ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 7 



consolidated into one mass with the radicle.— Trees or shrubs. Leaves usually opposite, 



entire, and with transparent dots, sometimes alternate, rarely serrated, and rarely without 

 dots.'* 



thro 



Affinities. These are not easily defined, for, though the order is upon the whole a very 

 natural one and easily recognized, yet, owing to the great variety of structure which its different 

 sections present it is not easy, in many cases, to mark their true limits. With Pomaceae it is 

 allied through JVelitris, a genus having a 5- 10-celled ovary with a single ovule in each cell. With 

 Lythrareae, Onagrariae, Combretaceae, Memecyleae, and .'We/a.9^om«ceae, affinities have also been 

 traced but these do not seem so liable to be mistaken. DeCandolle remarks that it is an order 

 easily divided, but he prefers keeping it united. It differs from Rosaceae in the adherent calyx, 

 the united carpels and solitary style ; and from all by its exstipulate leaves : from Lyt.hr arieae 

 by the calyx cohering with the ovary. From Combretaceae by its many-celled ovary and erect 

 or horizontal not pendulous ovules and the cotyledons of the embryo not convolute,but approaches 

 jugh Myrtus spectabilis which has a one-celled ovary, and Eugenea arcis and Pimenta which 

 have pendulous ovules : from Melastomaceae by its filaments neither acutely bent nor the 

 anthers received into cavities under the divisions of the calyx and the form of the anthers : 

 from Memcyleae by its many-celled ovary with superpased ovules, not one-celled with a single 

 row of ovules surrounding the base of the style : from Onagraneae by its indefinite stamens. 

 Lastly Myrtaceae differ from all their allies in the pellucid dots of their leaves, in habit, and in 

 their properties. From this enumeration I agree with DeCandolle in excluding Gmvateae, 

 though considered so nearly related that many Botanists reunite it with this order : PhiladeL 

 ;?^eae originally referred here by Jussieu and retained by Meisner, is also separated as a distinct 

 order by DeCandolle, although, under the circumstances mentioned, it must be very nearly al- 

 lied. 1 he former, as already shown, is justly excluded from the family, and the latter differs in 

 Its leaves not having transparent dots, in having twisted aestivation, several styles and albumin- 

 ous seed : the first of these, absence of pellucid dots is certainly not a good distinction, since 

 many species of genuine Myrtaceae want them, but the others are generally believed to supolv 

 valuable ordinal distinctions. o j rr j 



The order is divided into .5 sections, three of which are found in India : namely, Leptos^ 

 Tpermeae with a many-celled capsule and opposite or alternate leaves, which are usually dotted 

 Myrteae having a berry, distinct stamens, and opposite leaves which are usually, not always 

 dotted : and Barrmgfoneae separated if not as an order certainly as a good suborder by having a 

 fleshy one-celled fruit, albuminous seed, monadelphous stamens, and alternate not dotted leaves. 



1 he order sfiU requires investigation as it certainly includes some anomalous forms, which 

 may perhaps find more suitable stations in other orders. 



Geographical Distribution. The geographical range of this order is very extended, bat 

 principally confined to the warmer latitudes, fn India species extend from the most southern 

 part ot Leylon m^rthward to the Himalayas and from Malabar eastward through all the intermedi- 

 ate countries to China. The genera best known in Coromandel, as bein;? most generally met with 

 are ^yzygivm and Eugpnin, but besides these we have the Guava f Psidimn ) cenerallv culti- 



fJambosaJ 



f MyrtusJ 



some others which I have not yet seen on the Eastern coast, render it probable many more 

 will be found when the western jungles have been better explored. To the Eastward, several 

 other genera are found, among which may be mentioned Melaleuca, Caryophyllus (the clove 

 txe^) JVehtri^ and a new genus Monoxe^a, R. W. In new Holland 'they are numerous. 

 In Atnca a good many are found especially in Madagascar, and some even extend as far south as 

 the Cape of (jood Hope where three .species are described. Tropical America may however be 

 considered their principal station, as there, (hey are very numerous both as regards genera and 

 species : one only is found in Europe, the Myrtm commn»i.<i, or common Myrtle, now to be met 

 with m almost every garden in Madras, a fact worthy of attention, as going far to prove that 

 arboreous plants of the south of Europe may become aclimated in even the South of India. The 



Uove and Piraenta or Allspice trees, have also been introduced into the Courtallum gardens, 



