PUTRANJIVA R0XBTJRGHI1. (Nat. order Euphorbiaceie.) 



PCTRANJIVA, Wall. — GEN. CHAR. Diceeious. Calyx segments slightly imbricate, petals none, disk none, Male, calyx 2-5 parted, stamens 

 2-3 central free monadelphous or diadelphous, anthers 2-3 subglobse dehiscing longitudinally down the outer rim, rudiment of ovary none ; female, calyx 

 4-6 parted, ovary 2-3 celled, cells 2-ovuled, styles 2-3, stigmas various often much dilated and papillose, fruit an obovate or oval drupe 1 -celled (by abor- 

 tion) nut hard 1 seeded, seed albuminous, cotyledons oval plane palmate-nerved, radicle short superior. Trees -with hard timber, leaves alternate penni- 

 veined, more or less serrated, with very deciduous stipules, inflorescence axillary, male flowers collected in small globular heads, female flowers on long 

 peduncles solitary or few. Wall. Tent. Fl. Nepal, p. 61. Kageia, Roxb. Palenga, Tkw. Pougalam, Rkeede. 



x UTRANJIVA -KOXBURGHII. (Wall.) A large timber tree, young parts minutely pubescent, leaves from membranous 

 when young to coriaceous in age elliptic to narrow-oblong oblique at the base, sub-acute or obtuse at the apex and often with a mucro, 

 from sharply serrulate to bluntly crenate, glabrous in age or slightly hairy beneatb, shining above, and a little waved at the margins, 

 3-4 inches long by 1-1J broad, petioles 3-4 lines long, stipules small villous soon deciduous ; male, flowers sessile or subsessile numerous 

 minute (scarcely a line long) yellowish collected in small globular heads in the axils or on short axillary spikes, calyx deeply 5-parted, 

 segments ciliate and often hairy lanceolate acute or sometimes obtuse, filaments 1-2-3, when 1 trifid, when 2 one is bifid, anthers 

 exserted always 3 globose hairy ; female, flowers solitary or 2 together in the axils of the leaves, or in small simple few flowered 

 racemes from the year old shoots, peduncles 8-12 Hues long, flowers greenish larger than in the male, calyx 5-parted, segments ciliate 

 and hairy more obtuse than in the male, ovary villous 3-celled, ovules pendulous from the apex of the axis, styles 3 recurved, stigmas 

 very large and papillose sub-cresceut-shaped or triangular, fruit oval ovoid to obovate or globose often more or less pointed at the apex, 

 7-10 lines long by 5-8 in diameter, boary with a close set tomentum. Nageia Putranjiva, Roxb. Fl. 2nd. iii. 766. P. Roxburghii et 

 sphserocarpa, DC. Prod. xv. p. 443. 



This fine timber tree is found, though sparingly, throughout the Presidency, where I have seen it most common is on the North Arcot 

 hills 1000-1500 feet elevation, and on our eastern mountains al 2000-3000 feet, but I have also found it in Malabar, and it occurs in Ceylon 

 and Bengal ; the fruit varies in shape and size and the leaves in texture. The timber is white close-grained, very hard and durable, and in use in 

 some parts with the natives, but appears to be very Utile known, and should receive attention; it is well adapted for the lathe; the nuts are threaded 

 by the natives as necklaces for children, and are supposed to keep them in good health. The tree is called Kudrajuvi in Teligu, and Puta-jan in 

 Hmdoostani, and Karupale in Tamil. 



Analysis. 



1. Branch of the male tree iu flower. 



2, 3, 4. Male flower, calyx 5 parted imbricate when in bud, filaments generally 3 separate, stigma 1 trifid, or 2 one of them bifid, 

 anthers always 3. 



5- Anthers, front and back view. (All drawn from fresh specimens. North Arcot.) 

 6. Branch of female tree iu flower. 



7, S. Female flowers. 



9. Ovary out vertically pendulous ovules. 



10. Ovary cut transversely, 3 cells each 2-ovuled. 



11. Fruit. 



12. The same cut transversely. 



13. The nut. 



14. Embryo with its superior radicle. (All except the fruit copied from Dr. Wight's Icones, 



275 



