Meliosma. ~ SABIACEAE. 255 



A glabrous climbing shrub with elliptic-oblong acuminate 

 leaves, very small flowers in short axillary cymes and flat 

 reticulate reniform drupes. 



2. Meliosma, Blume. 



Trees or shrubs, usually pubescent. Leaves alternate, simple 

 or iniparipinnate ; if the latter, leaflets subopposite, the terminal 

 rarely wanting ; leaves or leaflets sometimes serrate, especially 

 when young. Flower* small, irregular, hermaphrodite, in 

 branched terminal or axillary panicles ; bracts caducous. Sepals 

 and their bracteoles 5-9, persistent, forming an uninterrupted 

 spiral round the petals. Petals 3. nearly orbicular, valvate or 

 imbricate. Shi men* ."> ; i> fertile opposite the inner petals, the 

 filaments short, flattened, incurved, furnished at the base with 

 bifid scales expanded upwards in a, cup bearing 2 globose anther- 

 cells bursting transversely and springing back elastically ; 3 

 sterile, deformed, opposite the outer petals, bifid, together form- 

 ing a hood over the pistil. Dixie annular or cupular with 2-5 

 simple or dentate teeth. Omry sessile, 2- rarely 8-celled, con- 

 tracted into a simple or bifid style; stigma simple; ovules 2 in 

 each cell. Friu't a small, obliquely snbglobose, drupe; stone 

 crustaceous, 1-celled, with a basilar rounded projection within. 

 Seed globose ; testa membranous ; cotyledons conduplicate ; 

 radicle incurved. 



Leaves simple ; ovary glabrous 



Leaves membranous, obovate or oblanceolate, usiially glabrous, 

 serrate only when young ; midrib and main nerves raised on the 

 upper surface ; panicles pnberulous, flowers very small, sepals and 

 bracteoles about 5 ; drupe "2 in. in diam., stone deeply rugose 



1. simplicifolia. 



Leaves coriaceous ; elliptic-oblong or -lanceolate, usually pubescent 

 beneath, midrib and main nerves impressed on the upper surface ; 

 panicles densely ferruginous pubescent, flowers rather large, sepals 

 and bracteoles about 9 ; drupe '3 in. in diam., stone slightly rugose 



2. Wightii. 



Leaves pinnate ; leaflets opposite or subopposite : 



Ovary pubescent ; leaflets 9-15, lanceolate, entire, pubescent 

 beneath ; panicles rusty-pubescent ; stone nearly smooth 



3. Arnottiana. 



