Flora Medica

FLACOURTIACEJE.Nat. syst. ed. 2. p. 70.CHAULMOOGRA.Dioecious. $ . Calyx 4-5-lobed. Petals 5, with a scaleat the base of each. $ . Calyx and corolla as in the male.Ovary superior, 1 -celled, with numerous ovules upon 5 parietalplacentae; styles 5. Fruit succulent, dry, 1 -celled, many-seeded.222. C. odorata Roxb.fi. ind. iii. 836. Silhet.Trunk and large branches covered with tolerably smooth, ashcolouredbark ; young shoots, round, smooth and green. Wood lightbrown, close-grained. Leaves short-stalked, alternate, bifarious, drooping,lanceolate, entire, acuminate, smooth, from 6 to 10 inches long,and from 1J to 2| broad; stipules none. Peduncles from the sides ofthe ligneous branchlets of from one to several years' growth, generallyseveral together, from 1 to 2 inches long, 1-flowered. Bracts minuteround the base of the peduncles. Male flowers 1 inch in diameter,when expanded, of a pale yellow, and powerfully fragrant. Calyx1-leaved, bowl-shaped ; border from 4 to 5 lobed. Petals 5, sessileoblong,inserted into the receptacle round the filaments. Disk 5ciliate, oblong scales, or smaller petals of a deeper yellow colour, overthe lower half of the true petals, and attached to them. Filamentsabout 100, woody, inserted into the disk. Anthers linear, erect, aboutthe length of the filaments, 2 together, rather shorter than the petals.Ovary none. Female on a distinct tree. Peduncles in bundles fromtuberosities over the trunk, and larger branches, 1-flowered as in themale. Flowers larger than the' male ones, and fragrant. Stamensnone; but round the base of the ovary are inserted about 10 pinnatifid,villous bodies. Ovary superior, round,, slightly 5-lobed, 1-celled, containingnumerous ovules attached to 5 parietal receptacles. Styles 5,shorter ; stigmas large, sagittate-cordate. Berry globular, of the sizeof a shaddock, 1-celled. Rind thick, rough, ash-coloured on the surface,internally brown, and composed of rays pointing to the centre ofthe berry. Seeds numerous, of the size of large filberts, immersed invarious in shape,pulp,but in general nearly oval, smooth, light grey.Albumen conform to the seed, fleshy, of a whitish gray. Embryowhite. Cotyledons sub-reniform. Seeds employed extensively bythe natives of India in the cure of cutaneous disorders. When freedfrom the integuments they are beaten up with clarified butter, into asoft mass, and in this state applied thrice a day to the parts affected.Chaulmoogra and Petarkura are the native names. Roxb.223. Hydrocarpus venenata Gcertn. i. 288. t. 60. f. 3, aCingalese plant related to this order, bears a poisonous fruit,which when eaten, occasions giddiness and dangerous intoxication.109