82 



SYCIDIUM. 



F cyrtophjlla^ Wall. Cat. 4532. — Coveilia cyrtophylZa, Miq. Lond. Join 

 Bot. vii. 460. — F. subdenticulata, Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. i. pt. 2. 323. 





A bush or small tree, with very inequilateral (often semi-saggitate) leaves ; all the youn 

 parts hispid- scabrous. Leaves shortly petiolate, membranous, oblong or elliptic, obovat< 

 elliptic, oblanceolate or sub-trapcziform, very unequal-sided — the side next the stem beino- the 



ower 



e> 



occa 



> 



more or less gradually narrowed to the apex, which is produced into a more or less 

 ate, narrow, entire, or sub-serrate acumen ; edges, and especially the external edo- e 

 irregularly dentate-serrate, rarely sub-entire ; the lower half of the inner edge sub-entire 

 often straight ; base oblique, often semi-saggitate, 3- to 5 -nerved, often with an additional 

 nerve on the broader (auricled) side; lateral nerves from 4 to o pairs, or even more, prominent 

 below ; the whole of the lower surface, and particularly the midrib, nerves and reticulations 

 hirsute or hispid (often minutely tuberculate) ; upper surface scabrous or sub-scabrous, 

 minutely hispid (in some old leaves nearly glabrous); length from 5 to 10 in. ; petioles -3 to 

 •5 in. long ; stipules lanceolate, deciduously hirsute, usually longer than the petioles. Eeceptacles 

 sub-sessile or shortly pedunculate, axillary, in pairs, solitary by abortion, or fascicled 

 sionally in fascicles from the main brandies below the leaves and from stem, ovoid or globular 

 umbonate when young, and with rather prominent umbilical bracts, scabrous-hispid or hirsute 

 with one or two verruciform bracts on their sides, but no basal bracts ; when ripe reddish 

 or orange, from -35 in. to *75 in. across; peduncles absent, or from '1 to -4 in. long, with 1 to 3 

 scattered minute bracteoles, hirsute or hispid. Male flowers sessile or pedicellate, either 

 monandrous with perianth of 4 pieces, or diandrous with perianth of 6 obovate pieces. Gall 

 flowers mostly pedicellate ; the perianth of 4 distinct lanceolate pieces ; ovary smooth, sub- 

 ^bular; style short, lateral; stigma dilated. Fertile female flowers with perianth ' of 5 

 narrowly-lanceolate, hyaline pieces ; achene rotund-ovoid ; style long, lateral ; stigma cylindric ■ 

 interior of perianth slightly hispid. ' 



The lower Himalayan forests of North-Eastern India through the Khasi Hills, Burma 

 and the Malayan Peninsula to the Malayan Archipelago, from the sea level up to 2,000 

 3,000 ft. Very common, and presenting many forms. 



I have carefully examined the types of almost all the species which I have reduced to 

 this, and I can find no reason to keep them up even as varieties. Indian specimens of this 

 were issued by Wallich as F. cyrtophylla, but I do not find that the Indian plant can be 

 separated as a stable form. I have had ample opportunity of seeing it in its native forests 

 and I have found greater variation amongst specimens collected on a single mountain in 

 Sikkim than there exists between the forms from various parts of the Malayan Archipela-o 

 which have been specifically named by Miquel. In some of its narrower-leaved forms this 

 species runs into F pisifera, Wall. The best distinction between the two lies in the recep 

 tacles, which in this species are larger and more scabrous. The leaves of this are also usually 

 larger. The oldest name for this species is doubtless F coronata, Reinw. Blume adopted 

 Remwardt s manuscript name, and gave a description of this plant, which, except as to the size 

 of the fruit, agrees with his own species obscnra. I retain the latter name, as no authentic 

 type of Remwardt .coronata exists, whereas of Blume's ooscura there are types at Leiden. 



Plate 102.-#. ooscura Bl. A, the form originally described by Blume: fruiting- 

 branch, with mature receptacles. B, smaller leaved -fn™ . ^ ui , 6 



receptacles : of natural size. ^ ' ^ y ° U ^' much ™ bMate 



fe» 103 -il ,W«, Bl. C. & D, the Indian form named F. c,rto P hylla by Wallich- 

 of natural me. . 1, sessile male diandrous flower- 2 TwhVoii^ i n y 



; muu^ nower, ^ pedicellate monandrous flower: 3, gall 



up to ^.UUU or 











