305 



Span. I.e., in syn. S. Loureinana, DC. Prodr. vol. ix. p. 209 

 (1845). S. luzonica, Blanco, PI. Filip. ed. 2, p. 350 (1845); 

 ed. <$, vol. ii. p. 284, t. 242. S. Diepenhorsiii, Miq. PL Ned. 

 Ind. vol. ii. p. 754 (1850-59). &■ inacroloba, Miq. Lc. Suppl. 

 p. 565 (I860). Niir Pongelion, ltheede, Horto. Malab. vol. vi. 

 p. 53, t. 29 (1686). Lignum eqninum, Rnniph. Herb. Amboin. 

 vol. iii. p. 73, t. 46 (1750). 



Distrib. Malabar, Travancore, Ceylon, Sundribuns, Lower 

 Burma, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Malay Peninsula, 

 Sumatra, Java, Timor, Philippines, Borneo, Celebes, Amboina, 

 New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia. 



Dolichandrone spathacea seems to be mainly a coastal tree.* 

 According to Beddome, it is common about Telliclierry and else- 

 where in the plains of Malabar; it is found on the banks of rivers 

 in Northern Travancore (Bourdillon) ; in Ceylon it occurs in 

 moist low country, chiefly near the coast, and especially in 

 mangrove swamps (Trimen) ; it is generally distributed in the 

 Sundribuns, occurring both along the sea-face and in the swamp- 

 forest (Prain). Itidley has recorded it from mangrove swamps 

 and tidal rivers in the Malay Peninsula. It is very common in 

 Java, but is confined to saline ground in the neighbourhood of 

 the coast, and is especially frequent in mangrove swamps 

 (Koorders). According to Merrill, it is widely distributed on 

 the sea-shore and along tidal streams in the Philippine Islands; 

 and it occurs in similar situations in New Guinea (Schumann and 

 Lauterbach). • According to Comins, it grows by riversides in 

 San Cristoval, Solomon Islands. The occurence of D. spathacea 

 in rice fields near Kanga village, Lower Siam, is explained by 

 Ridley as follows: " The tree is about 60 ft. tall, and is the 

 commonest one in the paddy fields. Doubtless it is one of the 

 relics of the time when the whole of this country was a tidal 

 swamp, gradually filling up after the disappearance of the sea, 

 which overlay all this area. There are several more seashore 

 plants still scattered over the paddy fields, such as the sand- 

 spurge, Euphorbia Atoto." 



"Writing of the origin of the Sundribun flora, Prain mentioned 

 D. spathacea as "the only swamp-forest tree for which introduc- 

 tion by wind seems unequivocal," and included it in a list of 

 species which owe their presence at the sea-face of the Sundribuns 

 to some agency other than that of ocean currents. Whilst its 

 local dissemination is no doubt effected to a large extent by wind, 

 the following considerations suggest that dispersal by means of 

 ocean currents may also take place. 



The seeds of D. spathacea are peculiar in having comparatively 

 short opaque wings of a spongy texture similar to that of the 

 body of the seed, and which has been termed fi corky " by Clarke 

 and other authors. The wings of the other species, and of most 

 bignoniaceous seeds, are as long as or longer than the body of the 

 seed, and very thin and hyaline. In these respects the seeds of 

 Z). spathacea* are at the same time worse adapted for transport 

 over lonjr distances by wind, and better adapted for dispersal by 



* The records from the interior of Burma are apparently referable to 



D. aerrulata. 



fi 



