7 8 ANNALS OP THE BOYAL BOTANIC GABDEN, CALCUTTA,
PLATE lOOB.. Polyalthia obliqua, H. f . Th. 1, Flowering \>vünc\i—of natural size;
2, flower; 3, side view of a flower from which the petals have been removed ; 4 & 5,
authers—enlarged.
27. POLYALTHIA ABKRRANS, Main//, ex Hook, fit, Fi, Br. Ind. i. 67. A large climber,
glabrous except the flowers and f r u i t ; young branches slender, black. Lwcs membranous,
oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, the base slightly cunéate; both surfaces reticulate, glabrous,
the lower glaucous; main nerves 1-i to 18 pairs, very faiot, the secondary nerves quite as
well marljed; length 3'5 to 5 in., breadth 14 to 1-8 i n . ; petiole -2 to -25 in. Flowers
•5 to '75 in. in diara., solifaiy, axillary; pedicels slender, 1-25 in. long (longer in fruit),
•with one minute bracteole below the middle and another at the base. Sepals ovate-orbicular,
sub-acute, quite connate into a 3-augled glabrous cup '25 in. in diam. Petals
leathery, ovate-orbicular, suh-acute, spreading, concave; the outer row '35 in. long and
•3 in. broad, yello^vish-pubesco^t on both surfaces except a glabrous patch neai- the base
on the inner; inner petals lialf the size of the outer but more concave, hoary-pubcrulous
outside, glabrcscent inside. Stamens numerous; apical process of connective broad, discoid,
depressed in the centre, quite concealing the long, linear, lateral anther-cells. Ovaries
narrowly oblong, glabrous, 1 or 2-ovuled; style as long as tlie ovary, curved; stigma
small. Ripe carpels ovoid, sliglitly apiculate, puberulous or glabrescent, -35 in. long and
•3 in. in diam.; stalks '7 to -8 in., slender, glabrous. Seeds solitary, rarely 2, ovoid,
shining, smooth. King in Journ. ^s. Soc. Bengal 61, pt. 2, 63.—Meiodorum glaiicum,
Scortfichini uss.
In some carpels there are two seeds, such carpels being about twice as long as
those with a single seed. Although referred by the late lamented Father Scortechini to
the genus Meiodorum, this is an undoubted Polt/alrhia in its stamens, in its 1- rarely
2-ovuled ovaries, and in its carpels witli usually solitary, ovoid seeds. In externals, save
and except the much smaller size of the flowers, this much resembles the plant figured
by Pierre under the name of Unona Mesn^i (Flore Forest. Coch.-Chine, t. 17), to which
indeed Pierre reduces P . ahcrrans.
PLATE 109A. Polyalthia aberrans, Maing. 1, Branch with flowers and young f r u i t;
2, flower dissected; 3, ripe carpels; 4, seeds—o/ natural size; 5, vertical section of a
seed; 6, anthers; 7, pistil—enlarged.
28. POLYALTHIA HOONII, Tìiwaiies' Enum. FI. Ceyl. 9. A shrub 8 to 10 feet high;
young branches slender, lenticellate, slightly pubesceut. Leaves sub-sessile, oblong-lanceolate,
acuminate, narrowed to the minutely cordate, slightly unequal base; upper surface
glabrous, lower puberulous; main nerves about 10 pairs, sub-horizontal, faint, forming
wide arches far from the margin ; length i to 6 in., breadth '9 to 1*9 in. ; potiolé "5 to
1 in. Flowers axillary or ieaf-opposed, solitary, pedicellate, red, "4 in. in diam. ; podicels
slender, 1-25 to 1-5 in. long. Sepals spreading, semi-orbicular, acuminate, pubescent
outside. Petals : the outer • 3 broadly ovate-acuminate, their edges minutely ciliate ; the
3 inner larger, concave, very blunt. Ovaries hairy ; the stylo davate. Fniit -5 to -6 in.
in diam. ; individual cai-pels '20 to '4 in. long, globose or oblong, shortly stalked, glabrous,
reddish, 1- or 2-seeded. Bedd. Ic. PL Ini. Or., t. S3; Ilook. f l . Fl. Br. Ind. i. 66.
Ceylon : at Caltura and Ileigam Corle,— Tlmailes.
AN'OSACE^ OP BlilTISH INDIA. 79
PLATE 109B. Polyalthia Jloonii, Thaailes. I, Branch with flower and f r u i t ; 2, ripe
s e e d - o / natural size; 3 & 4, flower-bud and flower seen from above and from below;
5 & 6, andro-gynoscium; 7, outor [apex dmnwardi); 8, inner petal; 9, anther;
10, pistil; 11, section of ovary; 18, section of ripe secA-enhrged in various degrees.
{Nos. 3 i» 11 are copied from a drawing executed in the Uerbarinm of the Royal Garden,
I'eradeniya, and Undl) lent bg the Director, Dr. B. Trimen, r.B.s.)
29. Por-YAITHIA KOMSTI, Bentk Soot. fit. Gen. I'l. i. 25. A spreading shrub •
young branches slender, pubescent. Zeaves thinly coriaceous, elliptio-oblong to ovate
acute or acummalc, the base rounded or acute; both surfaces glabrous, boldly roticulate •
mam nerves 6 to 8 paii-s, slender, sub-horizontal, inter-arching doubly within tho marginthe
midnb sometmies pubescont boneath; length 3-5 to -5 i n , breadth I to 2 in •
petiole -10 to -25 in. Flomrs pedicelled, green, solitary, axillary, or extra-axillary, -0 to
•7o m. in diam. ; pedicels slender, -6 to -8 in. long, strigose, with 1 to 3 minute braets.
Sepals about a fourth of the length of the petals, ovate, sub-acute, adpi^ssed-pubescent.
P.taU conaceous; the eater oblong, the inner ovate-oblong and rather longer than the
oute , all obtuse sparsely pubescent. Carpels numerous, shortly stalked, ovoid-globoso,
Wun^ grooved, glabrous, red when ripe, -3.5 in. long. Seed smooth, shining. iLk. f l
ri. B . I„d 1. 6 4 . - G u a t t e n a coriiiti, B. f ^ T. Fl. Jnd. 141; Tk„a.t.,' Enum. 3 9 8 . -
fToX • ^ P-«''-- '0: VkU le..
¿ T ' d ) ^ <••"• 6M8
f o e t ' ^ ' ' " ' Mia and Ceylon; ascending to 1,500
f r o m ' ' ' ™ , 4- fil- I, Flowering branch; 2, leaf
fiom another specimen; 3, ripe fi-uit; 4, back of flower-./ size; 5 Jnclrogynojcmm;
6, anthers; 7, OYmos-enlarged. '
Concerning the two obscure species of PolgallUa named Cuatleria sempervlrens and
a c u t f . . ^ by Dunal, Sir J. D. Hooker and Dr. Thomson remark as follow^ ^Fl JnlUt
' W " '» »» M« in no oharmtsr of importaaoe from t. 14 of tli. same vol,,™.
30 POLYALTHIA »„LLATA. King in J,.urn. As. Soc. Bengal 61 nt 0 ai .
shrub 6 to 8 feet high; young branches densely covered wMi W «ft snr d'