Flacoustia.] BIXINEM. 59 



1. F. Cataphracta, Eoxb. ex WilU. Sp. PI. iv> 830; Fl. Ind. Hi. 834 ; 

 F. B. I. i. 193 ; Watt E. D. 



A small tree armed with compound spines. Branches white-dotted, gla- 

 hrons. Leaves petioled, 2-i in. long, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, acu- 

 minate, crenate-serrate, membranous and shining on both surfaces. 

 Flowers very small, dioecious, in irregular glabrous racemes. Ovary 

 flask-shaped; stigmas 4-6, capitate. Fruit the size of a small plum, 

 purple. Seeds 8-12. 



J)ehra Dun, Moradabad. Distrib.: Bengal, Assam, Malay Pen., ex- 

 tending to China. Often cultivated. Various parts of the plant are used 

 medicinally ; the seeds yield an oil, and the acid fruit is eaten. 



2. F. Ramontchi. L'Herit. Stirp. Nov. 59, t. 30 ; W. 4" ^- ^roJ, 29 ; D. 

 ^ G. Bomb. Fl. 10 ; F. B. I. i. 193 ; Brand. For. Fl. 18 ; Watt E. D. 



A small spinous tree or shrub. Branchlets glabrous or pubescent- Leaves 

 very variable, elliptic-oblong, obovate or suborbicalar, crenate, gla- 

 brous or more or less pubescent or tomentose beneath. Flowers dioe- 

 cious, in short branched! glabrous or hairy racemes. Stigmas 5-11, free 

 or connate. The typical form is found in South India and Ceylon, wild 

 or cultivated ; it also occurs in Madagascar where " Romontchi " is its 

 native name. The following varieties are found within the area of this 

 flora : — 



Tab. 1. sapida, ^. B. I. I.e. F. sapida, Roxh. ; Fl. Ind. Hi, 835 ; W. ^ 

 A. Prod. 29. Vern. Bilangra, Tcandai, hango (Dehra Dun). Shrubby, 

 branchlets pubescent. Leaves elliptic to suborbicular, glabrous, or 

 puberulous on the veins beneath— Gangetic Plain (Eoyle). Disteib, : C 

 and S. India. The fruit is eaten raw or cooked, and the twigs and 

 leaves are used as fodder. 



Tar. 2. occidentalis, F. B. I. I.e. Whole plant more or less softly tomen- 

 tose. Leaves 1-2 in., broadly oblong, orbicular or obovate. — Dehra Dun and 

 Saharanpur forests, Eohilkhand, Oudh. Disteib.: Chota Nagpur and 

 Behar westward to Central India and the Punjab ; outer Himalaya up to 

 4,000 ft.; also in Baluchistan. 



3. F. sepiaria, Roxh. Cor. PI. i. 48, t. 6S ; Fl. Ind. Hi. 835; W. ^ A. 

 Prod. 29; Royle III. 73 ; D. 4" G. Bomb. Fl. 11 ; Brand. For. Fl. 18 ; F. B. 

 I. i. 194; Watt E. D. Vern. Kondai. 



A stiff thorny bush or small tree, the spines usually bearing flowers 

 and fruit. Leaves 1-2 in. long, in fascicles, obcordate obovate oblong or 

 orbicular, often cuneate at the base, crenate-serrate, rigid, coriaceous and 

 shining when old. Flowers very small, dioecious, solitary or few, in 

 axillary nearly glabrous racemose clusters shorter than the leaves 

 Stigmas 3-4, on short styles. Drupe the size of a large pea, purple. 



Dehra Dun. Distrib.: Xumaon, Bengal, southward to Ceylon, extend- 

 ing to Java. The leaves, root and bark are used medicinally, the fruit 

 -is eaten, and the leaves are collected for fodder. 



