2lV.'4 



AIELASTOMA 



mi<:t.ia 



lance-oblong, long-!Vcvunin:iti\ tho nerves (or at least, 

 some of theni^ anil the jx-tioles often rod: tls. \-'.\ lartje, 

 ne;vrlv or quite 2 in. across, the (letals rose-colored aiul 

 n>fusi\ Java to L'hina. B.M. .Wit; 2241. 



nonnile, D. Don. -About .'> ft., the hairy yoimt; 

 bninches browni-pray : Ivs. petiolate. ovate-oblon;;, 

 .VnerviHl. yellow-felted beneath; tls. lilac-rose, several 

 together at ends of braclless branches; calyx ycllow- 

 pnlH^sccnt, the lobes linear-siilnilate; petals ovate, I in. 

 long. India to Poly"i'si:i- R.H. 1910; 332. 

 A.\. Lvs. strongly 7-nerved or more. 



c&ndidum, D. Don. Branches 4-ansled, hoary, the 

 yoxniger ones inibcscent. as also the jictioles; lvs. ovate- 

 acute, setulose above, villose beneath ; lis. ;i -7 in a cyme, 

 roso-colorcd ^sonletinlcs white? I, about the size of those 

 of M. ikccmjiilum: calyx-lobes shorter than the tube. S. 

 China. M. malabathricum, B. R. G72(?). 



malabfithricum, Linn. (M. Bdnksii, Cunn.). Differs 

 from the last in having tho calyx-lobes abf)ut equal to 

 the tube, or sometimes even longer; lvs. oblong or ovate- 

 oblong, acute or short-acuminate, sparsely setulose, 

 above and beneath; fls. cor>niibose, pur]3le, much smaller 

 than in the last two. E. India to .Vustral. — Probably 

 the M. malabalhricum of horticulturists is one of tho 

 above sjiecics. Not kno\\^l to be in the .\merican trade. 



corymbdsum, Sims (jiroperly Amphiblemma cymo- 

 sum, Naudin. Mddstoma cymosuiii, Schrad.). 

 Branches terete, glabrous; lvs. large, petioled, the blade 

 0-6 in. long, cordate-ovate, short-acuminate, glabrous, 

 5-7-9-nerved, satiny green, sharply serrulate: fls. 



2J47. Leaf of Melia Azedarach. ( X H) 



bright purple, in rather close terminal branching 

 c<')r\'mbs; petals oval, paler beneath ; calyx-lobes ovate- 

 triangular, ciliate; stamens 10. Upper Guinea. B.M. 

 «>4; .5473. L.B.C. 10:984.— To the genus Amphi- 

 blemma, Cogniaux a^lmits 5 species. They are herbs or 

 shrubs, of the Sonerila group or subfamily, with i.somor- 

 oua fls. : herbs or small shrubs of \V. Trop. Afr., with fls. 



't^i^i 



2348. Umbrella tree — Melia Azedarach var. 

 umbraculiformis. 



in sim))le or branched .scorpioi<l cymes; petals .'>; sta- 

 mens 10, very vnicqual; ovary .')-celle<l and hollowed at 

 top: caps, turbinate, .5-valvcd at top, with ininulo seeds: 

 lvs. membranaceous, long-pet ioU'd, ovato-acuminate, 

 5- or more-nerved, serrulate. l H. B. 



MELIA (ancient Greek name). Mcliacc:v. Re.mi- 

 Tiiioio. Trees, from 30 to 40 feet high, some of them 

 much ))lanted 



Smith for ^ ^'-v^^i,!. i ,^^ 



sliade and or- . ^ ^. .ts- . 



nanieut; sonu'- 

 times bushes. 



Loaves de- 

 ciduous, largo, 

 doul)ly iiiniiato 

 or once-]iin- 

 nate, the Ifts. 

 acuminate, 

 glabrous; fls. 

 in graceful 

 I)aniclcs;sepals 

 .'J-0, imbrica- 

 ted; petals .5 

 or (J; stamens 

 monadeliihous, 

 10-12, of two 

 lengths; ovary 

 with several loculcs, topped with a single style: fr. a 

 small indehiscent drupe. — Species few, of Asia and 

 Austral. 



A, Lvs. more than once-pinnale. 



Azedarach, Linn. China-Tree. China-Bekht. 



Pride of India. Fig. 2347. Tree, to 40 ft. and more, 

 making a thick trunk with furrowed bark; lvs. 2-coin- 

 pound, to 3 ft. long, stalked ; Ifts. many, ovate, oval or 

 elhptic, acute, sharp-toothed or lobed; fls. purplish, in 

 open panicles 4-6 in. long; petals oblanceolate or nar- 

 row-oblong, obtuse; sepals acute; ovary 5-celled; drupe 

 nearly gkjbular, yellow and smooth, 3 2-54in. diam. 

 Himalayan region, 2,000-3,000 ft. altitude, and proba- 

 bly native elsewhere in Asia; now widely planted. B.M. 

 1066. S.I.F. 2:35 (as M. japonica). — It has become 

 naturalized throughout the S. ; the northern limit of its 

 hardiness is about Norfolk, Va., or somewhat south- 

 ward, on the coastal plain area; it is luxuriant in N. C, 

 except in the Piedmont country. The tree grows with 

 great rapidity, and forms one of the most desirable 

 shade trees, both from the bright green tint of the foli- 

 age, which is retained until late in the autumn, antl also 

 from the fragrance of the numerous lilac-colored fls. 

 which are produced in April. These arc succeeded by 

 an abundant crop of berries, of a yellowish translucent 

 color, which are readily eaten by cattle and binls. In 

 some countries, tho seeds arc used for the making of 

 rosaries. The wood, although coarse, is very durable. 

 The tree can withstand a low temperature, but a cold 

 of zero will injure or kill it. Several forms have been 

 foimd, a whitc-floworing and one with the segms. of the 

 Ifts. cut in narrow divisions. These forms are not con- 

 stant, tho seedlinRS frequently reverting to the typical 

 species. In all forms of M. Azedarach, the lvs. are 2- or 

 3-pinnate, the ultimate Ifts. ovate or lanceolate, and 

 varying from serrate to very nearly entire. 



Var. umbraculiformis, Berckm. (var. umbracvlifera, 

 Hort.). Texas Umbrella Tree. Fig. 2348. Lfts. are 

 less broad than in M. Azedarach, and the branches 

 erect, and, in a manner, radiating from the trunk, the 

 drooping foliage giving the tree the appearance of a 

 gigantic umbrella. Mn. 8, p. 73. F.E. 26:187. G.F. 

 7:9.'). — Th(^ first tree that came to notice is said to 

 have been found near the battlefield of San J.acinto, 

 Texas, but with no record of its intro. there. If the 

 fls. arc not cross-pollinated with the connnon sort, the 

 percentage of seedlings which reproduce the exact 



