N. 0. MALVACE^. 201 



closely placed, on long glabrous petioles, digitate ; leaflets 5-7, 

 on short, winged stalks, 3-5 in., lanceolate, acute at both ends, 

 finely cuspidate, entire or serrulate near tip, glabrous, paler 

 beneath, stipules \ in., linear-filiform, deciduous. Flowers 

 cream-white, faintly scented ; 1^-2 in., in axillary clusters of 

 2-8, appearing with the young leaves at the ends of branches, 

 drooping ; pedicels about 1 in., no bracteoles. Calyx \ in., 

 tubular-campanulate, with very shallow lobes, glabrous outside, 

 lined with dense appressed hairs at the base within ; petals 

 twice as long as Calyx, spreading, obovate-oblong, acute, densely 

 tomentose outside, nearly glabrous within. Stamens a little 

 longer than the petiole, erect. Ovary glabrous. Capsule 3J-4 in., 

 surrounded at base by persistent Calyx, ovoid-fusiform, blunt, 

 tardily dehiscent from base upwards by 5 septifragal membran- 

 ous valves, 5-celled, cells densely lined with long white silky 

 hair which is deciduous, so that the valves are ultimately 

 glabrous and areolate within. Seeds over \ in., compressed- 

 globose, quite glabrous, blackish, each surrounded by a copious 

 crumpled mass of silky hair. Though each seed appears to have 

 a separate investment of cotton, this is quite unconnected with 

 the testa and really arises from the inner side of the wall of the 

 capsule and from the central axis. It is ultimately separated 

 from these, and is then a mere stuffing round the seeds. This 

 silk-cotton is called Kapok in Malay. A bright red gum is 

 afforded by the stem. 



Uses : — The tree yields a gum, called Hatyan gond, which 

 is astringent and used as a remedy for bowel complaints 

 (Watt.) 



The unripe fruits are regarded as demulcent and astrin- 

 gent. 



The roots are also used medicinally, like those of Bombax 

 Malabaricum (which see). 



" The leaves are ground into a paste and administered in 

 gonorrhoea" (Surgeon Thomas). 



" The gum is also used in the incontinence of urine of 



children " (Surgeon-Major Ratton.) 

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