IXORA PARVIPLORA. (Nat. ord. Rubiacese.) 



IXORA. Linn.— GEN. CHAR. Calyx limb small, 4-5 toothed or lobed. Corol-tube slender, lobes 4-5 imbricate in the bud usually contort- 

 ed, anthers usually exserted, ovary 2 celled with 1 ovule in each cell peltately attached to the axis at the centre or near the apex or rarely near the base, 

 style exserted, entire or divided at the end into 2 stigmatic lobes, fruit a small globular berry or drupe, the endocarp not hard forming 2 one-seeded pyrenes 

 seed broad with the inner face flat or more frequently very concave. Small trees or shrubs, flowers in terminal dense or large corymbs or panicles or in 

 smaller axillary or lateral cymes, stipules interpetiolar pointed their broad baseB often connate within the petiole. — Pavetta, Linn. 



lXORA PARVIFLORA. (Vahl.) A small or middling sized tree, leaves from linear-oblong cuneato-obovate, bluntish or 

 with a short point often slightly cordate at the base, coriaceous and hard, shining, 3|-4 inches long by 1-2 broad, petioles about 3 

 lines long, stipules with a longish subulate point, panicles corymbiform terminal trichotomous sessile or peduncled with often foliace- 

 ous bracts subtending the primary branches, flowers small white nearly \ an inch long, crowded on the extreme sub-divisions, 4 merous, 

 corol tube very slender, lobes oblong-linear obtuse reflexed, anther-cells produced into 2 longish narrow points at the base, filaments 

 short attached to the back of the anther rather above the base. Style slightly hairy, stigma 2 lobed, lobes oblong erect, ovules attach- 

 ed to the centre or near the apex of the axis, berry somewhat didymous. Vahl. Symb. 3 p. % t, 52 ; — WA. Prod. p. 429. 



This tree is common throughout this presidency and in Ceylon, it is well known as the Torch tree, as boughs of the green wood make 

 excellent torches; it is called Masal-ka-jhar in Hindoostanee, Karipal in Teligu, Shulundu in Tamil, Korgi in Canarese, Koorat in Bombay, and 

 Maha ratambalu in Ceylon. The wood is of a reddish brown colour, the grain hard very close and even, it is easily worked, gives a smooth surface 

 and stands a good polish, and is well adapted for the lathe, and is in use for furniture and building purposes ; a cubic foot unseasoned weighs 

 78 84 lbs., and 66 lbs. when seasoned, and its specific gravity is T056; it is of course excellent firewood, it is often planted in gardens, and is 

 ornamental. 



Analysis. 



1 . A flower bud, showing the lobes imbricate. 



2. A full flower. 



3. The same, corol removed. 



4. Corol opened out, showing the insertion of the stamens between the lobes. 



5. Anthers, front and back view. 



6. An ovary cut vertically, showing the ovules attached to the centre of the axis. 



7. The same, showing the iusertiou of the ovules at nearly the apex of the axis. 



8. Ovary cut transversely. (All drawn from fresh specimens.) 



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