346 MANUAL OF BOTANY 



effect upon fish. Generall}' the plants of the order should be 

 regarded as somewhat dangerous. 



Order 141. Cham^lauciace^, the Fringe -myrtle Order. — - 

 Diagnosis. — This is a small order of shrubby plants with ever- 

 green dotted leaves, and nearly allied to Myrtacese, but distin- 

 guished from them by their heath-like aspect, their more 

 or less fringed scaly or bristly calyx-tube, and their 1-celled 

 ovar}'. From Lecythidaceae they are known by their habit, 

 their dotted exstipulate leaves, and 1-celled ovary. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Exclusively natives of Aus- 

 tralia. Illustrative Genera : — ChamaBlauciiun, Desf. ; Darwdnia, 

 Budg. There are more than 50 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Unknown. 



Order 142. Belvisiace^, the Belvisia Order. — Charac- 

 ter. — Shrubs. Leaves alternsite, exstipulate, wdtha leathery tex- 

 ture. Calyx superior, coriaceous, 5-partite, with a valvate 

 aestivation. Corolla consisting of three distinct whorls of 

 united petals. Stamens 20, somewhat polyadelphous. Disc 

 fleshy, and forming a cup-shaped expansion over the ovary. 

 Ouar?/ 5 -celled, with two ovules in each cell; placentas ej^ile ', 

 stijle 5-angled or 5-winged ; stigma flat, pentagonal. Fruit 

 a soft rounded berry crowned by the calyx. Seeds large, 

 kidney-shaped, exalbiuninous. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Natives of tropical Africa and 

 Brazil. Illustrative Genera : — Asteranthos, Desf. ; Napoleona, 

 Palis. These are the only genera ; they include 4 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Nothing is known of the uses of 

 these plants, except that the pulp of their fruits is edible, and 

 the pericarp contains much tannic acid. 



Order 143. Melastomace.e, the Melastoma Order. — Cha- 

 racter. — Trees, shrubs, or herbs. Leaves opposite, and almost 

 always with several large curved ribs, and dotless. Flowers 

 showy. Calyx 4- 5- or 6-lobed, more or less adherent to the 

 ovary, imbricate. Petals equal in number to the divisions of the 

 calyx, twisted in aestivation. Stamens equal in number to, or 

 twice as many as, the petals; filaments curved downwards in 

 aestivation ; anthers long, 2-celled, curiously beaked, usually 

 dehiscing by two pores at the apex, or sometimes longitudinally ; 

 in aestivation lying in spaces between the ovar}' and sides of the 

 calyx. Ovary more or less adherent, many-celled ; pilacefitation 

 axile. Fruit either dry, distinct from the calj'x, and indehiscent ; 

 or succulent, united to the calyx, and indehiscent. Seeds very 

 numerous, minute, exalbuminous. 



