EUGENIA JAMBOLANA. (Nat. order Myrtacete.) 



For Gen. Char, see the Order in the Manual. 



EUGENIA JAMBOLANA. (Lam.) A very larga tree, quite glabrous, leaves oval oblong obtuse or shortly acuminate, 

 usually 4-6 inches long by 2-3 inches broad but sometimes larger, very firm shining with numerous fine pinnate veins, and reticulated 

 between them, the principal ones confluent into a faint or more or less prominent marginal vein, panicles large broad, trichotomous 

 numerous, lateral on the old wood below the leaves, the ultimate cymes loose, flowers rather small very sweet scented, calyx sessile 

 turbinate campanulate, lobes short and inconspicuous often obsolete, petals cohering in a transparent cup-shaped calyptra and falling 

 off in that state as the anthers unroll, fruit oblong to roundish deep-purple, from the size of a pea to that of a pigeon's egg usually 

 with a single seed. Lam. Diet. iii. 198 ; — Roxb. Fl. Ind, ii. p. 484 ; — Wight's Icones tab. 535, and E. fruticosa, tab. 624. Syzygium 

 jambolanum, DC. iii. 259. E. Moorei, F. Aluell. Fragm. v. 33. E. caryophyllifolia, Lam, ; — Wight Icones 553. 



This large and beautiful tree is the commonest of the Syzygium section of Eugenia, it is found almost everywhere throughout the plains 

 of India, whereas most of the other species affect the mountains ; it is much planted in topes and avenues in this Presidency, and it ascends the 

 mountains to 4000 or rarely 5000 feet elevation ; it is also indigenous in the Archipelago and in Australia ; the bark is strongly astringent and dyes 

 excellent durable browns, and it yields an extract like the gum kino. The fruit is universally eaten, and that from some of the larger fruiting 

 varieties {when it is as large as a cherry or much larger) is very agreeable, the fruit oj the very small fruiting variety ( E. caryophyllifolia, Lam.) 

 is not eaten, and is not larger than a pea. 



This tree is called Jaman in Hindoostanee, Nawal and Nawar in Tamil, Narala in Canarese, Nareyr in Teligu, Jambool in the 

 Bombay Presidency, and Madang in Ceylon ; the panicles of flowers are always produced from the old wood just below the shoots of new wood, 

 and if this is borne in mind it cmnol be confounded with any of the other species except E. nervosa, which has much more prominent venation ; 

 it generally flowers in March and April and the flowers have a strong smell of honey ; the wood is much used in native house building, for cart 

 framing, agricultural implements and a variety of purposes, it resists the action of water very well, and is used for well work, it is tolerably close 

 and even grained, not very strong or durable except in waler, and in color dirty brown (reddish when fresh), a cubic foot unseasoned weighs 

 60-62 lbs. and when seasoned 48 lbs. and its specific gravity is -768. 



A nalysis. 



1. A flower bud. 



2. The same more advanced, the petals lifted up like a calyptra by the 1st expanding anther. 



3. Full flower, the calyptra (petals) still adhering (though generally deciduous before this stage). 



4. Anthers, front and back view. 



5. Flower cut through vertically, showing the insertion of the stamens at the apex of the calyx tube, and the longitudinal section of the ovary. 



6. Cross section of the ovary, showing 2 cells. 



7. A fruit. (All drawn from fresh specimens). This species well illustrates the Syzygium section of this genus (allied species of which are so 

 characteristic of our higher mountain woods) : the petals generally fall off in a lid though they occasionally in some specie3 expand more or less ; the 

 flowers are always small and insignificant, and the trees are always perfectly glabrous. 



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