IN CEYLON. 
167 
A large slow-growing evergreen tree, dioecious ; trunk 
erect and feebly buttressed ; branches dark and spreading ; 
bark blackish-gray, 12 to 20 mm. thick in very old trees 
peels off in thin sheets exposing brownish layer beneath ; 
bark of twigs shows irregular, narrow, longitudinal ridges ; 
young twigs stout, green, glabrous. 
Leaves alternate, 75-180 mm, long, 40-80 mm. wide, 
oblong-oval, or oblong-lanceolate, shortly acuminate obtuse 
apex, glabrous, coriaceous ; venation feebly pellucid in young 
leaves, lateral veins inconspicuous, nearly horizontal, pro¬ 
minent when dry ; petiole 12-20 mm. long, stout, flattened, 
and canaliculate above. 
Male inflorescence occurs in axil of foliage leaf or small 
caducous bract ; in former case there is often congenital con¬ 
crescence of peduncle and stem for a distance of several mm. ; 
flowers 3-9 on drooping pedicels along the length of primary 
peduncle at very irregular distances, the first flower occurring 
at the base or 20 mm. above the base ; primary peduncle 
green, stout, very variable length ; each flower is pedicellate 
and subtended by a caducous bracteole. Each pedicel bears 
an opposite pair of small bracteoles ; pedicels green, slightly 
pubescent, wide towards flower, 6 mm. long, 1*5 mm. 
diameter ; bracteole subtending pedicel green, pubescent, 
sessile, tapering obtuse apex, rounded base, caducous, 8 mm. 
long, 2 mm. wide ; basal bracteole and axis green, covered 
with long unicellular hairs, lanceolate, tapering apex, 4 mm, 
long, early caducous leaving small scar. Hence there appears 
to be an inflorescence, which though now approximating to 
a raceme, possesses the rudiments of a dichasial cyme. 
(See pi. VI., fig. 7). 
The flowers are often closed when the mature pollen is 
ready for dispersion ; the diameter of open throat is small 
(cf. D. Toposia). 
Calyx green, forms deep cup for floral parts and in bud is 
elongate-oval, 9 mm. long, 4 mm. diameter ; segments 
pubescent, deltoid, acute apex. 
