

218 



MAGNOLIACEJE OP BRITISH INDIA. 



petiole 75 in.; stipules narrowly oblong, about as long as the petiole. Flowers axillary 



tary, shortly pedunculate, 3 to 4 in. in diam. when expanded ; buds elongate-ovoid 

 pointed; spathoid bracts leathery, smooth; peduncle '3 in., stout, annulated. Sepals and 

 petals 12, linear-lanceolate or oblanceolate, nearly equal. Stamens shorter than gyncecium. 

 Ripe fruit 6 to 7 in. long; the individual carpels lax, sessile, obovoid, lenticellate, 

 woody, not beaked.— Hook. fil. § Thorns. Fl. Ind. 81; Hook. fil. Fl. Br. Ind. i, 43; 



Gamble Ind. Timb. 7. 



At the base of the Khasia Hills, — Wallich ; Sibsagar district, Assam, — Mr. S. E. Feat; 

 Sylhet, — Mann. 



This is one of the largest trees of this family in India. It is known to the Assamese 

 as the Bor (large) Soppa. Until quite recently good specimens of this species were in 

 no herbarium, and the description given by Sir J. D. Hooker in the Flora of British 

 India was drawn up on imperfect material. Through the kindness of Mr. S. E. Peal, of 

 Sibsa-ar, a splended suite of specimens in all stages of flower and fruit has been sent 

 to the Calcutta Herbarium; and from these, as well as from Mr. Peal's drawings of the 

 fresh flowers and fruit, the accompanying figure has been prepared. The flowers of this 

 much resemble those of Talauma phellocarpa, King, the petals in both being yellowish- 

 white. The bark (Mr. Peal informs me) is whitish-grey in colour. 



Plate 67. Michelia oblonga.— 1, flowering branch; 2, fully expanded flower; 

 3, section of flower; 4, petal; o, spathoid bract; 6, ripe fruit,— all of natural size. 



9. M. Mannii, King,n. sp. A glabrous tree; the young branches with dark, smooth, 

 sparsely lenticellate bark. Leaves coriaceous, obovate-elliptic, blunt, or with an abrupt 

 short blunt point, gradually narrowed in the lower third to the stout petiole; shining 

 on the upper, rather dull on the lower surface; main nerves 8 to 10 pairs, rather 

 prominent; reticulations wide, very distinct; length 5 to 7 in., breadth 3*5 to 4-5 in.; 

 petiole 1 in.; stipules narrowly oblong, smooth, about as long as, or shorter than, the 

 petiole. Flowers axillary, solitary, shortly pedunculate, about 3 in. in diam. when fully 

 expanded; buds oblong, 125 in. long; spathoid bracts broadly ovate, smooth, coriaceous; 

 peduncle -25 in., rather stout, annulated. Sepals 3, linear, half the length of the petals. 

 Fetals 6, oblanceolate, the inner 3 slightly smaller. Stamens as long as the gyncecium. 

 Ovaries on an elongate rachis, sessile, smooth; the style short, thick, recurved. Ripe 

 fruit 5 to 7 in. long ; individual carpels woody, rather distant, oblong, slightly apiculate, 

 glabrous, sparsely lenticellate, -75 to 1 in. long, 2-seeded.— Magnolia Mannii, King MSS. 



Makum Forest, Upper Assam,— G. Mann. 



The leaves of this resemble those of M. montana, Bl., but they are of thicker 

 texture, with stouter nerves and petiole, and wider reticulations. The flowers, however, 

 differ from those of M. montana in the shortness of the peduncle and of the sepals. 



T ™ SpGCieS haS been colIected only by my friend Mr. G. Mann, Conservator 

 of Forests in Assam, a distinguished forester and enthusiastic botanist, to whom I 



dedicate it. 



Plate 70. Michelia Mannii, JT%.— 1, flowering branch; 2, flower dissected; 

 3, stamens; 4, ripe fruit: of natural size. 



« 



This 



10. M. Montana, Bl. in Verh. Bat Gen. is, p. 153. A glabrous tree. Leave, 

 tmniy coriaceous, shimng, obovate or obo rote-rotund, shortly and abruptly apiculate, 

 rather suddenly narrowed to the base; nerves 10 to 12 pairs, thin, spreading; length 





