IN CEYLON. 143 
Thw. Enum. 179. C. P. 1,911. PL B. Ind. III., 556. 
Hiern, Mon. Eben. 263. 
A large or moderate-sized tree, dioecious, evergreen; 
branches glabrous, forming dense round head (cf. D. Embry - 
opteris) ; bark thick, black, or dark grayish-brown. Leaves 
alternate, 75-300 mm. long, 25-80 mm. wide, acuminate apex, 
narrowed or rounded at base, glabrous, coriaceous, venation 
close, pellucid (cf. D. Ebenum), prominent when dry ; mid¬ 
rib depressed on upper surface, green, paler on under surface: 
petiole stout, grooved, 5-12 mm. long, glabrous. 
Flowers January-April-November ; fruits ripe August- 
December. 
Male inflorescence arises in axil of new or old normal 
foliage leaf or caducous bract. In the simplest case the cyme 
is 3-flowered, each lateral flower arising in the axil of a bract. 
The pedicel of each lateral flower bears a small bracteole (at 
an angle of 90° from the bract at the base of pedicel), which 
appears late and is positioned immediately beneath the calyx; 
bracts at base of peduncle green, pubescent, long tapering 
apex, prominent midrib, 7 mm. long and 2 mm. wide ; bract 
at base of pedicel of each lateral flower is hood-shaped, has 
shortly tapering and acute apex, ventral surface pubescent, 
2 mm. long and 2 mm. wide; bracteole on pedicel of each 
lateral flower is hood-shaped, ventral surface covered with 
short brown hairs, 1*5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide ; primary 
peduncle green, covered with caducous or persistent brown 
hairs, 8-12 mm. long ; lateral pedicels green, hairy, about 
5 mm. long, and extending higher than median flower. 
(See pi. X., figs. 7 and 8.) 
In a more complex inflorescence the lateral flowers arising 
on the long peduncle repeat the dichotomous structure 
detailed above ; in cultivated specimens inflorescence 3-12- 
flowered. 
Flowers yellow, globose-ovoid in bud,and measuring 8 mm. 
long, 5 mm. diameter; open flowers measure 11 mm. in 
length and 6 mm. in diameter, fragrant. 
