67 XANTHOCIIVMI'S DVI.CIS.
DESCRIPTION.
Trunk quite straight to the top oF the tree. Bark smooth, olivecoloured.
^Brmches an<l WanckieU opposite, expanding, the
latter croova! and keeled: height of trees, eight years old.
about 11 feet.
Lcavo opposite, sl.on-pctioled. oblong, entire, often pointed
texture hard ; bothsnrfaces polished ; length about sixinchei
and From two to three broad.
r M e s short, transversely wrinkled ; at the base, on the inside
fleshy ligule, or prottiberancc, which is, I believe, commo
to the whole ..rthis order {Gnltl/eraJ.
Stipules none.
Flowers in small fascicles from the axils of one or two years
old
branchlets, peduncled, of a middling size, nearly globuh
greenish white, inodorous.
Cahjx of fonr, five, or six unequal, ronnd concave, permane
Petals five, round, sessile, 3,gre8tlylar n the calyx,
and just as long as the stamina, contracted into a globe, with
a small opening at the apex when most expanded.
Kedmy In the mate, a truncated, porous, yellow bod)', ^vith five
lobes projecung between the insertion of the five filaments.
In die hsrmupkTodite. five, yellow, porous glands, alternate
with tlie filamenis, round the base of die germ.
Filamml.': in both five, incurved, broad, flat bodies, divided at the
each of^^
înpports
XAN-rnociiYMUS DULCIS.
lave examined, liavc exactly the same conformation, and vegetate
n the same manner. Are they not monocotyledonous ?
The trees in the Botanic Garden are but small, being only eight
,'ears old. but very handsome, and the fruit palatable.
69
271. AERIDES MULTIFLORUM.
Parasitic, caulescent. Leaves bifarionsly imbricated, linear,
emarginate, with hooked acumen. Racemes axillary, longer than
the leaves, simple, or ramous. Lip with broad-cordate, entire
lamina, and short obtuse horn, projecting under it. Capsules
clavate, S-sided.
OBSERVATIONS.
A large beautiful species, with many, long, closely imbricated,
hard glossy leaves, and copious very long, snbcrect, often compound
racemes, of numerous, pretty large, pale-rosy Rowers: is
Jound on trees, growing on the Garrow hills in the vicinity of
Siltiet, wliere, with most plants of the order, it blossoms during
the months of April and May.
I the male none; in the hermaphrodiU ovate, smooth, 5-celled.
with one ovule in each attached to the middle of the axis.
Style scarce any. Stigma 5-lobed.
Be,-nj size of an apple, from round to oval, obtuse, smooth, bright
yellow when ripe, fleshy; psh. or pulp in quantity, yellow,
and rather sweet, one-celled ; what formed the partitions in
the germ, was the aril of the seed in its early stage.
^ r i l : a large portion of the pulp, of rather a softer consistence,
somewhat darker colour, and pleasanter taste, appertains to
each seed ; which separates spontaneously, with its seed, from
each other, and from the exterior, thick, fleshy covering,
when the fruit is over ripe. This is the only edible part hi
the common Mangosteen, and some other species of Garcinia,
and in this genus the most palatable part.
Seeds from one to five, obleng, ratlier pointed, at the base on the
inside a large, oblong, lighter-coloured space, marks the
attachment. Inlegument single, reticulated with lighter-coloured
veins, on a dark cinnamon-coloured ground.
Albumen conform to the seed, of a hard, fleshy texture.
Embryo simple, very obscure until vegetation begins, soon after
the seed is put in the ground, a small root issues from the
lower end, and from the apex a scaly pluviula. winch soon
sends forth from its base the permanent, quick growing root,
while the small inferior one scarce increases in sine ; running
between these, neariy through the centre of the seed, by nice
dissection, and a good lens, the appearance of a slender
cylindrical body may be traced. This I consider the real
" embryo, and if any one can be called simple, certainly this
may. After vegetation has advanced a little, this mark becomes
more conspicuous, as in the vertical section of the
seed, which had been a month in the ground.
OBSERVATIONS.
Xanthochymis pictorhis, and three species of Garcinia. which I
272. ARUM CAMPANULATUM.
Stemless. Leaves decompound. Flozcers sessile wi th respect to
the surface of the ground, and appear when the plant is destitute
of leaves. Spalhe length of the spadix, caaipanuiate, with curied
margins. No nectary. Club broad ovate-lobate. yinthers 2-cclled.
Schena et Mulenschena. Rkeed Mat. vol. 11. p. 35. d 37.
i. 18 cM9.
Tacca sativa. Rjtmplc. Amb. 5. p. .S24. f. 112- the root and leaf,
and Tacca phalifera, t. IIS./. 2. the flower, at which
period not a leaf is to be found.
Sa,iscrit. Canda, Kanda or Kulla.
Teling. Manchy-canda.
Benz. VVool.
OBSERVATIONS.
Found wild in damp places in the woods near Calcutta; flowering
time the beginning of the rains.
DESCRIPTION.
Root perennial, tuberous, roundish, covered with a dark brown
skin, frequently, when in a good soil, as large as a child's
head. From various parts of the chief root there issue
smaller tuberosities which are employed as oflsets to cultivate
the plant by.
Leaves radical, fur the most part only one or two, thrice bifid,
divisions outwardly pinnatifled. segments obliqucly-oblong,
pointed, smooth, size, very unequal, the exterior being always
greatly longer than the inferior; the whole leaf is from one
to three feet each way.
Petioles round, tapering, clouded with darker-coloured green, pretty
smooth, about as long as the leaves.
Spalkes very large, leathery, campanulate, border-curled, smooth
on both sides ; outside near the base pale green ; middle part
deeper green ; and towards the margin greenish purple,
vello isb purple, middle pale
inside toward!
yellow, bottom deep dotted purplt
of the bell in large plants about a fc
nearly the same.
about as long as the spathe. the lo'
part cylindrical, the middle part,
somewhat turbinated; the club (he
or upper third partis of a very broad short-conical, or subglobular
i di.melor oi ll.c moulli
porpentlicaUr l.tight
ire], or pisdlliferous
tniniferous portion,
ery improper name)
shape, and of a dark purple colour, variously lobate
and wrinkled, like a dried truffle; in large plants this part
is six inches in diameter and four in perpendicular height.
Filaments none. Anthers numerous, closely impacted round the
turbinate or middle portion of the spadix, linear, two-celled,
with two corresponding openings at the apex, where they
discharge the dust or pol len; the immense quantity of which
that is poured out from these openings and drops down on
the pistils is really inconceivable.
Xectarialfilaments
Gfrminumerous.n
large, yellow.
Berries numerous,
derable porti'
Seeds one or two i
indish. S/y/ijsubuIate,thick,coloured. Stigmas
lowny,2-lobed.
one, obovate, red, and covered with aconsi-
OBSERVATIONS.
This species is much cultivated over the northern Circars
highly esteemed for the wholesomeness and nourishing quali
the roots. It deserves to be called the Telingapatatoe. The
time of cultivation is immediately after the first rains in Jum
very rich loose soil suits it best, where the swelling of the
ittle md wher
nourishment, for which reason it requ
repeatedly ploughed. The small tuberosi
larger roots are what they employ for set
manner potatoes are in England, and aboi
one another. In twelve months they an
up for use. The larger roots will then w
good and the season favourable, from foui
each: they keep well if kept dry, and
ployed in food, in the same manner as t
they dri
•es to be
ies that ai
• the greatest
^ found on the
;, and are planted in the
t the same distance from
reckoned fit to be taken
;igh. if the soil has been
to eight or more pounds
are by the natives em-
,e common yam.
273. PHOENIX ACAULIS.
Stemless. Fronds radical, pinnate; lea/lets folded, ensiforra, i
sub-opposite fascicles, pointing many ways, the lower spinous.
A native of Balia
Calcutta the cold se;
OBSERVATIONS.
. Flowering time in the Botanic Carder
ion. Seed ripe in April and May.
DESCRIPTION.
Leaves (Jrondi) pinnate, from two to six feet long. Leasts in
neariy opposite, rather remote fascicles; the superior folded,
slender, ensiform,and about eighteen inches long; the lower
small, straight, rigid, and end in very sharp spinous points.
Petioles [stipes,] near the base flat; toward the apex triangular,
smooth.
MALE.
SfKLttus and spadix as in the female, hereafter described.
Flowers alternate, solitary, sessiie. small, pale yellow.
Calyx one-leaved, triangular; angles or lobes acute, and unequal.
Core/S.petalled;/pe<a/j obliquely-lanceolate, acute, slightly united
at the base.
Filaments six. very short, inserted into the base of the corol.
Anthers linear, nearly as long as the petals.
Pistil none.
FEMALE.
Spathes {imWjui axillary, solitary, one-valved, about six inches
long, with their base rather below the surface of the earth,
generally splitting into two portions, down the middle on
cach side.
Spadix ramous, composed of many, simple, short, erect, fiextiosc
branches; all are smooth, and pale yellow.
Flowers alternate, solitary, sessile, in bractiform notches on tlie
sides of the branches of the spadix.
Calyx cup-shaped, truncate, with three obscure points at equal
distances on the margin.
Petals three, subrotund, thick and fleshy, concave, smooth,
JVectary & small G-toothed cup, in which the germs sit.
Germs three, each one-celled, and contains a single ovule attached
to the inside of the cell. Styles three, recurved, smidl. and
sliort. Stigm/is small.
Drupe oval, fleshy, smooth, bright red, size of a very small olive,
celled.
side.
Sicisolitary, oblong, with a deep longitudinal groo-
EmbTyo in the middle of the back, or convex side of the seed.
274. MYRISTICA AROMATICA.
Leaves oblong- Malepowers, several on simple and compound
axillary racemes. Female flowers solitary. Calyx pitcher-shaped.
M-oiHcinalis. Linn. syst.i93. Suppl.2.5S. Gart. sem. Ì .p. 194.
/- 41,
M.moschata. Willd.sp.pl. 86 9. Woodville's Medical Botany,
363. t. 134.
Nux myristica. RnmpL amb. 2.p. lA.t. 4,
Ja-i-phul, or J,icphal, the Hindostanee and Bengalese name of
the nutmeg, and Jawatri of the mace.
Jonz-bew-a, of the Persians and Arabians.
Jali-phalo, the Sanscrit name of the nutmeg, and Jali-patri the
OBSERVATIONS.
«one in pl.n,...,en years old ; at this age,whe. 1 in flower. A nat ive of the Molucca Islands; (bearing male and femalt
the whole body of t iie plant, ii icluding ihe inflort iscence. but floxvers c .n different trees, and by late information in some inexclusive
of the fol. iage, is of; 111 ovate form, and not exceed- stances n lonoecious;) and there blossom and bear their fruit tht
ing six or eight in dies in he :ight, from the sut •face of the whole ye
ground, and is skct, :hed in tlie annexed figure, ai : fig. I, and DESCRIPTION.
only about one-foui rthpart of the natural size. Trunk sti •aight. Bark smooth, and of a greenish ash, or dirty olivt