MYRTACEyE. XXVIII. MYRCIA. XXIX. CALYPTRANTHES. 



847 



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Uncertain species. 



111 M. MELASTOMOIDES (D. C. 1. c.) peduncles axillary, pa- 

 nicled, shorter than the leaves ; leaves ovate, acutish, strongly 

 3-nerved, sessile, very opaque and glabrous. Tj . S. Native 

 of Tobago. Flowers 5-cleft. Margin of calyx permanent, 

 usually 5-toothed. Fruit nearly globose, 1-seedecl. Seeds large, 

 shining. Cotyledons foliaceous, corrugated. 



Melastoma-lUee Myrcia. Shrub 5 to 10 ft. 



112 M. ? TRIA'NTIIA (D. C. 1. c.) peduncles axillary, 3-5- 

 flovvered, shorter than the leaves ; flowers 5-cleft, middle one 

 sessile, lateral ones pedicellate ; bracteas linear at the base of 

 the calyx ; leaves ovate-lanceolate, acute, full of pellucid dots ; 

 branchlets tetragonal, rather pubescent. Tj . S. Native coun- 

 try unknown. Leaves nearly of M. comrnunis var. Romano. 

 Lobes of calyx acute. Fruit and seeds unknown. 



Three-Jlonered Myrcia. Tree 10 to 15 ft. 



113 M.? VERNICOSA (D. C. 1. c.) peduncles axillary, 3-5- 

 flowered, a little longer than the leaves ; calyx bluntly and re- 

 pandly 5-toothed ; leaves oval, obtuse at both ends, nearly ses- 

 sile, shining on both surfaces, and as if they were varnished 

 above; branches and peduncles glabrous. Tj . S. Native of 

 South America. Leaves 20 lines long, and 12-14 broad, when 

 young furnished with pellucid dots, but opaque in the adult state. 

 Pedicels opposite, distant. Fruit and seeds unknown. 



/'flr;Vier/-leaved Myrcia. Shrub 6 to 12 ft. 



Cult. All the species of Myrcia are very like the common 

 myrtle when in flower ; they grow best in a mixture of loam, 

 peat, and sand ; and young cuttings will root readily if planted 

 in a pot of sand, with a hand-glass over them. 



XXIX. CALYPTRA'NTHES (from KaXvwrpa, calyptra, a 

 veil, and avBoe, anthos, a flower ; in allusion to the operculum 

 of the flower). Swartz, prod. fl. ind. occ. p. 917. t. 15. St. Hil. 

 pi. usual, bras. t. 14. D. C. prod. 3. p. 256. Chytraculia and 

 Suzy'gium, P. Browne, jam. 239. and 240. Chytralia, Adans. 

 jam, p. 80. Calyptranthes, Juss. diet. 6. p. 274. but not of Pet. 

 Th. nor Blume. 



LIN. SYST. Icosfindria, Monogynia. Tube of calyx obovate ; 

 limb entire before flowering, but circumcised at the base at the 

 time of flowering, constituting a lateral deciduous operculum. 

 Petals wanting, or 2 or 3 small. Stamens numerous ; filaments 

 capillary ; anthers small, round, 2-celled. Style one. Stigma 

 simple. Ovarium 2-3-celled ; cells 2-seeded in the central 

 angle. Berry 1-celled from abortion, 1-4-seeded Small trees, 

 natives of the West Indies and Brazil. Leaves feather-veined. 

 Peduncles axillary, many- flowered. Mature seeds not well 

 known, but they are probably similar to those of Myrcia. 



1 C. OBSCU'RA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 257.) leaves oval, acumi- 

 nated, stiff, shining above, full of pellucid dots beneath, quite 

 glabrous, as well as the branches, on short petioles ; flowers 2-5 

 together, axillary, on short pedicels. Pj . S. Native of Brazil. 

 Psidium obscurum, Mart. herb. Calyx with an obovate tube, 

 having the limb irregularly ruptured after flowering. Allied to 

 C. rigidum. 



Obscure Calyptranthes. Shrub. 



2 C. RIGIDA (Swartz, prod. p. 80. fl. ind. occ. p. 923.) arbor- 

 escent ; leaves ovate, acute, convex, stiff", glabrous; peduncles 

 axillary, simple, usually 3-flowered, glabrous. ^ S. Native 

 of Jamaica, on the higher mountains. Flowers small, white, 

 nearly sessile on the tops of the peduncles. Berry minute, 

 roundish, 1 -seeded. 



Stiff Calyptranthes. Tree 12 to 15 ft. 



3 C. CHYTRACU'LIA (Swartz, prod. p. 79. fl. ind. occ. p. 921.) 

 arboreous ; leaves ovate, attenuated at the apex, stiffish, gla- 

 brous ; peduncles axillary and terminal, trichotomous, panic-led, 



8 



and are, as well as the flowers, clothed with rufous velvety 

 down. ^ . S. Native of Jamaica, St. Thomas, and Guuda- 

 loupe, on the mountains. Chytraculia arborea, P. Browne, jam. 

 239. t. 37. f. S. My'rtus chytraculia, Lin. amcen. 5. p. 398. 

 Flowers small, glomerate, white. Berry dry, 1 -seeded. Eu- 

 genia pallens, Poir. suppl. 3. p. 122. The specific name is de- 

 rived from xvrpa, a vessel, in reference to the operculum of the 

 flower. 



Chytraculia Calyptranthes. Fl. March, May. Clt.1778. Tree. 



4 C. SYZY'GIUM (Swartz, prod. p. 79. fl. ind. occ. p. 919.) 

 arborescent ; leaves ovate, obtuse, stiff'; peduncles axillary, 

 trichotomous, many-flowered, glabrous. Jj . S. Native of Ja- 

 maica, in arid calcareous places by the sea side. Suzy'gium 

 fruticSsum, Lin. amrcn. 5. p. 398. Flowers on short pedicels. 

 Berry roundish, black, 3-4-seeded. The specific name is derived 

 from avfayoc, coupled, in reference to the manner in which the 

 leaves are united in pairs. 



Coupled Calyptranthes. Fl. May, July. Clt. 1779. Shrub 10 

 to 12 feet. 



5 C. MARTIUSIA'NA (D. C. 1. c.) leaves oval, attenuated at the 

 base, bluntish at the apex, rather opaque, having the lateral 

 nerves confluent at their tops, reticulated, glabrous on both 

 surfaces, as well as on the branches ; peduncles compressed, 

 trifid at the apex, with the ramifications bearing 3 sessile ap- 

 proximate, bibracteate flowers at the apex. Pj . S. Native 

 of Brazil, in woods on the road to Felisbert. Leaves 4 inches 

 long, and 2 inches broad. Peduncles diverging, 1 1 inch long. 

 Lateral pedicels 4 lines long, and the middle one 6 lines long. 

 Bracteoles glabrous, deciduous. Calyx villous. Flower-bud 

 ovate, acute, separating transversely into a conical operculum. 

 Stamens numerous. Fruit unknown. 



Martins' s Calyptranthes. Tree. 



6 C. ? ERIOPODA (D. C. 1. c.) leaves ovate, hardly petiolate, 

 obtuse, coriaceous, opaque, glabrous; peduncles axillary, or nearly 

 terminal, solitary or twin, a little branched, somewhat race- 

 mosely spicate, shorter than the leaves, hairy from rufous villi ; 

 calyx villous ; fruit globose, crowned by the neck of the calyx. 



\ . S. Native of Brazil. My'rcia eriopus, Mart. herb. Fruit 

 like that of Myrcia, but the calyx agrees with Calyptranthes. 

 Leaves 15-18 lines long, and 10-12 lines broad. 

 Woolly-footed Calyptranthes. Tree. 



7 C. PULCHE'LLA (D. C. 1. c.) leaves obovate, cuneated at the 

 base, obtuse at the apex, coriaceous, dotted beneath, when young 

 full of pellucid dots, glabrous on both surfaces, and on the 

 branches ; peduncles axillary, angular, a little shorter than the 

 leaves, bearing 5-9 flowers, fj . S. Native of Brazil, in the 

 provinces of the Mines. Flowers 3, approximate on the tops 

 of the peduncles. Flower-bud obovate, furnished with small 

 rufous pili at the base. Leaves 15-16 lines long, and 7-9 lines 

 broad. 



Pretty Calyptranthes. Tree. 



8 C. DE'NSA (D. C. 1. c.) leaves oval, acutish at the base, stiff 1 , 

 opaque, and are, as well as the branchlets, glabrous ; peduncles 

 axillary and terminal, corymbosely panicled, and are, as well as 

 the branchlets, angular ; fruit globose, crowned by the short 

 truncate tube of the calyx. J? . S. Native of Brazil, in the 

 provinces of the Mines. Leaves nearly like those of C. Chytra- 

 culia, an inch long, and 6 lines broad. Fruit 2-seeded. Embryo 

 pseudo-monocotyledonous. Flower-bud not seen. 



Dense- flowered Calyptranthes. Tree. 



9 C. CONC!NNA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 258.) leaves elliptic-oblong, 

 cuneated at the base, bluntish at the apex, full cf pellucid dots, 

 white from villi beneath, as well as on the branches, opaque in 

 the adult state, and glabrous on both surfaces ; peduncles axil- 

 lary, opposite, bearing 3-5 flowers at the apex, in a kind of 

 umbel. >j . S. Native of Brazil. Leaves 2 inches long, 10 

 lines broad, nearly like those of Myrcia oblongata. Peduncles 



