528 
XIV. MELO'CHIA (a name altered from the Arabic name 
of Cérchorus olitorius, Meléchich or Melokhych, which is used in 
the East as a salad-plant). H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 
5. p- 322.—Melochia, spec. Lin. gen. no. 829. D. C. prod. 1. 
p> 490. 
Lin. syst. Monadélphia, Pentandria. 
or furnished with 1-3 calyculate bracteas, Petals 5, spreading. 
Stamens 5, monadelphous at the base. Styles 5, more or less 
connected. Capsules 5-celled, 5-valved, opening at the cells, 
bearing a dissepiment in the middle of each valve. Seeds from 
1-2 in each cell. Herbs or subshrubs with simple serrated 
leaves. Flowers terminal, axillary, and opposite the leaves, capi- 
tate, umbellate, or glomerate, spicate, corymbose or panicled, 
rarely solitary, white, red, lilac, yellow, purple, violet, and of 
2 colours. Calyx valvate. Petals twisted. The genus Reidléia 
does not appear to differ generically from Meldchia, and per- 
haps it wonld be better if these two genera were again united. 
Those species said to have 10-valved capsules, more properly 
belong to the genus Riedlèia as it now stands. 
1 M. pyramipa‘ta (Lin. syst. p. 510.) leaves ovate, acute, 
serrated, smooth ; upper ones oblong or linear-oblong ; pedun- 
cles 5-10-flowered, capitate, opposite the leaves ; petioles and 
branches puberulous ; tube of stamens 5-cleft at the top; cap- 
sule pyramidal at both ends. h.S. Native of the Caribbee 
Islands and Brazil. Cav. diss. 6. p. 319. t. 172. f. 1. M. Do- 
mingénsis, Jacq. vind. 1. t. 30. Flowers flesh-coloured or 
violaceous, yellow at the claws. 
Pyramidal-capsuled Melochia. 
Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 
2 M. utmarioipes (St. Hil. fl. 1. p. 159.) stem twiggy; 
cauline leaves ovate, heart-shaped, acute, dentately serrated, 
smoothish above, but pubescent beneath; panicle terminal, cy- 
mose, elongated ; tube of stamens cleft in 5, even to the middle; 
capsule globose, villous, 10-valved at the apex. h.S. Native of 
Brazil in the province of Rio Grande do Sul at the river Uruguay. 
Ulmaria-like Melochia. Fl. Jan. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 
3 M. sericea (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 160.) stem twiggy, 
nearly simple, hairy; cauline leaves heart-shaped, unequally 
silky; panicle terminal, simple, interrupted ; tube of stamens 
deeply 5-cleft; capsule globose, villous, 10-valved at the apex. 
h. S. Native of Brazil near Villa Rica. Flowers yellow? 
Silky Melochia. Fl. Feb. Pl. 3 to 5 feet. 
4 M. craminiroria (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 160. t. 31.) stem 
nearly simple, twiggy; leaves on short petioles, linear, acute, 
remotely serrated, smooth; panicle terminal, very slender; 
tube of stamens nearly entire; capsule subglobose, at length 
10-valved. h.S. Native of Brazil in the province of Minas 
Novas in dried-up marshes. Petals purple, but yellow at the 
base with purple veins. 
Grass-leaved Melochia. Fl. June. Pl. 1 to 14 foot. ° 
5 M. Turpinta‘na (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 
323. t. 432.) leaves somewhat unequal-sided, ovate, acute, 
truncate, and somewhat cordate at the base, doubly crenate- 
serrated, pubescent above, hoary from tomentum beneath ; um- 
bels 7-10-flowered, longer than the petioles. h.S. Native of 
New Granada. Flowers red or violaceous. 
Turpin’s Melochia. Fl. June, July. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 
6 M. tomentosa (Lin. spec. 932.) leaves unequal-sided, 
ovate-oblong, acute, serrated, with plaited lines, hoary from 
tomentum on both surfaces as well as the branchlets; umbels 
3-8-flowered, axillary, longer than the petioles, but they are 
opposite the leaves on the branchlets. h.S. Native of the 
Caribbee Islands in dry fields as well as on the sandy sea-coast 
of Cumana. H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 323. 
Flowers purple. Style 5-cleft. . 
Var. B, frutéscens (Jacq. obs. 2. p. 24.) differing from the 
Calyx 5-cleft, naked, 
Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1768. 
BYTTNERIACEH. XIV. Mexocuta. 
species in its habit being much harder, as well as the leaves being 
much smaller. Flowers violaceous. Perhaps a distinct species. 
Tomentose Melochia. Fl. May, June. Clt. 1768. Shrub 6 
to 7 feet. 
7 M. macropny’ztta (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. 
p- 324.) leaves equal-sided, ovate, acute, cordate, crenate-ser- 
rated, hairy above, but clothed with fine, soft, hoary tomentum 
beneath; umbels many-flowered, equal in length with the pe- 
tioles. h. S. Native of New Andalusia near Bordones, 
Flowers white. 
Long-leaved Melochia. Shrub 3 to 6 feet. 
8 M. uiacina (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 162.) stems decumbent, 
branched ; leaves ‘on short petioles, cordate at the base, un- 
equally serrated, plaited, silky-villous on both surfaces, lower 
ones somewhat oblong-ovate, intermediate ones ovate or ovate- 
roundish, uppermost ones roundish-ovate, or roundish ; flowers 
glomerate, disposed in interrupted spikes; tube of stamens 
entire ; capsule ovate, 5-lobed, villous, 5-valved. 41. S. Native 
of Brazil in the province of Minas Geraes, not far from the 
river St. Francisco. Flowers lilac. 
Lilac-flowered Melochia. Fl. Aug. Pl. decumbent. 
9 M. uermannioipes (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 163. t. 32.) 
stem suffruticose, prostrate ; leaves usually obovate, very obtuse, 
toothed, quite entire at the base, pilose on both surfaces ; heads 
of flowers subumbellate ; peduncles opposite the leaves, hairy ; 
tube of stamens 5-cleft ; capsule somewhat obcordately-globose, 
5-lobed. h.S. Native of Brazil in the province of the Mis- 
sions, in grassy fields. Petals violaceous. 
Hermannia-like Melochia. Fl. Jan. Feb. Shrub prostrate. 
10 M. si’mprex (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 164.) stem suffruti- 
cose, nearly simple ; leaves lanceolate, finely denticulated, pu- 
berulous on the nerves ; flowers axillary, and at the tops of the 
branches in fascicles; capsule spherical, pilose, 5-valved. R. S. 
Native of Brazil in the province of St. Paul, in the northern 
part. Petals purple or violet at the top but yellow at the base. 
Simple-stemmed Melochia. Fl. Mar. Shrub 1 foot. 
11 M. nepetoipgs (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 165.) stem suffru- 
ticose; leaves ovate, cordate at the base, crenate, puberulous 
above, but pubescent beneath; heads of flowers axillary ; pe- 
duncles longer than the petioles, pubescent; capsule pyramidal 
at both ends, broad. h.S. Native of Brazil in the province 
of Minas Novas, on the banks of a rivulet called Sucuriu. 
Flowers purplish. 
Nepeta-like Melochia. Fl. May. Shrub 14 foot. 
12 M. setonicmrouia (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 165.) leaves 
ovate-oblong, cordate at the base, crenate-toothed, rather pubes- 
cent above, but pubescent beneath ; heads of flowers axillary, 
with the peduncle shorter than the petiole; tube of stamens ő- 
cleft; capsule pyramidal at both ends, pubescent, with the lobes 
of the exterior angle furnished with a tooth. h. S. Native of 
Brazil in the province of Minas Novas. Flowers white. 
Betony-leaved Melochia. Fl. May. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 
13 M. corpiro’rmis (St. Hil. fl. bras, 1. p. 160.) leaves heart- 
shaped, acute, somewhat doubly-toothed, puberulous above, but 
tomentose beneath ; heads of flowers axillary, stalked ; tube of 
stamens 5-cleft at the apex. kh.S. Native of Brazil in the pro~ 
vince of Minas Novas. Flowers pale-purple. 
Heart-leaved Melochia. Fl. June. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 
14 M. parviroria (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. p. $25.) 
leaves small, oblong or obovate-oblong, obtuse at both ends, 
crenate-serrated, roughish above, but clothed with close-pressed 
hairs beneath; flowers crowded in umbels at the tops of the 
branches. h.S. Native of South America in arid places near 
Caraccas. Flowers white. 
Small-leaved Melochia. . Fl. Jul. Aug. Clt. 1819. Sh. 14 ft. 
15 M. tana‘ra (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 167.) stem suffruti- 
