Marlea. OCTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 261 
A native of Paulo Pmang. 
Leaves opposite, sessile, half stem-clasping, ovate 
cordate, smooth, shining, entire, of a firm texture, and 
veinless ; from four to six inches long. Flowers numer- 
ous, very small, collected in round, sessile heads, in the - 
axills of the leaves, or below them. Bractes two at the 
base of each pedicel. Calyx four-toothed. Petals orbi- 
cular, sessile. Stamens, length of the petals, Berries a- 
bout the size ofa gooseberry, dry. Seed solitary, round. 
MARLEA. R. 
Calyx from six to eight toothed, superior. Petals from 
six to eight. Germ inferior, two-celled ; cells one-seeded; 
attachment superior. Drupe with a two-celled nut, Em- 
bryo inverse, furnished with a perisperm. 
M. begonifolia, R. 
Marlea is the vernacular name in Silhet, where it is 
indigenous and grows to the size of a small tree, yield- 
ing timber which is employed by the natives in the con- 
Struction of their houses. | Flowering time the month of 
April ; the seed ripens in July. 
In its natural character it approaches near to Alan-. 
gium ; the number of stamina, and the internal structure 
of the germ and drupe, however, are so different, as to — 
induce me to consider it sufficiently distinct to forma 
Separate genus, which I do under its vernacular name 
of Marlea, , . 
Leaves alternate, peibiieds unequally cordate, as in» 
Begonia, entire, or lobate, acuminate, smooth, five, or 
more-nerved ; from four to eight inches long, by from 
three to five broad, Petioles round, a little villous, about 
an inch long. Stipules none. Peduncles axillary, the — 
of the petioles, dichotomous, many-flowered. Flow- 
rs of a middling size, short-pedicelled, “e — - 
