N. O. PITTOSPORE^E 129 



of the oil, (2) palmitic acid, in considerable amt. (3) linolenic and isolinolenic 

 acids, the latter preponderating, and (4) oleic acid, in relatively small amount. 

 A phystosterol, m. 133°, was also isolated. Both the physical properties and 

 chein. compn. of the above mentioned oil render it evident that the chaul- 

 moogra oil of European commerce could never have been obtained from 

 Gynocardia seeds. On the other hand, representative samples of commercial 

 chaulmoogra oil have been found to agree closely in character with the oil 

 expressed from genuine Taraktogenos seed, thus completely confirming, from 

 the chetn. side, the botanical observations of Prain (Pharm. J. 64, 522 (1903) ; 

 66, 596 (1901)) with respect to the source of chaulmoogra oil. Gynocardia 

 seeds contain, besides the fatty oil, the cryst. cyanogenetic glucoside, gyno- 

 cardin, C 13 H ld 9 N, which has, likewise, been made the subject of a complete 

 chem. investigation {J, Ohem. Sloe, 87, 349-57 (1905); 97, 1285-9 (1910)). 

 Mr. Power also notes that the total compn. of chaulmoogra oil, as given by 

 Chattopadhyaya, is equal to 110/'", which is obviously an error. Chemical 

 Abstracts, Jan. 10, 1916 p, 89. 



N. O. PITTOSPOREJE. 

 111. Pittosporurn floribundum, W. and A. 



H.F.B.I., I. 199. 



Syn. : — Celastrus verticillata, Eoxb. 209. 



Vern. :— Tibilti (Nepal) ; Bongzam (Lepcha) ; Yekdi ; 

 Yekadi (Bomb.) ; Vehkali ; Vikhari ; Vehyenti ; yekadi (Mar.). 



Habitat: — Subtropical Himalaya, from Sikkim to Garwhal. 

 Khasia hills and Mishmi ; Western Peninsula, Concan to the 

 Nilgiri. 



A small evergreen tree, very handsome. "Bark very thin, 

 light greenish-grey, with very prominent horizontal lenticels, 

 up to nearly * in, long. Wood white, moderately hard, close- 

 grained. Pores small, often sub-divided or in strings, scanty 

 or irregularly distributed. Medullary rays fine to moderately 

 broad" (Gamble). Branches often nrnbelled, glabrous. Leaves 

 pale beneath, margin waved, 4-6 in. (Brandis). 2-8 by J -3 

 in. (H. /. and Th.), glabrous, shining, coriaceous, acute or 

 acuminate, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate. Flowers yellow, 

 numerous, small, pubescent, in much-branched, terminal, 

 compound, dense corymbs, sometimes leafy below; branches 

 1-3 in., spreading, glabrous or pubescent ; sepals ovate, obtuse 

 or acute, subciliate. Petals erect, claws connivent. Stamens 

 17 



