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6. Dimorphocalyx glabellus Thwaites, Enum. 278. 1861. (Fig. 196).
Trigonostemon lawianus Muell. Arg.—Croton glabellus Heyne-
Sinh. Weli-wenna; Tarn. Tentukki; Sans. Hansapada.
EUPH0RB1ACEAE
A small, much branched tree with a cinnamon grey bark, slender twigs and glabrous young
parts; leaves simple, alternate, stipulate, 7.5—11.2 cm long, lanceolate or oblong—lanceolate,
tapering to base, acuminate, subacute, entire or slightly repand-dentate, glabrous, dull dark green,
paler beneath; petioles 1.2 cm long; stipules small, triangular; flowers regular, unisexual,
white, dioecious, males in clusters on the old wood and females solitary or 2—3 together, terminal
or leaf opposed; male flowers: sepals 5, fused into a shallow, membranous, cup-shaped calyx,
segments much shorter than petals; petals 5, erect, recurved in the upper part, imbricate; stamens
10 in two rows, outer ones snorter, filaments connate below into a column; disc of 5 scale—like
glands, pistillode absent; female flowers: sepals 5, fused into a large calyx, segments divided
nearly to base, longer than petals, rather unequal, oblong—lanceolate, obtuse, parallel veined,
each with a rounded gland on the back of apex; petals 5, erect, imbricate, larger than in the male;
ovary superior, 3-locular with a single ovule in each chamber, disc annular, styles 3, bifid; fruit
less than 1.5 cm pubescent, capsule of three, 2-valved, crustaceous cocci surrounded at base
by persistent calyx, capped with styles.
Flowers from June to December.
Illustrations. Trimen, Fl. Ceyl. pi. 84. 1895; Herb. Peradeniya. drawing.
Distribution. Grows in India and the drier parts of Ceylon where it is very common.
Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Bintenne, Galle, Kalutara. etc.
India. Malabar, Concan, etc., Stocks, Law, etc.; Tinnevelly Hills, Become 94, 1867;
Madras, Beddome. Ceylon. Thwaites CP. 1046. North Central Prov., Habarana, F. W. de Silva,
June 1928; Nakkala, Senaratne, Oct. 1955. Uva Prov., Bibile, J. M. Silva, July 1924; Bintenne,
J. M. Silva, Oct. 1908. Southern Prov., Tissamaharama. Herb. Peradeniya, Dec. 1882.
Uses. Used as a diuretic and purgative.
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