APOCYNEjE. XXXIX. ALYXIA. 



hort. kew. ed. 2. vol. 2. p. 67. Cupa veela, Rheed. mal. 9. 

 p. 61. t. 33. Flowers size and colour of those of Lithosper- 

 mum officinale. Follicles longer than those of C. rbseus. 



Least Catharanthus. Fl. Aug. Clt. 1778. PI. to 1 foot. 



Cult. C. rbseus is a very elegant and delicate shrub, of easy 

 culture ; and is increased readily by cuttings or seeds. C, 

 pusillus, being annual, is only to be preserved by sowing the 

 seeds in a pot full of light rich earth, and placing it in a 

 hot-bed. 



Tribe V. 



ALYXIE'^E (this tribe agrees with Alyxia in the fruit being 

 drupaceous). Ovarium double. Fruit drupaceous. Albumen 

 large, ruminated or fleshy. 



XXXIX. ALY'XIA (from aXi/^tc, alyxis, anxiety, grief; 

 gloomy appearance of the shrubs.) Banks, herb, ex R. Br. 

 prod. p. 469. Cunningh. in bot. mag. no. 3312. Gynopogon, 

 Forst. char. gen. p. 36. t. 18. 



LIN. SYST. Pentdndria Monogy'nia. Calyx 5-parted. Corolla 

 salver-shaped, with a naked throat. Stamens inclosed. Ovaria 

 twin, few-seeded. Styles sub-adherent. Stigma obtuse. Drupes 

 2, pedicellate, one of which is usually abortive, simple, con- 

 taining a semibilocular 1 -seeded putamen. Seed semibipartite. 

 Albumen ruminated horny. Embryo erect, straight, or curved. 

 Small, glabrous, lactescent trees or shrubs. Leaves verticillate 

 or opposite, coriaceous, compact, evergreen. Flowers axillary 

 or terminal, sometimes spicate, small, white, and usually sweet- 

 scented. Habit and structure of flowers as in other Apocy- 

 neous plants, but differs in the albumen being ruminated, and 

 easily separated into lobes. 



* Leaves verticillate. 



1 A. ACTINOPHY'LLCM (Cunningh. in bot. mag. no. 3313.) 

 corymbs simple, axillary, pedunculate; pedicels 1 -3-flowered ; 

 calyx bractless ; leaves 4-6-8 in a whorl, petiolate, long-lan- 

 ceolate, glabrous, with revolute edges, glaucous beneath : with 

 obtuse-angled, parallel veins ; peduncles only half the length 

 of the leaves ; stigma oblong, membranous, beardless ; stem 

 arborescent. ^ . S. Native of New Holland, on the shore 

 within the tropic, as at Endeavour River and Montague Sound. 



Ray-leaved Alyxia. Shrub. 



2 A. SPICA V TA (R. Br. prod. 1. p. 470.) spikes axillary ; 

 flowers verticillate, almost sessile, unibracteate ; leaves 3 in a 

 whorl, oval-oblong ; petioles shorter than the peduncles : with 

 a simple base ; stigma sub-conical, furnished with a short 

 beard. f? . S. Native of New Holland, on the east coast, 

 within the tropic (R. Br.), Endeavour River (A. Cunningh.). 



(S^p'^e-flowered Alyxia. Shrub. 



S A. TETRAGONA (R. Br. prod. p. 470.) spikes axillary ; 

 flowers verticillate, almost sessile, tribracteate ; leaves 4 in a 

 whorl, oblong ; petioles longer than the peduncles : with a gib- 

 bous base. Tj . S. Native of New Holland, within the 

 tropic ; Lizard Island. A. Cunningh. 



Tetragonal Alyxia. Shrub. 



4 A. STELLA'TA (Rcem. et Schultes, syst. 4. p. 439.) umbels 

 axillary, pedunculate, much shorter than the leaves ; calyx 

 bractless ; leaves 3 in a whorl, lanceolate, somewhat acuminated, 

 bluntish, attenuated at the base, smooth ; stigma capitate, 

 bearded (ex Spreng.). Jj . S. Native of the Society and 

 Friendly Islands. Gynopogon stellatum, Forst. prod. no. 117. 

 char. gen. p. 36. t. 18. Labill. sert. cal. p. 30. t. 34. A. aro- 

 matica, Reinwdt. A. Reinwardtii, Blum. cat. hort. buitenz, p. 43. 



Starry-\esL\ed Alyxia. Shrub. 



5 A. oBxusiF6nA (R. Br. prod. p. 470.) umbels axillary, 

 pedunculate ; calyx bractless ; leaves 3 in a whorl, ovate or 

 obovate, very blunt. (? . S. Native of New South Wales, on 

 the south coast. 



Blunt-leaved Alyxia. Shrub. 



6 A. LAURINA (Gaud, in Freyc. voy. pt. bot. p. 451. t. 62.) 

 peduncles terminal, usually by threes, 1 -3-flowered ; calyx 

 bractless ; leaves 3 in a whorl, oblong, rather coriaceous, ter- 

 minating in a rounded, emarginate, taper point ; stigma ciliated. 



fj. S. Native of the Moluccas. Rumph. amb. 5. p. 34. t. 20. 

 (ex Gaud.) 



Laurel-like Alyxia. Shrub. 



7 A. OLIVJEFORMIS (Gaud, in Freyc. voy. pt. bt. p. 451.) pe- 

 duncles axillary, solitary, 2-4-flowered ; leaves 3 in a whorl, 

 elliptic-oblong, acute at both ends, membranous ; fruit olive- 

 formed. J? . S. Native of the Sandwich Islands. 



Olive-formed-fruited Alyxia. Shrub. 



8 A. TORRESIA'NA (Gaud, in 1. c.) peduncles axillary, solitary, 

 2-flowered, exceeding the petioles ; leaves 3 in a whorl, elliptic, 

 obtuse, sub-emarginate, running into the petioles at the base ; 

 fruit roundish elliptic. Jj . S. Native of the Marianne Islands. 



Torres s Alyxia. Shrub. 



9 A. GYNOPOGON (Rcem. et Schultes, syst. 4. p. 440.) flowers 

 almost sessile, axillary or terminal, solitary or twin ; leaves 4-5 

 in a whorl, obovate, or ovate-oblong, bluntish, attenuated at the 

 base, shining, veinless beneath ; stigma beardless ; branches 

 twiggy, glabnus. fj . S. Native of Norfolk Island, in shady 

 humid parts of woods. Wall, cat 1650. Endlicher, prod. fl. 

 norf. p. 58. Bauer, ill. pi. norf. t. 119. A. Forsteri, Cun- 

 ningh. mss. 1830. Gynopogon Alyxia, Forst. prod. no. 118. 



Gynopogon Alyxia. Clt.? Shrub. 



10 A. DAPHNOIDES (Cunning, in bot. mag. t. 3313.) flowers 

 sessile, axillary, or terminal ; leaves 4 in a whorl, obovate- 

 oblong, elliptic, or rhomboid, obtuse, smooth, shining, veiny 

 beneath ; stigma tipped by a short, pencil-like beard ; branches 

 straight, tomentose, scabrous. I? . S. Native of Norfolk Island, 

 in dry shady woods. 



Daphne-like Alyxia. Clt. 1831. Shrub. 



11 A. RUSCIFOLIA (R. Br. prod, p 470.) flowers almost ses- 

 sile, terminal ; leaves 4 or 3 in a whorl, broad-elliptic or ellip- 

 tic-lanceolate, acute, mucronate : the mucrone spiny ; veins 

 acute, angular ; the surfaces and margins rather roughish ; 

 stigma truncate at apex, pencilled. Jj . S. Native of the south 

 coast of New South Wales. Lodd. bot. cab. 1811. Cunningh. 

 in bot. mag. 3312. A. Richardsonii, Sweet. 



Far. /3, pugioniformis (Cunningh. mss. 1828. and 1. c.) leaves 

 narrow-lanceolate, mucronate. (j . S. Native of Morion Bay. 



Ruscus-leaved Alyxia. Fl. April, July. Clt. 1820. Shrub 

 4 to 6 feet. 



* * Leaves opposite. 



12 A. SULCA'TA (Hook. ann. in Beech, voy. pt. bot. p. 90.) 

 leaves opposite, ovate, obtuse, rather membranous, shining on 

 both surfaces, obsoletely and parallelly veined ; peduncles axil- 

 lary, solitary, 3-flowered, one half shorter than the leaves ; fruit 

 olive-formed, furrowed longitudinally. t? . S. Native of tie 

 Sandwich Islands. 



FMrron>e</-fruited Alyxia. Shrub. 



IS A. SCA'NDENS (Rcem. et Schultes, syst. 4. p. 440.) pe- 

 duncles axillary, 3-flowered, longer than the petioles ; leaves 

 opposite, oval, oblong-elliptic, bluntly acuminated, shining, 

 with parallel veins ; branches climbing. J; . ^. S. Native of 

 the Society Islands. Gynopogon scandens, Forst. prod. no. 1 19. 



Climbing Alyxia. Shrub cl. 



14 A. BUXIFOLIA (R. Br. prod. p. 470.) flowers usually twin, 

 interpetiolar ; leaves opposite, oval or obovate, smooth on both 

 surfaces, terminating in a callous point ; stigma much bearded. 

 ^ . S. Native of New South Wales, on the east and south 

 coasts ; also of the island in Bass Straits, as also in the northern 

 regions of Van Diemen's Land. 



Box-leaved Alyxia. Shrub. 



