XAN THOXYLL ACE^E. 



with sometimes 2 glands at the base of the leaflets. Flowers 

 in axillary or terminal racemes or panicles. W. and A. 



448. T. aculeata Pers. synops. i. 249. DC. prodr. ii. 83. 

 W. and A. i. 149. Paullinia aculeata Linn. sp. pi. 524. 

 Scopolia aculeata Smith ic. ined. 34. Roxb.fi. ind. i. 616. 

 (Rheede v, t. 41. Burm. Zeyl. t. 24.) A common bush in many 

 parts of India. 



Stem irregular, corky, climbing. Prickles innumerable, scattered 

 over every part of the younger branches, tender shoots, petioles, and 

 nerves of the leaflets, recurved, very acute. Leaves alternate ; leaflets 

 ternate, oblong, or broad-lanceolate, notched, emarginate, smooth, 1 

 inch long, and J or f broad. Petioles channelled. Racemes axillary, 

 generally compound, length of the leaves. Flowers small, white. 

 Calyx inferior, small, glandular, 5-toothed. Petals 5, oblong, spread- 

 ing. Filaments 5, nearly as long as the petals, spreading. Anthers 

 oblong, incumbent. Ovary ovate, 5-celled, with 2 ovules in each cell. 

 Style short, thick. Stigma 5-lobed. Berry the size of a small cherry, 

 compressed, 5-grooved, orange-coloured, 5-celled. Seed 1 in each 

 cell. All the parts very pungent, especially t^ie roots when fresh cut. 

 The fresh leaves are eaten raw for pains in the bowels ; the ripe berries 

 are fully as hot as black pepper, and with nearly the same kind of 

 pungency j they are pickled by the natives. The fresh bark of the 

 root is administered by the Telinga physicians, for the cure of that sort 

 of remittent commonly called the hill fever. " I conceive every part 

 of this plant to be possessed of strong stimulating powers, and have 

 no doubt but under proper management it might prove a valuable 

 medicine where stimulants are required." Roxb. 



BRUCEA, 



Flowers unisexual. Calyx 4 -par ted. Petals 4, hardly so long 

 as the calyx. $ . Stamens 4, short, arranged round a central 

 glandular body. . Stamens 4, sterile. Ovaries 4, placed on 

 a 4-lobed receptacle ; each with an acute reflexed style. Drupes 

 4, each 1- seeded. 



449. B. sumatrana Roxb. jft. ind. i. 449. DC. prodr. ii. 88. 

 Gonus amarissimus Lour. cock. ii. 809. (Rumph. vii. t. 15.) 

 Sumatra, the Moluccas and Cochinchina. 



Leaves alternate, unequally-pinnate, from 12 to 18 inches long. 

 Leaflets from 4 to 6 pair, opposite, short-stalked, obliquely ovate- 

 lanceolate, coarsely and obtusely serrated, pointed, villous underneath, 

 from 3 to 6 inches long, very bitter, and somewhat foetid. Petioles 

 round and villous. Stipules none. Racemes axillary, solitary, from 

 1 to 6, or 8 inches long, somewhat compound, dark purple, and clothed 

 with a few white hairs. Flowers numerous, very minute, dark purple. 

 Bracts subulate, hairy, very small, and deciduous. Calyx 4-leaved, or 

 deeply 4-parted. Segments small, ovate-lanceolate, deep purple, hairy 

 on the outside, and with the petals becoming reflexed. Petals 4, 

 longer than the calyx, lanceolate, dark purple, and hairy on the outside. 

 Disk a dark purple, 4-lobed, fleshy cup surrounding the base of the 

 ovaries. Filaments 4, short, purple, inserted under the margin of the 



218 



