CALYCIFLOR^ 



217 



2 whorls inserted on the tube or Hmbs of the superior 

 calyx. Ovary inferior, i-celled. Fruit indehiscent, 

 drupaceous or leathery. Seed solitary, exalbuminous. 

 Chiefly tropical. The common plants are deshi- 

 badam or Country Almond (Terminalia Catappa); the 

 kernel of its nut is edible, and the thick pericarp is 

 full of air-chambers; this makes the fruits light and 

 impervious to water, so that they are disseminated 

 through the agency of running water without any harm 

 to the germinating power of the enclosed seeds. Bats 

 also help in the distribution 

 of the fruits. Bairha {Ter- 

 minal ia belerica) and hari- 

 taki or Myrobolan {Termin- 

 alia Chebula) yield fruits 

 with abundant tannin; arjun 

 {Terminalia Arjiina) and 

 ashan {Terminalia tomeii- 

 tosa) are both timber trees 

 with 5-angled fruits; Ano- 

 geissus latifolia is a big tree 



of Orissa with a cluster of winged fruits (fig. 186) ; 

 Rangoon Creeper {Quisqualis indica and Q. mala- 

 barica) is a common ornamental garden climber. 

 In the last species the blades fall off when mature, 

 leaving behind the petioles, which grow into rigid 

 spines. 



Nat. Order 8. MyrtacecB. — Trees or shrubs, rarely 

 herbs. Leaves usually opposite, simple, entire, with 

 a sub-marginal vein (see fig. 36), coriaceous, and 

 gland-dotted. Flowers regular. Sepals connate, 

 superior, limbs 4 to 5. Petals epigynous, 4 to 5, 

 imbricate. Stamens numerous, epigynous, free or 

 polyadelphous {Melaleuca). Ovary inferior, i- to 

 2-celled. Fruit usually tipped by the calyx limbs, 



Fig-. iS6. — Anogeissus latifoHa 



