THE CHAULMOOGRA TREE AND RELATED SPECIES. 15 



TARAKTOGENOS KURZII. 8 



Taraktogenos kurzii was described by Sir George King from speci- 

 mens collected by S. Kurz in Pegu Toukyeghat, Burma. These speci- 

 mens had been erroneously identified by Kurz as Hydnocarpus hetero- 

 phylla Blume {Taraktogenos olumei Hassk.), a species occurring in 

 Java. There are three sheets of Kurz's specimens in the Calcutta 

 Herbarium, two of No. 532 from Pegu Toukyeghat and another, No. 

 1822, from Pegu Chonuymenah. There are no recent collections of 

 this species, unless one recognizes as Taraktogenos kurzii the Thin- 

 ganyinon plant 9 from Lower Burma, collected by Dr. I. H. Burkill, 

 now of Singapore. This, to the writer's mind, is not permissible, 

 owing to the difference in the fruits. 



It was the writer's object to locate Taraktogenos kurzii in its native 

 habitat and ' to look up especially all those localities from which 

 Taraktogenos seeds are brought to European chemists in India, in 

 order to ascertain whether or not the seeds they are using are those 

 of this species. Taraktogenos kurzii is evidently widely distributed 

 in Burma. Numerous localities were given where kalaw trees may 

 be found, as, for example, in Burma, at Chongnakwa, Lower Burma, 

 and also at Tabyo. These places can be reached from Moulmein by 

 way of Kyain or Metan. These regions belong to the Attaran divi- 

 sion. Whether the trees found are the true Taraktogenos kurzii or 

 not is an unsettled question, as material from these localities is not 

 known, save seeds collected by natives. It is very likely that they 

 represent Hydnocarpus castanea. 



The writer was informed by the Rangoon forest office that the 

 true species was found in the upper Chindwin district, and espe- 

 cially in the neighborhood of Mawlaik. To reach Mawlaik it is 

 necessary to go by train to Myonhaung, where another train is taken 

 to Amarapura, on the shore of the Irrawaddy, only a few miles 

 from Mandalay; thence by ferry across the Irrawaddy to Sagaing 

 and by train to Monywa, on the upper Chindwin River. It is sup- 

 posed that Taraktogenos kurzii can be found even near Mandalay 

 and lower down in the forests of Pegu; in fact, the latter place is 

 the type locality, where Kurz collected his original specimens. From 

 Monywa a stern-wheeler requires four days to reach Mawlaik. This 

 latter locality the writer visited. The Chindwin is a very winding 

 river and in the winter navigation is very difficult, owing to the 

 shallowness of the water and the constant changes of the channel. 



» Taraktog&nOD hurzU King (13; p. 123). Specimens collected by the writer are 

 deposited In the United States National Herbarium: Rock No. 802, U. S. N. II. No. 

 1,090,010; Bock No. 814, U. S. N. B. Nob. 1,000,011 to 1,090,014; Rock No. 807, U. S. 

 N. M. No . 1,090,019 to 1,090,021. 



'Mpeclmena wire also collected by the writer and are deposited in the United States 

 National Herbarium : Bock No. 694, Q. 8. N. H. Nob. 1,090,005 to 1,090,007. 



