(>0 



A SYNOPSIS OF THIO PLANT KINGDOM 



nato on I ho plant. Tho liypocotyl may nnicli tho 

 length of 3 feet, although usually less; it is cluh-sliapod 

 ami heaviest at the aiH^x, so that when the soiillin); 

 eventually falls from the tree, it sticks in the muil 

 vertieally. with the hypoeotyl down, ready to fjrow. 



The Rhizophoraeea- are of little economit- importanee. 

 Land is held in place and protected from the waAcs by 

 tlie niiuigrove. The fruits of Anisophylluni are plum- 

 like but poor. The mangrove grows wiUl on the 

 Florida, Texas, and Mississippi coast, and has been 

 offered for sale in California. 



U>3. Combretaceae (from the genus Combrtiiim, a 

 name given to this plant by I'liny). CoMnnETUM F.\M- 

 ii.Y. Fig. 43. Trees or shrubs, erect or climbing: leaves 





2a. 



43. Lectthidace.e: 1. I.ccythi.'', flower. RmzopHORACEa;: 



2. Rbizophora, a, flower; b, germinating fruit. Combretace.*:: 



3. Combretum, a, flower: b, floral diagram. Myktace-e; 4. 

 Jambosa, a, flower; b, vertiral section flower-bud. 5. EucaIyptu.H, 

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

 touaczjr: 6. Melaaloma, a, flower; b, floral diagram. 



alternate or opposite, simple or coriaceou.s: flower.s 

 bLscxual or uni.sexual, 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 thLs family are 15 genera and about 280 species, 

 mostly confined to the tropics of both hemispheres. 

 The family is related to the Comacea; and the Rhi- 

 zophoracea?, as well as more distantly to the Onagracea". 



The trees are valuable for their hard, clo.se wood; 

 the tannin-eontaining bark and galls are used locally 

 for tanning leather. The seeds known as myrobalans 

 (Terminalia Chebida and T. Calapfxi) are much eaten 

 in India. A as<;ful oil is obtained from these .seeds. 

 Black and yellow dyes are furnished by several species. 



Four to fi genera are in cultivation in the Southern 

 •States and the West Indies. Terminalia Calnpji/i 

 (tropical almond, myrobalan; is grown for nuts and 



shade. I'oivrea is a red-flowered shrub grown in 

 southern Florida. One species of Combretum is a 

 warndiousc climbing shrub, (Juisqiialis, or rangoon 

 creeper, is a peculiar climbing shrub grown in the 

 warniluiu.se. It is at fir.st erect, later climbing. 



ItVl. Myrtaceae (from the genus M ijrtna derived 

 from the cl.-issical n;imc myrtle, which jjrobalily meant 

 perfume). IMyhtle Family. Fig. 43, Usually shrubby 

 or arborescent aromatically fragrant plants: leaves usu- 

 ally opposite, thick, entire and i)ellucid-dotte(l: 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 jietals; ovary inferior, 1- to many-celled: 

 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 Euca- 

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

 lated to the Melastomaces, OnagracesD, and Lythracese. 

 The very numerous stamens, derived by the splitting 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 Myrtaceai 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 

 Pimenta 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 Pimenta 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. Jainbos 

 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, 

 m<jst1y in the South or Southwest. Among these are 

 the liol tie-brush (Callistemon), Cajaput Tree (Mela- 

 leuca), Eucalyptus or Australian Blue-gimi, 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). 



1(55. Melastomaceae (^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, chmbing or ejiiphytic: branches often 4- 

 sidcd: 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 ihe 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 

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

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



