1 1 2 Leguminosce . \_Dialium„ 



Forests of the low country, in the dry region ; rare. Only seen from 

 Uva. Var. /3 much commoner, and in both moist and dry regions. 

 Fl. Jan.; white. 



Found also in Peninsular India, Malay Islands, and N. Australia. 



There is no specimen in Hermann's Herb., and his drawing is 

 indeterminable. 



I suspect there are here two distinct species, but I have no fruit of 

 the type. A very small-leaved form of var. (3 from the coast at Puttalam 

 and Trincomalie may be C. mimosoides, Wall. The young foliage of the 

 type form is pendulous, flaccid, and white. The S. name is unfortunate^ 

 as this tree has no similarity to the true ' Mendora ' trees, which are all 

 Dipterocarps. 



C. cauliflora, L., is cultivated in gardens, and is included in Linnaeus' 

 Fl. Zeyl. n. 166. It is known by its Malay name, ' Nam-nam,' and has no 

 claim to be considered native here. 



53. DXAXiXUM, L. 



Trees, 1. imparipinnate, fl. small, in terminal panicles ; cal. 

 divided nearly to base into 5 much-imbricated petaloid segm. ; 

 pet. o ; stam. 2, anth. large, extrorse ; ov. with 2 ovules ; pod 

 small, indehiscent, ovoid, densely covered with velvety pu- 

 bescence; seed solitary; embryo surrounded by endosperm. — 

 Sp. 10; 5 in Fl. B. Ind. 



Z>. ovoideum, Thw. Enum. 97 (1859). G-al-siyambala, S. 

 X&addupuli, T. 



Thw. Enum. 97. C. P. 3149. 



Fl. B. Ind. ii. 269. Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 181. 



A tall tree, bark rather smooth, twigs slender ; 1. 

 rather small, rachis \\-2\ in., slender, cylindrical, glabrous, 

 lflts. usually 5 (2 pair and end one) generally alternate, shortly 

 stalked, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, rounded at base,, 

 bluntly acuminate, glabrous and shining on both sides, dark 

 green ; fl. small, numerous, in erect, much-branched, pyra- 

 midal, terminal panicles, ped. shorter than cal., grey with 

 adpressed pubescence, buds linear, pointed ; cal.-segm. lan- 

 ceolate, subacute, faintly ciliate ; stam. as long as sep. erect ;. 

 pod about I in., broadly ovoid, slightly compressed, densely 

 covered with fine brown velvety hairs, with a very thin and 

 brittle shell and a spongy interior ; seed nearly \ in., pale 

 brown, embryo green. 



Low country in the dry or intermediate region ; rather rare. Hara- 

 gama and Billahul-oya, east of Kandy ; several places in Eastern 

 Province. Fl. April; white. 



Endemic. 



The fruit is known as the ' wild Tamarind ' or ' velvet Tamarind,' and 

 has a pleasant acid flavour ; the endocarp in which the taste resides is of 

 a spongy-powdery, not pulpy, consistence and buff-coloured. Not un- 



