25. MELIACE^. 



75 



Khasia Mountains and Aasam, W. Peninsula from the Konkaa 

 southwards, from Khandala to Mysore ; common in the evergreen forests 

 of N. Kanara near the Gairsoppa falU ; also in the Belgaum District near 

 Amboli. A moderate sized tree. Fruit globose, 2 in. in diam., 4-valved, 

 smooth, bright yellow. Seeds brown ; cotyledons green. Fl, R. S. Fr, 

 C. S. Wood reddish -grey, rough, close-grained, hard. 



2. D. glandulosum, Talb. Syst. List of Trees &c., p, 39. Jour. Nat. 

 Hist* Soc. Bomb. XI 690. t. 11. Bili devdan'^ bili builige, K. 



A very large tree. Leaves 12 in. ; petioles angled, 4-6 in. ; leaflets, 

 about 9, sub-opposite or alternate, ovate, elliptic-lanceolate, shortly 

 acuminate, sometimes slightly falcate, coriaceous, puberulous when younof, 

 glabrescent in age, pale and strongly nerved beneath, lateral nerves 10 — 20 

 pairs, with hollow, ciliate glands in the axils ; blade 2 — 9 by l'5-3 in. ; 

 petiolules short, '25 in. Inflorescence in axillary, 4 — 8 in. long, puberul- 

 ous panicles, often crowded near the ends of the branches, upper branches 

 very short, lower much longer. Flowers small, "25 in. long, white, sweetly 

 scented, hermaphrodite, shortly pedicelled, pedicels '10 — '25 in., slender. 

 Calyx 4-lobed nearly to the base, lobes acute or obtuse. Petals 4, broad, 

 reflexed in flower, slightly imbricate in the 4-angled bud, '25 in. long, 

 pubescent on the outside. Staminal column tubular-urceolate, somewhat 

 4-angled, mouth crenulate ; anthers 8, included. Disk cup-shaped, 

 equalling or | the ovary, crenulate and ciliate on the margin. Ovary 

 4 -celled, white, tomentose ; style equalling the staminal column ; stigma 

 capitate, just exserted. Fruit globose, or obovoid, 2-2*5 in. in diameter, 

 bright yellow, tubercled, verrucose, and with the 4 sufcural lines distinct ; 

 seeds 3-4, large, angular, with a dark-brown, smooth testa and green 

 cotyledons. 



North Kdnara and probably the Konkan in evergreen forests from 

 the sea-level upwards to 2000 ft. ; common in many of the " kans " 

 near Yellapore. A large or very large tree with a cylindrical stem. 

 Trunks which yielded over 350 cubic feet of timber were not uncommon 

 near Yellapore in North Kanara. Flowers during the latter end of 

 January and in February. Fruit ripe during May and June. 



Bark light coloured, exfoliating in large scales, mostly breaking off 

 from below, exposing underneath a peridermic layer covered with isolated 

 groups of corky tissue ; inner bark of alternate layers of yellow (hard 

 bast) and thin white (soft bast) tissue. Green and reddish parenchyma 

 are present in old trees. Wood moderately hard, yellowish. Pores 

 medium and small, equally distributed. Med. rays fine, numerous. 

 Annual rings distinct. Wood possesses a strong cedarlike smell when 

 freshly cut, and polishes with a fine satin lustre. Weight 40 lbs. to the 

 cub. ft. Logs decay rather slowly on exposure. Wood used for build- 

 ing purposes in North Kanara, but is not in great demand. Has been 

 lately supplied to the Southern Maratha Railway Company for carriage 

 construction j would do for cigar boxes, tea cases, &c., but the supply ia 

 limited. 



