MACARANGA TOMENTOSA. (Nat. order Euphorbiacere.) 



MACARANGA Tkouars. — GEN. CHAR. Diaecious, petals and disk 0. Male, calyx valvate, stamens 2-8 or numerous (but less thau in 

 Mallotus), rarely only 1 central, seated on the subconvex receptacle and irregularly verticellate, anthers 3-4-celled fixed by the back with the connective 

 incomplete and shorter than the cells, no rudiment o£ an ovary. Female, calyx imbricate, ovary 1-6-celled cells 1-ovuled, fruit a capsule, seed not carun- 

 culate albuminous, cotyledons broad much longer than the radicle. Trees, leaves alternate peltate and palmatiuerved, or lanceolate aud penniveined, in- 

 florescence very various glomerate or fasciculate or in axillary spikes, racemes or panicles. Pet. Thouars Qen. Madagas. p. 26 t. 88 ; — DO. Prod. xv. p. 987. 

 Pachystemon, Bl. Bijdi: p. 626. Mappa, Adr. Juss- Adisea, Zolling. Meco3tylis, Kurz. Panhopia, Novonha. Claoxyli sp., Wight. Osyris sp., Roxb. 



Section Eumacaranga. — Anthers 4-valved, ovary 1-celled. 



MaOAEANGtA TOMENTOSA. (Wight.) A small or middling sized tree, the young parts more or less densely 

 stellato-tomentose, leaves orbicular with a longish acumination, subentire or with minute teeth at the exeurrent veins, peltate, 

 scarcely coriaceous, in age subglabrous above except the costa and primary veins which are mealy-puberulous, more or less 

 tomentose or pubescent beneath and there furnished with numerous minute waxy dot-like, glands, 6-8 inches long by nearly aa 

 broad palmately 9-nerved at the insertion of the petiole, pinnately veined above, veinlets parallel very regular and prominent, 

 •netiole 2-5 inches long terete, stipules largo triangularo-ovate acuminate tomentose. Male, panicles axillary and from the old axils 

 from a little shorter to nearly as long as the leaves, much branched, flowers in interrupted sessile heads, bracts 2-2£ lines long 

 tomentoso-ovate to obovate or 3-lobed dentate, venose many flowered, calyx deeply 3-lobed, lobes cuneate obovate hairy on the 

 outside filaments 2 or 3 free about as long as the calyx. Female, panicles much shorter than in the male and less compound, bracts 

 as in the male but rather smaller 1-2 flowered, pedicels 2-3 lines long; calyx subentire, ovary subglobose, much incurved, stigma 

 subovoid obtuse lateral, capsule globose scarcely 3 lines in diameter densely covered with waxy dot-like glands, seed globose sub- 

 scrobiculate, testa crustaceous. Wight Icones tab. 1949. fig. i. Srfig ii. No. 9 ;— DC. Prod. xv. p. 1010. 



A very common tree in all our western forests and in Bombay and Ceylon, generally affecting old clearings of forest and often planted 

 f shade bu coffee planters; called Vatte Kanni in Tamil, Upligi and Upalkai in Canarese (S. Canara), Chenthakanni in Mysore (Canarese ) , 

 Chanda in the Bombay Presidency, and Kanda in Ceylon ; a gum exudes from the tree which is used medicinal 1 y by the natives and for taking 

 impressions ; the thnber is soft and useless, the tree is of very rapid growth. 



- 





A branch of male tree in flower. 



• The flowers and brai 

 A 3 lobed bract. 



4. A flower with 2 stamens, calyx 3-lubed 



5. A flower with 3 stamens, calyx 3-lobed. 



- 6. The 4-celled anther. 



7. A lobe of the calyx. (All drawn from living specimens.) 



8. Portion of a branch of a female tree in fruit. 



9. A bract from the female panicle. 



10. A female flower rather advanced, stigma lateral, ovary and stigma covered with glands. 



11. The same cut vertically showing the single cell and solitary erect ovule. (Drawn from dried specimens.) 

 Fig. J. Dissections of M- Indica. (See Manual.) 



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