HOMALIUM CEYLANICUM. (Nat. ord. Samydaceae.) 



HOMALIUM. Jacq —GEN. CHAK. Flowers dichlamydeous, hermaphrodite. Flower-tube turbinate adnate to the base or the ovary. 

 Sepals 4-12 persistent. Petals as many as calyx lobes emerging from the throat of the calyx, linear-oblong, flat, persistent. Stamens equal in number to 

 the petals and opposite to them, or in greater numbers arranged in fascicles opposite to them, alternating with as many glands ; filaments thread-like ; 

 anthers small, didymous. Ovary partly adherent 1 -celled; styles 2-5, thread-like ; stigmas simple or capitellate. Ovules numerous or few, attached to 

 2-5 parietal placentas. Capsule partly adherent, coriaceous, 2-5 valved, few-seeded. Seeds angular or oblong; testa crustaeeous ; albumen fleshy, coty- 

 ledons leafy. Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, stalked, ovate or lauceolate, glandulose, crenate or serrate. Stipules small. Flowers small in slender 

 axillary branched panicles. Jacq. Stirp. Amer- 170, 1. 183. /. 72. Blackwellia, Jus$. Astrauthus, Lour. Eacoubea, Aull. Napimoga, Aubl. Cordy- 

 lanthus, Blame. Kisa, Norohn. Myriantheia, Thon. 



HoMALIDM CEYLANICUM. (Gardu.) A large tree 40-50 feet high, leaves ovate to elliptic or rarely obovate, with 

 a rather sudden blunt acumination coarsely crenated, membranaceous to subcoriaceous, glabrous and shining above, glabrous beneath 

 or slightly puberulous on the costa and veins, 3-6 inches long by 1|-2| broad, petioles 3-6 lines long, racemes axillary generally much 

 longer than the leaves, erect or pendulous, puberulous, flowers densely hairy small glomerate 3-5 together pedicellate, sepals 4-6 linear 

 oblong, petals 4-6 broader than the sepals about equal to them in length or a little longer, stamens equal in number to the petals and 

 opposite them, glands as in the generic character, styles and placentas 3-5. — Blackwellia Ceylanica, Gardn. Calc. Journ. of Nat. Hist, 

 vol. vii. p. 452. B. tetrandra, Wight Icones. tab. 1851 . 



This tine timber tree is not uncommon throughout our western forests up to 400 D feet, and I have also found it on the North Arcot 

 hills near Madras, and it inhabits Ceylon, where it is called Leeyang. The timber is very strong and in. use for bnilding and various other pur- 

 poses; the petals and calyx segments are quite similar in texture and appearance, though they differ somewhat in size, and the flowers are 

 sometimes described as having a 8-12 parted perianth. 



Analysis. 



1-2. Magnified portions of a raceme. 



3. A flower bud. 



4. A flower, side view. 



'5. A 5-merous flower open, shewing 5 petals with I staineu opposite each, and the alternate glands opposite the calyx- segments t 



and 5 styles. 

 G. A 4-merous flower with 4 styles. 

 7. Anthers, front and back view. 



5. A flower cut vertically, showing the placentas and ovaries. 



9. Transverse section of an ovary with only 3 styles, shewing 3 parietal placentas. (All drawn from fresh specimeua.) 



210 



