THE BOTANY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 179 



long, 1J to 5 wide, primary nerves 4-5 pairs, petiole 

 slender 1-4 inches long. Panicle 4 inches long, flowers 

 numerous small. ^ inch across white. Pedicels ^ inch 

 long covered with stellate pubescence. Calyx capsular 

 four lobed, lobes broadly ovate, covered outside with 

 stellate pubescence. Corolla lobes 4 oblong longer obtuse 

 white. Stamens innumerable short, anthers cordate. 

 Capsule 6 to 8 winged, 1^ inch across the wings, wings 

 in pairs to each cell, papery red brown oblong rounded 

 | inch long glabrous ; seeds one in each cell obscurely 

 angled nearly | inch long, fuscous densely covered with 

 stiff red hair. 



Common along the shore terraces from Smith point to 

 North East point, much more scanty on the Plateau. 

 This plant was very early observed though it does not 

 appear in Hemsley's list of plants collected by Lister. 

 Its hard wood was mistaken for teak, and from this error 

 apparently arises the statement first made by Hemsley 

 that Tectona grandis occurs in the island. So conspicuo- 

 us a tree as this latter could not have escaped Andrews 

 nor myself, so that it may be considered that there is no 

 evidence that the true Teak, (Tectona grandis) occurs or 

 ever did occur in the island. Berria I found in flower 

 and fruit in October, and in fruit also on the occasion of 

 my first visit and also received a- fruiting specimen from 

 Mr. Keyser collected in August. It is called Bastard- 

 Teak and Bungor (not Boognor as in Andrews' list) which 

 is the ordinary Malay and Javanese name for Lagers- 

 troemia. Probably the Javanese considered its wood to 

 resemble that of the Lager stroemia. 



Except for the much smaller flowers, little over a 

 quarter of an inch across, I see very little difference 

 between this plant and the typical Ceylon plant, which 

 has flowers f inch across. 



The distribution of the Berrias and of this species 

 seems very curious. One or two distinct species occur 

 in Tahiti and Berria amonilla is found in the Cumber- 



tt. A. Soc, No. 45, 1905. 



