. 
140 ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOTANY OF [Meliacee. 
order, that the genus from which the latter takes its name, presents a disk or short 
annular tube, situated between the petals and stamens; which if elongated to the 
height of the stamens, and united with the filaments applied on its surface, would 
afford a counterpart of the staminal apparatus of the Afeliacee. M. Ad. Jussieu 
further remarks, that they are moreover allied in the number, as well as in the relative 
situation of the parts of the flower, and the structure of the seeds is absolutely 
that of the TZrichiliee, or the largest group of MJeliacee. The resemblance in habit is 
considerable, as already mentioned under Sapindacee: the edible fruit afforded by 
so many species of the latter, is also produced by some of the Meliacee, as by Lanseh 
(Marsden’s Sumatra, v. p. 101), and by Lansium montanum, the characters of which, 
Dr. Jack remarks, coincide very nearly with those of Milnea edulis; the large succulent, 
lucid, and edible aril of which is compared by Dr. Roxburgh to that of the Li-chi. 
From this resemblance in so many points, and their affording conjointly the variety of 
highly-esteemed fruits, which, as Dr. Jack remarks, may be considered peculiar to the 
Malayan Archipelago, one is induced to wish to see them in the same natural order ; 
but it has been observed by M. Ad. Jussieu, that in classification, Monadelphia, or the 
‘union of stamens, appears to him of consequence, particularly as so much importance is 
attached to the union of the several pieces which compose the corolla. 
The Meliacee being a family found chiefly in the equinoctial parts of the world, may 
be expected in the plains and southern provinces of India, but not as forming a portion 
of the Flora of the Himalayas. M. A. Jussieu has remarked that they are found in 
equal numbers in America and Asia, but only about one-fourth the number in Africa; 
though this may be owing to the less perfect investigation of that continent. They — 
extend in the two hemispheres beyond 40° of latitude, as Melia Azedarach is naturalized 
in Provence, a Cedrela is found near Pekin, and a Hartighsea in New Zealand. But 
these isolated species become more and more numerous as we approach the tropics, 
_ between which they have their maxima of numbers. In the most northern parts of 
India we have three genera and five species, of which one at least seems to have been 
introduced from Persia, and the others are common either in the plains of India, or 
occur in the belt of the tropical forest which girds the base of the Himalaya. As we 
proceed southwards, they increase in numbers until they reach their maximum in the 
islands of the Indian Archipelago, By Mr. Brown they have been divided into Melia- 
cee and Cedrelacee ; those by M.A. Jussieu into the tribes Meliee and Trichiliee, and 
these into Swieteniee and Cedrelee. Some species of all the tribes are found in India. 
Of Meliee, which are confined to Asia and Africa, and of which+one species has 
crept into Europe, and another is mentioned with doubt as being a native of America, 
species of most of the genera are found in India. The Neem tree, or Margosa tree of 
_ the Peninsula, has been separated from Melia into a distinct genus, Azadirachta (from 
the Persian name azad-i-durukht, the free or excellent tree), on account chiefly of its 
ternary, not quinary structure of the parts of the pistil, and its single-seeded fruit. 
‘Of the genus Melia, two species are found in Northern India :—one, there called deh, 
the 
