HEMICYCLIA ELATA. (Nat. order Euphorbiacese.) 



HEMICYCLIA. W.A. — QEN". CHAR. Disecious. Calyx deeply 4-5-parted, segments imbricate, petals 0. Male, stamens 8-25 inserted at 

 or near the margin of a central entire or crenated disk, anthers 2 celled, dehiscing longitudinally, filaments free, rudimeDt of ovary wanting or very small. 

 Female, stamiuodia 0, disk annular entire or slightly crenate, ovary oblong or globose 1 -celled, ovules 2 collateral pendulous from near the apex of the 

 cell, style none or scarcely any, stigma large peltate, fruit (by abortion) a 1-seeded indehiscent drupe, putamen bony or cartilaginous, testa membranaceous 

 cotyledons large membranaceous, lying in copious albumen, radicle superior very short. Trees or shrubs, leaves alternate shortly petioled simple 

 penniveined entire or toothed, stipules small soon deciduous, flowers small axillary fasciculate, the female of ten solitary. W.A. in Edin. Nev). Philos. 

 Journ. v. xiv. p. 297. Astylis, Wight Icones. Anaua, Miquel. Periphlexis, Wall. Cat. 8022. 



This genus scarcely differs from Cyclostemon except in its single-celled ovary. 



HEMICYCLIA ELATA. (Bedd.) A lofty straight glabrous tree up to 90-100 feet high, gemmae minutely pub erulous, 

 leaves lanceolate attenuated at both ends more or less oblique at the base ending in a blunt or sharp acumen at the apex, quite entire 

 subcoriaceous, in age glabrous on both sides and shining above, 4-5 inches long by l£-2 broad, petioles 3-4 lines long. Male, 

 flowers 3-5 together in axillary fascicles, peduncles 1-2 lines long tubereidate and furnished with several pubescent bracts, pedicels 

 slender 5-8 lines long, calyx about 2 lines long puberulous on both sides deeply 4-parted, stamens 8-12 the filaments inserted into 

 little ring-like pits round the outer portion of the disk, rudiment of ovary generally absent, sometimes present but very small. 

 Female, flowers solitary, peduncle obsolete or only a minute tubercle with a small bract, pedicel slender 9-10 lines long elongating in 

 fruit to nearly 2 inches, calyx as in the male but a little larger, segments soon deciduous, disk annular, ovary oblong, stigma sessile 

 large peltate covering the apex of the ovary like a mushroom, fruit oblong or somewhat obovate 10 lines to 1 inch long, putamen 

 cartilaginous. 



This fine tree is very common in the dense moist forests of the Wynaacl ^2000-4000 feet elevation), and 1 also have it from the 

 Anamallays and Tinnevelly mountains ; the leaves are less coriaceous than in E. venusta, but have exactly the venation and shape of that species, 

 which is a small drooping tree with a different inflorescence. H. sepiaria has much more coriaceous differently shaped leaves, and is scarcely more 

 than a shrub ; the timber is strong and much valued for building purposes. 



Analysis. 



1. Branch of the male tree in flower, 



2. Branch of the female tree in flower. 



3. A male flower bud. 



4. A male flower showing 8 stamens (each let into little ring-like pits round the outer part of the disk), no rudiment of ovary. 



5. Male flower with 9 stamens and a small rudiment of an ovary. 



6. Anther, back view. 



7. Anther, front view. 



8. Female flower, 4 imbricate deeply parted segments (as in the male), disk annular, ovary oblong, style none, stigma sessile and 



mushroom like. 



9. Ovary cut vertically, 1-celled, 2 collateral ovules pendulous from a little below the apex. 



10. Ovary cut vertically, placenta large. 



11. Branch in young fruit. 



12. Kipe fruit cut open, the sarcocarp fleshy, the putamen cartilaginous. 



1 3. The solitary seed cut vertically, albumen copious, the short superior radicle slightly exserted at the apex, the cotyledons 



very thin and leafy. (Drawn from specimens in spirits.) 



279 



