LYTHRARIE.E. XIII. DIPLUSODON. XIV. PHYSOCALYMKA. XV. DECADON. XVI. NES.EA. XVII. CRENEA. 721 



crowded, coriaceous, pruinose ; pedicels shorter than the leaves ; 

 bracteas broadly ovate, a little longer than the tube of the calyx ; 

 outer calycine teeth linear; stamens 12. tj . S. Native of 

 Brazil, in the province of Minas Geraes. Frielandia rotundi- 

 folia, Mart. mss. Leaves longer than the internodes. Petals 

 apparently white from the dried specimen. Bracteas large. 



Round-leaved Diplusodon. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 



37 D. SPECIOSUS (D. C. 1. c.) quite glabrous ; branches terete ; 

 leaves sessile, roundish-ovate, acute, many-nerved, coriaceous ; 

 pedicels 1-flowered, short ; bracteas ovate, a little longer than 

 the tube of the calyx ; outer calycine teeth reflexed ; stamens 

 24. Ij . S. Native of Brazil. Nesse'a speciosa, Kunth, nov. 

 gen. amer. G. p. 191. in a note. Dubyae'a melastomoides, D. C. 

 in herb. mus. par. July, 1827. 



Shervy Diplusodon. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 



Cult. All the species of Diplusodon are very elegant when 

 in flower, but none of them have yet been introduced to our 

 gardens. However, should they ever be, we would advise their 

 being grown in a mixture of loam, peat, and sand, draining 

 the pots in which they are planted well with sherds ; they will 

 be easily propagated by cuttings, like other plants of the 

 same order. Judging from the elevated situations in which 

 they naturally grow in the provinces of the mines in Brazil, 

 we should imagine that many of them will stand in the open air 

 in warm sheltered situations, especially against a south wall, at 

 least they will be sufficiently hardy to stand as greenhouse 

 plants, although we would recommend, on their first introduc- 

 tion, that they be treated as stove plants, until their hardiness be 

 ascertained. 



XIV. PHYSOCALY'MNA (from <j>v<ra, physa, a bladder, 

 and KoXvpfita, calymma, a covering ; in reference to the inflated 

 bracteas, which inclose the flower before expansion). Poll], in 

 flora, 1827. p. 152. with a figure, and pi. bras. 1. p. 99. tt. 92, 

 93. D. C. prod. 3. p. 89. 



LIN. SYST. Icosandria, Monogynia. Calyx bibracteolate at the 

 base, campanulate, inflated, 8-toothed, without any teeth from the 

 sinuses. Petals 8, oval, with undulately crenated margins, in- 

 serted in the top of the tube of the calyx. Stamens 24, rising 

 from the base of the calyx beneath the germ. Ovary globose. 

 Style filiform, exserted ; stigma capitate. Capsule globose, 

 probably 1-celled. A tree, with red wood. Leaves oval, quite 

 entire, scabrous, somewhat plicate at the apex, feather-nerved, 

 pilose on the veins beneath. Panicle large, spreading, thyrsoid, 

 with opposite branches. Bracteas glabrous, roundish, mucro- 

 nate, concave, inclosing the flower-bud before expansion. Calyx 

 purplish. Corolla purplish red. 



1 P. FLORIBU'NDA (Pohl, pi. bras. 1. p. 100. tt. 92, 93.). 

 J? . S. Native of Brazil, in the province of Goyaz. Leaves 

 opposite, decussate, on short petioles. Flower-bud inclosed by 

 2 inflated bracteas before expansion. The flowers resemble 

 those of a species of Lager stroe" mm. The wood is rose- 

 coloured, arid much esteemed by cabinet makers. It is the 

 celebrated rose-wood of commerce. In Germany this wood is 

 called Rosenholz. In the province of Goyaz in Brazil Cego 

 machado ; in the province of Rio Janeiro Pao de rosa ; and in 

 England rose-mood. 



Bundle-flowered Physocalymna or Brazilian Rose-wood. Tree 

 26 to 30 feet. 



Cult. This tree is most splendid when in flower. It has not 

 yet, like the species of the last genus, been introduced to our 

 gardens. The treatment recommended for the species of Di- 

 plusodon will answer this tree also. 



XV. DE'CADON (from SCKOC, dekas, ten, and oSove od 

 odous odontos, a tooth ; in reference to the 1 teeth of the calyx). 



VOL. II. 



Gmel. syst. 677. Ell. sketch. 1. p. 543. D. C. prod. 3. p. 

 90. Lythrum species of Lin. Nesae'a species of Kunth. 



LIN. SYST. Decdndria, Monogynia. Calyx hemispherically 

 campanulate, bractless at the base, 10-toothed ; inner 5 teeth erect, 

 outer 5 or those from the sinuses spreading and horn-formed. 

 Petals 5, alternating with the inner teeth of the calyx. Stamens 

 10, 5 of which are very long. Ovarium sessile, almost globose, 

 3-celled. Capsule covered by the calyx. Seeds minute, wing- 

 less. A downy North American herb. Leaves opposite, or 3 

 in a whorl. Peduncles 3 or many-flowered, furnished with 2 

 bracteas at the origin of each pedicel. Petals purple. 



1 D. VERTICILLA'TUM (Ell. 1. c. with an excellent description). 

 I/ . B. H. Native from Canada to Florida, in swamps. Ly- 

 thrum verticillatum, Lin. spec. 641. Anonymos aquatica, Walt, 

 car. 137. Decodon aquaticus, Gmel. syst. 677. Nesae'a ver- 

 ticillata, H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 6. p. 191. Leaves 

 petiolate, lanceolate. Peduncles many-flowered. Flowers pur- 

 ple, disposed in aggregate, corymbose whorls. 



Whor/ed-fiowered Decadon. Fl. July, Sept. Clt. 1757. PI. 

 2 to 4 feet. 



Cult. See Lythrum for culture and propagation, p. 713. It 

 is a pretty border-plant when in flower. 



XVI. NESjE'A (Nescea, in mythology, a sea-nymph). Comm. 

 in Juss. gen. p. 332. D. C. mem. soc. gen. 3. pt. 2. p. 74. 

 prod. 3. p. 90. Nesse'a species of Kunth. Lythrum species 

 of Lin. 



LIN. SYST. Octo-Dodecdndria, Monogynia. Calyx hemis- 

 pherically-campanulate, bractless at the base, 8-12-lobed: the 

 inner 4 or 6 lobes erect, and the outer 4-6 or those from the sinu- 

 ses spreading and horn-formed. Petals 4-6, alternating with the 

 erect lobes. Stamens 8-12, nearly equal. Ovarium sessile, 

 almost globose, 4-celled. Capsule covered by the calyx. Seeds 

 minute, wingless. Herb glabrous. Peduncles 3-flowered, fur- 

 nished with 2 bracteas at the origin of each pedicel. Petals 

 blue. 



1 N. TRIFLORA (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 191. 

 in a note). I/ . B. S. Native of the Mauritius, in humid 

 grassy places, not of America, as had been formerly supposed. 

 Lythrum triflorum, Lin. fil. suppl. p. 249. exclusive of the 

 country. Ly'thrum triantha, Vent. herb. Trotula trianthis, 

 Comm. herb. Willem. herb. maur. 3. with an excellent descrip- 

 tion. Leaves opposite, oblong-lanceolate, obtuse or acute, on 

 short petioles. Flowers 3, on short pedicels, on the apex of the 

 peduncle. Corolla blue. 



Three-flowered Nesaea. Fl. Aug. Clt. 1802. PI. 2 to 3 ft. 



Cult. See Diplusodon for culture and propagation. 



XVII. CRE'NEA (meaning not explained by Aublet). Aubl. 

 guian. l.p. 523. Lam. ill. t. 407. Meyer, prim, esseq. p. 186. 

 D. C. prod. 3. p. 90. 



LIN. SYST. Octdndria, Monogynia. Calyx urceolate, 4-cleft ; 

 lobes broad, triangular, but none are produced at the sinuses. 

 Petals 4, inserted between the lobes of the calyx. Ovarium 

 roundish. Style filiform. Stigma oblong. Capsule 1-5-celled, 

 covered by the calyx, many-seeded. Seeds very minute. 

 Herbs or subshrubs. Leaves opposite, glabrous. Peduncles 

 axillary, 1 or many-flowered. Flowers white. In the capsules 

 examined by Aublet they were 5-celled, but in those examined 

 by Meyer and De Candolle, only 1-celled at maturity. Perhaps 

 the capsules are 4-8-celled at first, but as they become more ma- 

 ture the dissepiments vanish, and the capsule becomes therefore 

 1-celled ? 



1 C. MARI'TIMA (Aubl. guian. 1. c. t. 209.) stem nearly her- 

 baceous, nodose ; branches tetragonal ; angles winged ; leaves 

 ovate-oblong; peduncles many- flowered. !.B. S. Native of 

 4Z 



