NEW OR RARE MALAYAN PLANTS. 15 



known for their poisonous properties. This poison lies in a 

 black resin which is abundant in all parts of the trees, chiefly 

 in the wood and fruit. Several of these Rengas trees belong 

 to the genus Melanorrhoa characterised by its small fruit fur- 

 nished with bright crimson wings, others belong to the genus 

 Gluta in which the fruit is a larger or smaller drupe with often 

 a corky brown exterior full of black resin. 



There are about ten known species of Gluta occuring in 

 Cambodia, Andamans, Tavoy, the Malay Peninsula and Islands. 



Nearly all these Rengas trees possess a very fine red tim- 

 ber marked usually with black streaks of the resin and have 

 been known as Singapore mahogany. When used as furniture 

 wood however they are said to exhale a certain quantity of the 

 poison probably in the form of dust which is very injurious to 

 those using the furniture. An article on poisoning by Renghas 

 (Melanorrhea) was published by Dr. Brown in Journal 24, 83, 

 (1892). Cases of poisoning among jungle folk by these plants 

 are by no means rare, a drop of the juice from a broken bough 

 even of a seedling falling on the face or body often producing 

 serious effects. The resin is also said to be used as a poison 

 with criminal intent producing violent irritation of the stomach 

 and intestines. 



It is interesting to note that though the Mangiperas (Mang- 

 os) are closely allied to the Gluta and contain to a lesser 

 extent the same black resin, their timber is more or less of a 

 yellow colour, while that of the Melanorheas and Gluta s is 

 red. 



There are four species of Gluta known from the Malay 

 peninsula, one of which however has not been described, and 

 I have received specimens of fruit and flowers of this fine tim- 

 ber tree from Mr. Burn-Murdoch. 



Gluta Benghas, Miq. 



A medium sized tree usually much branched low 

 down. Leaves elliptic or obovate coriaceous with a 

 fairly long petiole, and glabrous panicles of white 

 flowers. The fruit brown, corky outside, with much 

 black resin. This tree has only been met with by my- 



R. A. Soc, No. 49, 1907. 



