31 



*■ MARCETIA excoriata. 



Loose-barked Marcetia. 



OCTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



Nat. oril. Melastomace^. 



MARCETIA. DC. Calycis tubus oblougus aut cylindraceus, lobis 4 

 lanceolatis. Pet. A, ovalia acuta. Stani. 8, fequalia, antheris basi bituber- 

 culatis oblongis 1 -porosis. Ovarium liberum glabrum. Stylus filiformis. 

 Stigma punctiforrae. Capsula 4-valvis 4-loc. calycis tubo circiter sequalis. 



Semina cocbleata. Suffrutices Brasiliensis. Rami teretes. Folia suhcar- 



nosa, oblonga, margine scepius revoliita, basi cordata, hrevissime aut vix petio- 

 lata, integerrima, scepe enervia. Flores axillares, solitarii, subsessiles, bibrac- 

 teati, albi aut subrubentes. DeCand. Prodr. 3. 124 



M. excoriata; suifruticosa, ramosissima, foliis aub-sessilibus oblongis basi sub- 

 cordatis apice obtusis mucronulatis dense pubescenti-velutinis sub-3-ner- 

 viis, floribus axillaribus pedicellatis Sandris in racemum foliaceura sub- 

 digestis, antheris basi bituberculatis, DeCand, prodr. 3. 124. 



This ^enus consists of a group of curious little Melasto- 

 maceous plants, having almost the habit of Heaths. They 

 are all found in tropical America in mountainous places, or in 

 elevated sandy deserts, and give a peculiar feature to the 

 places where they grow. In our gardens they are almost un- 

 known ; that which is now represented, from the collection of 

 His Grace the Duke of Northumberland, at Sion, being the 

 first that we have met with in cultivation. DeCandolle de- 

 scribes eleven species. 



They are warm greenhouse plants, difficult to manage, and 

 multiplied by cuttings. Their names occur in some of the 

 continental Catalogues, as for example in that of Mr. Makoy 

 of Liege, who has this and another, the M. rosmarinifolia ; 

 the price of the first being 20 francs, and of the second 1.5, 

 but he regards them both as stove plants. 



* Named after Dr. Marcet of Geneva, a chemist who was the author of 

 a curious paper concerning the effect of poisons upon plants. 



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