MYRTLE FAMILY. 176 



XLIII. HALORAGE^E, WATER MILFOIL FAMILY. 



Contains a few insignificant aquatic or marsli 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 ovary, and 1-8 stamens ; all of 

 them too obscure and unimportant for record here. The 

 species are fully treated in the Manual 



XLIV. MYETACE^l, MYRTLE FAMILY. 



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 lance-ovate, opposite, shining 

 leaves, small in the variety usually 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 Jdmbos, Linn. ROSE APPLE. From India ; smooth, with 

 opposite, shining, long, and lanceolate leaves, and clusters of large white 

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

 dilated and prolonged beyond the ovary, 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 Guyava, Linn. GUAVA. With oval, feather-veined, opposite 

 leaves, pubescent beneath, and one or two white flowers at the end of an 

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

 which is edible, and from which Gruava jelly is made in the West Indies. 

 The WHITE, PEAR, and APPLE GUAVAS are of this species. P. POMf- 

 PERUM and P. FYRfFERUM are forms of this species. The plant is prob- 

 ably native to tropical America, although now widely distributed. 



P. Cattle/anum, Sabine. CATTLE Y GUAVA. Has obovate, and thick, 

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

 of the common sorts. 



4. Callistemon fanceo/atus, 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 thek base, as in many related Myrtaceous 

 plants of Australia. 



