204 FLORA INDICA. [Meiiispermacetie . 



its resemblance to a plant found by ourselves in the Khasia hills, in fruit only. This 

 we have described below, as a second species. 



Mr. Miers considers that the peculiar structure of the filaments of Fibraurea is 

 due to their being enveloped by, and consolidated, as it were, into one mass with the 

 petals. We have sought in vain, however, for any evidence of the accuracy of this 

 view, in the structure of the filament or the mode of insertion of the anther, and 

 are therefore disposed to regard the flowers as truly apetalous. 



According to Loureiro, the wood of this genus yields a yellow dye, which is per- 

 manent, but not bright ; it is also used as a dye in Borneo, according to Mottley. 



In Fibraurea Uncioria the wood is firm, shrinks very little, and the stems remain 

 cylindrical when dry. Bark formed of several layers of papery epidermis, beneath 

 which is a dense zone of closely packed, transparent, woody cubical cells, with very 

 small cavities. The wood-nnne is formed of about twenty narrow wedges, separated 

 by narrow medullary rays : the latter consist of a very dense cellular tissue of thick 

 woody cells, that form a complete indm'ated mass surrounding the pith and wood, 

 and appear to be confluent with the liber, but are not so. The liber-bundles are 

 isolated, small, and placed in contact with the cambium-layers. The pith is loose 

 and spongy in the centre, becoming firmer, denser, and woody towards the medullary 

 rays. 



1. F. tinctoria (Lour. Fl. Coch. Chin. ed. Willd. 769) ; foliis ova- 

 libus ovatis vel oblongis obtuse acuminatis coriaceis, floribus pauicu- 

 latis. — Cocculus Fibraurea, BC. Syst. i. 535, Frod. i. 99. 



Hab. In Malaya ad Penang, Phillips! et Malacca, Griffitli! — (». s.) 

 DisTElB. Cochin China, Loureiro; Borneo, Mottley! 



Frutex alte scandens, glaberrimus, cortice cinereo vel albido laxo rugoso, raraulomm 

 nitido subvelutino. Folia 4-7 poll, longa, 2-4 lata, petiolo l^j^'^-poUi'^^i'' striato 

 subangulato, utrinque glaberrima, supra lucida, subtus pallida, crasse coriacea, basi 

 triplinervia, marginibus in sicco subreflexis. Fauiculce axiUares, a basi ramoste, ra- 

 mosissimffi, multiflorte, foliis breviores vel longiores. Alabaslri globosi. Flores 

 (fide Loureiro albi) bracteolis 2 minutis calyci adpressis stipati. Sepala glabra, 

 dorso puberula, carnosula, margine tennii, Paiiicula fructifera elongata, in spec, 

 fere pedalis, pedunculis strictis lignosis ^-l-poUicaribus. Drufce pollicares, ex Lou- 

 reiro flava3. 



In the Benthamian Herbarium a few detached drupes accompany a specimen from 

 Malacca, but they are empty. The specimens before us are considered by Mr. Miers 

 to belong to three species, all difi'erent from that of Loureiro. We have, on the con- 

 trary, no doubt that all belong to one, and we think that Loureiro's description agrees 

 well enough with the specimens to make it probable that they are the same. The 

 specimen in the British Museum from that author is very imperfect, and scarcely 

 determinable ; it has neither flower nor fruit. 



2. F.? Hsematocarpa (H.f. et T.) ; foliis oblongis obtuse acu- 

 minatis crasse coriaceis margine recurvis, pedunculis fruotus axillaribus 

 abbreviatis, dvupis obovato-oblongis atro-purpureis stipitatis. 



Hab. In montibus Khasia ! — (u. u.) 



Frutex scandens, cortice cinereo vel pallido striatulo. Folia (in specimine solitario) 

 3 poll, longa. If lata, petiolo cylindrico gracili f -poUicari, pallide viridia, subtus al- 

 bida, basi triplinervia, cffiterum penuinervia, nervis basilaribus ad apicem usque ex- 

 tensis et cum lateralibus arcus formautibus. Racemi fruotus l-3..pollicares, vestigia 

 1-5 florum gerentes. Torus fnictus globosus, cicatricibus magnis 4-6 notatus. 

 Drnpie totidem, pedicello crasso -J-poUicari stipitatac, obovato-oblongfe, utrinque ro- 

 tundatffi, Iffivcs, parum obliqiuo, styli cicatrice basilari notatfe, l|-2 poll, longfe. 

 Sarcocarjiiiim e stratis 3 compositum, exterius dense carnosum, sanguineum, inte- 

 rius fibrosum paUidius, fibrillis c putaminc ortis. Putamen tenue, crustaceum, bicrurc, 



