

462 



LIX. MTfiTACE^. (J. F. Duthic.) 



i 



*. 



Okdek LIX. M'VB.TACEa:. (By J. F. Duthie, F.L.S.). 



Trees or slirubs, rarely herbs. Leaves opposite, seldom alternate or whorled, 

 petioled, simple, entire, rarely denticulate or crenate, 3-nerved or pinnately- 

 nerved and usually with an intramarginal nerve, generally coriaceous and dotted 

 with pellucid glands. Stipules if present small and deciduous. Flowers regii- 

 lar, very rarely irregular, hermaphrodite or polygamous by arrest, axillary, ^h- 

 tary or in spikes cymes corymbs or heads, naked or with an involucre, often 

 with 2 bracts at the base, white, pink, purple, or yellow, never blue. ^ Calyx 

 superior or ^-superior, limb 4-5-many-fid or -partite, persistent or deciduous, 

 valvate or imbricate, sometimes entire or closea in bud. Petals inserted on a 

 disk surrounding the cavity of the calyx, equal in number to the calyx-lobes and 

 alternate with them, rarely 0. - Stainens usually oo, inserted with the petals in 

 several rows, rarely definite and alternate with the petals ; filaments free or 

 more or less coherent at the base or in bundles opposite the petals ; anthers 

 small roundish with parallel cells bursting longitudinally. Ovary infenor or 

 ^"inferior, crowned by a fleshy disk, 1-celled with 1 or more ovules, or i- 

 many-celled with oo ovules ; placentation axile (parietal in jRhodamnia) ; style 

 terminal rarely lateral, smooth or bearded at the summit ; stigma undmdea. 

 Fruit usually crowned with the calyx-limb, either 1-celled and l-seedea y 

 arrest, or 2-many-celled with loculicidal or septicidal dehiscence; or baccatp 

 and indehiscent with the cells many-seeded or 1-seeded by arrest.^ /Seetfe angu- 

 lar cylindric or compressed; testa hard or membranous, sometimes ^°?^ J 

 albumen ; embryo straight curved or spirally twisted, cotyledons usually sno 

 and obtuse sometimes combined into a mass with the radicle, very rarely leaTy» 

 radicle often thick close to the hilum.— Distrib. Tropical and subtropical regions 

 of both hemispheres ; species upwards of 1800. 



Species of the Australian genus Eucalyptus are being successfully ^"'^^^*V^ 

 on the Nilghiri hills and in other parts of India. The common Myrtle {Myrtus conir^ 

 munis, L.) is extensively grown in India, the leaves being used in native medicine; ^ 

 extends from the Mediterranean region as far as Afghanistan and Belucnista . . 

 Allspice (Pinienta acris, Wight), a West Indian tree, is much cultivated for the sa ^ 

 of its aromatic leaves and berries. „- 



Glaphyria sericea, Jack, in Trans. Linn. Soc. xiv. 128, from Penang, may ^^f^ 

 cies of Leptospermum by description only. Myrtus androscemoides, Poir. is ^^^^^ j- ^ 

 multiflora, Ait. A native of Mauritius. Hir<pa Finlaysoniana, Wall. Cat. Sobo 

 is Decaspermum paniculatum^ Kurz. 



A. Fruit capsular. 



Tribe I, XieptospermeaB. Ovary 2-5-celled. Fruit opening by 



many valves. 



Leaves narrow. 



Stamens definite (10 or fewer) free, in one series. Leaves 



alternate. Flowers few or solitary in the axils . . . . !• B-ECKEA. 



Stamens oo, free, in one series. Leaves alternate. Flowers «„^ii^-" 



few or solitary in the axHs 2. Leptospeb» 



Stamens oo, slightly combined below into bundles opposite . ^: >; 



the petals and exceeding them. Flowers in heads or .^rri. - 



^ spiies. ^ Z.1&^U^%,^ 



Leaves broad. SUmens oo, united into 5 bundles opposite the ' ^^^. % ij 



petals. Flowers in axillary cymes . 4. Tbistakia. .^ 



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