cjo Jjr, SmiTiCs Botanical Characters of fame Plants 



8. M. anguftifolia, foliis oppofitis Jineari-lanceolatis nudis, pe- 

 dunculis axillaribus umbellatis, bracleis lanceolatis gla- 

 bris deciduis. 

 Myrtus anguftifolia. Linn, Mant. I. 74. 



A native of the Cape of Good Hope. The original fpecimen 

 in the Linnaean Herbarium was fent by Profeflbr Schreber, and, 

 having no fruit, might eafily be miflaken for a Myrtus. Linnseus 

 afterwards received another fpecimen from Profeflbr Thunberg, 

 laden with ripe capfules in the lower part of the branches, and 

 budding flowers above. This he did not perceive to be his Myrtus 

 ^tngiiflifolia^ but, on examination of the capfules, determined it a 

 ILept offer mum (which it is, as that genus (lands in its firft author 

 Forfter), and wrote that name on the back of the paper not long 

 before his death, as appears by the hand-writing. His fon and 

 fucceflbr, lefs cautious, placed this fame fpecimen in the herbarium, 

 writing upon it Myrtus anguftifolia, without any remark. I find it 

 upon examination a true Metrcftderos. The (lamina are diflincr, 

 thrice as long as the petals, and twice as long as the ftyle, which 

 has a perfectly fimple fligma. Calyx- teeth deciduous. 



The ripe capfules precifely refemble thofe in Gartner's figure of 

 Melaleuca fuaveolens, but that is, in other refpects, a very different 

 plant. 



Burman's fynonym (Flo. Afr. 237. /. 83. f 2.), quoted by Lin- 

 nocus, can hardly belong to this plant, unlefs his deicription be very 

 bad ; for he calls the fruit a black berry, with one cell and a Tingle 

 feed. 



The dried leaves of this fpecics are tinged with the fame metallic 

 green that is obfervabie in thofe of MetroftJeros hifpida, and fome 

 other New Holland plants of this order. 



** Foliis 



