IN CEYLON. 
189 
apex acute or obtuse, tapering base, pubescent on both 
surfaces when young, especially midrib, glabrous and shining 
when old, thin, venation reticulate, meshes wide, midrib 
prominent beneath, lateral veins inconspicuous ; petiole 
green, finely pubescent, slightly grooved above, 8 mm. long, 
2 mm. diameter. Flowers in March to June ; fruits March- 
October. 
The monoecious condition was seen at Palaketi, near 
Udugama. The male clusters and female flowers occur 
irregularly on the same or different twigs. I fully satisfied 
myself that the 5 staminodes in the fruiting flowers were 
barren, this being the species in which the monoecious 
condition was first noticed. The polygamous condition 
established by the occurrence of male and hermaphrodite 
flowers on the same tree is very frequent. Pure male and 
female trees occur in the same district, and it occurred to me 
that perhaps the trees now bearing unisexual flowers may 
at another time of the year produce hermaphrodite flowers. 
The sex appears to be very unstable. (See pi. XVI., fig. 3-4). 
At Palaketi there is a variety of this species characterized 
by broader and coriaceous leaves, in which the lateral veins 
and midrib are conspicuous on the upper surface, and 
measure 40-120 mm. long and 30-50 mm. broad. 
The male inflorescence consists of a sessile axillary cluster 
of 4-15 flowers ; each flower is subtended by a small brac- 
teole, 2 mm. long, acuminate apex, green and glabrous above, 
covered with red hairs below. (See pi. XVI., fig. 1). 
Calyx green, hairy, 3 mm. diameter, 4 mm. long in open 
flower ; segments 5, accrescent, with tapering apex, not un¬ 
dulate in flower. 
Corolla yellowish-white, 8 mm. long, 8 mm. diameter of 
open flower at top, throat widely open and covered above and 
below with silky hairs ; segments 5, rotate, tapering apex, 
broad base, half of flower surfaces covered with brown hairs. 
Stamens variable but usually 5 epipetalous pairs alternat¬ 
ing with corolla segments, attached by separate or united 
8(10)04 (8) 
