324 LIV. APOCYNEa;. \Wrightia. 



Oudh. Local names: Dharauli, darhela, daira, Garhw. ; LettauMhein, 

 Burma. 



A small tree, brancUets and leaves clothed with soft tomentum. Leaves 

 elliptic, acuminate, narrowed iato a short petiole, 3-4 in. long ; main lateral 

 nerves parallel, 8-12 pair. Flowers 1 in. across, in subsessUe, stiff, erect, 

 corymbose and tomentose cymes, with, oval deciduous bracts. Corolla- 

 tube twice the length of calyx, lobes oblong, yellowish, corona fleshy, 

 orange-coloured, cleft into unequal oblong lobes. Anthers white. Fruit 

 subcylindrical, laterally compressed, 8-12 in. long, | in. across, rough 

 with numerous white elevated specks, with two shallow black furrows 

 at the junction of the carpels, the carpels separating when ripe ; hairs of 

 seed pure white. 



Sub-Himalayan tract and outer ranges, ascending to 3500 ft. or more (Benar- 

 gad, Jaunsar Bawar, D.B;), as far west as the Bias, and very rare beyond it to 

 the Indus. Oudh, Bengal, Central and South India. Ceylon and Burma. Often 

 associated with Sal, but more commonly in mixed forests. The leaves are 

 shed Feb.-March, the new foliage appears Aprd-May. Fl. April-June; fr. 

 Nov.-Jan. 



Attains 20-25 ft., with a short irregular trunk 3, rarely 4 ft. girth. Branches 

 scabrous, with small light-coloured specks. Bark ^ in. thick, light or dark cin- 

 ereous, corky, inner substance whitish, compact. Wood yellowish white, even- 

 and fine-grained, not hard, easy to work, heartwood not distinct. Weight 33.75 

 lb., value of P. 523 (Kyd). Used in turning, carved into bowls, plates, and 

 combs (Saharunpur). The bark of stem and root are administered against snake- 

 bites and the sting of scorpions. Abundant yellow mUky jtdce flows from 

 incisions, containing a yellow colouring matter (Roxb.) 



There is some uncertainty regarding the colour of the corolla. Wallich (Nepal, 

 Oudh, Kamaon) and Wight describe and figure W. moUissima with yellow flowers 

 tinged with red, and Thwaites (Enuia. Zeyl. 193) describes W. tomentosa in the 

 same manner. Roxburgh says — ^flowers white, nectary (corona) orange-coloured ; 

 Voigt (Hort. p. 525) — yellowish- white, with an orange-coloured throat ; and 

 Graham (Bombay Plants, 114) — white. Do the flowers change colour during 

 the day ? According to Wallich, the flowers of moUissima are inodorous ; "Vjsigt 

 describes them as faintly smelling of rhubarb ; and J. L. Stewart " as scenting 

 the forest." It is not impossible that a distinct species with white flowers may 

 yet be discovered ; and it should be added that W. Wallichii, A. DO., Wight 

 Ic. t. 1296, which is otherwise exceedingly like W. tomentosa, is described with 

 white flowers. , 



2. W. tinctoria, E. Br. ; Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 241.— Syn. W. RotMi, G. 

 Don; Wight Ic. t. 1319. Nerium Unctorum, Eoxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 4. 

 Vern. Dhudi, Banda ; Khirni, Meywar. (Seeds Indarjau, indrajau.) 



A small tree ; branchlets yellow or light brown, extremities and leaves 

 glabrous or pubescent. Leaves elliptic-oblong, 3-4 in. long, acuminate, 

 base rounded, petiole very short ; maia lateral nerves 8-10, arching, 

 joined by intramargiual veins. Flowers white, in lax terminal cymes 

 with slender spreading branches. CoroUa-tube twice the length of calyx. 

 Corona of numerous linear scales, varying in length, some inserted with 

 the filaments, others on the corolla-lobes. Fruit of 2 distinct pendu- 



