CINNAMOMUM ZEYLA.NICUM, variety Wightii. (Nat. order LaurineEe.) 



ClNNAMOMUM. Burm. — GEN. CHAR. Flowers hermathrodite or often with a tendency to be unisexual, the females rather larger with 

 a few sometimes only 1 stamen imperfect, the males smaller with a sterile ovary and the number of the parta of the perianth and of the stamens liable to 

 occasional variation, especially in the females. Perianth segments 6 (very rarely 8) equal or nearly so, stamens of the outer series equal in number to the 

 segments of the perianth all perfect with introrse anthers, of the inner series 3 generally perfect with extrorse anthers alternating with 3 short staminodia, 

 anthers 4-celled or the inner ones rarely 2-celled, glands 6 at the base of the inner perfect stamens, ovary not immersed, berry seated on the somewhat 

 enlarged truucate or 6-lobed perianth-tube, the segments of which are wholly or partially deciduous. Trees or shrubs, leaves opposite or alternate 3-or 

 rarely 5-nerved, flowers in axillary panicles. 



ClNNAMOMUM ZEYLANICUM. (Breyn.) var. Wightii. (DC.) A very large tree up to great girth, the young branches 

 rather acutely 4-angled and furrowed between, gemmae fulvo-tomentose, leaves opposite sub-opposite or quite alternate, very hard and 

 coriaceous elliptic to ovate more or less attenuated and sometimes unequal at the base, obtusely pointed at the apex, glabrous and shin- 

 ing above, glaucous beneath and (under the lens) very minutely puberulous on the veins, 3-5 inches long by l|-3 inches broad, very 

 minutely and beautifully reticulated and very prominently 3-5 nerved, the nerves often connate for some distance up from the base in 

 a compressed vein 3 lines in breadth, (in the larger 5-nerved leaves), petiole very broad and flat 8-12 lines long, panicles from some- 

 what shorter to about as long as the leaves, minutely puberulous, the rachis very flat corymbosely-ramous towards the apex, ultimate 



divisions 3-flowered, flowers fulvo-tomentose about 3 lines long generally hermathrodite, the perianth rarely with 8 segments. Uinna- 



momum Wightii, DC. Prod. xv. p. 11. 



This exceedingly handsome variety of Cinnamon is very abundant on the higher ranges of the Nilgiris, and in all sholus about Ootaca- 

 mwid, flowering in May, all the parts when fresh if crushed have a powerful odour of Cinnamon ; the timber is even grainedand good, but is not 

 muck in use. We have some 7 for 8 well marked varieties of Cinnamon in our western {moist) forests from the sea level up to the highest elevations • 

 they differ much in she and in the manner of growth of the tree itself, shape and size of the leaves, pubescence, &c, and may be all or most of them 

 distinct as species ; but after long observation and with a very large collection of specimens before me, 1 am inclined to look upon them nil more as 

 varieties only of the C. Zeylanicum than as entitled to specific distinction. Well marked as some extreme forms are, they run almost imperceptibly 

 into one another, and it is almost impossible to lay hold of any constant character worthy of a specific distinction, and many of the differences 

 are, 1 believe, the effect of elevation and climate. One variety common on the Sisparah ghat (Nilgiris) and in the Wynad about Manantoddii has 

 its leaves densely clothed on both sides or only beneath with dense yellow tomentum, it is I believe, the xiilphuratum of Nees but there are other 

 forms exactly like it except that the tomentum is more or less absent. 



Analysis. 



1. A flower bud. 



2. A flower. 



3. Periaoth opened sbowiug the 6 outer stamens with their iutrorse 4-eelled anthers (the inner stameus and stamiuodes ' 



removed.) 



4. The 3 inner stamens, the anthers extrorse, filaments with 2 glands at the base, and the 3 staminodes- 



5. Outside view of the same (both this fig. and No. 4 more highly magnified than No. 3.) 

 r>. One of the outer row of stameus, inside view. 



7. One of the 3 inner fertile stamens, inside view. 



S. Staminodes, inside and outside view. 



9. Ovai y, style and stigma. 



10. Ovary cut vertically, showing the solitary pendulous ovule. 



11. Fruit. (All drawn from fresh specimens except No. 11 (fruit), which, in the absence of the fruit of this species, is 



taken from another variety, C. iners. ) 



262 



