2s66 Dr. Smith *j Botanical Characters offome Plants 



$. METROSIDEROS. Banks. Mfs. Garin. Sent. t. 34./. 2. 



Leptofpermum. For/?. Gr». 36. t. 36./. a — e & m — t. 



Icosandria Monogynla, after Fabrfc/'a. 



Char. Gen. C?/y.v 5-fidus, femifuperus. Petala 5. Stamina 

 longiffima, exferta. Stigma fimplex. Capfula 3 vel 4-locularis. 



That this is a mod diftincl; natural genus from Leptofpermum, as 

 above defined, there can be no doubt, though Come great botanifts 

 have united them. Sir Jofeph Banks, however, and Dr. Solander, 

 were well aware of their difference, and characterized Meirofideros 

 by its very long ftamina. The fligma being fimple and fmall, not 

 capitate nor deprefTed, fcarcely dilated, I beg leave to propofe as a 

 very certain and con flan t mark of distinction. The habit, more- 

 over, is totally different from Leptofpermum, and agrees with that of 

 Melaleuca ; at lead this is the cafe with fuch fpecies as have alter- 

 nate leaves, and thofe with oppofite ones have no refemblance to 

 Leptofpermum. 



The petals are concave, nearly fefllle, deciduous, generally lefs 

 coloured than the ftamina. The capfule has moil generally three 

 valves, and as many cells, rarely four. I believe it might fafely be 

 defined trlhcularh abfolutely, but I have mentioned the number four 

 in deference to Gasrtner, till I can determine and examine all his 

 fpecies, which are very obfcure. His gummlfera is an Eucalyptus, 

 and fome of his others are very doubtful. The fpecies of this 

 genus, defcribed as Melaleuca by the younger Linnaeus and Dr. G. 

 Forfter, are alio very much confuted, theie authors having mu- 

 tually mifunder flood each other fo often, and formed their defini- 

 tions fo looiely, that, with mod of their original named fpecimens 



before 



