384 LXII. LAURINE^E. [Daphnidium. 



ft, Burma, on the higher mountains between the Sitang and Salween, and the 

 Thoungyeen and Houndrow rivers. In Burma it is called Karawayben. 2. 

 Laurus nobilis, Linn. Sweet Bay or Laurel Ghar, Arab., well known on ac- 

 count of its aromatic leaves, is a small slow-growing evergreen tree, indigenous 

 in the Mediterranean region. Hardy in England. Differs from Daphnidhcm 

 by a 4-cleft perianth and 12 fertile stamens. A greenish coloured fat is ex- 

 pressed from the seeds. 



Order LXIII. THYMELACE^3. 



Shrubs small trees or wiry herbs with tenacious bark, and alternate 

 or opposite, entire, exstipulate leaves. Flowers usually bisexual, regular. 

 Perianth gamophyllous, hypocrateriforni or funnel-shaped ; lobes 4-5 im- 

 bricate ; throat with or without scales. Stamens usually as many or twice 

 as many as perianth-segments, inserted in the throat or tube. Ovary free, 

 1 -ceiled (in Thymelaceae proper), with a solitary pendulous ovule ; style 

 simple or 0, stigma capitate. Fruit indehiscent, a nut or drupaceous. 

 Seed usually exalbuminous ; embryo straight with a superior radicle. 

 Eoyle 111. 321. 



Leaves evergreen, coriaceous ; perianth not splitting laterally 1. Daphne. 

 Leaves deciduous, submembranous ; perianth splitting later- 

 ally as the fruit enlarges 2. Wikstiuemia. 



1. DAPHNE, Linn. 



Shrubs with alternate, mostly evergreen leaves. Flowers bisexual, 

 generally in terminal heads. Perianth coloured, tubular or funnel- 

 shaped, limb of 4 equal spreading segments, without scales. Anthers on 

 short filaments inserted in two rows of 4 each, those of the upper series 

 opposite to the perianth-segments, those of the lower alternate with them. 

 Stigma capitate, subsessile. Fruit fleshy or coriaceous, remaining en- 

 closed until near maturity in the inflated perianth-tube. Testa thick, 

 crustaceous. 



Flower-heads without bracts ; leaves 1-2 in. long . . 1. D. mucronata. 

 Flower-heads with numerous bracts ; leaves 3-5 in. long . 2. D. -papyracea. 



D. Laureola, Linn. ; Hook. Stud. Fl. 322 Spurge Laurel with poisonous 

 berries, West Europe, North Africa, West Asia, has greenish flowers in short 

 lateral racemes. D. Mezereum, Linn. ; Hook. Stud. Fl. 322, is deciduous, the 

 pink flowers in lateral clusters before the leaves. North-East Europe. Siberia. 

 The bark is used as a vesicant. 



1. D. mucronata, Eoyle 111. t. 81. Vern. Laghilne, Afg. ; Kutilal, 

 kanthan, gandalun, gandlena, channi niggi, shalangri, zhikak, zosho, ahlng, 

 mashur, swdna, fikri, dona, kagsari, si?id, kansian, kdmai, sonai, Pb. ; 

 Pech, Sindh. 



A tall shrub, branchlets and young leaves soft -pubescent. Leaves 

 coriaceous, lanceolate oblanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 1-2 in. long, sub- 

 sessile, midrib prominent, terminating in a short sharp mucro with indis- 





