PisT. Germ top-fliaped, inferior, quadrilocular. Style thread-form, ftrait, longer than the
ftamina. Stigma double, deprefled.
PER. Drupe large, fingle, quadrangular, or pyramidal, with the ftyle permanent, and crowned
by the calyx.
SEED fingle, large, liib-quadrangular.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER, &c.
Barringtonia with obovate leaves.
Butonica. RUMPH. HERB. AMB. vol.3. P-'•79- tab. 114.
Mammea Afiatica. OSB. IT. 278.
Laurel-leaved Butonica. HORT. KEW.
THIS moft fplendid and beautiful tree is a native of the greateft part of India, particularly in
low and watery foils. In Java it is alfo frequent. It is what may be termed a littoral vegetable,
as it is found in the greateft plenty near the fea-coafts. The Molucca Iflands abound
with it, and it makes its appearance in Otaheitee, and moft of the iflands of tlie Pacific. It is
a large tree, which feklom grows ere6t, but generally inclines very confiderably, and bends in
different direftions, and fpreads its branches at no great diftance above die furface of the ground.
The bark is fmooth and aih-coloiu-ed; the extent of the branches is very great. The leaves
proceed in heaps or fafcicles from the upper parts of the branches; tliey are placed fomewhat
irregularly, and are feflile, or without footftalks: they are very large, frequently five or fix
inches broad, and a foot long; of a fmooth furface, fomewhat glaucous, and fucculent. The
flowers are very large; and are fmnifhed with a prodigious number of ftamina, of a moft
beautiful fanguineous-purple. They are extremely caducous; and, as tlie tree flowers chiefly in
the evening, and moft of tlie flowers fell the next morning, the ground exhibits their elegant
remains fcattered in the utmoft profufion beneath the trees, and empurpling the whole fpace.
The flowers are fucceeded by very large fruit, of a fomewhat quadrangular ibape, which is at
firft green, iind continues of that colour for a confiderable time; but when ripe it acquires a
dulky colour; and is covered with a fort of villous coat. In the centre is contained a hard
and nearly quadrangular feed or nut: the flefliy part of the fruit fomewhat refembles the fubftance
of a chefnut, and has a fort of fubfaline tafte. Rumphius, who defcribes tliis tree in
his Herbarium Amboiuenfe, fays the leaves, on account of their elegance, are made ufe of at
table by way of platters; that the Chinefe make a fort of birdlime from the bruifed kernels;
and the inhabitants of Java bruife them, and, mixing them with pepper and garlic, with the
addition of earthworms, form them into pellets, with which they ftupify filh, in the fame manner
as with the Cocculns Indicus.