VITEX ALTISSIMA. (Nat. order Vebenacese.) 



VITEX. Linn. — GEN. CHAR. Calyx 5-toothed or lobed. Corolla-tube short; limb spreading, 5 lobed, the lowest lobe larger and loDger- 

 than the others and sometimes notched. Stamens 4, in pairs, ascending and exserted beyond the upper corolla-lobes. Ovary 2-celled or more or less per- 

 fectly 4-celIed, with 1 ovule to each half-cell or cell, laterally attached at or above the middle. Style filiform, shortly and acutely 2-lobed. Fruit a 

 succulent drupe, the putamen separating iuto 4 hard one-seeded pyrenes (or fewer by abortion.) Seeds without albumen. Trees or shrubs. Leaves opposite, 

 usually of 3 or 5 digitate leaflets, very rarely single (or of a single leaflet.) Flowers in cymes, sometimes axillary but usually in terminal panicles either 

 simple and spike-like or branched. Bracts very small. 



VITEX ALTISSIMA. (Linn.) A very large tree, trunk erect of great girth, bark smooth, branches numerous spreading, 

 young ones tetragonal, leaves opposite trifoliate or more rarely digitately 5 foliate, leaflets sessile elliptic oblong entire acute 

 scarcely coriaceous subglabrous or slightly pubescent above, pubescent or downy beneath, paler beneath penniveiued, 3-6 iuches long 

 by 1-2 broad, common petiole 2-4 inches long very broadly winged when young (the wing generally auricled at the base), often 

 only slightly so in age, panicles terminal bracteated at the ramifications composed of few long simple opposite pairs of subverticelled 

 downy spikes, flowers numerous small white with a tinge of blue, bracteoles linear lanceolate concave downy, calyx downy, segments 

 rather unequal, corol lower lip large entire, upper shorter and 4 lobed, anthers as in the generic character. Ovary ovate 4-celled, 

 ovules attached above the middle of the axis or near its apex, style as long as corol, stigma acutely bifid, drupe round of the size of 

 a pea smooth succulent black, the putamen separating into 4 hard 1 -seeded pyrenes or fewer by abortion. Boxb. Fl. hid. iii. p. 71 ; 

 — Wight. Ic. 1466. 



This tree is found throughout the Presidency, and is most abundant in all our western jungles, it is also found in Ceylon, parts of 

 Bengal, Birmah, &c, it ascends the mountains to 4000 feet elevation, one of our most valuable timber trees next to 3 or 4 of the reserved sorts, 

 it is called Maila in Tamil, Alyroleand Sampaga pala in Canarese, and Mililla in Ceylon ; the wood is hard, durable and flexible, with a coarse 

 grain, light broion in color, and does not split or warp ; it ismuch in usefor building, construction of carts, and many other purposes ; it weighs 

 63 lbs. the cubic fool when seasoned and its specific gravity is 1'008. ^6^~7^ v - Uyj- fff^- ^y^j^-i^y-^t-^ 4 - 



Analysis. 



1. Portion of a digitately 5-foliate leaf. 



2. Base of the petiole of a leaf, showing auricled wings. 



3. A flower bud. 



4. A full flower. 



5. A flower open, showing the insertiou of the stamens- 



6. Anthers. 



7. Calyx opened, showing ovary and style, and acutely bifid stigma. 



8. Ovary cut vertically, showing pendulous ovules; they are sometimes attached lower down the axis, but always above 



the middle. 



9. Fruit. 



10. Transverse section of fruif. 



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