HYMBNODTGTION OBOVATUM. (Nat. order Rubiaceae.) 



HYMENODYCTION. Wall.— (JEM CHA.R. Calyx tube ovate, border 5-toolhed, corol-tube infundibuliform short or elongate the limb 5 

 lobed, lobes valvate in the bad, anthers exported or included, the filaments inserted on to the corol near its base quite free or monadelphou3 in a tube at 

 the base, style filiform much exserted, stigma clavate capitate, ovary 2-celleJ, ovules numerous attached to a large fleshy placenta which is aduate along 

 the whole length o£ the axis but is easily separable and at length becomes free, capsule 2-celled 2-valved loculicidal, seeds fiat imbricate surrounded by a 

 reticulated wing which is bifid at the base, embryo thick in fleshy albumen, cotyledons cordate, radicle oval. Trees, leaves entire long petroled, stipule3 

 large glandularly serrate, panicles terminal furnished with 1 or m )re large white or cream colored floral leaves, flowers small fragrant. Wall, in Roxb. 

 Fl. Ind. ed. Cary. vol. ii. p. 148. Cinchona, Roxb. Fl. Ind. 1. p. 529, 



HYMENODYCTION OBOVATUM. (Wall.) A large tree, leaves crowded at the apex of the branches generally obovate 

 with a narrow sudden acuinination, some of the upper ones oblong or ovate, glabrous on both sides except the axils of the nerves 

 beneath, about 4 inches long by 2J-2| broad, pinnate veins rather prominent, veinlets beautifully reticulated beneath, petioles 1£ to 

 2 inches long, stipules ovate or oblong gland-serrated deciduous, racemes terminal erect pubescent several together generally simple, 

 rarely with 1 or 2 branches, each generally furnished with only one floral leaf just below the flower? which is lanceolate convex and 

 a little rugose above, pure white or cream colored beautifully veined and reticulated aud slightly pubescent underneath, about 2 

 inches long, aud on a shining petiole of the same length, sometimes this floral leaf is absent on one or more of the racemes, flowers 

 small sessile or subsessile furnished with linear subulate bracts at their ba«, cilyx very hairy : corol slightly hoary, tube short, limb 

 Buboampanulate wich the lobes lanceolate acute, stamens monxdelphous in a tube which is adnate to the base of the corol but easily 

 separable, ovary hairy. Wall. 1. c. p. 153. • 



This beautiful tree is not uncommon in our subalpine forests from, Gan,%m down to South Travancore, up to elevations of 4000 

 feel, it is less common however than thi H. utile of Wight (which I take to be R. thyrsWorum, Roxb.) ; it is also found in the Bombay Presidency, 

 where it is called Karwai, (i. e., bitterness), in Tamil it is callei Ye'.lx mxla hxi, its timier is used by the natives for a variety of purposes and is 

 probably equal to that of H. exselsum, in thi Ualva district the tree is called Mallay Tanak. 



Analysis. 



1 . A stipule, showing the the black glands round the edge. 



2. A flower. 



3. Ccrol opened out, showing the stamens joined in a ring at the base which is adnate to the corol tube. 

 4-5. Anther, front and back view. 



6. Ovary cut vertically. 



7. Ovary cut transversely. 



8. Branch of fruit. 



9. A seed. 



10. The bracteoles at the base o£ the flowers. 



11. A portion of a raceme. (All but 8 and 9 from fresh specimens. ) 



Fig. A. Analysis of H. utile, Wight, showiug that the stamens are free. (Drawn from fresh specimen s. ) 



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