8 ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 



and Ceylon. Of the latter, or perhaps it is Eugenia acris, there is one tree in the Government 

 gardens in Madras, but remains unproductive though apparently healthy. 



^ Propertirs and Uses. These are various. Most of the species abound in a fragrant 

 lesirious oil as indicated by the pellucid dots of the leaves and other parts. The Cajoputi oil 

 so highly esteemed on account of its medicinal properties is the produce of the Melaleuca 

 leucadendron, a plant of this order, a native of the Eastern islands but now common in India, 

 and which, from its great beauty, would certainly become much more so if more easily propa- 

 gated : its general aspect, when not in flower, reminds one of a weeping willow. The Kose apple 

 and Jambo Malac are admired not less on account of the beauty of the trees, than for their 

 fine flowers and curiously fragrant fruit which I once heard a child very characteristically de- 

 scribe as a fruit that " tasted like the smell of roses." The clove so well known on account of 

 its pungent aromatic properties is also a member of this order. In addition to their aromatic 

 qualities astringency is also a prominent feature in their constitution and is strongly developed 

 in the bark of the common navel tree Syzygium Jambolamm as also in the fruit which have 

 a sweetish astringent taste: this fruit, which is about the size of a cherry and of a deep purple 

 colour, is during the .season exposed for sale in the bazars in great quantities. The tree itself 

 which IS common all over the country, attains a great size and yields a fine hard close grained 

 timber : besides this many other trees of the order are very astringent and, according to Ainslie 

 the kmo, met with in the Indian bazars, is the produce of Eucalyptus resinifera a New Holland 



In its medicinal properties the most remarkable plant of the order is the Pomegranate a 

 decoction of the bark of the root of which has been ascertained to be almost a specific in the 

 cure of tape worm and is probably equally powerful in the removal of most other intestinal 



7the"bark nf fhT/f '"'^ "^ '^'^!T' '!f '^^"'^ ""^ ^s^rmg^^i and, as well as a decoction 

 ot the bark of the ^root, are prescribed in dysenteric complaints and other affections of the 



Myi 



words, aromatic 



and tonic co™,,i„ed with asuingency fitting then,, .hen diFerVnt spTcie e co^b ne'd for X 

 allevmfon of chrome howel ooraplamts and generally for the removal of disease., of deh 1 °y 



As ornamental shruhs several spec.es of Eugenia mmt an equally prominent niace inthe 

 garden „„h Ih, common Myrtle and the timber^f some of the Irge'^- "^ree is con der d ex! 

 cellent, on account of its hardness, combined with close grain and great durability 



.qiffi„''w'"/Tj°\°^''"'* ,*'"', ^''''^'^^- In an order so large and generally so natural it i, 



dfficultto find characers by which to define the limits of either genera or species wi.h^t 



iT^LTTl'l" t'u''^"\"^'"^'-'° "'"''='' ■» """' "•'•"orders only a seconder, value onU 

 be attached, but which m this o«irg to their somewhat greater constanev admitlini of Ihe^r 



c\"l::r:TH^^rdTfin°/gr;a'''^"^ i^portance-tLugh still insu'l^otT'trfiv"/ fZ 



differences eKlst.ng more in words than in nature. This remark is coi^ned to 11,7= ''''I" "'! 

 m India, those from other quarters bcine nearlv unknnL,, .„ f contined to the species found 



.ers. The genus Myr>,. is\aid to have^ mai'y.: td 2 r 3 coifed I'errv' b'ufno I' "-• 

 taken of the ovary, a strange oversight, since there we senerallv fini 1 u^'u ° '"''"'* " 



.n the mature fruit, which may be, and usually is sreaMvrh»ri!^ -^ '' characters, not so 

 rily. I have examined the ovary of forrepLed® pedes if I/,",!' P^"*"^'.'"".'''!' ">»ta- 

 wuh several ovules in each. In V (ome^S t is I ce led each fc'TT'l '!, ," ^""'^^'^ 



well he fetained ii L ^Zl :? ' whicl'''^^^ ^ ^ I'^rhr:;"':":;:;^ f 'T'^H '"h", 'I -'""" 

 oordmgly removed it : and lastly, M. oap.nus (Harve/) ^hic^mis.'alt're.^S'^'.' ;"?..!!: 



