SALVADORA.] APOCYNACEM. 29 



Ganges as far east as Patna, especially on saline soils. It is often found 

 growing with Capparis aphylla and Prosopis spicigera. Flowers Novem- 

 ber-May. DISTRIB. Baluchistan, Sindh, Rajputana and in the coast 

 regions on both side? of the Peninsula and in Ceylon, extending to 

 W. Asia, Abyssinia and Egypt. Often planted near Mahomedan tombs. 

 It is believed to be the Mustard- tree of Scripture. The pungent leaves 

 ara eaten as salad, ani camels are very fond of browzing on the foliage. 

 The bark of the roots acts as a vesicant. The bitter aromatic fruit is 

 , used medicinally, and the twiga are much used by natives for cleaning 

 the teeth, the tree being known as the ' tooth-brush ' tree. 



2. S. oleoides, Dene, in Jacquem. Voy. Bot. 140, t. 144 ; Brandts For. 

 Fl.316,t.39; F. B. I. Hi, 620; Watt E. D. ; Cooke FL Bomb, ii, 122; 

 Gamble Man. Ind. Timb. 477. S. indica, Royle III. 319. Vern. Jhdl,jdl. 



An evergreen shrub or small tree, with usually a short and twisted trank. 

 Branches many, spreading, whitish Leaves 1^-3 in. long and up to in. 

 wide, linear lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acute or subobtase and often 

 mucronate, pale-green or glaucous, coriaceous, glabrous. Flowers 

 sessile, greenish-white, in erect axillary panicled spikes ; bracts minute, 

 ovate, acite, deciduous. Calyx about ^ i n - Ion?- divided about f way 

 down into 4t rounded lobes. Corolla slightly exceeding the calyx ; 

 lobea oboyate oblong, reSexed. Stamens exserted. Drupe globose, 

 -1 in. in diam., yellow when ripe. 



Confined to the dry and usually saline tracts of the western portion of 

 the area, and often found gr >wing in company with 8. persica, from 

 which at a distance it may be distinguished by its more sombre green 

 foliage. Flowers Jan lary- April. DISTRIB. Common in Gujarat, Sindh, 

 Rajputana and in the drier parts of the Punjab and on the Salt Range 

 up to 2,400 feet, extending to Afghanistan and Aden. The sweet fruit 

 (pilu is eaten, especially in times of scarcity. Camels are fond of 

 browzing on the leaves and shoots, but no other animal will eat them. 



LXXI.-APOCYNACE^J. 



Trees, erect or twining shrubs, or herbs. Leaves simple, opposite 

 or whorled, rarely alternite, exstipulate. Flowers in terminal to 

 axillary cymes, regular, hermaphrodite ; bracts small. Calyx in- 

 ferior ; lobes 5, rarely 4, imbricate, often glandular within at the 

 base. Corolla usnally rotate or salver-shaped ; lobes 5, rarely 4, 

 spreading contorted and often twisted in bud, rarely valvate. 

 Stamens $, rarely 4, inserted usually on the tube of the corolla ; fila- 

 ments usually short, anthers linear-ohlong or sagittate, conniving, 

 connective sometimes adhering to the stigma ; cells 2, dehiscing 

 longitudinally, some times produced downwards a* empty spurs ; 



