Myrtaceae, 675 
lobes, very much imbricate in the bud, the external one sometimes 
larger than the others, but usually all nearly equal when expanded, 
sometimes all concrete and falling off in a single operculum, or 
rarely entirely wanting. Stamens indefinite, usually numerous or 
rarely few and definite, inserted in one or several rows on a disk, 
either thin and lining the calyx-tube above the ovary and forming 
a thickened ring at its orifice, or thicker and forming a ring close 
round the summit of the ovary; filaments free or rarely united 
into a ring or tube at the base, or into as many bundles as there 
are calyx-lobes; anthers 2-celled, versatile or attached by the base, 
the cells opening in longitudinal slits, or rarely in terminal pores. 
Ovary inferior or rarely almost superior, but enclosed in the calyx- 
tube, sometimes 1-celled, with a placenta attached to the base or 
adnate to one side, more frequently 2 or more celled, with the 
placentas in the inner angle of each cell, very rarely 1-celled, with 
» parietal placentas. Style simple, with a small or a capitate or 
peltate, very rarely lobed stigma. Ovules 2 or more to each placenta, 
in 2 or more rows, or very rarely solitary, erect pendulous or 
laterally attached, anatropous or amphitropous. Fruit inferior, adnate 
to the calyx-tube, and crowned by the persistent limb, or marked 
by its scar when deciduous, or very rarely half or almost wholly 
superior, and surrounded at the base by the persistent calyx-tube, 
either capsular and opening loculicidally at the summit, in as many 
valves as cells, or indehiscent, dry, and l-seeded, or succulent and 
indehiscent. Perfect seeds usually very few or solitary in each 
cell, even when the ovules are numerous, or rarely numerous and 
perfect; teeth either thin and membranous, or crustaceous, fleshy 
or bony. Albumen none or very scanty near the hilum. Embryo 
straight or variously curved, fleshy, with minute cotyledons at one 
end, or with large, flat, or variously folded cotyledons, or with thick 
fleshy distinct or consolidated cotyledons, and an exceedingly short 
radicle, or rarely apparently homogeneous, the cotyledons inconspicuous 
before germination. Abortive ovules in many capsular genera, 
enlarged without being fertilized, and simulating the seeds, but of 
a hard, nearly homogeneous, woody, or granular consistence. — 
Trees or shrubs, very rarely undershrubs. Leaves simple, entire or 
rarely obscurely crenate-toothed, opposite or less frequently alternate, 
more or less dotted in all but the Lecythideae, with small resinous 
glands, either pellucid or black and superficial, often scarcely visible 
when the leaf is thick. Stipules none, or rarely very minute and 
fugacious. Flowers solitary or in racemes panicles or cymes, axillary 
or apparently terminal from the terminal bud not growing out till 
after the flowering is over. Bracts solitary at the base of the 
peduncles, or forming an imbricate involucre from the abortion of 
43* 
