N. O. DILLENIACE.E. 39 



very large, 10-12 in long, oblong-lanceolate, acute, sharply 

 serrate, glabrous above, finely pubescent on veins beneath ; 

 lateral veins numerous, strong ; petioles If in, long, stout, deeply 

 channelled above, pnlvinate at base. Flowers very large, 6-7 

 in. diam, on stout subterminal pedicels. Sepals very fleshy. 

 Petals white, sometimes pale-azure orbicular with a broad 

 base. Stamens persistent, yellow. Carpels 15-20, coherent at 

 the axis. Styles spreading like a star, white; ripe carpels 

 enclosed in the greatly enlarged and thickened sepals which 

 are 1 in. thick and strongly imbricate the whole forming a large 

 green globose pomiform fruit, 5-6 in. diam. Actual fruit 2|- 

 in. diam. Pericarp thin, indehiscent. Seeds numerous, com- 

 pressed with a hairy margin. 



Uses : — The juice of the fruit, mixed with sugar and water, is 

 used as a cooling beverage in fevers, and as a cough mixture. 

 The bark and the leaves are astringent, and are used medicin- 

 ally. The fruit is slightly laxative, but is apt to induce diarrhoea, 

 if too freely indulged in. {Roxburgh, Royle, Drqry). 



The fruit gives a lather with water, says Triinen, and is used 

 as a soap. 



Mr. T. P. Ghose of Dehra Dun writes in the Indian Forester 

 for August 1914 : — 



The fresh ripe fruits were taken and the upper layers of calyces were 

 separated from the inner kernels which consisted mostly of pectous matter 

 of a jelly-like consistence. The kernels being rejected, the calyces were 

 crushed and steeped in 90 per cent, alcohol for six months in a drum with 

 occasional shaking. The alcohol was then filtered off and the residue was 

 pressed almost dry, and this alcohol was added to the first and the whole 

 evaporated off under reduced pressure. The alcoholic extract was finally 

 dried at 100° O, for further examin. tion. 



The composition of the calyces of the fresh ripe fruits as was follows :— 

 Moisture ... ... ... ... ... 86 40 per cent. 



Alcoholic extract ... ... ... ... 3'<>0 „ 



Water extract ... ... ... ... 0'87 „ 



Insolubles ... ... ••• ... ... 1023 „ 



ldO-0 



The aqueous extract was made after having extracted the calyces with 

 alcohol, which thus represents only pectous matters, etc., left in the insoluble 

 tissues after alcoholic extraction. The alcoholic ext act examined qualitatively 

 showed the presence of tannin glucose, malic acid and pectous bodies. Malic 



