566 XCVIII. EUPHORBIACE^ [Daphnijphyllum 



racemes, dioecious, apetalous, sepals small, 3-8, more or less connate. 6 '■ 

 Stamens 5-18, anthers large, basifixed, often apiculate, pistillode 0. $ : Disk 

 or of 4-6 scales or glands, ovary imperfectly 2-celled, stigmas short, distinct, 

 thick, recurved, entire, ovules 2 in each cell. Drupe oblong, usually 1-seeded. 

 Embryo small, in thick fleshy albumen. Species 12, chiefly Indo-Malayan, a 

 few in China and tropical Africa. 



1. D. glaueescens, Blmne ; Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 288. — Syn. G-oughia neilgherrensis,~Wight 

 Ic. 1. 1878-9. Vern. Soht van, Tain. Common on the Nilgiris, Anamalais, Palnis, and on 

 the Travancore Ghats from 4,000 ft. upwards. — Ceylon, 4-7,000 ft., China, Corea, Java. 

 A large shrub or middle-sized tree, 1. elliptic, base acute, tip often obtuse, blade 3-5, pet. 

 j-2 in. Drupe black, ellijisoid -J in., pedicel nearly as long. 2. D. himalayense, Muell. 

 Arg. Vern. Batendu, Janns. Himalaya from the Jumna eastwards, 4-9,000 ft. Khasi 

 hills. Tenasserim, on Mooleyit 6,800 ft. (Beddome). A small tree, wood greyish- 

 brown, with streaks of bright crimson, 1. oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate, blade 4-10, 

 pet. 1-2 in. Fr. ellipsoid ^-| in. long. 



11. PUTRANJIVA, Wall. ; El. Brit. Ind. v. 336. 

 Species 2, India and Ceylon. 



P. Roxburghii, Wall. ; Royle 111. t. 83 (bis) ; Wight Ic. t. 1876 ; Bedd. 

 Fl. Sylv. t. 275 ; Brandis E. El. t. 53. Vern. Jiaputa, Putranjiva, Hind. ; 

 Putrajiva, Kan. ; Kuduru, Tel. ; Karupale, Tarn. ; Daukyat, Pegu ; Badibyu, 

 Chindwin. 



A middle-sized evergreen tree with hanging branches, foliage dark green, 

 branchlets and petioles minutely pubescent. Leaves coriaceous, shining, 

 elliptic-oblong, distantly serrulate, base unequal-sided, blade 2-4, pet. \ in. 

 Fl. generally dicecious/apetalous, disk 0. S : in dense axillary clusters, calyx 

 3-5-partite, stamens 3, filaments free or connate at the base. J : pedicellate, 

 solitary or a few together, calyx 5-6-cleft, segments small. Ovary pubescent, 

 3-celled, styles 3 short, dilated into broad fleshy stigmas. Fr. ellipsoid, white- 

 tomentose, on pedicels \-l in. long, stone pointed, rugose, very hard, seed one. 



Subhiinalayan tract, from the Chenab eastwards, ascending to 2,500 ft. Both 

 Peninsulas, in damp evergreen forests and on banks of streams, but not- common. 

 Often planted. Fl. March-May, fr. takes 12 months to ripen. The nuts are strung 

 up in rosaries. — Ceylon. The sepals generally are semipersistent, traces remaining 

 until the fr. ripens, in some cases (specimens from Upper Burma) they fall immediately 

 after flowering. 



12. HEMICYCLIA, Wight & Am.; Fl. Brit. Ind. v. 337. 



Evergreen trees or shrubs, 1. alternate, base often unequal-sided. El. 

 small, dioecious, sepals 4-5, imbricate. <J : Stamens 4-23 inserted round an 

 orbicular disk, filaments free, anther-cells parallel. $ : Disk flat annular, 

 ovary 1- rarely 2-celled, stigma sesile or nearly so. Fruit with a hard endo- 

 carp, seeds grooved on one face. Species 9, Indo-Malayan region, Australia. 



A. Western species. 



1. H. sepiaria, Wight & Arn. : Wight Ic. t. 1872. Vern. Virai, Tarn. ; Bira, Tel. : 

 ffira, Kan. ; Vellelambu, Tarn. ; Vella Kasavit, Mai. Common in the semi-evergreen 

 scrub and forests of the Karnatik and Deccan. — Ceylon dry region. A rigid much- 

 branched shrub, young shoots minutely pubescent, wood very hard, close- and even- 

 ^grained, 1. glabrous, rigidly coriaceous, elliptic-oblong, obtuse, base rounded or cordate, 

 blade 1J-3 in., pet. j|— £ in. long. Fr. crimson, globose £-J in. diam. 2. H. venusta, 

 Thwaites. — Syn. Astylis venusta, Wight Ic. 1. 1992. Western Ghats from Kanara south- 

 wards, common in evergreen forests. Northern Circars (Gamble). A middle-sized tree, 

 branchlets nearly glabrous, 1. glabrous, coriaceous, blade 3-5, pet. ^ in. long. FL J , 

 pedicels and both surfaces of sepals velvety, sepals 4 obtuse, J in. long, 2 outer 2 inner, 

 stamens usually 8, filaments and anthers hairy. Fr. obovoid J, pedicel -J-li in long. 

 Nearly allied are the following : 3. H. elata, Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 279. Wainad, Ana- 

 malais, Tinnevelli. A large tree, 1. thinly coriaceous, fl. larger and on longer pedicels 

 than 2. 4. H. Porteri, Gamble in Hook. Ic. t. 2701. Varsanad valley, Madura district, 

 near streams, 2,000 ft. A small gregarious tree, $ fl. large, J in. across, stamens 



