894. 
GASTONTA palmata. 
Palmate Gastonia. 
—_——p——— 
DODECANDRIA DECAGYNIA. 
Nat. ord. ARALIAceR. — 
GASTONIA Commers.—Calyx margine elevato integro. Petala 6, basi 
lata, rarius 5. Stamina 12, rarius 10, ad petalum quodlibet binata breviora. 
Styli 10-12, minimi, basi juncti; stigmata 10-12. Capsula 10-12-locu- 
laris. Juss. gen. 217. : 
G. palmata ; foliis cordatis serratis palmato-7-lobatis supra glabris subtus 
ferrugineo-pubescentibus. 
Gastonia palmata, R, Hort. Beng. 33. 
_Caulis simplex, tuberculis aculeiformibus purpureo-viridibus undique ad- 
spersis. Folia in petiolo longo, bast vaginato, aculeato, tereti insidentia, 
cordata, palmata, 7-loba, lobis lanceolatis, serratis, subequalibus, subtis pal- 
lida, pubescentid tenui, ferrugined, stellatd tecta. Umbella composita, um- 
— bellulis 16-18 floris, involucro partiali nullo, pedunculis glabris, punctatis, 
pedicellis furfure raro, deciduo, ferrugineo vestitis. Calyx subinteger, plica- 
tus, Petala czto decidua. Stamina 5-9, extra discum crispum, latum, in- 
serta. Stylus 1, apice multipartitus. 
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Whether this plant really belongs to the genus Gastonia, 
we unfortunately have not the means of judging. The 
specimens with which we were furnished were incomplete; 
but from such an examination as we were enabled to give 
them, we did not discover any thing materially at variance 
with Jussieu’s character, as the above brief description in 
some measure shews. 
We do not find the species recorded in any work besides’ 
the Hortus Bengalensis, in which we are informed that the 
plant is a native of Chittagong, and that it is an upright 
tree or shrub. Another species, called by Roxburgh G. 
saururoides, is said to be a native of the Moluccas. 
Jussieu states that the genus was named by Commer- 
son in honour of Gaston de Foix, Duke of Orleans, brother 
of Louis XIII., a patron of botany, and of Morison. He 
was the founder of the botanic garden at Blois, and the 
prince who commenced the formation of the collection of 
