,Spath6dea.] Lix. bignoniacEjE. 349 



near the base of the corolla. These considerations have induced me, as a pro- 

 visional arrangement, to keep the species described below united under the genus 

 Spathodea, although they differ in habit and essential characters^ and though 

 the name Spathodea is not appropriate for all of them. 



1. S. xylocarpa, T. Anderson.— Tab. XLIII— Syn. Bignonia xylo- 

 carpa, Eoxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 108 ; Wight. 111. t. 1336 ; Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 70. 

 Vern. Kharsing, kharsingi, Bombay ; Bairsingi, Khandeish Dangs ; Jai- 

 mangal, sondar-pddal, Mandla, Balaghat, C.P. ; Dhota mara, Gonds, Sat- 

 pura range. 



A middle-sized tree. Leaves bipinnate, 1-4 ft. long, glabrous, hard and 

 somewhat rough when full-grown ; pinnse 4-6 pair, pinnules 3-5 pair, 

 short-petiolulate, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, entire. Flowers white, with a 

 tinge of yellow, fragrant, appearing before the leaves expand ; pedicels as 

 long as calyx or longer, clustered in bracteate umbellate fascicles, these 

 in terminal, compound trichotomous cymes ; bracts oblong, shorter than 

 pedicels, as well as ramifications of inflorescence and calyx soft-pubescent. 

 Calyx campanulate, coloured, with 5 short and imequal teeth. Corolla 

 2 in. long, oblique, segments nearly equal, curled, cylindrical part of 

 tube very short, stamens inserted near the base, filaments hairy below. 

 Capsule 1-3 ft. long, a little curved, hard, woody, very rough, with 

 numerous large, 'irregular, hard tubercles, somewhat compressed, valves 

 1-|-1J in. broad, convex, ^ in. thick, inside smooth and shining; 

 dissepiment cylindric, grey, shining, attached before dehiscence to the 

 median line of the valves. Seeds numerous, in 4 rows (2 in each 

 cell), iiat, slightly curved, ^ in. long, and equally broad, wings delicate, 

 transparent, oblong, 1-1 J in. long from end to end; hilum ^ in. long, 

 arching. 



Common in South India. Khandeish Dangs. Satpiu'a range, Mandla and 

 Balaghat (not common). Fl. April, May, when nearly leafless. The new foli- 

 age appears about the commencement of the rains. Fruit takes a year to ripen. 

 Growth said to be rapid. 



Attains 30-35 ft. in the Satpura range, but grows irito a large tree in the 

 moister forests along the western Ghats. Foliage pale green, resembling that of 

 Schrehera sivietenioides. Bark light grey, i in. thick. 



Heartwood light brown, reddish or reddish-brown, close-grained tough and 

 elastic, medullary rays numeraus, fine pores in groups, each group in a roundish 

 patch of white tissue. 



2. S. amoena, A. DC. Prodr. ix. 208. — Syn. Radermaehera amcena, Seem. 

 Journal of Botany, viii. p. 146 ; Bignonia amoena, Wall. PI. As. rar. 

 t. 183. 



A large tree. Leaves opposite, bipinnate; leaflets ovate - lanceolate, 

 entire, acuminate, glabrous, shining. Flowers large, fragrant, white, 

 orange inside. Calyx bilabiate. Stamens inserted near the base of cor- 

 oUa-tube, anther-cells divergent. Pods rust-coloured, pendulous, slender, 

 linear, 12-18 in. long, valves coriaceous, \ in. broad. Seeds (including 

 wings) I in. long. 



