210 



MAGNOLIACM OF BEITISH INDIA. 



but smaller; gynoecium much longer than the stamens, vermicular. Ripe fruit 3*5 to 6 

 in. long ; individual carpels without beaks, *5 in. long and nearly as broad, rugose 



externally, 1- rarely 2-seeded. 



Assam, near Sadya, — Griffith; Sibsagar, — & E. Peal; Makum Forest, Rengma-Naga 

 and Mikir Hills,— G. Mann; Sy lhet, — Wallich ; Cachar,— G. Mann. Vern. " Bor Gahori 



Soppa." ■ 



Sir Joseph Hooker described this species from the imperfect material in the 

 Griffithian collection, and he expressed a doubt whether it might not be a Manglietia. 

 Through the kindness of Mr. S. E. Peal, a resident in the Sibsagar district of Assam 



I have been furnished not only with excellent specimens, but with notes and dravvin 



i 



o 



made by himself from fresh flowers. I have also received very full materials from 



Mr. G. Mann. I am thus able to state that the ovaries have only two ovules, and that the 

 plant is therefore not a Manglietia (which has six ovules). There is a very distinct stalk 



a 



to the gynophore, at least after the ovaries have been impregnated. The presence of 

 stalk to the gynophore therefore loses its value as a diagnostic mark of the genus 



Mkhelia. This appears to me to be in the order Magnoliacece, rather an insufficient generic 



distinction; and in my humble opinion the two genera, although both are Linnsean 

 should be merged in one, and Mkhelia, being the later of the two, should be reduced. 

 Two sets of specimens, collected respectively by Mr. Mann in the Katakul Forest 

 Cachar, and in the Makum Forest, Upper Assam, which apparently belon°* to this species 

 have leaves quite glabrous. 



Plate 48. Magnolia Griffithii, Hook, fil. 6r Thorns.— 1, young leaf with stipule* 

 2, flower-bud enveloped in its spathoid involucre; 3, fully expanded flower; 4 stamens 

 and carpophore; 5, carpophore further advanced and showing a stalk; 6 ripe fruit- 

 ed natural size. 



Plate 49. Adult leaves, and fruit after dehiscence of its carpels : of natural size. 



7. M. Pealiana, King, n. sp. A tall tree; young branches rather slender, at first 

 densely covered with adpressed, pale yellow, silky hair, but speedily glabrous. Leaves thinly 

 coriaceous, oblong-elliptic, sometimes slightly obovate, shortly and abruptly acuminate*' 

 both surfaces minutely but distinctly reticulate : the upper shining, glabrous ; the lower 

 at first puberulous, but quickly becoming glabrous; main nerves 15 to 18 pairs', prominent 

 beneath, ascending, curving, interarching freely towards the apices ; length fro to 8 in. 



breadth 25 to 3 in.; petiole 2 to *25 in.; stipules very narrow, 1*25 in. lon o , Z 



outside. Flowers solitary, leaf-opposed, on long peduncles, 3 to 4 in. in diam.°when fully 

 expanded ; the buds covered by a pointed spathoid involucre which, like the pedicel and 

 st.pules, is covered with pale yellow, adpressed, silky hair; pedicel 1-5 in l on 

 half an inch longer in fruit. Sepals 3, coriaceous, linear-oblong, sub-acute; the ed 

 •lightly undulate near the apex. Petals 6, of the same shape and texture as, but small. 

 than, the sepals ; gynoecium more than twice as long as the stamens, cylindric. Rip 

 jrmt 3 to 5 in. long and about *75 in. in diam. ; individual carpels -6 in. long b, 

 about -4o in. broad, outside slightly lenticellate, inside smooth and shining; seeds 2-1 



Michelia Pealiana, King MSS. 



g, sericeous 



ges 



v 



Assam, Makum Forest,- £. Mann. Vern. Gahori Soppa. 

 m This species has been named in honour of Mr. S. Peal, of Sibsagar, v 

 given much friendly help in working out the Magnoliads of Assam. It is 



allied to M. Griffithii, Hook. fil. & Thorns., and, as in that species, there is a d 



ho h 



ely 



