Helicteres.] XIII. STERCULIACE^. 35 



tube. Fruit 1-2 in. long, on a gynophore nearly as long, cylindrical, com- 

 posed of 5 spirally twisted tomentose carpels. 



Bengal, South and Central India. Banswara. Oudh forests (common). Sub- 

 Himalayan tract as far west as the Jhelam. A shrub, or small tree ; new leaves 

 in April ; fl. April, May, and throughout the rainy season ; the ripe fruit on 

 the tree in winter. The branches are used for fencing, and thatching ; the 

 bark yields a strong white fibre, made into coarse cordage and canvas for 

 gunny-bags. Fruit and leaves used in native medicine. 



3. PTEROSPERMUM, Schreb. 

 Trees or shrubs, pubescent with stellate hairs. Calyx 5-cleft, deciduous. 

 Petals 5, deciduous. Staniinal column adnate to the gynophore, divided 

 at the top into 20 filaments, 5 without anthers (staminodia), 15 with 

 linear anthers, the cells parallel, opening longitudinally. Ovary sessile 

 on the top of the column, 5-celled, with several ovules in each cell; 

 style undivided, club-shaped and 5-furrowed at the top. Capsule woody 

 or coriaceous, opening loculicidally in 5 valves. Seeds produced into a 

 wing at the top ; albumen little or none ; cotyledons wrinkled or folded. 



Leaves peltate or obovate-oblong . . . . 1. P. acerifolium. 



Leaves lanceolate . . . . . . . 2. P. lancecefolium. 



P. semisagittatum, a large tree from Burma, Chittagong, distinguished by 

 lanceolate, semisagittate leaves ; large, broad, laciniate stipules, which fall after 

 the leaves are fully developed ; broad laciniate bracts, large obovate petals, and 

 an oblong fruit 3 in. long ; is cultivated at Saharunpore and elsewhere in 

 North- West India, but is not indigenous. 



1. P: acerifolium, Willd. Tab. XLEoxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 158; W. 

 & A. Prodr. 69 ; Wight Ic. t. 631 ; Bot. Mag. 620. Sans. Karnikara. 

 Vern. Kanak-champa, Beng. ; Taun-pceicun, Burnt. 



A large tree. Young branches and calyx covered with thick ferruginous 

 tomentum. Stipules many-cleft, caducous. Leaves large, peltate or 

 obovate-oblong, sinuately lobed, glabrous above, and grey tomentose 

 beneath. Flowers fragrant, axillary, on short pedicels, with many-cleft 

 bracts. Calyx deeply 5-cleft; segments linear, up to 5 in. long. 

 Petals linear or obliquely wedge-shaped, pure white. Capsule ligneous, 

 brown-tomentose, pentagonal, 2-6 in. long. Seeds numerous, obliquely 

 oval, compressed, with large, brown, thin membranous wings. 



Burma and hills of Eastern Bengal. Doons between Jumna and Sarda. 

 Banks of the Jumna below Mussoorie (wild ?). Cultivated throughout India. 

 Fl. from March to June, fruit ripens in the cold season. Wood of a light-red 

 colour, firm. In the N.W. a moderate-sized tree, attains a large size in Burma. 



2. P. lancesefolium, Eoxb. Fl. Ind. 163. Vern. Ban Mlla, Beng. 



A large tree. Young shoots and underside of leaves with short white 

 or tawny tomentum. Stipules subulate. Leaves alternate, bifarious, 

 lanceolate, acuminate, entire. Flowers fragrant, axillary, on peduncles 

 longer than calyx, with 2 or 3 linear, laciniate bracts. Sepals linear, re- 

 volute, 1 in. long. Petals obliquely cuneiform, white. Capsules lanceo- 

 late, hoary, 5-celled. Seeds 2-4 in each cell, winged. 



Burma, hills of Eastern Bengal. Sub-Himalayan tract as far west as the 

 Jumna (wild ?). A tree of considerable size. Fl. May- June. 



