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TAMARISCINEJS. II. MYRICARIA. III. HOLOLACHNA. MELASTOMACE^E. 



beyond the Baikal, and of Dahuria. Tamarix Dahurica, Willd. 

 1. c. no. 16. Flowers pink. 



Dahnrian Myricaria. Clt. 1818. Shrub 4 to 8 feet. 



3 M. SQUAM6sA (Desv. 1. c. p. 350.) shrubby ; glabrous ; 

 leaves oblong, keeled ; racemes lateral, short, scaly at the base. 



I' . H. Native of Siberia. Flowers pink ? 

 i$ca/y-racemed Myricaria. Shrub 4 to 6 feet. 



* * Herbaceous ; fruit obsoletely pedicellate. 



4 M. HERBA'CEA (Desv. 1. c. p. 350.) glabrous ; leaves linear- 

 lanceolate ; spikes terminal, simple, solitary ; bracteas longer 

 than the flowers; capsules spreading. 1%.. F. Native about 

 the Caspian Sea, on the Persian side. Tamarix Germanica 

 subherbacea, Pall. fl. ross. 2. p. 73. t. 80. f. 3. T. Germanica 

 P, Willd. spec. T. herbacea, Willd. 1. c. no. 14. T. Germanica 

 Caspica, Pers. Flowers red. 



Herbaceous Myricaria. PL 3 to 4 feet. 



2. Leaves flat, lanceolate-linear, sessile, constricted near 

 the base. 



5 M. LONGIFOLIA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 97. Ehrenberg, 1. c. 

 p. 279.) leaves spreading ; racemes terminal, compound at the 

 base ; pedicels elongated, about equal in length to the expanded 

 flower ; bracteas with membranous edges ; capsules nodding. 



(7 . H. Native of Siberia, at the Baikal, in saltish places. T&- 

 marix Germanica, Pall. fl. ross. 2. p. 73. T. decandra, Pall. 

 I.e. t. 80. f. A. Tamarix longifolia, Willd. 1. c. no. 15. M. 

 linearifolia, Desv. 1. c. p. 349. Flowers red. 



Var. a, laxiflora (Ehrenberg, in Schlecht. Linnaea. 2. p. 279.) 

 flowers distended ; capsules drooping. 



Var. /3, coarctata (Ehrenberg, 1. c.) flowers coarctate ; cap- 

 sules drooping. 



Long-leaved Myricaria. Shrub 4 to 6 feet. 



Cult. For culture and propagation, see hardy species of 

 Tamarix, p 727. 



III. HOLOLA'CHNA (from 6Xoc, holos, the whole, and 

 Xa^''!), lachne, wool ; in reference to the whole surface of the 

 seeds being covered with hairs). Ehrenberg, in Schlecht. 2. p. 

 273. Tamarix species of Pall. 



LIN. SYST. Monadelphia, Decdndria. Calyx 4-5-parted. Pe- 

 tals 4-5. Stamens 8-10, hypogynous, monadelphous, inserted in 

 the hypogynous gland. Styles short, subulate, 2-4. Capsule 2-4- 

 angled, 2-4-valved, 2-4-celled. Seeds few, large, with the whole 

 surface pilose, attached to the dissepiments in the middle of the 

 valves. A small shrub, with trigonal, fleshy, obtuse, spreading 

 leaves ; spikes lateral ; flowers nearly sessile, about equal in 

 length to the bracteas. 



1 H. SONGA'RICA (Ehrenberg, 1. c.). fj . H. Native of Si- 

 beria, in the Soongarian desert, in salt places. Tamarix Songa- 

 rica, Pall. act. petr. 10. p. 374. t. 10. f. 4. 



Soongarian Hololachna. Shrub 2 to 3 feet. 



Cult. See hardy species of Tamarix for culture and propa- 

 gation. The plant requires to be refreshed with salted water at 

 the roots now and then. 



ORDER XCVIII. MELASTOMA'CE^E (plants agreeing 

 with Melds'toma in important characters). D. Don, in wern. 

 soc. mem. 4. (1823.) p. 281. Schrank et Mart. diss. mss. Ser. 

 diss. mss. Melastomse, Juss. gen. p. 328. diet. sc. nat. p. 29. 

 p. 50.5. 



Calyx divided into 4, 5 (f. 808. b.}, or 6 lobes (f. 109. b.), 

 cohering more or less with the angles of the ovarium, but dis- 

 tinct from the surface between the angles, and thus forming a 

 number of cavities, within which the anthers are curved down- 



wards. Petals equal in number to the segments of the calyx (f. 



108. d. f. 111. c. f. 113. b.), arising from their base, or from the 

 edge of the disk that lines the calyx, twisted in aestivation (f. 1 1 2. b.) 

 Stamens usually twice as many (f. 109. d. f. 110. P.), sometimes 

 equal to them in number ; in the former case those which are 

 opposite to the segments of the calyx are alone fertile; 

 filaments curved downwards in aestivation ; anthers long (f. 



109. c. f. 111. e.f.), 2-celled, usually bursting by 2 pores at the 

 apex (f. 11 I.e.), which is rostrate, and elongated in various 

 ways(f. 109. e.) beyond the insertion of the filaments ; sometimes 

 bursting longitudinally (f. 113. e.) ; before flowering contained 

 within the cases between the ovarium and sides of the calyx. Ova- 

 rium more or less coherent with the calyx (f. 113. c.rf.), with seve- 

 ral cells, and indefinite ovulas ; style 1 (f. 109. d. f. 113. f.} ; 

 stigma simple, either capitate or minute ; a cup often present upon 

 the apex of the ovarium, surrounding the style. Pericarpium either 

 dry and distinct from the calyx, or succulent and combined with 

 the calyx, with several cells ; if dehiscent bursting through the 

 valves, which therefore bear the septa in the middle ; placentas 

 attached to a central column. Seeds innumerable, minute, with 

 a brittle testa, and no albumen, usually with appendages of some 

 kind ; embryo straight or curved, with equal or unequal coty- 

 ledons. Trees, shrubs, or herbaceous plants. Leaves opposite, 

 undivided, usually entire, without dots, with several ribs. 

 Flowers terminal, usually thyrsoid. De Candolle's remarks, in 

 his memoir upon Melastomdcetx, although composed of exotic 

 plants, and established at a period when but few species were 

 known, is so well characterised, that no one has ever thought 

 of putting any part of it in any other group, or even introducing 

 genera into it that do not rightly belong to it. These distinct cha- 

 racters are the opposite leaves, with several great veins or ribs 

 running from the base to the apex, something as in monoco- 

 tyledonous plants, and in long beaked anthers, to which, com- 

 bined, there is nothing to be compared in other families. The 

 greatest affinity is on the one hand with Lythrariece, on the other 

 to Myrtacece ; from the former it differs in the aestivation of 

 the calyx not being valvate, from the latter in having the petals 

 twisted before expansion, and no dots on the leaves, and from 

 both, and from all others to which they can be compared, in 

 their long anthers bent down parallel to the filaments in the 

 flower, and lying in niches between the calyx and ovarium ; 

 with the exception of Memecyle<e, in which, however, the union 

 between the calyx and ovarium is complete. The structure of 

 the seeds of Memecylece is also different. A slight degree of 

 astringency is the prevailing character of the order, which is, 

 although one of the most extensive known, entirely destitute of 

 any unwholesome species. The succulent fruit of many is eat- 

 able, some of which dye the mouth black. " Blakea trinervis 

 produces a yellow fruit, which is pleasant and eatable, in the 

 woods of Guiana." (Hamilt. prod. p. 42.) 



Synopsis of the genera. 

 SUB-ORDER I. MELASTOMEA. Anthers opening by 1-2 pores. 



TRIBE I. 

 LAVOISIE'RE^. Ovarium free, neither scaly nor bristly at the 



