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genus Lagerstroemia. P. scaberrimum possesses the peculiarity so 
prevalent amongst the species of Lagerstroemia of being a highly 
ornamental flowering tree. It oceurs in Brazil as a small deciduous 
tree 20 to 30 feet high with a trunk 18 inches in diameter. The 
ovate or broadly oval leaves are 3 to 4 inches long and 2 to 2} inches 
wide, but in the variety angustifolium they are rather longer and 
narrower. Flowering occurs a few weeks before the young leaves 
expand, the red flowers appearing in large panicles from the ends of 
the branches. 
- The wood, as represented in Museum No. 1, at Kew, is heavy, 
close-grained, and red and yellowish-brown in colour when newly 
cut, the markings being of a curiously streaky character. There is, 
apparently, a strong disposition for the colour to fade, for the outer 
parts of old sections are various shades of brown. It takes a good 
polish and is used for cabinet work and for small fancy articles. 
Descriptions of P. scaberrimum are given by Martius in the 
* Flora Brasiliensis,” xiii, pt. 2, p. 343, and by Pohl in “ Plants 
of Brazil,” i, pp. 100-101, tt. 82-83. 
Atalaya hemiglauca, F. Muell— The wood of this Australian tree 
is known as western whitewood or western tulipwood, but it does 
not appear to be of much commercial importance. It is one of the 
Sapindaceae and occurs as a tall shrub or small tree in various parts 
of N. Australia, Queensland, and New South Wales. It is of 
interest owing to the diverse character of the leaves, which are 
sometimes pinnate and composed of an irregular number of linear 
leaflets, varying in length from 2 to 3 to 7 to 8 inches, sometimes 
simple and deeply lobed, or almost entire and up to 10 inches long, 
but it is not considered to be of much decorative value, for the 
flowers are small and the maple-like fruits have no- special 
attractions. 
Examples of the wood are not included in the Kew collection, 
but Maiden, “ Forest Flora of New South Wales,” ii, pp. 122-124, 
describes it as having light red sapwood and heartwood marked 
with dark red, or nearly black, patches or streaks. In other places 
the wood is described as yellowish with reddish marks. It is said 
to be close-grained, decaying easily, and though used to some 
extent for cabinet-work and turnery, to be of little value. 
useful pale-coloured gum, differing very little from purest gum 
Arabic, exudes from the tree, which Maiden, “ Forest Flora of 
New South Wales,” ii, p. 123, says would be an important article of 
commerce if obtainable in quantity. 
Atalaya hemiglauca is planted as a shade tree, but its greatest 
economic importance lies in the fact of its leaves providing an 
important food for cattle and sheep in times of drought. From 
this it is sometimes called the “cattle bush.” 
are contained on one sheet and the museum material is limited to a 
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