MYRSIXEACE.E. 



ovate-oblong, acute, nearly entire ; flowers octandrous ; fruit 

 clavate, slightly 4-winged. fj . H. Native of Florida. Ker. 

 hot. reg. t. 952. Leaves downy, glaucous beneath. Racemes 

 panicled. Flowers white, drooping. Calycine teeth ovate. 



Small-fonered Snow-drop-tree. Fl. May. Clt. 1802. Tree 

 10 feet. 



3 H. DIPTERA (Lin. spec. 636.) leaves ovate, acute, serrated ; 

 petioles smooth and even ; pedicels elongated ; fruit with 2 large 

 opposite wings and 2 obsolete ones. T; . H. Native of Georgia 

 and Carolina, in shady places on the banks of rivers. Cav. 

 diss. 6. p. 338. t. 187. Lodd. bot. cab. 1172. Flowers oc- 

 tandrous. Leaves much larger than those of either of the pre- 

 ceding species. 



Tmo-ivinged-frmted Snow-drop-tree. Fl. April, May. Clt. 

 1758. Tree 10 feet. 



Cull. The species of Snow-drop-tree are well fitted for 

 shrubberies and lawns, on account of the profusion of early snow- 

 drop-like blossoms which they bear. They will grow in any 

 common soil, and are to be increased by slips of the root and 

 by seeds. 



ORDER CXLIII. MYRSINEA'CE.E (this order contains 

 plants agreeing with Myrsine in important characters). Myr- 

 sineae, R. Br. prod. p. 533. Alph. D. C. in Lin. trans. 17. p. 

 100. Ardisiaceae, Juss. ann. mus. 15. p. 349. Ophiospermas, 

 Vent. eels. p. 86. Sapotae, part. Juss. gen. p. 168. 



Calyx permanent, 4-5-lobed (f. 3. a. f. 4. a.). Corolla ga- 

 mopetalous (f. 4. b. f. 5. b.), rarely polypetalous, regular ; 

 lobes or petals equal in number to the lobes of the calyx. Sta- 

 mens equal in number to the lobes of the corolla, inserted in 

 its base (f. 4. 6.), and opposite the lobes, free from each other or 

 combined. Pollen ovoid-globose, smooth. Ovarium free or adhe- 

 rent, 1 -celled; ovula immersed in the central placenta. Style 1. 

 Drupe or berry 1 or many-seeded. Albumen horny, conforming to 

 the seed, or deficient. Cotyledons short. Plumule inconspicuous 

 or very short. Trees, shrubs, or subshrubs. Leaves alternate^ 

 rarely almost opposite or subverticillate, simple, entire, or 

 toothed. Flowers axillary, pedunculate, or sessile, with inde- 

 finite centripetal floration. All the parts are more or less fur- 

 nished with resinous matter, which appears in dots. The hairs 

 are simple or stellate, usually rising from cells, generally very 

 short ; on the peduncles, calyxes, and lower surface of the leaves 

 they are most frequent ; in most of the species the situation ( 

 form, and number are variable. 



The plants contained in this order are mostly inhabitants of 

 the warmer regions of Asia and America, but never beyond the 

 39th degree of latitude. The order is intermediate between 

 Sapbtece and Primulacece. Sapdteae differs from it in the whorl 

 of stamens being alternate with the lobes of the corolla ; and 

 from Primulacece in the fruit being indehiscent, and in habit. 

 The Myrslnets have more or less a disposition to produce a 

 resinous substance, which appears as dots in different parts of 

 the plant, chiefly on the leaves, flowers, and berries. It may be 

 seen also in the hard wood of Myrsine and jEgiceras ; these 

 dots are dark or light brown, reddish, orange, or yellow ; they 

 vary in size, shape, and position in different species. Alphonse 

 de Candolle supposes the styptic taste of the fruit of Embelia 

 Ribes to depend very much upon the quantity, and some pecu- 

 liar quality, of this resinous substance. 



Synopsis of the genera. 

 TRIBE I. 



Flowers pentamerous. Filaments connate at the 

 bate. Ocarium superior, many-seeded. Stigma simple. Drupe 

 long, cylindrical, follicular, l-seeded. Albumen none. Embryo 

 erect. 



Characters the same as the tribe. 

 TRIBE II. 



ARDISIE'JE. Calyx and corolla 4-5-lobed (f. 3. a. b. f. 4. a. b. 

 f. 5. a. b.~). Stamens usually free. Ocarium superior, many- 

 seeded. Drupe or berry globose, l-seeded. Albumen horny. 

 Embryo transverse. 



2 WALLE'NIA. Calyx and corolla tubular, 4-lobed ; filaments 

 connate at the base ; anthers ovoid. Stigma dot-formed. 



3 WEIGE'LTIA, Calyx and corolla 4-parted. Filaments free ; 

 anthers ovoid. Style short. 



4 COXOMORPHA. Calyx and corolla 4-cleft, funnel-shaped ; 

 filaments free, inserted in the upper part of the corolla ; anthers 

 ovate-triangular. Stigma simple. 



5 CYBIA'NTHUS. Calyx and corolla 4-cleft, rotate ; filaments 

 very short ; anthers oblong, opening by 2 pores at top. Stigma 

 sessile, sub-capitate. 



6 MY'RSINK. Calyx and corolla 4-6-lobed (f. 3. a. d.). Fila- 

 ments short, free. Stigma fringed, lobed, or simple (f. 3. &.). 



7 BA'DULA. Calyx 5-lobed (f. 4. a.). Corolla 5-cleft (f. 4. 

 6.). Stigma thick, capitate, or obscurely lobed (f. 4. c.). 



8 OXCOSTE'MCM. Calyx and corolla 5-cleft. Stamens com- 

 bined into a mass, or into a 5-toothed tube. Stigma funnel- 

 shaped, nearly entire, or denticulated. 



9 ARDI'SIA. Calyx and corolla 5-cleft (f. 5. a. b.}. Fila- 

 ments free ; anthers triangular, free, or combined. Stigma 

 simple, subulate, or dot-formed. 



10 EMBE'LIA. Calyx and corolla 5-parted. Filaments free ; 

 anthers ovoid. Stigma capitate. 



11 CHORIPE'TALUM. Calyx 4-cleft. Corolla 4-petalled. 

 Stamens combined, and with the petals at the base. Style fili- 

 form. 



TRIBE III. 



M*SE. Calyx 5-lobed. Corolla 5-lobed, induplicate in 

 aestivation. Stamens 5, free. Ocarium adherent, half inferior, 

 many-oculate. Style short ; stigma obscurely 3-5-lobed. Seeds 

 numerous, small, angular, Jixed to the central placenta. Embryo 

 transverse. 



12 M V SA. Character the same as that of the tribe. 



f A genus doubtful nhelher belonging to the present order. 



13 CORYNOCA'RPUS. Calyx of 5 concave sepals. Corolla of 

 5 roundish petals. Stamens 5, from the claws of the petals. 

 Drape clavate, containing a l-seeded nut. 



Tribe I. 



JiGICE v RE2E (this tribe contains only the genus jEgiceras). 

 Alph. D. C. in Lin. trans. 17. p. 100. Calyx 5-parted; seg- 

 ments obliquely imbricated. Corolla 5-cleft. Filaments con- 

 nate at the base ; anthers free, sagittate, having the cells burst- 



