60 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



mite on the plant. The hypocotyl may reach the 

 length of 3 feet, although usually less; it is club-shaped 

 and heaviest at the apex, so that when the seedling 

 eventually falls from the tree, it sticks in the mud 

 vertically, with the hypocotyl down, ready to grow. 



The Rhizophoracese are of little economic importance. 

 Land is held in place and protected from the waves by 

 the mangrove. The fruits of Anisophyllum are plum- 

 like but poor. The mangrove grows wild on the 

 Florida, Texas, and Mississippi coast, and has been 

 offered for sale in California. 



163. Combretacese (from the genus Combretum, a 

 name given to this plant by Pliny). COMBRETUM FAM- 

 ILY. Fig. 43. Trees or shrubs, erect or climbing: leaves 



43. LECYTHIDACE.*: 1. Lecythis, flower. RHIZOPHORACE*: 



2. Rhizophora, a, flower; b, germinating fruit. COMBHETACE.E: 



3. Combretum, a, flower; 6, floral diagram. MYKTACE*: 4. 

 Jambosa, a, flower; b, vertical section flower-bud. 5. Eucalyptus, 

 a, flower-bud and lid; b, vertical section flower-bud. MELAS- 

 TOMACE.E: 6. Melastoma, a, flower; 6, floral diagram. 



alternate or opposite, simple or coriaceous: flowers 

 bisexual or unisexual, regular, usually perigynous; 

 receptacle enveloping the ovary and often projecting 

 into a slender tube; sepals 4-5, valvate, connate; petals 

 4-5, or 0; stamens 4-5, alternating with the petals, or 

 twice or thrice as many; ovary 1-celled, inferior, 2-4- 

 ovuled: fruit a drupe, or dry and winged, rarely 

 dehiscent. 



In this family are 15 genera and about 280 species, 

 mostly confined to the tropics of both hemispheres. 

 The family is related to the Cornacea? and the Rhi- 

 zophoraceae, as well as more distantly to the Onagracese. 



The trees are valuable for their hard, close wood; 

 the tannin-containing bark and galls are used locally 

 for tanning leather. The seeds known as myrobalans 

 (Terminalia Chebula and T. Catappa) are much eaten 

 in India. A useful oil is obtained from these seeds. 

 Black and yellow dyes are furnished by several species. 



Four to 6 genera are in cultivation in the Southern 

 States and the West Indies. Terminalia Catappa 

 (tropical almond, myrobalan) is grown for nuts and 



shade. Poivrea is a red-flowered shrub grown in 

 southern Florida. One species of Combretum is a 

 warmhouse climbing shrub. Quisqualis, or rangoon 

 creeper, is a peculiar climbing shrub grown in the 

 warmhouse. It is at first erect, later climbing. 



164. Myrtaceae (from the genus Myrtus derived 

 from the classical name myrtle, which probably meant 

 perfume). MYRTLE FAMILY. Fig. 43. Usually shrubby 

 or arborescent aromatically fragrant plants: leaves usu- 

 ally opposite, thick, entire and pellucid-dotted: flowers 

 bisexual, regular, rarely perigynous; sepals mostly 

 4-5, imbricated; petals 4-5, imbricated; stamens very 

 numerous by splitting, often in fascicles which are 

 opposite the petals; ovary inferior, 1- to many-colled: 

 fruit usually a berry, rarely a drupe or nut; seeds 

 1- to many. 



The 72 genera and 2,750 species are confined almost 

 entirely to the tropics, but with two great centers of 

 distribution, one in tropical America and the other in 

 Australia. Eugenia contains 625 species, and Kura- 

 lyptus more than 130 species. This is a large family re- 

 lated to the Melastomacea:, Onagracea;, and Lythracea. 

 The very numerous stamens, derived by the snlitting of 

 the few original stamens, and the oil-glands are dis- 

 tinctive. The petals of Eucalyptus remain firmly grown 

 together, and, when the flower opens, they separate 

 along a transverse line and are thrown off as a lid. 



The Myrtacese are rich in volatile oils; also in tannin, 

 acids, sugars, mucilage, and fixed oils. Cloves are the 

 flower-buds of Jambosa caryophyllus. The fruit of 

 Pimento officinalis is thought to combine the flavors 

 of the nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove, and is therefore 

 termed allspice. Psidium Guajava is a tree cultivated 

 in the tropics for the much-prized fruits. Oil of myrica 

 is obtained from the leaves of Pimento acris of the 

 West Indies, and is used in making bay rum. Oil of 

 cajeput, a fragrant oil used in medicine, is secured 

 from the leaves and twigs of the East Indian Melaleuca 

 Leucadendron. The leaves of the European myrtle 

 (Myrtus communis) yield a distilled preparation known 

 as eau-d'ange, used as a toilet article. Other edible 

 fruits are rose apples (Jambosa malaccensis and J . vul- 

 garis) of the East Indies and Pacific Ocean. Jambos 

 berries are obtained from Jambosa vulgaris, which is 

 extensively cultivated in the tropics. Oil of eucalyptus 

 is an important aromatic oil obtained from the foliage 

 of various species of that genus. The wood of Eu- 

 calyptus is hard, firm and elastic, and is much prized 

 in wood-carving Many other species of this family 

 are in use locally for food, condiments, medicine, 

 timber, and so on. 



About 20 genera are in cultivation in North America, 

 mostly in the South or Southwest. Among these are 

 the Bottle-brush (Callistemon), Cajaput Tree (Mela- 

 leuca), Eucalyptus or Australian Blue-gum, Rose Apple 

 or Jambos (Jambosa), Cayenne Cherry (Eugenia), 

 Myrtle (Myrtus), Guava (Psidium), Allspice, Pimento 

 (Pimenta), Brisbane Box (Tristania), Turpentine Tree 

 (Syncarpia), and Downy Myrtle (Rhodomyrtus). 



165. Melastomaceas (from the genus Melastoma, 

 derived from the Greek black-mouth, because the berries 

 of some of the species when eaten stain the mouth 

 black). MELASTOMA FAMILY. Fig. 43. Herbs, shrubs 

 or trees; erect, climbing or epiphytic: branches often 4- 

 sided : leaves opposite or whorled, simple, mostly entire, 

 usually palmately nerved throughout with transverse 

 nervelets: flowers bisexual, regular or slightly irregular, 

 often perigynous; sepals 3-6, mostly 5, valvate, im- 

 bricated or united into a calyptra-like hood; petals 

 commonly 5, convolute; stamens usually twice as 

 many as the petals, rarely just as many; anthers mostly 

 opening by terminal pores, inflexed in the bud, often 

 curved; connective very peculiar and diverse, with 

 various appendages; often one anther cell wanting, the 

 other mounted on the end of the lever-like, versatile, 

 curved connective; ovary usually 4-5-celled, more or 



