Lagerste(emia.J LYTHRACE^. 353 



valvate. Petals 6 or 7-9 or 0, inserted at tlie summit of the calyx- 

 tube, clawed, margin crisped erose or fimbriate. Stamens very many, 

 inserted near the bottom of the calyx-tube ; filaments long, exsert. 

 Ovary sessile, in the bottom of the calyx, 3-6-celled ; style long, bent, 

 stigma capitate ; ovules very many, ascending, placentas axile. 

 Capsule more or less adnate to the calyx, ellipsoid, coriaceous, smooth, 

 3-6-celled, 3-6-valved. Seeds usually many, elongate, flat, erect, 

 winged from their summit. — Species 23, inhabiting S. E. Asia and 

 Australia, and 1 in Madagascar. 



L. parviflora, Uoxh. Cor. PI. t. 66; Fl. Ind. ii, 505; W. ^ A. Prod. 308; 



D. 4- G. Bomb. Fl. 9S ; Brand. For. Fl. 239; F. B. I.ii, 515; Waii E. D.— 



Vern. Baldi, dhaura, asidh, sida, adhuari (Saharanpur), shej (Bundel- 



Miand). 



A large tree with smooth ash-coloured bark; young- parts pubescent. 

 Leaves 2-3 1 in., opposite, shortly stalked, oblong or ovate, acute or 

 obtusely acuminatCj glaucous beneath, glabrous on both surfaces in the 

 typical plant, coriaceous, closely reticulate beneath. Flowers 5 in. 

 across, in iew- or many-flowered axillary panicles, fragrant; pedicels 

 slender. Calyx glabrous or pubescent, not ribbed, somewhat funnel- 

 shaped in fruit ; teeth triangular, erect in fruit. Petals less than 5 in., 

 white. Six of the outermost stamens with longer filaments than the 

 rest. Capsule ovoid or cylindrical, f-l in. or more in length, its lower 

 portion immersed in the accrescent woody calyx. Seeds (including the 

 terminal wing) ^ in, or more long. 



Abundant in all the forest tracts within the area. Distrib. Base of the 

 Himalaya from the Jumna to Sikkim and Assam, Cent., W. and S, India, 

 and in Burma. Flowers April to June, and the fruit ripens during the 

 rains, remaining on the tree for a long time. A sweet edible gum 

 exudes from the bark. The inner bark yields a fibre, and the bark and 

 leaves are used in tanning. The hard tough and elastic wood is 

 largely employed for ploughs, boats, etc., and it is said to yield good 

 charcoal. 



Tar benghalensis. Clarice, in F.B. I. ii, 576. Leaves pubescent beneath. 

 Frwit smaller, often less than -gin.; fruiting calyx campanulate. — This 

 variety is chiefly confined to the Sub-Himalayan tracts, extending from 

 Dehra Dun to N. Oudh and Gorakhpur, DisT kib. Eastward to Nepal, 

 Sikkim, Assam and Burma. 



Ii. Flos-Eeginae, Retz. (Vern. Jarul) is largely cultivated as an ornamental 

 tree within the area. It grows wild in B. Bengal, Assam, Burma, the 

 Malay Peninsula and in Java. It bears large handsome purple flowers 

 during the rainy season. The timber is highly valued. — L. Indica, L., 

 a shrub with showy pink-white or purple flowers is also much grown 

 in gardens. It is a native of China. 



5. PUNICA, Linn. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. ii, 580. 



Shrubs or small trees, often armed. Leaves opposite, sub-opposite or 

 clustered, oblong obovate or (in P. protopunica) elliptic, obtuse, entire. 



