HOLKMRNA. LONGIFOLTA.. (Nat. order Anacardiace».) 



HoLtGAPNA, Bam.— GEN. CHAR. Flowers polygaino-diaicious. Calyx cup-shaped 5- toothed, teeth distant, petals 5 Valvate with incurved 

 tips villous, at length patent, disk broad annular, stamens 5 inserted round the edge of the disk, ovary inferior 1 celled, styles 3-4 (sometimes a 5th small 

 one) terminal, stigmas reflexed cresceut-shaped, ovule pendulous from one side of the cell very uear the apex, drupe inferior subcompressed oblong or ovate, 

 pericarp thick, somewhat fleshy containing between its lamina cells full of thick acrid juice, putameu coriaceous. "Seed conformed to the cell testa 

 membranaceous, embryo thick, cotyledons plano-convex, radicle minute. Trees, leaves alternate simple pctiolate entire coriaceous, petiole furnished 

 about the middle with 2 setiform stipels, or glands, racemes or panicles axillary and terminal, flowers small, drupe acrid. Ham. in Boxb. Fl. 2nd. ii. 

 p. 80. 



HOLIGARNA LONGIFOLTA. (Roxb.) A large tree, trunk straight, bark pretty smooth ash-colored, young shoots rufo- 

 pubescent, leaves crowded about the apex of the branches, always more or less spathulate or cuneiform, broad a little below the base 

 and thence gradually narrowed down to the petiole, retuse, rounded, or acute at the apex, glabrous on both sides, or often more or 

 less pubescent beneath or even villous about the costa near the base, generally about 7-9 inches long and 2-3 broad below the apex, but 

 occasionally up to nearly 2 feet in length, petioles glabrous or rufo-pubescent £-1 inch long furnished about the middle or a little below 

 it with 2 subulate recurved generally villous stipels, panicles (rarely racemes') terminal and from the upper axils, male and fertile on 

 different trees, always more or less pubescent sometimes densely rufo-tomentose, petals valvate closely cohering at their sides at len»tk 

 patent, tips incurved, male flowers smaller than the fertile, the 5 stamens seated round the margin of the evident disk exserted, with 

 large versatile anthers, rudiment of an ovary 0, or very small ; fertile flowers with the stamens very small seated round the margin of the 

 disk, anthers small and effete, ovary quite sunk except its hairy apex in the disk and calyx tube, styles 3-4 (rarely a 5th small one in the 

 centre), stigmas broad flat recurved jagged at the edge and acute at tho apex sometimes slightly hairy, fruit ovate to oblong, size of an 

 olive, as in the generic character. Roxb. Fl. hid. ii. 80. 



This tree is very common about the Western ghats of this Presidency fom Canara down to Cape Com.orin, and is also found in the 

 plains and, close to the sea. I have copious specimens from all parts ; it also occurs in Bombay and Bengal, but is absent from Ceylon ; in South 

 Canara it is called Kagira, and in the Bombay Presidency Hoolgeree ; a very acrid black juice is extracted from the trunk and from the fruit 

 rind, which is used by painters and as a black varnish, and the fruit and bark are used medicinally. 1 have never known the timber w be used 

 but in some parts it is said to be in use for house building, and boats are made of it. The specimen figured is from S. Canara ; tho analysis from ' 

 fresh flower s. 



Analysis. 



1. Petiole showing the stipel-like bodies. 



2. A male bud showing the cup-shaped calyx with 5 distant teeth. 



3. A male flower showing the exserted stamens. 



4. Male flower open. 



5. The same petals removed, showing the 5 stamens inserted round the margin of the annular disk, 



6. Anther, front and back view. 



7. Fertile flower-bud showing calyx and valvate petals. 



8. A full fertile flower. 



9. Petals removed. 



10. Fertile flower (calyx-teeth and 2 petals removed) showing the small effete stamens inserted round the margin of the torus, 



the apex of the ovary (the hairy coating removed) and the styles. 



11. Vertical section of the same showing the solitary ovule pendulous from nearly the apex of the cell, 



12. Apex of an ovary showing 4 styles and stigmas. 



13. The same showing 3 styles and stigmas. 



14. The same showing a small 5th style present, 



15. The effete anthers of the fertile flower. 

 10. Young fruit. 



107 



