530 



XCI. LAURACEtE 



[Machilus 



of 6 nearly always (cf. M. cdulis) persistent sepals, spreading or reflexed in 

 fruit. Anthers 4-celled. Berry oblong or globose, as far as known, the 

 cotyledons remain underground. Species 15-20 irom India to Japan. 



The beautiful and very durable dark olive brown Nanmu wood, used for coffins in 

 China, is the produce of Machilus Nanmu, Hemsley (Persea Nanmu, Oliv.), and other 

 species of this genus. 



A. Sepals glabrous, fr. oblong or ellipsoid. 



1. M. odoratissima, Nees. Kaula, Kaunla, Kawala, Hind. Outer Himalayan ranges 

 and valleys from the Sutlej eastwards, 2-7,000 ft. Khasi hills. Ruby Mines district, 

 Upper Burma. A moderate sized tree, 1. glabrous, dark green and shining above, pale 

 beneath, blade 4-6, pet. J-l in. long, sec. n. slender, minute raised reticulate veins 

 prominent on both sides. Panicles shortly pedunculate, about 3 in., perianth-seg- 

 ments J, fr. purple, \ in. long, supported by the reflexed sepals. 2. M. parviflora, 

 Meissn. Assam, Khasi hills. L. glaucous beneath, sepals \ in. long. 



B. Sepals tomentose or silky, fr. globose. 



fig. 179. Machilus bombycina, King. \, 



(a) The young and as a rule the mature 1. densely pubescent beneath. 



3. M. villosa, Hook. f. — Syn. Phcele villosa, Wight Ic. t. 1822. Subhimalayan tract 

 and outer hills from Nepal eastwards, ascending to 6,000 ft. Assam. Silhet. Cachar. 

 Chittagong. Patkoi range. Upper Burma. Hills between Sitang and Salwin 3,000 ft. 

 (D. B. 1880). A large or middle-sized tree, young shoots panicles and fl. softly tomen- 

 tose, sec. n. prominent beneath, 6-8 pair, panicles large, fasciculate at the ends of 

 branchlets, in the axils of bracts or of the uppermost ]., sepals J-J in. long, fr. 1 in. 

 diam., seated on the reflexed perianth. 4. M. edulis, King. Vern. Lepcha phal, Nep., 

 Sikkim and Bhutan, 4-8,000 ft. A large tree, branchlets stout with prominent leaf- 

 scars, 1. thickly coriaceous, oblanceolate, blade 5-12, pet. J in., sec. n. straight, oblique. 

 Fr. edible, 1J in. diam. on a stout woody peduncle, perianth almost deciduous. 



(b) L. glabrous or finely silky beneath. 



a. Filaments villous. Western species. 



5. M. macrantha, Nees ; Wight Ic. t. 1824 : Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 264. Vern. Qulum, 

 Mar. ; Kurma, Kroma, Oulmavu, Kan. ; Kollamavu, Tarn. ; TJravu, Mai. "Western 

 Ghats and adjoining hill ranges, from Matheran southwards. Ceylon. A large tree, 

 1. glabrous, elliptic-oblong or elongate-elliptic, blade 4-10, pet |-1| in. long, panicles 

 much branched, hoary, fl. yellow tomentose, \ in. long, fr. black, J-f in. "diam. M. 

 (faucescens, Wight Ic. t. 1825, is supposed to differ by larger fr. 



