488 



DICOTYLEDONES. 



1. MYRTE^I, MYRTLE GROUP. Chiefly American, though some are 

 found also in Africa and Asia. The fruit is a berry with generally 

 2-5 loculi in the ovary, and many ovules in each. Myrtus; Eugenia 

 (the petals fall off together as a hood in the Clove, E. caryophyllata, 

 Figs. 523, 524) ; Myrcia; Jambosa ; Amomis ; Psidium, etc. 



2. PUNICE^, POMEGRANATE GROUP. Only 2 species (Punica grana- 

 tum ; from Persia, Afghanistan), differing in several respects from 

 the typical form of the Myrtacea?. The leaves are generally 

 opposite, without glands and marginal veins. The receptacle, calyx 

 and corolla are red ; the latter 5-8- (generally 6-) merous. Calyx 

 valvate and corolla folded as in LythraceaB, stamens also and 

 epicalyx as in this order. The most characteristic feature is the 

 inferior, spherical berry, with dry pericarp, formed from two 



523. 624. 



Ftes. 523, 521. Eugenia caryophyllata. 

 FIG. 523. Flowers (nat. size). 

 FIG. 524. A bud (" clove "), long. sec. (mag.). 



FIG. 525. Punica granatum. Flower, 

 long. sec. (nat. size). 



whorls of carpels in two tiers (Fig. 525) ; the interior whorl, 

 which is also the lower, has 3 carpels, and the placenta? are situated 

 in the inner angles of the 3 loculi ; the external whorl is 5-merous, 

 and the placenta? have originally the same position in the inner 

 angles of the loculi, but their position is changed to the outer side 

 of the loculi owing to the growth of the wall of the ovary, which 

 takes place early, causing the carpels to become, as it were, turned 

 inside out, so that the part which was turned downwards is turned 

 upwards, and the part which was turned inwards becomes turned 

 outwards (as in Mesembrianthemum) . The edible part of the 

 fruit is the fleshy testa, as in Ribes. The cotyledons are rolled 

 together spirally. 



