MVllTLE FAMILY. 



XLIII. HALORAGE^, WATER MILFOIL F A:\IILY. 



Contains a fow insignilieant aquatic or marsh plants, with 

 very small greenish flowers, sessile in the axils of the (often 

 whorled) leaves or bracts, a single ovule and seed suspended 

 in each of the 1-4 cells of the ovavy, and 1-8 stamens ; all of 

 them too obscure and unimportant for record, here. The 

 species are fully treated in the Manual. 



XLIV. MYRTACEiE, :\[YRTLE F A:\nLY. 



Trees or shrubs, with simple, entire, and mostly aromatic 

 leaves, punctate with pellucid or resinous dots, no stipules, 

 perfect flowers, calyx-tube adherent to the ovary, its throat, 

 or a disk bordering it, bearing the petals and numerous 

 stamens ; style and stigma single. A large family in the 

 tropics and southern hemisphere, here commonly known only 

 by a few house-plants, or grown for fruit or ornament far S., 

 which may be briefly noted as follows : — 



1. Myrtus communis. Linn. Common Myrtle. From the Mediter- 

 ranean region ; smooth, with ovate or hmce-ovate, opposite, shining 

 leaves, small in the variety iisually cultivated ; peduncles in their axils 

 bearing a small white or rose-tinged flower (sometimes full double), fol- 

 lowed by a black berry, containing several kidney-shaped seeds. 



2. Eugenia J&mbos, Linn. Rose Apple. From India ; smooth, with 

 opposite, shining, long, and lanceolate leaves, and clu.sters of large white 

 flowers, with their long stamens most conspicuous ; the calyx tube 

 dilated and iJrolouged beyond the ovai-y, which forms a large edible 

 berry, like a small apple, scentless, but when eaten, of a rose-like savor ; 

 seeds very few. large. 



3. Psidium Guya/a. lAnn. Ciivva. With oval, feather-veined, opposite 

 leaves, pubt-si'ent bcncatli, and one or twn wliite flowers at the end of an 

 axillary peduncle ; tlie fruit a large and pear-shaped yellowish berry, 

 which is edible, and from whicli (inava jcUij is made in the West Indies. 

 Tiie White, I'e.vk, and Aim-le (Ji.was are of this species. P. roMf- 

 FEiuM and V. rvufrKiu'M are forms of this species. The plant is prob- 

 ably native tn tropical America, although now widely distrilnited. 



P. Caft/eidnum, Sabine. Cattlev Glava. Has obovate, and thick, 

 and shining leaves, and a small reddish fruit, which lacks the muskiness 

 of tlic connnon sorts. 



4. Callistemon lanceoiatus. Sweet. Of Australia, called Bottle Brush, 

 on account of the appearance of the flowers (sessile all round the stem 

 below the later leaves) with their very long, deep red stamens ; the 5 

 petals small and falling early ; the fruit a small, many-seeded pod, open- 

 ing at the top ; the alternate lanceolate leaves remarkable for being 

 turned edgewise by a twist at their base, as in many related Myrtaceous 

 plants of Australia. 



