226 THE BOTANY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 



pubescent 2-4 inches long f-3 inches wide. Flower 

 spikes ^ inch long dense-flowered on the bare 

 parts of the branches yellowish. Flowers T ^ inch 

 long shortly pedicelled, pedicels and peduncles 

 woolly hairy. Sepals 4 oblong glabrous. Stamens 4 

 filaments slender surrounding a woolly disc. Drupe 

 green £ inch long obpyriform, base narrowed, and apex 

 pointed, on long slender axillary peduncles 2 inches 

 long. 



Common Flying Fish Cove, Phosphate Hill, North 

 East Point, Plateau etc. 



Flowering October, and one tree fruiting the same 

 time. 



Distribution India, Ceylon and Malay Islands, absent 

 so far as is known from the Malay Peninsula. 



The seeds are probably dispersed by birds as those 

 of the allied Gironniera certainly are. The horrible 

 odour of the dead wood is caused by scatol, which is 

 often deposited in crystals in cracks in the bark. I 

 observed a number of pigeons (Carpophaga) in a flower- 

 ing tree apparently eating the young flowers. 



Trema ambomensis, Bl. 



A common shrub or almost a tree about 12 or 14 

 feet tall. Very abundant in Flying Fish Cove and at 

 the lower part of Phosphate hill, forming a great part of 

 the secondary scrub after clearing The small red 

 drupes are eaten by birds, but as this appears to be 

 a comparatively late introduction into the island, and 

 has spread no further than cultivated ground it may 

 have been accidentally introduced by man. 



Distribution India, Siam, Andamans, Malay Penin- 

 sula and Islands, Australia, Polynesia. 



Ficus retusa var nitida. 



A large spreading tree with very many strong aerial 

 roots. Leaves small coriaceous dark green shining 



Jour. .Straits Branch 



