03 



leaves without dots, a few seeds, an exalbuminous embryo with convolute 

 cotyledons, and long inflexed anthers. 

 Anomalies. 



Essential Character Calyx superior, 4- or 5-Iobed, or 4-5-toothed. Petals 



4-5, inserted into the calyx, and alternate with its lobes. Stamens 8-10 ; filaments distinct 

 anthers incun^ed, 2-celled. Style filiform ; stigma simple. Berry crowned by the limb of 

 the calyx, 2-4-celled. Seeds few, pendulous, without albumen; cotyledons foliaceous, con- 

 volute ; radicle straight — Shrubs. Leaves opposite, simple, entire, without stipulee or dots, 

 almost always without more than one central rib. Flowers axillary, pedicellate. 



Affinities. Very near Myrtacese and Melastomacese, and in some 

 respects almost intermediate between them. They agree with the former 

 in the single rib of their leaves, and with the latter in the want of dots 

 and in the peculiar form of the anthers ; their cotyledons are those of Punica 

 among Myrtacese. 



Geography. All natives of the hottest parts of the East Indies and 

 of the Mauritanian Islands, with the exception of the Mouririas, which are 

 West Indian, if they belong to the order; but this is uncertain. 



Properties. Unknown. 



Examples. Memecylon, Mouriri. 



LVI. MYRTACE^. The Myrtle Tribe. 



Myhti, Juss. Gen. 32.3. (1789). — Myrte^, Juss. Diet. Sc. Nat. 34. 79. (1825).— 



MYRTOiDEiE, Vent. Tabl. (1799). — Myrtine^, Dec. Thtorie, Elem. (1819) 



Wyrtace^, R. Brown in Flinders, p. 14. (1814) ; Dec. Diet. Class, v. 11. (182G) ; 



Prodr. 3. 207- (1829) Granate^, Don in Ed. Phil. Journ. p. 134. (1826); 



Dec. Prodr. 3. 3. (1829) ; Von Martins H. Reg. Monac. (1829.) 



Diagnosis. Polypetalous dicotyledons, with indefinite perigynous sta- 

 mens, concrete carpella, an inferior ovarium with several cells, and opposite 

 entire leaves with pellucid dots. 



Anomalies. Chamselauciete have a 1 -celled fruit, with erect ovula. 

 A species of Sonneratia is apetalous. The leaves of Barringtonia are alter- 

 nate and not dotted. 



Essential Character Calyx superior, 4- or 5-cleft, sometimes falling off like a 



cap, in consequence of the cohesion of the apex. Petals equal in number to the segments 

 of the calyx, with a quincuncial aestivation ; rarely none. Stamens either twice as many as 

 the petals, or indefinite ; filaments either all distinct, or connected in several parcels, curved 

 inwards before flowering ; anthers ovate, 2-celled, small, bursting lengthwise. Ovarium 

 inferior, 2- 4- 5- or G-celled ; style simple ; stigma simple. Fruit either dry or fleshy, de- 

 hiscent or indehiscent. Seeds usually indefinite, variable in form ; embryo without albumen, 

 straight or curved, with its cotyledons and radicle distinguishable or conferruminated into 

 a solid mass. — Trees or shrubs. Leaves opposite, entire, with transparent dots, and with a 

 vein running parallel with their margin. Inflorescence variable, usually axillary. Flowers 

 red, white, occasionally yellow, never blue. 



Affinities, One of the most natural among the tribes of plants, and 

 the most easily recognised. Its opposite exstipulate dotted entire leaves 

 with a marginal vein, are a certain indication of it, with the exception of 

 a few plants, which probably do not belong to the order, although at present 

 placed in it. It is closely allied to Rosaceae, Salicarise, Onagrariae, Com- 

 bretaceee, and Melastomacese, but cannot well be confounded either with 

 them or any other tribe. It offers a curious instance of the facility with 

 which the calyx and corolla can take upon themselves the same functions 

 and transformations. In Eucalyptus, as is well known, the sepals are 



