8horea\ 



XVII. DIPTEROCARPACE.E 



r,!i 



tightly enclosing the fruit, the 3 outer ones larger and much longer than 

 fruit. Cot3 r ledons fleshy, tilled with starch or fat oil, concave, one embracing 

 the other, and the lignified placenta with remains of dissepiments enclosed by 

 them. Species 89, of which 7 are here described. 



In the circumference of the pith at the base of intemode from 3 to 30 resin ducts. 

 Three leaf traces enter petiole, the 2 lateral enter the bark at different levels. The 

 petiole below insertion of blade as a rule has a semicircle of 7 or 9 half-moon shaped 

 vascular bundles, distinct or confluent, each with a resin duct. The central mass of 



vascular bundles consists of several curved bands, with or without resin ducts. 



A. Stamens 20-b'0, appendage of connective ciliate, stylopodium large, 

 hairy, as well as ovary ; style short, glabrous, stigma minute. The species of 

 this section have young shoots and inflorescence grey stellately pubescent. 



1. S. robusta, Gaertn. f. : Roxb. Cor. PL t. 212; Bedd. PI. Sylv. t. 4. 

 Brandis F. Fl. 26 t. 9. The Sal tree. Vern. Sal, sakhu, Hind; Koroli, 

 Oudh; Sarei, rinjal, C. P.: Sarjom, Kol; Salwa, soringhi, Uriya ; Guyal, 

 Tel. 



A large gregarious tree, heartwood dark brown, coarse- and cross-grained, 

 hard, heavy, strong and tough. Leaves when full grown glabrous and shin- 

 ing, 4-10 in. long, from a rounded or cordate base broad-ovate, more or less 

 acuminate, ending in an obtuse point, secondary nerves 10-12 pair, stipules 

 caducous, petiole £ the length of blade. Fl. yellowish on short pedicels, in 

 unilateral racemes arranged in large compound axillary and terminal panicles. 

 Calyx and petals softly grey tomentose outside, calyx lobes short, triangular. 

 Petals 4 times the length of calyx, orange inside. Wings of fruiting calyx 

 obtuse, oblong or spathulate, the larger '2-3 in. long, with 10-15 parallel 

 longitudinal nerves and distinct straight or oblique transverse veins. 



The area occupied by the Sal tree forms two irregular but fairly defined belts, 

 separated by the Gangetic plain. The northern or subhimalayan belt extends from 

 the Kangra valley in the Punjab to the Darr.ang and Xowfji.n^ districts in Assam. 

 Further to the north-west the cold is too severe, while further east in the 

 Brahmaputra valley the climate is too moist throughout the year. The southern or 

 Cent ral India belt extends from the ( 'oromandel coast west to the Pachmarhi sandstone 

 hills, and south to the Godavari river. Never tjuitc leafless, t he young foliage appears 

 in March with the flowers. Tin' seed ripens in June and germinates immediately, 

 often before falling to the ground. 



2. S. Tumbuggaia, Roxb.; Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 5. — Syn. 

 Vatica Tunibuggaia, Wight et Am.: Wight [o. t. 27. 

 Vern. Tam1>a i Jalari, 'I'd. Hills of Cuddapah ami 

 North A rent. A large tree, differs chiefly by smaller 

 leaves, secondary nerves 8-10 pair, petiole ', '. length 

 of blade. 



3. S. obtusa, Wall.; Kurz, P. PI. i. 118; 

 Pierre, PI. For. Cochinch. t. 234. Vern. Thitya, 

 Burnt. 



A largo tree, heart w 1 similar to that of 



Sal, but more even-grained. Leaves 4 <i in., 

 oblong, obtuse, narrowed Lrito petiole J- J length 

 of blade, secondary nerves 10-14 pair. 



Eastern I 'en insula, not known north of 20° \. I.ai .. 

 generally associated with Dipteroi arpim luberculatiu : 



in Cambodia, a trding to Pierre, forming pure 



forests by itself. 



B. Stamens I.V-2H, rarely more, anthers ob 

 long, connective terminating in a long filiform 

 naked appendage. Ovary mosth glabrous, no 

 stylopodium, style longer than ovary, stigma 

 generally 3-dentate. 



I'n.. 80.— Shorea obtusa, Wall. 

 Trail-'. ■ i Be seel 1011 of inter- 

 mule below ins.-rt ion of 1 H-t iole, 



magnified 17 I imes. Three 

 leaf traces in the bark, the 



■ -in ducts, each 

 of the t «ro lat 'nil w it h 



