Jelastrus.] XXIV. CELASTRIXE^E. 81 



Glabrous, armed with numerous straight axillary spines, generally about 

 f in. long. Leaves on short petioles, broadly ovate or obovate, crenate, 

 coriaceous, cinereous. Cymes axillary, subsessile or shortly pedunculate, 

 often fascicled on short dichotomous branchlets ; flowers numerous, up to 

 30 ; bracts small, triangular, ciliate. Calyx-lobes obtuse, ciliate. Petals 

 oblong, reddish, with white margins. Filaments subulate, inserted under 

 edge of disc ; anthers oval, versatile. Disc 5-lobed, fleshy, surrounding 

 base of 3-celled ovary. Style short cylindrical ; stigma 3- or 5-lobed. 

 Capsule turbinate or obovoid, 3-celled, 3-cornered, J- in. long ; seeds half 

 >vered with an aril. 



Common in Afghanistan and North- West India, extending as far as Kamaon 

 in the Outer Himalaya and Siwalik tract ; also reported from Bandelkhand. 

 Generally on dry, hot, rocky, rugged slopes, often on kankar soil. In flower 

 and fruit from March-Nov. A stiff, densely-branching shrub, 8-12 ft. high, 

 usually with strong, stiff, sharp spines, rarely unarmed. Bark dark grey, or 

 with a reddish tinge, scurfy, but not much marked ; foliage dull greyish green. 

 The seeds have a bitter taste. 



3. C. senegalensis, Lam. ; Boissier Fl. Orient, ii. 11; Bedd. Fl. Sylv. 

 anal. t. x. 2. Syn. 0. montana, Eoxb. Fl. Ind. i. 620; W. &]A. Prodr. 159 ; 

 Wight Ic. t. 382. Vern. Sheraivane, trans-Indus ; Talkar, dajkar, ma- 

 reila, kingaro, kliarai, Pb. ; Baikal, gajaclimni, C.P. ; Mai kangoni, 

 Bomb. 



Glabrous, glaucous or pale green, usually armed with numerous straight 

 axillary spines, generally 1-2 in. long, and often bearing leaves and flowers. 

 Leaves variable in form and size, coriaceous, entire or crenate, narrowed 

 into petiole, obovate oblanceolate or linear-spathulate. Cymes axillary, 

 often 2 or more together on short tubercular branchlets, regularly dicho- 

 tomous ; branches divaricate ; bracts triangular, fimbriate. Flowers small, 

 pale greenish white, a large proportion sterile. Lobes of calyx obtuse or 

 acute, fimbriate. Petals oblong, with entire or fimbriate edges. Disc 

 broad, flat, 10-lobed. Filaments subulate ; anthers round, versatile. Style 

 short ; stigma 3-lobed. Capsule globose or ovoid, about the size of a small 

 pea, generally 2-valved, often 1-celled, with 1, 2, rarely 3 seeds; occasionally 

 3-valved. (The seeds of this species should be examined ; some of the 

 specimens before me have an arillus, others are naked.) 



This plant has a wide distribution, from the Mediterranean region over a great 

 part of tropical Africa to India. It is common in many parts of the Panjab 

 trans-Indus, in Sindh, the Salt range, about Delhi, in the Siwalik tract, and 

 the outer Himalaya (ascending to 4000 ft.), in Guzerat, the Dekkan, and many 

 parts of the Peninsula. The specimens from Sindh, Afghanistan, and Delhi 

 have narrow, those from South India have broadly obovate leaves. Mostly in 

 stony, rocky, dry, barren localities. Fl. at various times throughout the year, 

 the seed ripening in summer and autumn. 



A tall shrub, under favourable circumstances a small tree 15-20 ft. high, 

 with a short crooked trunk, 2 - 4 ft. in girth, stiff branches forming a loose 

 oval crown. Bark of stem J in. thick, yellowish, reddish, or purplish grey. 

 Wood white, close-grained, hard, and durable ; the leaves are thrashed out and 

 used as fodder, the branches employed as dunnage for the roofs of houses. 



F 



