228 LythraceCE. \Lagerstrcemia. 



Zi. alba, Lam. E?ic. Meth. iii. 106 (1789). Ittarutonti, T. 



Burm. Thes. 142. Fl. Zeyl. nn. 134 and 135. L. spinosa and L. 

 inermis, L. Sp. L. 349; Moon Cat. 31. Thw. Enum. 122. C. P. 15 51. 

 Fl. B. Ind ii. 573. Wight, 111. t. 87. 



A much-branched shrub, the lat. branchlets often ending 

 in a sharp spinous point; 1. small, J-iJ in., very nearly sessile, 

 oval or lanceolate, tapering to base, acute or obtuse at apex, 

 often apiculate, entire, glabrous; fi. numerous, small, under 

 J in., ped. slender, glabrous, pink, arranged in rather long 

 axillary and terminal panicles, the whole forming a large 

 pyramidal inflor.; cal. glabrous, tube very short, segm. oval, 

 acute; pet. oblong, undulate, spreading or reflexed; stam. 

 spreading in pairs; capsule not j in., globose, supported on 

 persistent cal., tipped with style. 



Dry and desert regions, especially near the seacoast ; rather rare. 

 Batticaloa ; near Chilaw ; Mannar ; Jaffna, abundant by the salt lakes. 

 In the moist region cultivated only. Fl. Feb., March ; pet. cream-yellow, 

 sep. pinkish ; very sweet-scented. 



Also in Western India, Kabul, and Persia, and much cultivated else- 

 where. 



Called 'Tree-Mignonette' in cultivation in Colombo. This is the 

 ' Henna; ' the leaves are used for staining the finger-nails and teeth, and 

 also for applying to the head when bathing. 



5. LAGERSTBdiSIIA, L. 



Large tree ; 1. opp., entire ; fl. very large, in terminal 

 panicles; cal. -tube campanulate, fleshy; segm. 6, shorter than 

 tube, intermediate teeth very small ; pet. 6, clawed, inserted 

 at brim of cal.-tube ; stam. very numerous, in several rows 

 inserted near base of cal.-tube, connective dilated ; ov. superior, 

 6-celled, with numerous ovules, style simple; fruit a woody 

 capsule, surrounded at base by persistent, semi-woody cal., 

 loculicidally dehiscent into 6 valves ; seeds numerous, flat r 

 winged at one end. — Sp. 18; 12 in Fl. B. Ind. 



Xi. Flos-retinae , Retz. Obs. Bot. v. 25 (1789). XKuruta, S. 

 Herm. Mus. 61. Burm. Thes. 137. Moon Cat. 42. Thw. Enum. 122. 

 C. P. 1554. 



Fl. B. Ind. ii. 577. Wight, Ic. t. 413. Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 29. 



A large tree with wide-spreading branches, bark pale, 

 rather smooth, flaking off in irregular pieces; 1. large, 6-10 in., 

 oval or oblong-lanceolate, rounded at base, subacute, entire 

 but somewhat repand at margin, perfectly glabrous on both 

 sides, paler beneath, with lat. veins very prominent, petiole 

 \-\ in., stout; fl. very large, 2-4 in., on very stout, pubescent 



