ISO THE BOTANY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 



land islands, East of Queensland — a distinct variety, 

 Christmas Island and Ceylon and is probably native in 

 Southern India. 



The fruit is winged as described, but from what I saw 

 of it does not fly any distance from the tree. When ripe 

 it dehisces letting out its seeds which are covered with 

 appressed hairs. It is not usual to find a winged fruit 

 which dehisces before germination of the seed, and 

 though I would class this among wing-fruited plants, I 

 think it most improbable that the fruit with its seed 

 could have been brought to the- island by wind, as it 

 dehisces so soon that the seed would probably be dropped 

 out before at reached the island. It is more likelj- that 

 the seed is dispersed by sea currents. 



Grewiv osmoxylon, n, sp. 



Tree, about 30 feet tall. Leaves lanceolate acumin- 

 ate with a broad or rounded base serrate — crenate 4-6 

 inches long 2-3 inches wide, glabrous, nerves 6-7 pairs 

 petiole hardly ^ inch long sprinkled with a few stellate 

 pairs. Racemes axillary or terminal wider an inch long 

 4 or 5 flowered, rachis pubescent. Buds globose grey 

 pubescent. Sepals linear oblong 51 inch long white, 

 rather coriaceous, pubescent outside. Petals ^ length 

 rounded base pubescent. Stamens yellow shorter than 

 the sepals very numerous. Fruiting racemes elongated 

 slightly drupes in pairs, pyriform | inch long pulp 

 thin testa bony, one celled one seeded. Rocky point and 

 North East point. " Kayu Wangi." Baker, fil. in the 

 Monograph gives the Kayu Wangi as Grewia 

 laevigata Vahl, but this is described very differently by 

 Miquel. In his description, the plant is a shrub with 

 not more than three nerves to the leaf, which is pilose 

 in the nerve axils, and the drupes are puberulous with 

 4 to 2 pyrenes. I cannot think that this description 

 can possibly apply to the Christmas Island scented 

 wood, nor can I find any description to fit this plant. 

 The fruiting specimens sent me by Mr. Leach, are 



Jour. Straits Branch 



