1 64 Combretacece. \Gyrocarpus. 



A large straggling or climbing shrub, with numerous 

 divaricate branches thickened at the nodes, bark smooth 

 yellowish-grey, young parts glabrous ; 1. opposite, 3-4J in., 

 oval, acute at base, acuminate, obtuse, glabrous on both sides, 

 petiole \- 1 in. long ; fl. numerous on very short glabrous ped., 

 in short, rather dense, pedunculate racemes (often paniculate) 

 axillary from 1. of previous year and 3-6 (occasionally reaching 

 8) in. long, buds globose, apiculate, bracts minute ; cal.-tube 

 glabrous outside, constricted into a short neck above ov., then 

 suddenly expanded into a cup-shaped limb, hairy within, 

 segm. triangular, acute, refiexed ; pet. about as long as cal.- 

 segm., oblong ; fruit i-i^ in., pale shining golden-brown, 

 wings very large, J in. in widest part, papery, stiff, glabrous, 

 finely transversely striate. 



Dry country ; rather common. Tiripane ; Kekirawa ; Haragama ; 

 Kurunegala. Fl. July, August ; white. 

 Also in the Indian Peninsula. 



3. C. extensum, Roxb. Hort. Beng. 28 (1814). 



C. Wightianum, Wall., Thw. Enum. 103 (part). C. ftlatyphyllum, 

 Van Heurck and Mull. Arg. Obs. Bot. 242. C. P. 1602. 

 Fl. B. Ind. ii. 458. Wight, Ic. t. 227 (C. Wightianum). 



A straggling semi-scandent shrub with the habit and 1. of 

 the last ; but petioles shorter, under \ in. ; fl. rather larger but 

 similarly arranged, buds ovoid, sharp- pointed; cal.-tube much 

 longer, contracted above ov. and then at once expanding into 

 a long funnel-shaped limb hairy within, segm. narrowly tri- 

 angular, acuminate, very acute, refiexed ; pet. oblong, truncate ; 

 fruit (not seen) much as in C. ovalifolium. 



Low country to 3000 ft.; rather rare. On Dambulla Hill, trailing over 

 bare rock ; Hantane (Gardner). Fl. May ; yellowish white. 



Also in India and Malaya. 



Thwaites combined 2 and 3, but they are, though much alike, readily 

 -distinguished by the calyx. 



5. GYEOCARPUS,/^. 



A tree, 1. alt., clustered at ends of branches, no stip., fi. 

 very small, unisexual and monoecious or polygamous, in large 

 oractless cymes ; male fl. : — cal. with 4-7 irregular segm., pet. o, 

 stam. usually 4, alternating with 4 small fleshy staminodes, 

 . anth. opening upwards by 2 valves; fern, or bisexual fl. : — 

 cal.-tube adnate to ov., segm. 2, persistent and greatly enlarged 

 in fruit, pet. o, ov. inferior, 1 -celled with a single pendulous 

 ovule, style short, stigma capitate ; fruit drupe-like, crowned 



