1000 



MELALEUCA 



species, with many changeable and uncertain variations, 

 found throughout tropical Asia, especially the Indian 

 Archipelago. The plants range in size from shrubs to 

 trees 80 ft. high, the large trees having slender, pendu- 

 lous branches, the small trees and shrubs rigid, erect 

 branches: Ivs. often vertical, elliptical or lanceolate, 

 straight, oblique or falcate, acuminate, acute or obtuse, 

 when broad 2—1 in. long, when narrow 6-8 in. long, nar- 

 rowed into a petiole, thin or rigid: fl. -spikes more or 

 less interrupted, solitary or 2 or 3 together, from less 

 than 2 to more than 6 in. long: fls. numerous, white, 

 elongated; stamens greenish yellow, whitish, pink or 

 purple, glabrous, !)-9 in each bundle, less than 3.3 in. 

 long; claws sometimes very short, sometimes exceeding 

 the petals, each with 5-8 filaments at the end. The Ivs. 

 yield the well-known green aromatic cajaput oil used in 

 medicine. The bark is pale buff, in many thin, easily 

 separated layers ; it is very durable, lasting longer than 

 timber, and is said to be almost impervious to water; it 

 is valuable for packing fruits and is used for roofs and 

 for boats. The tree withstands winds, drought and 

 slight frosts and grows where the Euealpytus fails. 

 Von Miiller recommends it for planting where yellow 

 fever occurs. Sometimes called the Paper Bark or 

 Swamp Tea tree. G.M. 40:798. 



AA. Lrs mostly in whorls of 3-5. 



microm^ra, Schau. Lvs. closely appressed, ovate, 

 scale-like, but thick, peltately attached, rarely above 

 ^ line long: fls. sulfur-yellow, the males small, in glob- 

 ular, terminal heads, the axils soon growing out into 

 a leafy shoot: fruiting heads dense, globular, the calices 

 open. 



AAA. Lrs. moslUj opposite. 

 B. Margins of lvs. recurved. 



hypericifblia, Smith. Lvs. opposite, lanceolate or ob- 

 long, rather thin, with recurved margins and prominent 

 midrib %-iy^ in. long: fls. large, rich red, in cylindrical 

 or oblong dense spikes; stamens over K in. long; stami- 

 nal claws long. L.B. C. 2:199. — This species belongs to 

 a series in which the stamens are over K in. long, while 

 in the other 6 series the stamens never exceed % in. 



BB. Margin of lvs. not recurved. 

 decussflta, R. Br. Tall shrub, sometimes 20 ft. high : 

 lvs. iiiiistly opposite, often decussate on the smaller 

 branches, nlilnug-lanceolate or linear, 3-G lines long, 

 rigid: Hs. rather small, pink; when in oblong or almost 

 globular lateral heads or spikes are usually barren, and 

 fertile when in oblong or cylindrical interrupted spikes 

 forming the base of leafy branches ; stamens not above 3 

 lines long, very shortlyunited in bundles of 10-1.3; calyx 

 lobes more or less scarious and deciduous or wearing off 

 when in fruit, attached by the broad base, more or less 

 immersed when in fruit in the thickened rachis. B.M. 

 2208. L.B.C. 13:1208. m. B. Coulston. 



MELANTHIUM (Greek, black flower; from the darker 

 color which the persistent perianth assumes on fading). 

 Lilictceee. Leafy perennial herbs 2-5 ft. high, with 

 thick rootstocks: lvs. linear to oblanceolate or oval: fls. 

 greenish, white or cream-colored, borne in a large, open 

 t.'i-niin:il p;nii<l.-. The genus is nearest to Veratrum, but 

 tin- sfp;its ul' ihr intler are not clawed as they are in Me- 

 lanthiuni Pcriiirith segments iisually oblong or oblanceo- 

 late, with or without glands at the top of the claw. Of 6 

 species, 2 are African, 1 Siberian and 3 North American, 

 only 1 of the latter being in the trade. 



Virginicum, Linn. Bunch Flower. Stem rather slen- 

 der, leafy: lvs. linear, 1 ft. or less long: panicles 0-18 

 in. long: fls. I'l-lO lines across; double gland at top of 

 claw. July. Marshy woodlands and meadows from New 

 England to Pla. and Minn, to Tex. B.M. 985 (Helonias 

 Virginica). -lu\. by H. P. Kelsey 1891. A showy and 

 striking plant. 



M. junceum is advertised by Krelage, of Haarlem, but its 

 botanical position is to be determined, 



MELASPHffiKULA (a little black sphere; referring 



to til.. l)nlhl,'is ,.n ihi- st.-ni I. Iriihleeie. A genus of one 

 s|iiri,.s fn.ni Ih.' ('M|ii' "f I ;()..(! II. .pe. a small, rare bul- 

 bous plant procurable from Dutch bulb-growers. It be- 



MELASTOMA 



longs to the Ixia tribe, in which the flowers are spicate, 

 not fugitive, and never more than 1 to a spathe. It re- 

 sembles Ixia in having a regular perianth and simple 

 style branches, but belongs to a different group of 

 genera in which the stamens are one-sided and arched. 

 Baker places it between Crocosma and Tritonia, differ- 

 ing from them in having a small perianth without any 

 tube and very acuminate segments. Baker, Irideae, 1892, 

 and Flora Capensis, vol. 6. For culture, see Bitlhs and 

 Ixia. 



^aminea, Ker. Corra globose, yi in. in diam. : stem 

 very slender, 1 ft. or more long: lvs. about 6 in a 2- 

 ranked, basal rosette, linear, K-1 ft. long: spikes few- 

 fld., panicled: fls. yellowish green, veined with purplish 

 black, y^-% in. across. Spring. B.M. 615. 



^^'^Sl-^m.A 



)387. Umbrella-tree — Melia Azedarach. 1 



nbraculiformis. 



MELASTOMA (Greek for black and mouth; alluding 

 to the color left in the mouth when the berries of some 

 species are eaten) . This genus, which gives name to the 

 great family Melastomacero, with 2,000 species, is little 

 known in cult. It is nut the most important genus of 

 the family, either hnrtimilturally or in number of species. 

 Cogniaux, the latest ujonoiiraplicr [W:. Monogr. Phaner. 

 7), admits 37 sjiecies. The larger part of melastoraaceous 

 plants are of tropical America, but the true Melastomas 

 are natives to tropical Asia, Australia and Oceanica. 

 They are shrubs or rarely small trees: lvs. opposite, 

 petiolate, oblong or lanceolate, thick and entire, strongly 

 nerved lengthwise, often handsomely colored: fls. soli- 

 tary or fascicled on the ends of the branches, purple 

 or rose (rarely white), large and showy; calyx mostly 

 5-lobed; petals usually 5 and often unequal, ciliate on 

 the back; stamens 10 as a rule, very strongly unequal, 

 part of them being short and small: fr. a leathery or 

 fleshy berry, breaking irregularly, 5-7-loculed and con- 

 taining many small spiral seeds. For culture, see 

 Medinilla. Nearly all tropical melastomaceous plants 

 require a high temperature, partial shade and consider- 

 able moisture. Prop, by cuttings of firm wood. Adver- 

 tized in S. Calif. 



A. Lvs. strongly 5-nerved. 



dec^mfidum. Roxbg.(il/. sangnlneum, D. Don. M.Mal- 

 uhdthricum. Sims, not Linn.). Three to 4 ft.: branches 

 subterete :ind hirsute: lvs. lanceolate or lance-oblong, 

 long-aeiiniin;ite. tlie nerves (or at least some of them) 

 ami tlie |M lieles ..Iten red: fls. 1-3, large, nearly or quite 

 2 in. across, tlie petals rose-colored and refuse. Java to 

 China. B.M. 529 and 2241. 



AA. Lvs. strongly 7-nerved. 



cAndidum, D. Don (M. Malabdthrictim, B.R. 8:672, not 

 Linn. ). Branches 4-angled, the youngerones pubescent, 

 as also the petioles: lvs. ovate-acute, setulose above, 

 villose beneath: fls. 3-7 in a cyme, ro.se-colored (some- 

 times white I ) , about the size of those of M. decemfidum; 

 calyx-lubes shorter than the tube. China. 



Malabithricum, Linn. Differs from the last in having 

 the cal\ \ lolie> alio\it equal to the tube, or sometimes 

 even lon^:. r: l\ s. .,l,long or ovate-oblong, acute or short- 

 acuminate, spaf^elv setulose, above and beneath : fls. 

 corymbose, purple, much smaller than in the last two. 



