STERCTTLIAGM 269 



one-seeded, indehiscent ; epicarp thin, membranous, dark-coloured ; 

 mesocarp much thicker, corky, brown ; endocarp black, hard and 

 crustaceous. 



Seed large, oblong, conforming in outline to that of the carpel, 

 basal, erect ; testa brown ; raphe immersed ; chalaza thickened, 

 causing an emargination of the cotyledons ; hilum basal in the 

 centre of the cavity of the carpel and attached immediately to the 

 chalaza. 



Endosperm copious, fleshy, whitish, divided into two equal 

 pieces by the cotyledons, to which they adhere, resembling two thick 

 cotyledons. 



Embryo large, straight, central, equal to the length and breadth 

 of the cavity of the seed ; cotyledons oblong or obovate, obtuse, 

 emarginate by the thickening of the chalaza, surrounding the 

 radicle and plumule at the base, and leaving only a small orifice 

 for the radicle to protrude, five-nerved from near the base, with 

 ascending slightly branching nerves ; radicle very short, included, 

 stout, close to the upper end of the seed ; plumule short, stout. 



Sterculia heterophylla, Beauv. (fig. 218). 



Hypocotyl erect, terete, pubescent with glandular hairs, pale 

 green, soon becoming reddish. 



Cotyledons broadly oblong, obtuse and rounded at the end, often 

 truncate or even slightly emarginate, suddenly tapered or almost 

 truncate at the base, petiolate, five-nerved from the base of the 

 lamina, with the nerves incurved at the apex forming a series of in- 

 tramarginal reticulations, glabrous except at the base, subcoriaceous, 

 deep green above, paler beneath ; lamina 2-3-2-6 cm. long, l - 5-l'7 

 cm. wide ; petiole channelled above, convex beneath, pale green, 

 pubescent with glandular hairs, 10-12 mm. long. 



Stem erect, terete, pale green or brownish, pubescent with glan- 

 dular hairs, ultimately woody ; 1st internode 3-4 cm. ; 2nd 1-3 cm. 

 long. 



Leaves cauline, alternate, stipulate, petiolate, alternately, irre- 

 gularly penninerved, much reticulated, with pale veins and a pale 

 subcartilaginous margin, coriaceous, shining, deep green above, 

 paler beneath ; petioles semiterete, channelled above, convex be- 

 neath, slightly tapered upwards from a rather stout base, pube- 

 scent with glandular hairs ; stipules small, subulate, glandular-hairy, 

 pale-coloured, soon becoming dried up and falling away. 



No. 1. Lanceolate, acute, entire, small. 



Nos. 2-4. Ovate, elliptic, acute or acuminate, entire, gradually 

 becoming larger. 



