STERCULIA HATNII. (Nat. order Sterculiacese.) 



For Gen, Char, see letter press to Plate cv. 



STERCULIA HAYNII. (Bedd.) A large tree young parts covered with dense golden stellate pubescence, leaves 

 about the extremities of tbe branches submembranaceous cordate acute entire or slightly undulate 7 nerved, 4-6 inches long by 3-5 

 inches broad, when young covered with stellate pubescence in age quite glabrous, petioles 1-2 inches long stellately pubescent, racemes 

 from the old axils below the leaves much shorter than the leaves few flowered, flowers 9-10 lines long on very short pedicels, calyx of 

 5 lanceolate segments densely covered with stellate pubescence, petals none. Male, staminal column slender ■§ the length of the calyx 

 bearing 5-6 very small sterile ovaries at its apex round which are arranged regularly 4-5 phalanges of stamens each bearing on the 

 outside 4 anthers^ 2 on each side, anther cells linear oblong flexuose. Female or hermathrodite, ovaries 5 sessile, pubescent, styles re- 

 curved 2 lobed, ovules very numerous in 3 rows on the ventral suture, phalanges of stamens 4-5, sessile round the base of the ovaries 

 very similar to those in the male, follicles depresso-globose about 5 inches in diameter on stalks 1 \ inches long, hard and woody out- 

 side and furnished with stellate pubescence, soft and corky on the inside, dehiscing along the ventral suture where the seeds lie in 2 

 rows, their short hard grey woody funicle fitting into little deep pits, seeds about 40, furnished with a soft corky oblong wing which 

 with the seed is 3 inches long and nearly \\ inches broad, cotyledons not separable from the meaJy albumen, radicle small close to the 

 hilum. 



This interesting tree has just been discovered on the Tinnevelly ghats by Mr. Eayne of the Forest Department, it belongs to the Section 

 Pierygota audit differs from the Ceylon Sterculia (Pterygota) alata in many respects, particularly in the shape and texture of its leaves and 

 in its flowers and seed being 3 times as large. I have not seen the fruit of the Ceylon tree, this tree however answers so viellto Roxburgh's descrip- 

 tion of Sterculia alata, Fl. Lid. iii. p. 152, that I have a suspicion that it may be his tree, in which casethe Ceylon tree will be a new species* 

 The tree is called by the natives Kodathanee. 



Analysis. 



1. A young flower nearly globose showing the valvate sepals. 



2. Magnified hairs which form the stellate pubescence on the inflorescence and young leaves. 



3. A female flower 5 sepals, no petals. 



4. The same, the calyx removed showing the 5 sessile ovaries closely aduate and the sessile phalanges of stamens. 



5. Side view of a phalanx of stamens. 



6. A single ovary. 



7. The same cut vertically Bhowing the 3 rows of ovules on the ventral suture. 



8. The same cut transversely. 



9. A follicle (life size) after dehiscence, the seeds removed. 



10. Portion of the same showing the insertion of the seeds. 



11. A seed (life size.) 



12. The same cut vertically showing the radicle close to the hilum. 



13. A male flower. 



14. A sepal. 



15. The column of stamens removed from the male flower showing 4 phalanges of stamens (there are often 5.) 



16. The same, 2 phalanges removed to show the 6 sterile ovaries (there are often only 5.) 



1 7. A phalanx of stamens, outside view. 



18. The same, inside view. 



19. Au anther cell burst. 



20. The hard woody funicle at the base of the seed, this fits into the pits shown along the ventral suture in figures 9 and 10 • there 



are 2 rows of these pits separated by the gaping mouth of the follicle after dehiscence. 



230 



