1 14 The Flowering Plants of Western India. 



pelago forms bushes about four feet high, the slender branches being 

 actually borne down to the ground by the weight of the flowers." 



Poivrea coccinea, is a very beautiful climber, tolerably common 

 iu gardens, with one-sided spikes of crimson flowers. 



ORDER 50. MYRTACE-ffi. Myrtles. 



Trees or shrubs, leaves simple, entire, flowers regular, calyx 

 tubular, 4 or 5 divided, petals as many, inserted on a disk 

 within the calyx ; stamens numerous, ovary adherent to the 

 calyx tube, fruit usually crowned with the limb of the calyx. 



Two very distinct tribes are by H. united in this order. The first 

 is that of the myrtles, proporly so called. 



TRIBE MYRTE,E. Leaves usually opposite, full of transparent 

 glands, and with veins running into a nerve parallel to the 

 margin ; fruit a berry or drupe fleshy. 



There is always something agreeable about the myrtles, as there is 

 in the name to English ears. Myrta communis, the myrtle of gardens 

 and cottages at home, is also found in Indian gardens, and its leaves 

 used in native medicine (H.). There is no plant with wider associa- 

 tions, for it is also the myrtle of Scripture, and in Isa. xli. and Iv. 

 is mentioned as one of the accompaniments of prosperity and civili- 

 zation. Among the Greeks, too, "it was beloved on account of its 

 sweet scent, evergreen leaves, white blossoms, and aromatic berries, 

 and was everywhere to be seen planted about temples, and at last 

 adorning the rooky shores of Greece." Hehn. 



Kote. The dotted leaves and some similarity in the flowers may 

 lead beginners to take some of this tribe for species of Aurantiacea; , 

 but the numerous perigynous stamens (by which this order ap- 

 proaches Rosacece) make an easy distinction. 



1. EUGENIA. Calyx tube more or less round, its lobes and 

 petals generally 4 ; fruit a berry. 



E. has no less than 131 species; but the majority belong to Malaya 

 or Ceylon. All given below are very suggestive of the common 

 myrtle. 



1. E. caryophillwa (Syzigium c. D.). A small smooth tree 

 or large shrub, leaves obovate or ovate obtuse, flowers small 

 white in trichotomous cymes, fruit round, size of a pea, one- 

 seeded. Karkas, ran lavang. 



On the banks of streams in S. Konkan and Ghauts. Leaves 

 variable (H.). 



2. E, jambolana (Syzigium j. D.). A large, handsome tree, 

 all smooth, leaves large oval or oblong, pointed, flowers white 



