Premna.'] LX. VERBENACE.E. 367 



emarginate, lower lip of 3 equal lobes, throat closed with white hairs. 

 Drupe globose, J in. diam. 



Sub-Himalayan tract and outer ranges, extending north-west as far as the 

 Chenab, and ascending to 3500 ft. Oudh forests, Sikkim, Bhutan, Silhet. The 

 leaves are shed Jan., Feb. Fl. April- June. Attains 25 ft., trunk short, erect, 

 3 ft. girth, branches divergent, twigs pubescent. Bark light- dark- or reddish- 

 grey, even, with longitudinal wrinkles. Wood hard, a good fuel, used for light- 

 ing fires by friction. 



Closely allied, and perhaps not specifically distinct, is P. barbata, Wall. 

 Vern. Ga?ihila, Pb. ; Lammar, N.W.P. Outer Himalaya from the Jhelam to 

 Assam, ascending to 5500 ft., said to differ by a 4-cleft calyx and a less conspi- 

 cuous beard in the throat of the corolla. A moderate-sized tree, bark cinereous. 

 Fl. April-June. The twigs have a strong unpleasant smell. 



P. glaberrima, Wight Ic. t. 1484, from South India, and P. micrantlia, 

 Schauer, DC. Prodr. xi. 635, are also closely allied to P. mucronata. P. cordi- 

 folia, Koxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 78 ; Wight Ic. t. 1483, a shrub from South and West- 

 ern India, resembles it in the shape of the leaves, but differs by a truncate or 

 bilabiate calyx. 



3. P. interrupts Wall, j DC. Prodr. xi. 633. 



A small tree, inflorescence and under side of leaves pubescent. Leaves 

 oblanceolate or obovate, 4-8 in. long, narrowed into a short petiole, acu- 

 minate, entire, or indistinctly dentate. Flowers greenish, sessile, in com- 

 pact sessile or shortly pedunculate cymose clusters supported by folia- 

 ceous lanceolate bracts, and forming a cylindrical, terminal thyrsus, often 

 interrupted at the base. Calyx bifid. Corolla-lobes 4, nearly equal. An- 

 thers and style exserted. Drupe globose, \-\ in. diam. 



Kamaon, 6000-7000 ft. Nepal. Sikkim, 6000-8000 ft. Fl. May-Aug. A 

 purple gum exudes from wounds in the bark. Wood 43 lb. per cub. ft., 

 Wall. 



P. racemosa, Wall.; DC. Prodr. xi. 633, Kasia, Sikkim, Nepal, is closely 

 allied to this species. 



4. P. tomentosa, Willd. j Eoxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 76 ; Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 

 251. 



A moderate-sized tree ; branchlets, leaves, and inflorescence densely 

 clothed with soft tawny tomentum of stellate hairs. Leaves triangular- 

 ovate, acuminate, entire, 4-6 in. long, 3-4 in. broad, on petiole 1 in. long, 

 Flowers pale greenish-white, shortly pedicellate, in loose terminal, rounded 

 trichotomous panicles. Calyx truncate or indistinctly bilabiate at the 

 time of flowering, clothed with stellate hairs. Corolla 5-lobed, the lobes 

 nearly equal. Style exserted, minutely, and indistinctly bifid. Ovary 

 densely tomentose. Drupe ribbed, indistinctly lobed, globose, \-\ in. 

 diam., the lower half enclosed in the somewhat enlarged, cup-shaped, 

 membranous calyx. 



South India, Java, Ceylon, and probably in the Godavery forest of the Cen- 

 tral Provinces. Wood yellow, hard, close-grained, takes a beautiful polish. 



5. P. scandens, Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 82 ; Dalz. Bomb. Fl. 199, is a large climb- 



