N. 0. MELIACE^. 323 



These flowers which constitute an Indian dye stuff of minor importance, 

 yeild a minute amount of a red, crystalline colouring matter 15 H 18 O 3 , identical 

 with the nycanthin obtained by Hill from the flowers of Nycanthis arbor 

 tristis. This melts at 285°— 287° and not 234 c — 235°C. as given by Hill, and in 

 dyeing and other properties closely resembles, but is not identical with, the 

 bixin of annatto (Bixa Orellana). The presence of quercetin contaminated 

 with a trace of an allied colouring matter as glucosides, and of a sugar, 

 C 12 H„O n have also been detected, and to the former the main dyeing proper- 

 ties of the flowers appear to be due. 



J. Ch. I. 31st August, 1912 p. 765. 



275. Chloroxylon swietenia, D.C. H. f, b. i 

 i, 569. 



Syn. :— Swietenia Chloroxylon, Boxb. 370. 



Eng. : — The Indian Satin wood. 



Vem. : — Dhoura, bhirra, girya (H.) ; Behru, biluga,bhayrii 

 bheyri(Uriya) ; Behra, girya, behru, bihri (C. P.) ; Sengel sali 

 (Kol.); Bhira (Gond.) ; Hulda, billu hardi, bheria (Bom.); 

 Halda, bheria (Mar.) ; Miidudad, burus, purushmududad- 

 maram, purus-burus, vummray, mudiida, vummaai-porasham, 

 k'odawah-porash, kodawah-porasham, v um may-ma ram, Kodawa 

 purrh (Tarn.) ; Billu, billuda, bilgu, biluga, billuchettu, billa- 

 kora, billukura, bhallu-chettu (Tel.) ; Mashuda (Kan.) ; Hura- 

 galu (Mysore). Ceylon Tamil, Mutrrai ; Buruta (Sinhalese). 



Habitat : — Western Peninsula, from the Concan to the 

 Nilghiris. Ceylon dry regions. 



A moderate-sized, deciduous tree. Bark Jin. thick, soft 

 spongy, light grey or yellow. Wood very hard, yellow, or 

 cream-coloured, the inner wood darker than the outer, but no 

 distinct heart-wood ; having only a fine satiny lustre ; fragrant. 

 Young parts, petioles and inflorescence covered with grey 

 pubescence. Leaves paripinnate 5-9in. Leaflets 10-20 pair, 

 f-lj by J-§in., opposite, sub-opposite or alternate, gland-dotted 

 un-equal-sided, obtuse. Flowers bisexual, cream-coloured, in 

 small, terminal and axillary panicles Pedicels longer than the 

 flowers Petals 5, coloured, spreading, imbricate in bud. Disk 

 fleshy, 10-lobed. Stamens 10, inserted outside the disk at its 

 base ; anthers cordate, apiculate, versatile. Ovary immersed in 

 the disk, 3-celled ; ovules 8 in each cell. Capsule lin. long by 

 ^in, thick, oblong, coriaceous, 3-celled loculicidaliy, 3-valved, the 



