TETRANTHERA WIGHTIANA. (Nat. order Laurine».) 



J-ETRANTHERA, Jacq.— GEN. CHAR. Flowers disecious. Perianth-segments 6, equal or nearly so, or rarely unequal or fewer by 

 abortion. Stamens of the outer series usually 6, perfect, o£ the inner series either 6 perfect, or 3 perfect alternating with 3 staminodia, or the whole 

 number more or less increased ; anthers all introrse, or the inner ones sub extrorse, 4-celled ; glands usually 6, one on each side of 3 inner stamens, the 

 stamens reduced to staminodia iu the female flowers, but the glands usually present. Ovary imperfect or wholly abortive in the males, free in the 

 females ; stigma usually dilated and toothed or lobed. Berry resting on the more or less enlarged flat concave or cup-shaped perianth-tube, the segments 

 deciduous. Trees, leaves alternate or rarely irregularly opposite penuiveiued. Flowers in cymes reduced to small umbels, heads or clusters within an 

 involucre of 4 concave deciduous bracts arranged in short racemes or clusters in the axils or at the leafless nodes.— Cylicodaphne, flees ;—Senlh. Fl. 

 Aust. v. 304. 



TETEANTHERA WlGHTIANA. (Wall). A good sized or large tree, branchlets cwnpressedly angular at the apex, 

 fusco-tomentose ; leaves rigidly coriaceous elliptic or oval or obovate-oblong obtuse or acute, above green and glabrous except the costa, 

 the veins impressed, the veinlets obscure, beneath rather densely tomentose and glaucous or sub-glabrous, the veins and veinlets very 

 prominent and much raised, 3-8 inches long by 1-3 inches broad, petioles 3-8 lines long; racemes 1-3A inches long floriferous nearly to 

 the base hoary or fusco-puberulous ; involucre 4-5 leaved 4-6 flowered, when closed 3-4 lines, when open 5-6 lines in diameter, the 

 inner leaves of the involucre and calyx silky ; stamens pilose at the base ; berry oval, uearly 4 an inch long, half immersed in the cup- 

 shaped enlarged truncated tube of the calyx. Wall. List. N. 2557. Cylicodaphne Wightiana, Nees ; — DC. Prod. xv. 200 ; — Wight 

 Iconeslab. 1833. 



Vary a. tomentosa — Leaves densely fulvo-or fusco-tomentose beneath. 



Vary /3. glabrescens — Leaves sparingly puberulous or glabrous beneath. 



A handsome tree, common iti many of our western forests from Canara down to Cape Comorin, from about 2000 feet elevation up to 

 about 8000 ,- it is very abundant on the Nilgiris, where it is called Keynjee by the Burghers. The wood is yellowish, with a satiny appearance, and 

 a darker heart; it is used for rafters and various other purposes. 



Analysis. 



The plate represents the male and female trees. 



1. An involucre of male tree in young state. 



2, 3- Involucre of male flowers. 



4. A male flower opened, 12 stamens, the 6 outer introrse, the C inner subextrorse and furnished with 2 glands at the base- 



5. 2 stamens, one of the outer and one of the inner series, with the 2 glands at the base of the latter. 



6. The abortive ovary. 



7. An involucre of the female tree in young state. 



8. An involucre of flowers. 



9. A flower bud. 



10. A female flower opened out, stamens 12 sterile. 



11,12. The sterile stamens. 



13. Ovary, style and stigma. 



14. Ovary cut vertically. 



15. Fruit, the berry semiitnmerEed in the cup-like tube of the calyx. (Drawn from living specimens.) 



203 



