242 XXXVIII. LYTHRARIE.E. [Sonneratia. 



5. SONNERATIA, Linn. f. 



Glabrous trees or shrubs, with opposite, petiolate, thick leaves. Flowers 

 large, solitary or in 3-flowered cymes. Calyx thick, the tube broadly cam- 

 panulate, adnate to the ovary at the base ; lobes 4-8, without appendices. 

 Petals 4-8, narrow or none. Stamens numerous, inserted at the top of the 

 calyx-tube, inflected in the bud. Ovary enclosed in, and partially adnate 

 to the calyx- tube, depressed-globose, 10-15-celled; style elongated with 

 a small capitate stigma. Fruit large, depressed, fleshy and indehiscent, 

 surrounded by the persistent calyx, and adnate to it at the base. Seeds 

 immersed in pulp, angular with a thick testa. Cotyledons oily. 



1. S. acida, Linn, f . ; Eoxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 506; W. & A. Prodr. 327 ; 

 Wight Ic. t. 340. 



A small tree, with drooping branches and petiolate, broadly ovate or 

 obovate leaves, generally with cuneate base. Calyx-segments about 1 

 in. long. Petals purple, linear, scarcely exceeding the calyx. Fruit 1-2 

 in. diam. 



In salt marshes and creeks. Delta of the Indus, western coast, Sunderbans, 

 and Burma coast. Also on the east coast of Africa, and in North Australia. 

 Wood used as fuel (Grah. Cat. Bomb. 72). 



Order XXXIX. SAMYDACEJE. 



Trees or shrubs, with simple, petiolate, alternate, distichous leaves, and 

 small deciduous stipules. Flowers inconspicuous, regular, generally bi- 

 sexual. Calyx coriaceous, persistent, gamosepalous, lobes 3-7, imbricate 

 or valvate. Petals perigynous, none or as many as calyx-lobes, alternate 

 with them and similar to them in substance. Stamens definite or indefi- 

 nite, often alternating with barren staminodes ; anthers 2-celled, the cells 

 dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary free, rarely adnate to the calyx-tube, syn- 

 carpous; ovules attached to 3-5 parietal placentas. Fruit a capsule, 1- 

 celled, generally 3-5-valved, rarely indehiscent. Seeds generally few, 

 with a coriaceous or crustaceous testa, and copious fleshy albumen. Gen. 

 PI. i, 794; Roylelll. 170. 



1. CASE ARIA, Jacq. 



Trees or shrubs with alternate, distichous leaves ; stipules small lateral. 

 Flowers fasciculate, small, green or yellow, on articulate bracteate pedicels. 

 Calyx-tube short, with 4-6 imbricate lobes. Petals none. Stamens 6-15, 

 alternating with an equal number of barren staminodes, and usually con- 

 nate with them into a short tube or ring. Ovary free, narrowed into a 

 short style ; ovules numerous, attached to 3-4 parietal placentas. Capsule 

 3-4-valved, seeds numerous, attached to the middle of the valves. Seeds 

 with a fleshy aril ; albumen fleshy ; embryo straight ; cotyledons flat ; 

 radicle terete. 



Tomentose ; stipules minute ; leaves oblong or ovate-oblong . 1 . C. tomentosa. 

 Glabrous ; stipules ^ in. long ; leaves elliptic . . . . 2. O. graveolens. 



