108 /STERCULIACE^. [Abboma. 



•fertile and as many sterile divisions ; fertile filaments opposite the 

 petals, each bearing 3 anthers. Staminodes longer than the fertile 

 filaments, obtuse or obcordate. Ovary s^essile, pyramidal, 5-lobed ; 

 cells many-oviiled ; styles 5. Capsule membranous, with 5 

 prominent angles, truncate at the apox, septicidally 5-valved ; valves 

 villous at tbe edges. Seeds many, albuminous. — Species 2 or 3, inhabit- 

 ing tropical Asia and Australia. 



A. augusta, Linn. f. Suppl, 241 (AmhromaJ ; Roxb. Fl. Ind. Hi, 156; 

 W. Sf A. Prod. 65; Royle III. 102; F. B. I. i, 375; Field Sf Gard. Crops Hi, 

 58 ; Watt E. D. Vern. Vlatlcamhal. 



A large shrub or small tree with downy branches. Leaves 3|-6 in. 

 long, narrowed to the 3-7 nerved base, repand-denticulate, glabrescent 

 above, tomentose "below ; stipules linear, deciduous, as long as the petiole. 

 Peduncles I5 in., axillary. Flowers 2 in. across. Cal-yau-lobes lanceolate, 

 free nearly to the base. Petals slightly exceeding the sepals, imbricate 

 in bud, deciduous. Capsule 1^-2 in. in diam., thrice as long as the per- 

 sistent caiyx, glabrous or nearly so when ripe. 



Dehra Dun. Disteib. : widely spread throughout the hotter parts of 

 India, often cultivated, ascending to 4,000 ft. on the Eastern Himalaya i 

 also in Java, the Philippines and;China. The barklyields'an excellent 

 fibre, which has been recommended as a substitute for hemp. 



XXIII— TILIACEAE, 



Teees, shrubs or herbs. Leaves alternate, rarely opposite, simple 

 and sometimes lobed. Stipules free, often caducous. Flowers usu- 

 ally cymose, rei^ular, mostly 2-sexual. Sepals 3-5, free or connate, 

 valvate. Petals as many as the sepals, rarely 0, iml3ricate or valvate. 

 Stamens many, rarely definite, free or sometimes 5-adelphous, usu- 

 ally springing from a prolonged or dilated torus ; anthers 2-celled. 

 Ovary free, 2-10-celled ; styles columnar, or divided into as many 

 divisions as,there are cells to the ovary ; stigmas usually distinct ; 

 ovules attached to the inner angles of the cells, pendulous or ascend- 

 ing if few, or in 2 or more ranks if numerous. Fruit dry or fleshy, 

 Mdehiscent or indehiscent, 2-10-or by abortion 1-celled, cells sometimes 

 divided by false partitions. Carpels separable or always united. 

 Seeds 1 or many, ascending, pendulous or transverse, aril ; albumen 

 fleshy, rarely wanting. — Species about 350, inhabiting chiefly the 

 tropical regions of both hemispheres. 



The hard tubercled nuts of certain species of Floeocarpus are made into 

 rosaries and bracelets. E. Ganitrus, Eoxb., Vern. Budrak, is occasion- 

 ally seen as a planted tree near temples within the area. The genus 



