186 



Descriptions of Malayan Plants, 



structure of the seeds, but differs in having a valvular fruit 

 and in the number of the stamens. The following descrip- 

 tion of the Choopa, another highly esteemed Malayan fruit, 

 which belongs to Pierardia, will illustrate the affinity between 

 these two genera. 



PIERARDIA. Roxb,'' 



Perianthium 4-partitum. Stamina octo, brevia. Ova- 

 rium 3-loculare, loculis disporis. Stigma trifidum. Bacca 

 corticata, trilocularis, loculis 1 — ^2-spermis. Semina arillo 

 sapido tunicata. Embryo inversus, albumine inclusus. 



Arbor eSffloribus racemosis,foliis alternis simplicibus. 



PIERARDIA DULCIS. 



Monoica, foliis obovatis. 

 Bua Choopa. Malay. 

 Sumatra. 



This is a middle-sized tree. Leaves crowded at the ends 

 of the branches, alternate, petiolate, obovate, or elliptic- 

 obovate, rounded at the top, with a short blunt acumen, 

 entire, smooth, flat ; from eight to nine inches long. Petioles 

 thickened and jointed above and below. Stipules ovate, 

 deciduous. Racemes from the naked branches, Male and 

 female flowers in distinct racemes ; in the former the pedi- 

 cels are generally three-flowei-ed ; in the latter one-flowered. 

 Bracts small. 



Male. — Perianth four-parted, spreading, yellowish, tomen- 

 tose within, very slightly so without. Stamens eight ; fila- 

 ments very short; anthers two-lobed. Ovary abortive. 



Female. — Perianth considerably larger than in the male, 

 divided to the base into four long thick lobes ; sometimes there 

 is a fifth. Stamens none. Ovary subglobose, three-celled ; 

 cells two-sporous. Style none ? Stigmas three, spreading. 



* Lin : Trans : Vol. xiv. p. 119 t. 121. 



