8.3. 3IYRSINACE^. [1. MiESA. 



i. CENTUNCULUS, L. 



Small delicate herbs with sub-opp. or alt. entire leaves and minute 

 solitary axillary ebracteate white or pink flowers. Corolla shoi-t 

 urceolate. Stamens 4-5 on the throat with filaments flattened at base. 

 Capsule ^iobose circumsciss. Seeds many peltate {fide F.B.I.) , or 

 with tAvo flat and one convex surface. 



1. C. tenellus, Duhy. Syn. Anag-allis pumila. Swarf z. 



Erect and strict or with many branches from near the root. 

 Glabrous 1-5" hig-h, usually crowded with the small leaves and minute 

 flowers. L. •1--3" including- the minute petiole, ovate to obovate, 

 acute or obtuse. Sep. narrow subcaudate. Petals lanceolate acuminate 

 from a globose tube. Peduncles equal to or exceeding- the leaves, 

 sometimes sub-i'acemose. 



Chota Nagpur, frequent on dauip banks ! Santal Par^., Gamble ! Fl., Fr. 

 Oct.-Dec. 



FAM. 83. MYRSINACEiE. 



Small trees or shrubs with alternate simple leaves, usually gland- 

 dotted especially rovmd the edges and on the calyx. Stipules 0. 

 Flowers regular 2-sexual or polygamo-dioecious. Calyx inferior or in 

 Msesa moi-e or less superior, 4-6-, usually 5-lobed, persistent, some- 

 times accrescent. Corolla gamopetalous deeply divided or polypetalous, 

 petals contorted or imbricate. Stamens 3-7 opposite the petals, 

 anthers symetimes connate, very rarely opening- by pores. Ovary 

 superior or in Msesa semi-inferior, 1-celled, narrowed into the style, 

 stigma simple rarely shoi'tly lobed. Ovules few or many, inserted on 

 a free central placenta. Fruit usually baccate, in JEgiceras cylindric 

 and flnally dehiscent. Seeds mostly globose and excavate at the base 

 with pitted or ruminate albumen and transverse embryo. 



A. Ovary half-inferior. Flowers racemose. Seeds ano-led . . .1. Masa. 



B. Ovary free from tlie calj'x-tube. Fruit 1-seeded : — 



1. Fruit baccate sub-o-lobose : — 



Cor. nearly or quite polypetalous, very small, white or greenish 2. Embelia. 

 Corolla gamopetalous, small or m.s., pink 3. Arclisia. 



2. Fruit elongate, finally dehiscent. Fil. long J*. Mgieeras. 



1. MiESA, Po/-sA-. 

 Trees or shrubs with entire or serrate leaves and small 1-2-sexual, 

 4-5-meroiTS flowers in axillary and terminal racemes, bracteate and 

 2-bracteolate. Calyx half-inferior or nearly free in flower, adnate in 

 fruit, with small persistent sepals. Corolla gamopetalous with 

 round imbricate sometimes unequal petals. Stamens on the tube 

 with short filaments. Stigma capitate or shortly 3-5-lobed. Ovules 

 many on globose placentse. Berry globose with numerous subtrape- 

 zoid seeds. 



1. M. indica, Wall. Syn. M. montana, A.BC. in part; Ramjani, 

 Beng. 

 A shrub 4-8 ft. high with markedly lenticellate branches, ell., 

 ovate or ovate-lanceolate coarsely serrate leaves 3-5-6" by l'5-3" and 



507 



