Descriptions of Malayan Plants. S55 



Kayo Gadis. Malay. 



Abundant in the forests of Sumatra. 



This is a lofty timber tree. Bark brown and rough. 

 Leaves alternate, rather long petioled, ovate, acute, often 

 acuminate, and varying in breadth, about three inches long, 

 entire with somewhat revolute edges, smooth, glaucous be- 

 neath, nerves lateral and irregularly alternate. Petioles 

 round, an inch long. Peduncles from the young shoots at 

 the extremity of the branches, axillary or lateral, terminated 

 by a short, few flowered panicle, and generally longer than 

 the young leaves from whose axils they spring. Bracts none. 

 Perianth funnel-shaped, six-parted, yellowish. Stamina nine, 

 arranged in two rows, the outer six naked, the inner three 

 furnished at the base with two yellow glands ; filaments flat ; 

 anthers adnate, the cells opening with a longitudinal valve or 

 operculum. Style as long as the stamina. Stigma obtuse, 

 4-cornered. Drupe seated on the enlarged cup-shaped per- 

 sistent truncated base of the perianth, globose, containing a 

 one-seeded nut. Embryo inverse. Cotyledons hemispherical. 

 Radicle superior, within the edge of the cotyledons. 



Obs, — This species has considerable afiinity to L, cupu- 

 laria. The fruit has a strong balsamic smell and yields an 

 oil, which is considered useful in Rheumatic affections, and 

 has the same balsamic odour as the fruit itself. An infusion 

 of the root is drank in the same manner as Sassafras, which 

 it appears to resemble in its qualities. The wood is strong 

 and durable when not exposed to wet, and in that case con- 

 sidered equal to Teak. Kayo Gadis siginifies the virgin 

 tree, whence the specific name. 



May this be the Oriental Sassafras wood mentioned under 

 the article Laurus in Rees' Cyclopedia ? 



LAURUS INCRASSATUS. [W, J.) 



Foliis ovato-lanceolatis venosis, pedunculis fructus incras- 

 satis rubris. 



