N. O. MELIAOE55. 
323 
These flowers which constitute an Indian dye stuff of minor importance, 
yeild a minute amount of a red, crystalline colouring matter C, 5 H 18 0 3 , identical 
with the nycanthin obtained by Hill from the flowers of Nycanthis arbor 
tristis. This melts at 285°— 287’ and not 2S4°— 235'C. as given by Hill, and in 
dyeing and other properties closely resembles, but is not identical with, the 
bixin of annatto (Bixa Orellana). The presence of quercetin contaminated 
with a trace of an allied colouring matter as glucosides, and of a sugar, 
C 12 H„O is have also been detected, and to the former the main dyeing proper- 
ties of the flowers appear to bo due. 
J. Ch. I. 81st August, 1912 p. 765. 
275. Chloroxylon swietenia, D.G. H. f. b. i 
i. 569. 
Syn. : — Swietenia Chloroxylon, Rovb. 370. 
Eng. : — The Indian Satinwood. 
Vern. Dhoura, bhirra, girya fH.) ; Behru, biluga.bhavru 
bheyri (Uriya) ; Behra, girya, belmi, bihri (C. P.); Sengel sali 
(Kol.); Bhira (Gorrd.) ; Hulda, billu hardi, bheria (Bom.); 
Halda, bheria (Mar.) ; Mududad, burus, purushmiidudad- 
maram, purus-burus, vummray, mududa, vummaai-porasham, 
kodawah-porash, kodawah-porasham, vummay-maram, Kodawa, 
purrh (Tam.) ; Billu, billuda, bilgu, biluga, billuchettu, billa- 
lcora, billukura, bhallu-chettu (Tel.) ; Mashuda (Kan.) ; Hura- 
galu (Mysore). Ceylon Tamil, Mutrrai ; Buruta (Sinhalese). 
Habitat : — Western Peninsula, from the Concan to the 
Nilghiris. Ceylon dry regions. 
A moderate-sized, deciduous tree. Bark §in. thick, soft, 
spongy, light grey or yellow. Wood very hard, yellow, or 
cream-coloured, the inner wood darker than the outer, but no 
distinct heart-wood ; haring only a fine satiny lustre ; fragrant. 
Young parts, petioles and inflorescence covered with grey 
pubescence. Leaves paripinnate 5-9in. Leaflets 10-20 pair, 
§-lJ by |-|in., opposite, sub-opposite or alternate, gland-dotted 
un-equal-sided, obtuse. Flowers bisexual, cream-coloured, in 
small, terminal and axillary panicles Pedicels longer than the 
flowers Petals 5, coloured, spreading, imbricate in bud. Disk 
fleshy, 10-lobed. Stamens 10, inserted outside the disk at its 
base ; anthers cordate, apiculate, versatile. Ovary immersed in 
the disk, 3-celIed ; ovules 8 in each cell. Capsule lin. long by 
£in, thick, oblong, coriaceous, 3-celled loculicidally, 3-valved, the 
