92 



N. Ord. LEODMINOS^ Ctesalpinea. 

 Tribe Amherstiete. 



Ger.us Tamarindus,* Linn. B. & H., Gen., i, p. 581 ; Baill., 

 Hist. PL, ii, p. 182. The only species is the following. 



92. Tamarindus indica, Linn., Sp. Plant, ed. 1, p. 34 (1753). 

 Tamarind. Tintiree (Bengal). 



Syn. T. occidentalis, Gaertn. T. officinalis, Hook. 



Figures. Woodville, t. 161 ; Hayne, x, t. 41 ; Steph. & Ch., t. 88 ; Nees , 

 t. 343; Berg & Sch., t. 9 c; Bot. Mag., t. 4563; Baill., 1. c., figs. 73- 

 76 ; Beddome, Fl. Sylvat., t. 184. 



Description. A large tree, attaining 60 to 80 feet in height, 

 and bearing a very large, widely-spreading head of foliage, trunk 

 with a dark rough bark, youngest twigs smooth or slightly 

 pubescent. Leaves alternate, with small, linear, very caducous 

 stipules, abruptly pinnate, 3 or 4 inches long ; leaflets in about 

 S 16 pairs, opposite, \ 1 inch long, sessile, articulated, set on 

 obliquely and overlapping, oblong, usually very blunt, unequal at 

 tho base 5 entire, rather thick, veined beneath. Flowers rather 

 small, stalked, readily disarticulating, arranged in lax, few-flowered 

 racemes which are axillary or terminal on short lateral branches 

 generally shorter than the leaves. Calyx narrowly funnel-shaped 

 below, divided above into 4 ovate-lanceolate, acute, entire, 

 spreading segments, imbricate in the bud, and then reddish- 

 purple, the upper one the largest (made up of two combined). 

 Petals 3, 1 posterior, 2 lateral, oblong or oval, the posterior one 

 narrowest, about as long as the calyx segments, perigynous, some- 

 what crisped at the margin, white or pale yellow with red veins ; 

 two minute subulate bodies in front of the stamens may represent 

 abortive anterior petals. Stamens with the filaments connate 

 below to form a sheath, open above, and inserted perigynously on 

 the anterior (inferior) part of the mouth of the calyx-tube, only 3 



* Tamarindus, a mediaeval Latinization of the Arabic name for the fruit, 

 meaning Indian Date. 



