80 



BURSERIACE^E. I. BOSWELLIA. 



wrinkled or plaited or fleshy. Radicle superior, straight, turned 

 towards the hiluro. Trees or shrubs, abounding in balsamic 

 resin or gum. Leaves alternate, unequally pinnate, occasionally 

 stipulate, usually without pellucid dots. Flowers axillary or 

 terminal, disposed in racemes or panicles. This order differs 

 from Tereblnthacece, to which it is closely allied, in the com- 

 pound ovary and pinnate leaves, and also in the very generally 

 valvate aestivation of the calyx. The plants abound in a fra- 

 grant resinous juice, which, however, is destitute of the 

 acridity and staining properties of that of Terebinthacece. The 

 resin of Bosmellia is used in India as incense, and also as pitch. 

 It is hard and brittle, and according to Dr. Roxburgh, is boiled 

 with some low-priced oil to render it soft and fit for use. The 

 native doctors prescribe it mixed with ghee (clarified butter) in 

 cases of gonorrhffia, and also in what they call ritta. A sub- 

 stance like gum elemi is produced by Icica Icicarlba and /. Ca- 

 rcina, and a yellow essential oil by Bursera acuminata, which has 

 the same properties as those of balsam of capaiva ; the 3-horned 

 nuts ofCanarium commune are eaten in Java both raw and dressed, 

 and an oil is expressed from them which is used at table when 

 fresh, and for lamps when boiled. The raw nuts, however, are 

 apt to bring on diarrhoea. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



1 BOSWE'LLIA. Flowers hermaphrodite (f. 16.). Calyx 5- 

 toothed (f. 16. a.). Petals 5 (f. 1C. c.), with the edges incum- 

 bent in aestivation. Disk cup-shaped (f. 16. &.), crenated, sta- 

 miniferous. Stamens 10 (f. 16. d.). Style crowned by a 

 capitate stigma. Capsule trigonal (f. 16. e.~), 3-valved, 3-celled. 

 Seeds solitary in the cells, girded by a membrane. 



2 BALSAMODE'NDRON. Flowers unisexual. Calyx 4-toothed. 

 Petals 4, induplicately-valvate in aestivation. Stamens 8, in- 

 serted under the annular disk, with elevated warts between them. 

 Ovary 1. Style 1, short, obtuse. Berry or drupe ovate, acute, 

 marked by 4 sutures, 1-2-celled; cells 1 -seeded. 



3 ICICA. Flowers usually hermaphrodite. Calyx 4-5-toothed. 

 Petals 4-5, inserted under the disk, valvate in aestivation. Sta- 

 mens 8-10. Ovary 4-5-celled ; cells 2-ovulate. Disk orbicular. 

 Style short, crowned by 3-4 stigmas. Fruit coriaceous, 2-3- 

 valved, containing 4-5 little, 1 -seeded nuts involved in pulp. 



4 PROTIUM. Flowers unisexual. Calyx 5-cleft. Petals 5, in- 

 serted under the disk, valvate in aestivation. Stamens 10. Style 

 1. Disk truncate, 10-ribbed. Drupe indehiscent, containing 

 3 nuts, 2 of which are usually abortive. 



5 BURSE'RA. Flowers polygamous (f. 18.). Calyx small, 

 3-5-parted. Petals 3-5 (f. 18. &.), valvate in aestivation. 

 Stamens 6-10 (f. 18. c.). Disk annular, 8-crenate (f. 18. d.}. 

 Ovary 3-celled. Style short, trifid. Drupe (f. 18. e.~), 3- 

 valved, containing 3 1-2-seeded nuts, 2 of which are abortive. 



6 MARI'ONIA. Flowers hermaphrodite. Calyx 5-cleft. Pe- 

 tals 5, valvate in aestivation. Disk entire. Stamens 10. Ovary 

 5-celled. Stigma nearly sessile, somewhat 5-lobed. Drupe 

 containing 1-5 1-seeded nuts, covered with pulp. 



7 COLOPHO'NIA. Calyx urceolate, 3-lobed. Petals 3, in- 

 serted under the disk, imbricate in aestivation. Stamens 6. 

 Disk 6-toothed. 



8 CANA'RIUM. Flowers dioecious or polygamous. Calyx 

 3-toothed. Petals 3, imbricate in aestivation. Stamens 6. Disk 

 urceolate. Ovary 3-celled. Style short, crowned by 3 punc- 

 tiform stigmas. Drupe baccate, containing a 3-celled nut. 



9 HEDWIGIA. Flowers polygamous or hermaphrodite. Calyx 

 4-toothed. Petals 4, concrete to the middle, valvate in aesti- 

 vation. Stamens 8, adnate to the corolla. Disk cup-shaped, 

 8-lobed. Ovary 4-celled, 8-furrowed. Stigma sessile, 4- 

 furrowed. Berry 4-furrowed, containing 4 nuts, one of which 

 only comes to maturity. 



10 SORINDE'IA. Flowers polygamo-dioecious. Calyx urceo- 

 late, 5-toothed. Petals 5, valvate in aestivation. Stamens about 

 20 (16-28), inserted in the bottom of the calyx in the male 

 flowers, and 5 fertile in the hermaphrodite ones. Stigmas 3, 

 sessile. Drupe containing a filamentose nut. 



11 GARU'GA. Flowers hermaphrodite. Calyx campanulate, 

 5-toothed. Petals 5, inserted in the calyx as well as the stamens, 

 which are 10 in number, with 5 pairs of glands between the 

 stamens. Style filiform, crowned by a 5-lobed stigma. Drupe 

 fleshy, containing 5 irregular 1-seeded nuts, or only 2 -3 from 

 abortion. 



12 ELA'I-HRIUM. Flowers hermaphrodite. Calyx 4-parted. 

 Petals 4. Stamens 8. Style short, crowned by a bifid stigma. 

 Capsule 1 -celled, 1-seeded. Seeds covered with pulp. 



13 FAOARA'STRUM. Flowers hermaphrodite. Calyx 3-4- 

 parted. Petals 3-4. Stamens 6-8, unequal. Ovary stipitate, 

 with the stipe bearing the petals and stamens, tubercled, 3-4- 

 lobed at the apex, 3-4-celled ; cells 2-ovulate. Style 3-4-angled, 

 3-4-lobed at the apex. 



I. BOSWE'LLIA (in memory of the late Dr. John Boswell, 

 of Edinburgh). Roxb. cor. t. 207. hort. beng. p. 32. Kunth, 

 gen. tereb. p. 16. D. C. prod. 2. p. 76. 



LIN. SYST. Decdndria, Monogynia. Flowers hermaphro- 

 dite (f. 16.). Calyx 5-toothed (f. 16. a.), permanent. Petals 5 

 (f. 16. c.), obovate-oblong, spreading, with the margins incum- 

 bent in aestivation. Disk cup-shaped, crenate (f. 16. i,), stami- 

 niferous, surrounding the base of the ovary. Stamens 10 (f. 16. 

 d.~). Ovary oblong, trigonal, 3-celled ; cells 2-ovulate ; ova 

 attached to the axis. Style 1. Stigma capitate, 3-furrowed. 

 Capsule trigonal (f. IG.e.}, 3-valved, 3-celled, opening from the 

 base. Seed solitary in the cells, girded by a broad membra- 

 nous wing. Indian trees abounding in balsam. Leaves impari- 

 pinnate, with opposite serrated leaflets. Flowers small, disposed 

 in racemes or panicles. This genus differs from the rest of 

 Burseriacece in the fruit being capsular, not drupaceous. 



1 B. GLA'BRA (Roxb. cor. 3. p. 4. t. 207.) leaflets broad, lan- 

 ceolate, blunt, serrated, smooth ; racemes aggregate, simple, 

 terminal, shorter than the leaves. Tj . S. Native of Coroman- 

 del and the Moluccas. Rumph. amb. 2. t. 50. ex Roxb. and 

 therefore Canarium balsamiferum, Willd. spec. 4. p. 760. This 

 is one of the largest trees on the coast of Coromandel, where it 

 is called Gugulapootschittoo. The wood is hard, heavy, and 

 durable. The wounded bark yields a kind of resin, which is 

 burnt as incense in the Hindu temples, and is also employed 



