ILICINE^E. I. MYGINDA. 



cells aclnate to the sides of the filament. Disk wanting. Ovary 

 fleshy, thick, subtruncate, 2-6-celled ; cells small, 1-2-ovulate. 

 Ova hanging from the tops of the cells, by a podosperm, which 

 is cup-shaped at the top, and girding the ovum at the base. 

 Raphe exterior. Stigma nearly sessile, lobed. Fruit baccate 

 (f. 3. c.), containing 2-6 woody or fibrous nuts. Seed sus- 

 pended, nearly sessile. Endosperm large, fleshy. Embryo 

 small, situated near the hilum, 2-lobed, with a superior radicle. 

 This order is composed of shrubs or trees, having alternate or 

 opposite, usually coriaceous, glabrous, entire or prickly-toothed, 

 feather-nerved leaves. Flowers axillary, solitary, or in fascicles. 

 Peduncles simple, but sometimes disposed in dichotomous 

 cymes. The order differs from Cclaslrincce in the corolla being 

 monopetalous, with the stamens inserted in it, and in the absence 

 of the disk. It differs from Rkdmneee in these last particulars, 

 as well as in the calyx being valvate in aestivation. The 

 famous Paraguay-tea is the leaves of a species of I' lex, and the 

 Prlnos vertivillatus possesses such active and astringent bitter 

 tonic and febrifugal qualities, that it is used in North America 

 with success as a substitute for Peruvian bark. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



1 MYGI'NDA. Calyx small, 4-cleft. Corolla deeply 4-cleft. 

 Stamens 4, inserted in the base of the corolla. Style short, 

 crowned by 4 stigmas. Drupe 1 -celled, 1 -seeded, probably 

 from abortion. 



2 LEPIONU'RUS. Flowers monoecious. Calyx small, entire. 

 Corolla 4-parted. Stamens 4, opposite the segments of the 

 corolla, and inserted in its throat. Drupe baccate, containing a 

 1-seeded nut. Stigmas 4, sessile. 



3 TLEX. Calyx 4-5-toothed. Corolla 4-5-cleft. Stamens 

 4-5, inserted in the tube of the corolla. Stigmas 4-5, almost ses- 

 sile, sometimes distinct, sometimes connected. Drupe containing 

 4-5 1-seeded nuts. 



4 PRI'NOS. Calyx 6-toothed. Corolla 6-cleft. Stamens 6, 

 inserted in the tube of the corolla. Drupe containing 61- 

 seeded nuts. 



5 STROMBOSIA. Calyx small, obsoletely-crenulated. Corolla 

 5-cleft, with a villous throat, with 5 stamens inserted in the 

 bottom of it ; these are opposite the divisions. Drupe baccate, 

 1-seeded from abortion. Style short, crowned by an obtuse 

 stigma. 



6 LEUCO'XTLON. Flowers polygamous. Calyx 4-parted. 

 Corolla 4-parted. Stamens 12-14, adhering to the base of the 

 corolla. Drupe containing 1-2 1-seeded nuts. 



I. MYGI'NDA (in honour of Francis von Mygincl, a German 

 botanist). Jacq. amer. p. 24. D. C. prod. 2. p. 12. Rhacoma, 

 Lin. gen. no. 114. Crossopetalum, P. Browne, jam. 145. 



LIN. SYST. Tetrdndria, Monogijnia. Calyx small, 4-cleft. 

 Corolla deeply 4-cleft, sub-rotate. Stamens 4, alternating with 

 the segments of the corolla, and shorter than them, and inserted 

 in its throat. Ovary roundish. Style short or wanting. Stigmas 

 4, therefore sometimes at the top of the style, and sometimes 

 sessile. Drupe ovate, 1-celled, 1-seeded, probably from abor- 

 tion. Seed hanging from the top of the cell, albuminous. 

 Caribbean or South American shrubs, with tetragonal branches, 

 opposite, subcoriaccous, laurel-like leaves, axillary pedicels, 



which are usually trifid or trichotomous, and small flowers, 

 which are for the most part white. 



* Leaves downy beneath. 



1 M. MICROPHY'LLA (D. C. prod. 2. p. 12.) leaves obovate- 

 oblong, blunt, quite entire, pubescent beneath, as well as the 

 branchlets ; fruit solitary, almost sessile, terminated by the fili- 

 form style. Tj . S. Native of St. Domingo, where the Spaniards 

 call it Mala-muger. Tlex microphy'lla, Spreng. in herb. Balb. 



Small-leaved Myginda. Shrub. 



2 M. ROTUNDA'TA (Lam. ill. no. 1546.) leaves ovate-roundish, 

 crenate, pubescent beneath ; peduncles nearly simple, few-flow- 

 ered. ^7.8. Native of the Antilles. 



Roitnded-}eaved Myginda. Shrub. 



3 M. URAGOGA (Jacq. amer. t. 16. pict. t. 22.) leaves ovate 

 or cordate, almost sessile, acuminated, serrated, pubescent ; 

 corymbs twice trifid. T? . S. Native of South America, near 

 Carthagena, and in the island of St. Martin, near the sea. 

 Each division of the corymb bearing 3 flowers. Flowers 

 small, of a dark shining red. Fruit red, soft, the size of a pea. 

 The Spaniards call it Yerva de Mararcdi. At Carthagena the 

 inhabitants use a decoction or infusion of the root as a powerful 

 diuretic ; the leaves have the same quality, but in a much 

 smaller degree. Houtt. fl. syst. 3. p. 142. t. 19. Lam. ill. t. 76. 

 Rhacoma crossopetalum, Lin. and crossopetalum, P. Browne, 

 jam. t. 17. f. 1. 



Diw -etic Myginda. Fl. Aug. Sep. Clt. 1790. Shrub 3 to 6 ft. 



* 



Leaves smooth on both surfaces. 



4 M. ILICIFOHA (Lam. diet. 4. p. 396.) leaves ovate- 

 roundish, spiny-toothed, smooth, pale beneath ; peduncles axil- 

 lary, 'forked ; fruit pointed by the permanent style. Tj . S. 

 Native of St. Domingo. Flowers white. 



I'ar. /3, acutifulia (D. C. prod. 2. p. 13.) leaves ovate, acumi- 

 nated, spiny-toothed, smooth. Ij . S. Native of St. Domingo. 

 Holly-leaved Myginda. Shrub 4 feet. 



5 M. MYRSINOIDES (H. B. et Kunth. nov. gen. amer. 7. p. 68. 

 t. 620.) leaves somewhat distich, elliptical, acute, rounded at the 

 base, serrulated, smooth, on short stalks ; peduncles 1 -flowered, 

 2-3 times longer than the leaves ; flowers pentandrous. fy . S. 

 Native of Peru, in hot places, near Contumasa. The ovary in 

 this and the preceding species is 2-celled, each cell containing 

 3 seeds. It is therefore probable that these two species may 

 form a distinct genus. 



Myrsine-like Myginda. Shrub 2 feet. 



6 M. MYRTIFOLIA (Nutt. gen. 1. p. 109.) leaves oblong, blunt, 

 serrated, smooth, with revolute edges ; peduncles very short, 

 usually solitary, 1 -flowered; style short, club-shaped, 4-lobed at 

 the apex. Tj . H. Native of North America, on the western 

 coast. I v lex myrsinites, Pursh. fl. sept. amer. 1. p. 119. 

 Flowers small, white. Drupe containing only one seed at ma- 

 turity, dark-purple, about the size of a pea. Leaves perma- 

 nent, serrate in front, and entire behind. 



Myrtle-leaved Myginda. Fl. May, Aug. Clt. 1818. Sh. 4 ft. 



7 M. PA'LLENS (Smith in Rees' cycl. no. 4.) leaves elliptical, 

 very obtuse, crenate, smooth, almost sessile ; peduncles bifur- 

 cate, with a flower in the fork ; style 4-lobed at the apex, 

 tj . S. Native of Antigua. Flowers white ? with waved petals. 

 Leaves yellowish-green. 



7'rt/e-leavcd Myginda. Shrub 4 feet. 



8 M. RHACOMA (Swartz. fl. ind. occ. p. 340.) leaves lanceo- 

 late-ovate, bluntish, crenated,on short stalks, smooth ; peduncles 

 dichotomous, cymosely-umbellate ; style short, filiform, 4-lobed 

 at the apex. T? . S. Native of St. Domingo and Jamaica, in 

 the sand by the sea-side, and many other parts of South Ame- 

 rica in a like situation. Rhacoma crossopetalum, Lin. spec. 



