Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 2/Alangieae

by Robert Wight

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ILLUSTRATIONS

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INDIAN BOTANY.

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LXIII.—ALANGIEAE.

A small order of Indian shrubs but whose place in the series of orders seems still uncertain. DeCandolIe who established the order on the single genus Alangium, but afterwards added Marlea, placed it between Melastomaceae and Philadelpheae near Myrtaceae, which arrangement we adopted. Bartling. however, does not approve of this station, but does not propose any other, merely placing it for the present along with several other orders, the places of which are in his opinion equally uncertain, at the end of his arrangement. Lindley refers it to his alliance Myrtales in his polypetalous epigynous group, thus associating it with nearly the same orders that DeCandolIe does, but places it between Combretaceae and Rhizophoreae in place of between Melastomaceae and Myrtaceae. Meisner, the latest writer on the subject, thinks it approaches more nearly to Corneae than to Combretaceae and accordingly refers it to Jussieu's class Epipetalae. Of these several proposals the last seems the nearest correct, since they more nearly associate in the character of their ovary, fruit and albumenous seed, with Cornus and Loranthus, than with either Combretum or Myrtus, but with which it is desirable they should remain associated on account of their numerous petals, that being the character of the group in which they are arranged.

The order consists of deciduous shrubs or small trees, with alternate, exstipulate, glabrous, entire leaves without pellucid dots, much resembling those of some species of Grewia, with axillary congested largish white flowers and eatable fruit.

"Calyx campanulate, 5-10 toothed. Petals as many as the segments of the calyx, linear, reflexed : aestivation twisted. Stamens long, exserted, once, twice, or four times as many as the petals: filaments distinct: anthers introrse, two-celled, often sterile. Ovarium globose, cohering with the tube of the calyx; (-2 celled : ovules solitary, pendulous : style 1, subulate, expanded at the base into a thick coloured fleshy disk covering the top of the ovary : stigma dilated Barry (balausta) oval, cohering with the tube of the calyx, and somewhat crowned by its limb, fleshy, slightly ribbed, 1-2 celled: endocarp sometimes osseous, and separating from the sarcocarp like a putamen Seeds solitary, pendulous. Albumen fleshy. Embryo Straight : radicle superior : cotyledons flat, foliaceous. Trees. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, entire, not dotted. Flowers few, axillary, fascicled, shortly peduncled."

Affinities. These as will appear from the preceding remarks are still undetermined; their epigynous flowers and numerous petals and stamens associating them with Myrtaceae, while their few celled ovary with solitary, pendulous ovules and allmmenous seed, seem more justly to refer them to the vicinity of Corneae and Caprifoliaceae (where Meisner has placed them) two nearly allied orders.—Upon the whole, I think we may conclude, that the true relations of this order are s<ill unknown but that it is conveniently, if not correctly, placed in its present situation.

Geographical Distribution. All the species of this small order, 3 in number, yet known, are of Indian origin—two species of Alangium are natives of the Peninsula and both found in the Carnatic. DeCandolle and Lamark have added a third which however does not seem distinct from A. decapetalum. The genus Marlea referred here by DeCandolle has yet only been found on the Himalayas and in China.

Properties and Uses. Little seems known on this head: the two species of Alangium are said to be cathartic, and the roots aromatic. Dr. Royle remarks "they are said to afford good wood and edible fruit." The first of these, at least in one sense, I am inclined to doubt as 1 have never seen the plant larger than a rather large shrub so that whatever the quality of the wood, it must always, I presume, be small. Roxburgh says it is beautiful. The fruit however are edible but not palatable being mucelagenous and insipid.

EXPLANATION OF PLATE 96.

1. Alangium hexapetalum, flowering branch—natural size.

2. Dissected flower, showing the calyx ovary, a petal, stamen, style and stigma.

3. A stamen detached.

4. Ovary cut vertically, showing the solitary pendulous

5- Ovary cut transversely, one-celled — all more or less magnified

ALANGIEÆ

ALANGIUM HEXAPETALUM. (Lam.)