ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 



13 



It seems curious that plants bo long known and ex- 

 tensively cultivated as these, and which have been so 

 often described and figured, should have been at the 

 present time, removed from Myrtus to be associated 

 with Eugevia, 



DeCandoUe who was the first to refer these species 

 to the genus Eugenia^ seems either to have been misled 

 by wrong specimens or had nut examined those he had 

 with sufficient care, as he describes the fruit " Dacca 

 globosa 1 sperma. Embryo subrotundus, cotyledonibus 

 conferruminatis non distinctis tola coslo ah Icone Gcertner 

 diversis.'* The concluding worrls of this desfription 

 which I have printed in Italics are so much at variance 

 with what I have observedj that I ran scarcely avoid sus- 

 pectiniJ^ the seed he examined must have been that of 

 some other tree, given by mistake, for in truth 1 find 

 Gasrtner's figure a most accurate representation, as a 

 comparison with the accompanying figure of mine will 

 show. If therefore D.C. had a genuine specimen, I can 

 only account for tbe error he has fallen into, by suppos- 

 ing he simply cut the seed across without removing the 

 testa as Gairtner and I have done. 



Dr. Hooker pubHshed a figure of Myrciaacris in the 

 Botanical Magazine,tab. 3153,but curionsly enough seems 

 to have taken the drawing from one species and the 

 description from another,as he says the calyx is -l-lobed, 

 but with 5 petals ! The ovary is described as being *^2- 

 celled with one broad ovule pendent from the top of 

 each cell" but is represented with two ovules. Eugenia 

 Pimenta has quaternary flowers and a solitary ovule in 

 each cell, E, acris has quinary flowers and several ovules 

 m each cell. There is rtuother circumstance connected 

 with that figure and description which may be alluded 

 to. The seeds of E. prmcnta and M. acri% it is said, 

 are very different ** if DeCandoile be correct," but yet, 

 though the Pimenta or Jamaica pepper is to be had in 

 every grocer's shop, it does not appear that any attempt 

 was made to ascertain the correctness or otherwise of 

 D.C.'s statement, or determine whether they were so dif- 

 ferent as he asserts- 



Dr. Arnott examined both the ovary and young fruit 

 of P, acris and most strangely mistook the true struc 

 ture of both. The latter was not so much to be won- 



dered at, as his specimens were immature, so are those 

 now before me, but still they art^ sufficiently advanced 

 to show that this is not a species o^ Eugenia^ but is a true 

 congener of Pimenta, 



I refer two species to this genus, viz. 



1.* JP. vulgaris (Liud.) flowers quaternary ovary 2-ccll" 

 cd with a single ovule in each celL 



2.* P. acris (R. W. Eugenia acris W. and A.) Flow 

 quinary, ovary 2-cellcd, with several ovules in each cell, 

 attached round the edge of a broad free placenta. 



ElGKNIA. 



1. SrBGENus EuEtTGENiA. Calyx tubc short, slightly 

 contracted at the throat ; limh A-pf tinted down to the ovary. 

 Peduncles axillary^ onc-jlowcred^ hibractiolate at the apex, 



1, E. {Eneugonia) Willdenowii (\),QJ) 



2.* JS. (-E) bractmta (Roxb.^ Sea Coast, frequent 

 both on the continent and in Ceylon. 



These two are very nearly allied species, but I think 

 quite distinct, though it is difficult to define them so as 

 to keep thf^ra separate. 



3. E. {E) Roftleriana (W. and A.) Courtallum and 

 subalpine jungles in the southern 

 species varies considerably in the size 

 the general form is pretty uniform. 



4. E. (E) suhcordata (W. and A.) 

 mere variety o? Eugenia MicheUi. 



5. E (E) Moomana(^R,\\.) Shrubby, glabrous, leaves 

 pellucid dotted, short petiolcd, ovate, tapering at the 

 base, acuminated; acumen either short and blunt or pro- 

 longed and tapering to a fine point: peduncles axillarj', 

 solitary or sometimes paired, one flowered : flowers 

 small, calyx tube ventricose, oblong, limb 4-cleft, setr. 

 mentsreflexed pointed : fruit globose about the size of a 

 cherry, seed cooferruminate. 



Ceylon — Moon ^Shevagher?v/ near Courtallum, R. W. 

 ^ This species approaches E, Michelii but is at once dis- 

 tinguished by its globose not furrowed fruit. Mr. Moon 

 long ago found it in flower in Ceylon but did not name 

 it, more recently I found it in fruit on the Shevagherry 

 hills near Courtallum. 



provinces. This 

 of its leaves but 



This I find is a 





6. E. {E) MnbcBoides (R.W.) Shrubby, very ramous 

 leaves short petioled obovate — spathulate, glabrous 

 rigid, shining above, pellucid dotted, pedicels very short* 

 fascicled on short subaxillary Xubercles : calyx tube 

 ventricose, limb 4-parted : ovary 2-celled with numerous 

 ovules attached to the central placenta ; fruit ? 



Ceylon,— yiooxi and Watson. This can scarcely be 

 mistaken for any other Indian species 1 have seen 

 its rigid habit, small hard shining spathulate leaves and 

 fascicled flowers, give it a good deal the appearance of 

 Maba buxifolia whence the specific name. 



7. E. {E) Codyensis (Munro M.^S) shrubby, gla- 

 brous,Ieaves short petiolcd, from ovate oblong to obovate 

 with a short blunt acumen, tapering towards the base 

 pellucid dotted : flowers subsessile aggregated, formin*^ 

 terminal capituli on the points of short abortive 

 branches, or they are axillary, solitary, or a few together; 

 calyx tube small, clothed with silky tomentum, some- 

 what globose ; limb persistent, lobes ciliate : pe^- 

 tals twice the length of the calyx lobes, ciliate: style and 

 stigma simple : ovary 2-celled ; ovules numerous"^; fruit 

 1-2 seeded, globose. 



A 



Afterwards he appears either to have forgot or become dissatisfied with it, as I do not find the name, even as a sy- 

 nonym, in the list of genera in his Natural System of Botany. Owing to this oversight on his part, I had nearly 

 overlooked it. As it was not until my manuj>cript was ready for the press that I accldently discovered I was not the 

 first to propose this genus, 1 publish unaltered my account of it, merely adoptin^' Undley's name, that which I pro- 

 posed being somewhat diflerent. His only species was the Myrtus pimenta Lin. but as the generic character 

 embraces both my species, I suspect he must^ either have had them both before him or have taken his character 

 partly from exammation and partly from description. 



^ I am Indebted to Dr. Wallich 

 following list. 



