MR HIERN, ON EBENACE^L 263 



153. DIOSPYEOS TOPOSIA, Hamilt. in Trans. Linn. Soc. Vol. XV. p. 115 (1827). 



D. foliis alternis, oblongis ovatis vel lanceolatis, apice acuminatis, basi obtusis, coriaceis, 

 glaberrirnis, crebre reticulatis, petiolatis ; floribus masculis axillaribus, cymosis, calyce initio clauso 

 lobis connatis demum irregulariter apice rupto, corolld iirceolatd, apice 4 5-lobd, staminibus <x> , 

 glabris; floribus femineis solitariis, staminodiis 12 16, ovario 4- (rarius 6-) loculari, fructibus 

 subglobosis vel ellipsoideis, glandvloso-pubescentibus vel glabrescentibus, seminibus 1 4 ; calyce 

 fructifero 3 4-lobo, pubescente. 



Ettingsh. Blat-Skel. Dikot. t. 42. f. 7 (1861); Bedd. Ic. PI. Ind. Or. (Part. VII.) p. 25. 

 t. 122 (1871) ; Alph. DC. Prodr. vin. p. 237. n. 73 (1844). 



D. racemosa, Roxb. Hort. Beng. p. 40 (1814) ; Fl. Ind., edit. 1832, vol. n. p. 536 ; 

 Wight, Ic. t. 416. 



D. lanceolata, Wall. List n. 4122 (182832), non Poir. 



D. incisa, Hamilt. ex. Wall. I.e. 



Embryopteris racemosa, G. Don, Gen. Syst. Gard. and Bot. IV. p. 41 (1837). 



Called Toposi in Bengal, where it is cultivated on account of the fragrancy of the 

 flowers ; Kahakaala-gass in Ceylon, see Thw. 'Enum. Ceyl. PL p. 179. n. 4 (1860) ; Goolul 

 in Silhet and Tipperah, see Eoxb. Hort. Beng. p. 40 (1814). 



A large or middle-sized tree with glabrous terete branches. Leaves alternate, oblong ovate 

 or oval, acuminate at apex, obtusely narrowed or rounded at base, coriaceous, closely and 

 clearly net-veined, with midrib depressed on upper surface, shining 'above, quite glabrous, 

 3 8 in. long by 1 3f in. wide ; petioles J in. long. Foliage like D. paniculata, Dalz. 



$ . Cymes axillary \ 1 in. long, slightly hairy or glabrescent, usually 3-flowered, in 

 cultivated specimens 3 12-flowered; flowers Jim long, yellow, pedicels shorter than the 

 calyx ; bracts caducous, at the top of peduncle : calyx at first closed in bud with con- 

 nate lobes, afterwards irregularly broken from apex in unequal acute lobes, scattered with 

 inconspicuous short setae, about in. high. Corolla urceolate, 4-lobed at apex, glabrous except 

 a few short hairs outside along the middle lines of the lobes ; Dr Hamilton states that 

 the corolla is 5-lobed. Stamens numerous, indefinite, in one case 33, glabrous, mostly 

 hypogynous ; filaments very short ; ovary rudimentary. 



9 . Flowers solitary ; fruiting peduncle \ \ in. long, sometimes at base shortly adnate 

 to the branch so as to become supra-axillary ; bracts at top of peduncle, caducous. Calyx 

 as in <J. Corolla tubular-urceolate, 4-lobed at apex. Staminodes 12 16. Ovary 4- rarely 6- 

 celled. Style 0, stigma 4-lobed. Fruit oblong or subglobose, f 1 in. long, glandular and 

 covered with short weak close tawny hairs or glabrescent. Fruiting calyx hairy, with 

 3 4 oblong or rounded lobes, \ \ in. across, spreading; seeds 1 4, albumen cartilaginous, 

 not ruminated but with very faint radiating striae near the circumference. 



East Bengal, Griffith ! 3622 ; Ceylon, not uncommon in damp forests up to an elevation 

 of 4000 feet, Thwaites! C.R 1911, 2514, Gardner! 533; Silhet, Roxburgh, Wallich! 

 4122; ? Khasia, Dr Hooker ! (part). 



A specimen from Borneo-, collected by 0. Beccari ! n. 3052, with leaves 5 11 in. long 

 by 1| 4 in. wide, and subglobose 4-celled 4-seeded fruit with deeply trifid calyx nearly 

 1 in. in diameter, probably belongs to this species. 



