Xylosma. vil. bixine^. 19 



4. XYLOSMA, Forster. 

 Character of Flacourtia, Imt ovary l-celled, with 2, rarely 3-6, few- 

 ovuled parietal placentas ; style one, short ; stigma capitate. Fruit a 

 small, glohose, 2-8-seede(i berry. 



1. X. longifolium, Clos— Tata. IV.— Hook. Fl. Ind. i. 194— Vern. 

 Chopra, cMrurida, chirndi, drendu, Ph. ; Kattawa, Oudh. Dandal, Icatari, 

 kandhdra, N.W.P. 



A moderate-sized tree, often armed with strong, straight, axillary spines 

 1 in. long or more. Leaves alternate, short-petioled, ohlong-lanceolate, 

 ohtusely serrate, coriaceous, glahrous, shining, from 2-6 in. long. Flowers 

 small, yellow, in short, axillary, glomerate panicles ; pedicels hracteate ; 

 stigma indistinctly lobed. Berry \ in. diam. 



Outer hills of the North-West Himalaya, ascending to 5000 ft. Also in 

 Assam. Fl. Jan.-May. Wood used for fuel and charcoal. Fruit sweetish bitter. 



Order VIII. PITTOSPOUE^. 



Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, exstipulate. Flowers 

 usually bisexual. Sepals 5, imbricate. Petals 5, imbricate. Stamens 

 hypogynous, 5, distinct, alternating with petals ; anthers 2-celled, 

 versatile. Ovary syncarpous, of 2 (rarely 3-5) carpels, with 2-5 parietal 

 placentas ; 1-ceUed or 2-5-c6lled by the projection of the placentas. Style 

 one; stigma 2-5 -lobed. Ovules many. Fruit capsular or indehiscent. 

 Seeds usually numerous ; albumen copious ; embryo small, next the hilum. 

 —Gen. Plant i. 130 ; Eoyle 111. 77 ; Wight lU. i. 172. 



1. PITTOSPOBUM, Banks. 

 Petals connivent or connate at the base or beyond the middle. Fila- 

 ments subulate ; anthers erect, introrse, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary 

 incompletely 2-3-celled. Capsule l-celled, 2- rarely 3-valved, the placenta 

 in the middle of each valve. Seeds smooth, embedded in a viscid pulp. 

 Leaves, young branches, and capsule glabrous . . 1. P. floribundum. 

 Leaves, young branches, and capsule tomentose . . 2. P. eriocarpum. 



1. P. floribundum, W. & A. Prodr. 154 ; Hook. Fl. Ind. i. 199.— Syn. 

 Celastrus verticillata, Eoxb. Fl. Ind. i. 624. Vern. Yekaddi, Mahratti. 



A smaU tree ; leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, glabrous, shining, 

 pale below, thinly coriaceous, 4-6 in. long. Flowers numerous, yellowish, 

 in short, compact, terminal panicles. Petals free, linear-oblong, obtuse, 

 patent, at last recurved. Capsules \ in. diam, glabrous, rugose, opening 

 into two hard broad-ovate valves. Seeds 1-4, occasionally 8. 



Outer Himalaya. Jumna to Sikkim, ascending to 3500 ft. (in Kamaon to 7000 

 ft.) Kasia hiUs. Western Ghats. Mostly on dry rocky sites. Fl. Jan.- 

 June. Fr April-Sept. A handsome tree, with a short, straight trunk and 

 spreading branches. Bark of a greenish ash-colour, or yellowish grey, scabrous 

 with small whitish specks. Wood light-coloured, strong and tough. 



2. P. eriocaxpum, Eoyle 111. 77; Hook. Fl. Ind. i; 199.— Vern. 

 Meda tumri, gar-dlung, gar-shund, N.W.P. 



