CEYLON. 
339 
A large tree, evergreen, dioecious, and polygamous ; trunk 
fluted when old, black, thick, and scaly, red when freshly cut; 
branches spreading, forming dense wide head, which in 
young trees is often conical in outline; flowers March-July; 
ripe fruit, September-February. 
Leaves 120-200 mm. long, 25-55 mm. wide, alternate, oblong 
or lanceolate-oblong, acute-lanceolate, acuminate or obtuse 
at apex, rounded or narrowed at base, glabrous except slight 
puberulence on petiole, thick and coriaceous, pale green 
colour, pellucid venation, veins prominent in dried leaves ; 
petiole thick, rigid, slightly pubescent, 5—13 mm. long. 
The flowers of some male trees often show a central pistil 
possessing definite loculi, and which often assumes a very 
large size. Mature seeds from a polygamous tree have not 
yet been obtained. 
Male inflorescence arises as a globular apiculate axillary 
structure, strongly pubescent, supported on short stout 
peduncles and surrounded by regularly arranged bracts, 3-7 
flowers (see pi. IX., figs. 1-5) ; peduncle yellowish-white to 
green, 20 mm. long, 2 mm. diameter, covered with fine 
coating of silvery unicellular hairs ; pedicel of each lateral 
flower 4 mm. long ; bracts large, one to each flower, greenish- 
white, frilled or straight margin, broad base, acuminate apex, 
both sides pubescent, early deciduous, length 8-10 mm.; 
bracteoles small, two on each pedicel arranged one on each 
side as an opposite pair at right angles toantero-posterioraxis; 
brownish-black, caducous, acuminate apex, 2 mm. long; scar 
inconspicuous. Flowers 6 mm. long and ovoid in bud, when 
open 10-15 mm . long. 
Calyx segments 4—5, accrescent, rounded or acuminate 
apex, 3-5 mm. long, greenish, covered with silky unicellular 
hairs on both sides, cup-shaped in mature flower. 
Corolla segments 4-5, canary-yellow in colour, ovoid, 
3 mm. long, rounded apices, inbricated sinistrorselyin bud. 
segments in open flower are erect or strongly curved outwards 
and downwards ; total length of corolla K-33 mm., diameter 
