354 A FLORA OF MANILA “ 
Genera 170, species about 3,000, in all tropical countries, few in tem- 
perate regions, 15 genera, and over 100 species in the Philippines. 
1. MEMECYLON Linnaeus 
Glabrous shrubs or trees with coriaceous, opposite, usually penninerved 
leaves. Flowers in small, axillary or terminal, simple or panicled cymes 
or umbels. Calyx-tube campanulate, the limb truncate or 4-lobed. Petals 
4, usually blue or purple. Stamens 8, equal; anthers short, opening. by 
slits, the connective ending in a posterior horn. Ovary inferior, 1-celled, 
surmounted by a convex or depressed, 8-grooved disk; ovules 6 to many 
on a free central placenta. Fruit a globose 1-seeded berry or drupe, 
crowned by the calyx-rim. (A name used by Dioscorides for a straw- 
berry-like fruit.) 
Species about 100, tropical Asia to Africa, through Malaya to Australia 
and Polynesia, 10 in the Philippines. 
1. M. umbellatum Burm. (M. edule Roxb.) Culis (Tag.). 
A glabrous shrub or small tree reaching a height of 6 to 8 m. Leaves 
coriaceous, 6 to 14 cm long, oblong-ovate to oblong-elliptic, green, shining, 
acuminate, base usually decurrent-acuminate, sometimes acute or rounded. 
Cymes axillary, solitary or fascicled, 2 to 4 cm long, peduncled, the flowers 
numerous, subumbellately disposed on the branchlets. Flowers deep-blue 
or purple. Calyx funnel-shaped. Petals about 2 mm long. Fruit globose, 
fleshy, dark-purple, 5 to 8 mm in diameter. (FI. Filip. pl. 373, M. tincto- 
rium.) 
In thickets opposite Guadalupe, San Francisco del Monte, etc., fl. Nov.— 
Jan. and probably in other months; common and widely distributed in the 
Philippines, variable. India to Australia. 
105. OENOTHERACEAE (EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY) 
(Onagraceae) 
Herbs, sometimes suffrutescent, often growing in wet places, sometimes 
aquatic. Leaves opposite or alternate, simple, entire or toothed. Flowers 
perfect, regular or nearly so, mostly axillary and solitary. Calyx-tube 
adnate to the ovary, the limb 2- to 5-lobed. Petals epigynous, free, as many 
as the calyx-lobes. Stamens as many, or twice as many, as the petals. 
Ovary inferior usually 4-celled, but from 1- to 6-celled; style simple; ovules 
many in each cell, in our genera. Fruit in our genera an elongated, cylin- 
dric or angular, dehiscent capsule. 
Genera 38, species 475, in all parts of the world, 3 genera and 7 species 
in the Philippines. 
Stamens as many as the calyx-lobes................22.2--..-22--20e--2000eeee-ee== 1. Ludwigia 
Stamens twice as many as the calyx-lobes...................-2.2--2----00---- 2. Jussiaea 
1. LUDWIGIA Linnaeus 
Erect, simple or branched herbs with alternate, nearly or quite entire 
leaves. Flowers small, yellow, axillary, solitary, sessile or nearly so, the 
pedicels 2-bracteolate. Calyx-tube linear, the teeth 3 to 5, persistent. 
Petals 3 to 5. Stamens inserted with and as many as the petals. Ovary 
inferior, 4- or 5-celled; ovules very numerous. Capsule oblong or linear, 
opening by terminal pores or breaking up irregularly. (In honor of C. G. 
Ludwig, a German botanist.) 
