Descriptions of Malayan Plants, 183 



Obs, — The cotyledons are wrapped round the embryo in 

 such a manner, as to give the whole somewhat of a chrysa- 

 loid appearance. This species has considerable resemblance 

 to the M. pinnata of Roxburgh, but differs in having un- 

 equally pinnate leaves, with from 3 to 6 pair of leaflets, in 

 having the smaller petals entire and acute, not tridentate, in 

 the nectarial ring having five simple toothlets, not three 

 bidentate angles, and in having a large ovate fruit with a 

 smooth, not rugose nut. The abortive cell is generally ob- 

 servable near the umbilical foramen. 



NEPHELIUM LAPPACEUM. 



Marsd. Hist. Sumatra. PL IV. 

 Rambutan. Malay. 



Frequent throughout the Malay Countries and Islands. 



A tree. Leaves alternate, pinnate, leaflets generally from 

 5 to 7, ovate, acute at both ends, very entire, smooth. 

 Panicles terminal, erect. Flowers numerous, small, white, 

 male and hermaphrodite. Calyx from 4 to 6 parted, spread- 

 ing. Corolla none. Stamina from 5 to 8, spreading, longer 

 than the calyx, inserted into a disk below the germen. 

 Anthers subrotund. Ovarium two-seeded, abortive in the 

 male flowers. Style one. Stigmata 2, revolute. Fruit gemi- 

 nate, one commonly abortive, the rudiment of whicli remains 

 at the base of the perfect one, which is subrotund, cover- 

 ed with a coriaceous rind and echinate with long soft spines, 

 one-seeded, the seed covered with a white acid pulp. 



The fruit is much esteemed, and has an agreeable sub- 

 acid flavour. The parts of the flower vary much in number ; 

 six is perhaps the most frequent number of the stamina. 

 There is but one style, not two as commonly described. 

 The affinities of this tree seem to have been little under- 

 stood. It belongs without doubt to the family of the Sa- 

 pindi, and is closely related to Scytalia, as justly conjectured 

 by the author of the botanical articles in Rees' Cyclopedia. 



2 A 



