macrophylla, Wall. 



A small or large tree with oblanceolate 4-nately Avhorled leaves 

 9-12" long and Avhite fragrant salver-shaped floAvers in corymbose 

 cymes. Cor.-tube -2" long, petals oblong nearly as long as tube, 

 ciliate. Follicles 9-12" slender. 



Introduced, native of Penang, Java, etc., now frequently seen in gardens, where 

 it flowers as a small tree. 



Leaves Avith about 20 sec, n. reaching nearlj' to the margin and then running 

 nearly parallel with it, hairy beneath, petiole short. Calyx pubescent "O-l." Avith 

 broadly ovate lobes. Seeds oblong -25 ' broAvn-tomentose and bearded with long 

 In-own hairs, peltatelj' attached to placenta. 



11. NERIUM, L. Oleander. 

 Glabrous shrubs Avith 3-4-nately Avhorled, rarely opposite, narrow 

 coriaceous leaves with numerous close slender spreading sec. n. 

 FloAvers large in racemose cymes. Calyx glandular Avithin. Corolla 

 salver-shaped with a narroAvly funnel-shaped tube, throat with 5 

 broad toothed or fimbriate scales opposite the petals Avhich are 

 obovate and overlap to the right but tAvisted to the left. Stamens 

 at the top of the tube included, anthers sagittate adhering to the 

 stigma, tips filiform, cells Avith long spurs furnished Avith twisted 

 hairs. Disc 0. Carpels distinct, many-ovuled, stigma Avith a basal 

 reflected lobed membrane surmounted by 5 tubercles, tip subglobose. 

 Follicles long cylindric straight hard appressed. Seeds oblong, villous 

 Avith terminal coma. 



L. linear or linear-lanceolate, flowers odorous, sepals erect . .1. odorum. 



L. lanceolate. FloAvers inodorous. Tips of sepals often patent . 2. oleander. 



540 



