OR EAST INDIA BUTTER TREE. 501 



ing in shape according to the number contained in 

 each fruit; smooth, shining, hght brown, with a 

 long, lanceolate, lighter coloured, less smooth, 

 umbilical mark on the inside. 



This tree, which is rendered interesting on ac- 

 count of its seeds yielding a firm butyraceous sub- 

 stance, resembles Bassia Lat'ifolia, (see Coromandel 

 Plants, Volume I, No. 19, also Asiatic Researches, 

 Volume I, Page 300,) so much as scarce to be 

 distinguished from it, except by the Corol and 

 Stamina. 



Here (in Bassia bufyracea) the Corol is of a 

 thin texture, with a tube nearly cylindric, and 

 border of eight, large, spreafling, oblong seg- 

 ments. There (in Bassia latifolia) it is thick and 

 fleshy, with a gibbous, indeed almost globular 

 tube; and border of generally more than eight, 

 small, cordate, rather incurved segments. 



Here, the Stamina, from thirty to forty in num- 

 ber, have long filaments inserted on the mouth of 

 the tube of the Corol. There they are fewer in 

 number; have very short filaments, and are ar- 

 ranged in two, or three series, completely within 

 the tube, to which they are affixed. 



It may not be improper to notice here some 

 other species of the same genus. The following 

 Botanical description of Bassia longifolia. Linn. 

 Ma)2t. page 563, I have been favoured with by 

 Doctor Klein, of Tranquehar, and the account of 

 its economical uses by the Reverend Doctor John, 

 of the same place. 



KkS 



