SAPIUM. 



SAPIUM. 



Flowers monoecious. $ . Calyx 2-fid. Stamens 2. 5 . 

 Calyx 3-toothed. Style 3-fid. Capsule 3-coccous. A. de J. 



387. S. aucuparium Willd. sp. pi. iv. 572. Jacq. amer. 249. 

 t. 158. Hippomane biglandulosa Linn. sp. pi. 1431. (Pluk. 

 t. 229. f. 8.) Woods of Carthagena. 



A tree 30 feet high. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, acute, serrate, with 

 an intermixture of larger and rounder teeth, coriaceous, shining, about 

 6 inches long. Spikes terminal, lax, thick, green, about 6 inches long, 

 male above, female below. Males about 14, clustered, sessile, with 2 

 oblong, obtuse, large, flattish, greenish-yellow glands at their base. 

 Females solitary, with 2 similar glands at their base. Calyx of both 

 sexes dark purple. The inspissated juice furnishes a kind of bird-lime, 

 which is venomous. The vapours from this juice highly dangerous, 

 producing erysipelatous inflammation. 



388. S. indicum Willd. iv. 572. Roxb. fl. ind. iii. 692 



(Rheede iv. t. 61.) Delta of the Ganges. 



Leaves alternate, stalked, somewhat pendulous, broad-lanceolate, 

 serrate, smooth, of a deep shining green, 2-4 inches long, and broad in 

 proportion; stipules small, deciduous. Male flowers on terminal, 

 cylindrical catkins. Scales glandular, 3-4-flowered. Calyx 3-parted; 

 divisions somewhat cordate, expanding. Corolla 0. Filaments longer 

 than the calyx ; anthers ovate. Female flowers at the base of the 

 catkins often solitary. Calyx from 3 to 4-parted. Corolla 0. Styles 

 3-cleft, divisions entire, and recurved ; stigma enlarged. Capsule, or nut 

 globular, of the size of a nutmeg, 3-celled, 6-valved, thick and exceed- 

 ingly hard. Seed solitary, affixed by the apex, oval, smooth. Juice 

 highly poisonous. Seeds used for intoxicating fish. 



HIPPOMANE. 



Flowers monrecious. $ . Calyx turbinate, 2-fid. Stamens 2. 

 $ . Calyx 3-parted. Style 1. Stigmas 7. Fruit fleshy, con- 

 taining a 7-celled nut. A. de J. 



389. H. Mancinella Linn, sp.pl. 1431. Jacq. amer. 250. 1. 159. 

 - (Sloane ii. 1. 159. Comm. hort. i. t. 68.) Sea coast of the 



West India islands, and neighbouring continent. 



A very large tree. Leaves ovate, serrate, acute, shining ; their stalk 

 with a roundish, depressed, brownish gland. Spikes terminal, lax, 

 green, erect. Male flowers about 30, collected in a concave scale-like 

 deciduous bract, having 2 lateral, orbicular, depressed, large glands at 

 the base. Females solitary, sessile, with similar glands at the base. 

 Fruit very like a little apple, with a white milky flesh. The whole 

 tree abounds in a white, caustic, venomous juice. A drop of it on the 

 back of the hand, produces instantaneously like a fire, a blister. All 

 the other parts are acrid in a similar manner. It is uncertain whether 

 sleeping in its shade is so dangerous as popular rumour represents. 

 Jacquin doubts if the stories of land-crabs fed on the fruit becoming 

 poisonous can be true. 

 189 



