306 
covered with numerous clusters of small 
green flowers, mixed with hairs and minute 
bractee. Female spikes terminal, or in 
the bifurcations of the branches, nearly 
sessile, short or capitate, few-flowered. 
Male flowers minute. Calyx four-cleft, 
beset with glands towards the apex. Co- 
rolla none. Stamens four? filaments 
short; anthers two-celled; cells distinct, 
very long and vermiform. Female se- 
pals three, ovate, acute, distant from each 
other: ovary three-celled: styles three, 
very long, red, finely laciniated. Capsule 
three-celled, three-valved: cells one-seed- 
ed. Seeds ovate. 
Found in mountain districts of Madras, 
among grass, &c. 
Fig.l. Portion of a male Spi 
ke. 2. Bractea and 
female Flower. 3 
ified 
P 
- Transverse section of the Ger- 
men :— 
EXC(ECARIA AGALLOCHA. 
TaB. XXX. 
Dioica, floribus masculis femineisque a- 
mentaceis, fructibus racemosis, foliis 
ovatis coriaceis nitidis crenato-serratis. 
Excocaria Agallocha. v» 
1451. Willd. Sp. Pl. v. 4. p. 864. 
Spreng. Syst. Veget. v. 9. p. 25. 
Arbor exccecaria. Rumph. Amb. 2. p. 
237. t. 79, 80. 
either solitary or in pairs, often longer than 
Female ones two or three to- 
finally becoming, when in 
fruit, loose racemes. 
The male flowers consist, first, of a large, 
broad anterior, and two small posterior, 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 
subulate, toothed scales, furnished at the 
base with glands; these being inferior, and 
occupying the place of the calyx, I shall 
call them ca/ycine scales (a.); secondly, 
of a thick fleshy receptacle (b.), bearing 
the stamens, and three other subulate scales, - 
which, as occupying the place of the co- 
rolla, I propose calling corolline scales. (c.) 
Stamens ; filaments three, filiform, long 
in proportion to the other parts of the 
flower: anthers large, two-celled, cells | 
globular. 
Female flowers. The coverings of these 
are the same as in the male flowers, but 
differing in the form of the corolline scales, 
which are here broadly ovate, embracing 
the germen. The glands at the base of 
the posterior calycine scales are here fewer 
in number, and larger than in the male 
owers. Pistil: germen superior, three- 
celled: style none, or very short: stigmas 
three, diverging, tapering to a point, 00- 
vered on their upper surface, from the base 
to the tip, with a viscid secretion. Cap- 
sule three-celled, marked with a deep fur- 
row between each. Cells containing one 
seed, and opening in the ‘middle between 
the furrows. Seeds globular, smooth, 
brownish-coloured. Cotyledons orbictlar, 
foliaceous. 
This plant is usually found in salt marshy 
ground, on the banks of rivers near the 
sea, growing equally well in fresh " salt 
water. Owing to this property it 1s €m- 
ployed for strengthening the banks of rivers 
near the sea, which contain fresh or salt 
water, according to the season of the year. 
This is the case with most of the mouths 
of the Cavery River, which, during the 
dry season, are filled with salt, during = 
rainy, with fresh water. The Avicenna 
tomentosa is used for similar purposes. 
oe oni ee ep Teen 
oe a 
EMPIRE S 
ERR dome oe 
SL 
a, 
j 
4 
A. Male Branch. B. Female ditto:—ma- i 
1. l. Male Flowers. 2. 2. Female prayer 
Raceme of Fruit. 4. Seed :—nat. size. 9 - 
open to show the Embryo :--all but fig. 4 
E! 
l 
