BOSWELLIA GLABRA. (Nat. order Burseracese.) 



BoSWELLIA. Roxb.— GEN. CHAR. Flowers reuglar hermathrodite. Calyx small 5-7 toothed persistent, petals 5-7 spreading imbricate, 

 stamens 10-13 alternately shorter inserted under the fleshy annular undulate or crenate disk, ovary sessile narrowed into a short style 3 rarely 4 celled, 

 stigma 3-4 lobed or entire, ovules 2 in each cell collateral attached to the axis above the middle, fruit 3 rarely 4 angled coriaceous, the epicarp separating 

 in 3-4 valves from as many bony 1 seeded pyrenes which are persistent to the central axis, 6eed compressed pendulous with a membranaceous margin, testa 

 membranaceous, cotyledons multifid contortuplicate or quite flat, radicle superior. Trees abounding with resin, bark deciduous in papery or membranous 

 laminae, leaves deciduous crowded at the apex of the branches, alternate, unequally pinnate, exstipulate, leaflets opposite serrate, racemes or panicles 

 axillary or collected at the ends of the branches, appearing before the leaves, flowers white. Roxb. PI. Corom. iii. 4. t. 207. Libanus, Cokb. in As. Res. 

 9. 377 I. 5./. 1. Plsesslia, End. Nov. Stirp. Dec. 39. 



JjOSWELLIA GLABRA. (Roxb.) A good sized tree with a greenish smooth bark, leaves alternate towards the apex of the 

 branches unequally pinnate, about 1 foot long, the petiole very slightly puberulous or glabrous, leaflets 6-10 opposite or subopposite 

 pair, with a terminal odd one, sessile or subsessile, glabrous on both sides, from quite entire to distantly serrated often only towards the 

 apex, lanceolate obtuse about 2| inches long, by 10-12 lines broad, racemes terminal, or from the upper axils rather crowded, slightly 

 puberulous, calyx puberulous or subglabrous 5-6 or occasionally 7 cleft, petals 5-6 occasionally 7 slightly puberulous on the back, 

 anthers hairy 10-12 occasionally 13, ovules 2 in each cell collateral attached to the axis above the middle, stigma 4 lobed, pyrenes (not 

 quite mature) heart shaped with a long beak at the apex (at length winged?), cotyledons fiat or contortuplicate tiifid, lobes again 

 variously cut or entire, radicle superior long. Roxb. Fl. Ind. ii. p. 384. 



This fragrant resin-bearing tteeisvery common in many nf our dry subalpine jungles, particularly on the eastern tide of the Pre- 

 sidency, on the Vellore, Cuddapah, North Arcot and Kumool hills, Mysore, Guzdehatty pass, &c. &c. ; it does not occur in Ceylon, it flowers in 

 January and February generally when quite destitute of leaves, the gum-resin is the olibanum of commerce and is known to the natives os 

 Koondricum, it is much used as a fragrant incense and (when boiled with oil) as pitch, and is also said to possess stimulant astringent and 

 diaphoretic properties, it is largely used in some parts of India as an application to indolent sores and is supposed to form the chief ingredient 

 in " Wroughton's ointment," it is well deserving of careful attention and can be procured in almost any quantity, the substance is bitter and 

 pungent and is soluble in aetht and spirits of wine ; in Tamil the tree is called Kungli and Googoolu and Telugu Anduga. lam not acquainted 

 with its timber, but it is said by the natives to be of Utile or no value. 



Analysis. 



The drawing is from fresh specimens collected on the Nilgiri slopes, the analysis is from 5 merous flowers {which are most 

 common) but the sepals and petals are sometimes 6-7 and the stamens 12-13. 



Fig. i. is a fruit opened, showing the heart-shaped pyrene or nut. 



Fig. ii. A nut cut vertically, showing the embryo with unfolded trifid cotyledons (they are sometimes folded.) 



Fig. iii. An embryo opened out showing more cut cotyledons than in fig. ii. 



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