622 



GUTTIFER.E. XIII. MESUA. XIV. CALOPHYLLUM. 



/ron-wooded Mesua. Fl. July, Aug. Tree 40 feet. 



2 M. SPECIOSA (Chois. mss. B.C. prod. 1. p. 562.) leaves 

 linear-lanceolate, rather acute, long ; flowers hardly stalked ; 

 petals rounded, regular ; mature nut 4-seeded. Jj . S. Native 

 of the East Indies. Rheed. mal. 3. p. 63. t. 53. Rheedesays 

 this tree is much cultivated in Malabar for the odour and beauty 

 of its flowers ; they are about the size and shape of those of 

 the sweet-brier, but with only 4 white petals ; when dry they 

 are mixed witli other aromatics, such as the white sandal- 

 wood, and used for perfuming ointment. The fruit is reddish, 

 and wrinkled when ripe, with a rind like that of the chesnut, 

 containing 3 or 4 seeds the size, shape, substance and taste of the 

 chesnut. The tree bears fruit in 6 years from the nut, and 

 continues to bear during three centuries. It is planted near 

 houses, and affords an excellent shade. The bark, wood, and 

 roots are bitter, and sweet-scented. 



Sheny-fiovtereA Mesua. Fl. July, Aug. Tree 50 feet. 



Cult. These trees bear very shewy flowers ; they are there- 

 fore worth cultivating in every collection of stove plants. They 

 will thrive in a mixture of loam, peat, and sand, and ripened 

 cuttings will root in sand under a hand-glass, in a moist heat. 



XIV. CALOPHY'LLUM (from K a\o s , calos, beautiful, and 

 <j>v\\ot>, phyllon, a leaf; the leaves are large, of a beautiful green, 

 and elegantly veined). Lin. gen. no. 658. Juss. gen. p. 258. D. C. 

 prod. 1. p. 562. Cambess. in mem. mus. 16. p. 427. t. 11. C. 



LIN. SYST. Poiyandria, Monogynia. Calyx bractless, of 2-4, 

 unequal, coloured sepals. Petals 4, rarely 2, opposite the sepals. 

 Stamens indefinite, rarely definite, free or connected at the base ; 

 filaments short ; anthers inserted by their base, 2-celled, burst- 

 ing lengthwise. Style twisted, crowned by a large, capitate 

 stigma, which is usually lobed. Fruit drupaceous, globose or 

 egg-shaped, 1 -celled, 1 -seeded. Seeds large, globose or egg- 

 shaped. Trees with the leaves furnished with numerous trans- 

 verse, parallel nerves. Flowers disposed in axillary racemes, 

 and panicles polygamous or hermaphrodite. 



1 . Calyx of 4 sepals. 



1 C. pARViFbiiuM (Chois. in act. soc. nat. par. 1. p. 229.) 

 leaves cordate-ovate, bluntish, on short stalks, smooth, veined ; 

 branches twisted ; panicles loose, few-flowered. F? . S. Native 

 of the Moluccas. 



Small-leaved Calophyllum. Tree. 



2 C. INOPHY'LLUM (Lin. spec. 732.) leaves oblong or obovate, 

 obtuse, but usually emarginate ; branches round ; flowers loosely 

 racemose ; racemes axillary ; peduncles 1 -flowered, usually op- 

 posite. 1} . S. Native of the East Indies Rumph. amb. 2. 

 p. 211. t. 71. Rheede.mal. 4. p. 79. t. 38. Burm. zeyl. 1. 130. 

 t. 60 This is a large tree, with snow-white flowers. Fruit 

 when ripe reddish, the size of a walnut, under a fleshy bark and 

 a woody shell, having a very oily nut, which is bitter, and yields 

 a yellow resinous juice. It is a tree about 90 feet in height, and 

 1 2 in thickness, with the younger branches when ripe of a red- 

 dish colour, and when wounded exudes a yellowish, bitter juice, 

 frequently hardening to a gum. The nut of the fruit is at first 

 sweet, but afterwards very bitter. The tree is common in 

 Malabar in sandy soils, and bears fruit twice a year, in March 

 and September, frequently to the age of three hundred years. 

 An oil is expressed from the nuts to burn in lamps, to assuage 

 pain, and to make ointments. The bark and gum are also used 

 for medical purposes. In Java they plant this tree about their 

 houses for the elegance of the shade, and the sweetness of the 

 flowers. 



Fibrous-leaved Calophyllum. Clt. 1793. Tree 90 feet. 



3 C. TETRAPE'TALUM (Roxb. hort. beng. p. 93.) leaves ovate 



or oblong -lanceolate, obtusely acuminated; racemes axillary, 

 short, corymbose, 2-3 together, fj . S. Native of the East 

 Indies. 



Four-petalled Calophyllum. Tree 60 feet. 



4 TACAMAHA'CA (Willd. berl. mag. 1811. p. 79.) leaves ovate- 

 elliptical, acutish, rarely emarginate ; branches round ; flowers 

 loosely racemose; racemes axillary; peduncles 1 -flowered, 

 usually opposite. Tj . S. Native of the islands of Bourbon and 

 Madagascar. C. inophyllum, Lam. diet. 1. p. 552. Pluk.alm. 

 41. t. 147. f. 3. Flowers white. 



Tacamahaca Calophyllum. Clt. 1822. Tree 60 feet. 



5 C. SPECTA'BILE (Willd. mag. berl. 1811. p. 99.) leaves 

 elliptical-lanceolate or rarely ovate-elliptical, usually acute at 

 both ends ; flowers in loose, short, axillary racemes ; peduncles 

 1-flowered. fj . S. Native of the East Indies and the Mauri- 

 tius. C. acuminatum, Lam. diet. 1. p. 553. Rumph. amb. 2. 

 p. 218. t. 72. C. Soulatri, Burm. ind. p. 121. Petals yellow or 

 white. This tree is very commonly cultivated in Amboyna for 

 its shewy, yellow blossoms. The nuts are eatable. The bark 

 is manufactured into ropes. In fact, it possesses all the qualities 

 of C. inophyllum. 



Shewy Calophyllum. Clt. 1820. Tree 90 feet. 



2. Calyx of 2 sepals. 



6 C. CA'LABA (Jacq. amer. p. 269. t. 165.) leaves obovate or 

 oblong, obtuse or emarginate ; flowers hermaphrodite or male ; 

 racemes lateral, very short. Tj . S. Native of the Caribbee Islands. 

 Flowers white, sweet-scented. Fruit green, with little pulp, 

 and that hardish, involving a smooth, yellowish, ash-coloured 

 nut, in which is a white, solid kernel. It is not eaten, but the 

 Caribbees express an oil from it for domestic uses, as for burn- 

 ing in lamps. Browne says, that the wood is pretty good tim- 

 ber, but does not bear the weather well, and that it is frequently 

 used for staves and cask headings. The tree is called Calaba 

 both by the Caribbees and the French. 



Calaba Calophyllum. Clt. 1780. Tree 60 feet. 



7 C. MADRU'NNO (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 202.) 

 leaves oblong, acute at both ends ; peduncles few-flowered ; 

 capsules large, usually 2-seeded. J? . S. Native of South 

 America in the kingdom of New Granada, where it is called 

 Madrunno. 



Madrunno Calophyllum. Tree. 



8 C. CALABOI'DES ; leaves wedge-shaped, praemorsely-emar- 

 ginate ; racemes axillary, about the length of the leaves ; sepals 

 2. fy . S. Native of the East Indies. C. Calaba, Roxb. but 

 not of Jacq. 



Calaba-like Calophyllum. Tree 50 feet. 



9 C. BRASILIE'NSE (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 320. t. 67.) leaves 

 elliptic or obovate ; cymes shorter than the leaves ; calyx 2- 

 leaved ; petals usually 2 ; stamens few. fj. S. Native of Brazil. 

 Petals white. 



Brazilian Calophyllum. Tree 60 feet. 



3. Calyx wanting ? 



10 C. SPI/RIUM (Chois. mss. D. C. prod. 1. p. 563.) leaves 

 ovate, obtuse ; peduncles elongated. Tj . S. Native of the 

 East Indies. C. Calaba, Lin. spec. 723. C. apetalum, Willd. 

 mag. berl. 1811. p. 79. Rheed. mal. 4. p. 81. t. 39. Rheede 

 says the wood of this tree is very hard and of a reddish colour. 

 The fruit when ripe is of a red colour ; in taste sweet, mixed 

 with acid ; in shape, size, and colour, not unlike our cornelian 

 cherry. It is eaten by the natives of Malabar, and an oil is ex- 

 pressed from it for lamps. The petals are yellow. 



Spurious Calophyllum. Clt. 1 780. Tree 60 feet. 



\ Species very little known. 

 11C. IONGIFOLIUM (Willd. berl. mag. 1811. p. 80.) leaves 



