COMBRETACEjE. 



643 



generally formed of two laminae, and immedi- 

 ately covering a homotropo embryo destitute of 

 endosperm. 



Jiissieu'8 family of onagrae contained several 

 pcncra which have been successively removed 

 from it. Thus the genus mocanera appears to 

 us to belong to the family of ternstrocmiacea! ; 

 ccrcodia foims the type of the family of hygro- 

 hieiE ; the genera camucia, and comhretum, belong 

 to the combrctacete ; santalum Ibrms the type of 

 the santalacesc ; the genera mmtrira and petaloma 

 appear to us to belong to the melastomacese ; 

 and, lastly, the genera !oasa and mentzelia con- 

 stitute the family of loascte. 



This family is composed, among others, of 

 the genera epilobiutn, mnothera, lopezia, circcea, 

 jiisakea, fuchsia. 



Epilobium, Oenothera, and fuchsia, are beauti- 

 ful ornamental genera. 



The roots of Oenothera biennis are eaten, but 

 the properties of this family are little known. 



CoMBRETACEiE, Brown. Genera culceagni and 

 termiimlifs of Jussieu. Trees or shrubs, with 

 opposite or alternate leaves, which are entire 

 and without stipules. Flowers hermaphrodite 

 or polygamous, variously disposed in axillar or 

 terminal spikes. The calyx is adherent by its 

 base to the ovarj', which is inferior ; its limb, 

 wliich is often tubular, has four or five divi- 

 sions, and is articulated to tho summit of the 

 ovary. The corolla is wanting in several genera, 

 or is composed of four or five petals inserted 

 between the lobes of the calyx. The number 

 of stamina is generally double that of the divi- 

 sions of the calyx, but the number is not strictly 

 determined. The ovary has a single cell, con- 

 taining from two to four ovules hanging from 

 its summit. The style varies in length, and is 

 terminated by a simple stigma. The fruit is 

 always unilocular, monospennous through abor- 

 tion, and indehiscent. The seed, which is pen- 

 dent, is composed of an endosperm, which imme- 

 diately covers the embryo. 



Among tho genera are the lucida, terminalia, 

 conocarpus, quisqualis, comhretum, &c. 



In their properties they are generally astrin- 

 gent and tonic. The bark of several species is 

 used for tanning. 



Myrtace^, Jussieu. This interesting family 

 is composed of trees or shnibs of an elegant 

 habit, and abounding in a resinous and fragrant 

 juice. The leaves are opposite, entire, often 

 ])ersistent, and marked with translucid dots. 

 The flowers are variously disposed, either in the 

 nxill.Te of the loaves, or at the summits of the 

 twigs. Their calyx is monosepalous, adherent 

 by its base with the inferior ovary, having its 

 limb with five, six, or only four divisions. The 

 corolla, which is rarely wanting, is formed of as 

 many petals as the calyx has lobes. The sta- 

 mina, which are generally very nur.ierousj 



rarely in determinate number, have their fila- 

 ments free, or variously united, their anthers 

 terminal and generally rather small. The ovary, 

 which is inferior, has from two to six cells, 

 which contain a variable number of ovules 

 attached at their inner angle. The style is gene- 

 rally simple and the stigma is lobed. The fruit 

 presents numerous modifications. It is some- 

 times dry, opening into as many valves as thei-e 

 are cells, sometimes indehiscent or fleshy. The 

 seeds, which are generally destitute of endo- 

 sperm, have an embryo the cotyledons of which 

 are never either convolute, or rolled in a spiral 

 form one upon the other. 



De Candolle has divided the myrtacea; into 

 five natural tribes. 



1. The Cham^lauciEjE : fruit dry, unilocu- 

 lar ; seeds basilar, calyx five-lobed, corolla of five 

 petals, sometimes wanting ; stamina free or polj'- 

 adelphous. The genera which form this tribe 

 are all natives of New Holland : calytrix, cham- 

 (elaucium. pilcanthus, &c. 



2. Leptospermeje : fruit dry, dehiscent, with 

 several cells ; seeds attached to the inner angle, 

 destitute of arillus, and endosperm ; leaves oppo- 

 site or alternate. Shrubs all natives of Kew 

 Holland : heaufortia, calotammis, tristania, mcla- 

 leuca, eudesmia, eucalyptus, metrosyderos, lepto- 

 spermum, &c. 



3. Myrte* : fruit fleshy, generally with seve- 

 ral cells ; seeds without arillus or endosperm ; 

 stamina free ; leaves opposite. Shrubs almost 

 all natives of the trojiics : eugenia, jamhosa, ca- 

 Ij/ptranthes, caryophyllus, myrtus, car.ipomanesia, 

 &c. 



4. Barringtonie^ : fruit dry or fleshy ; 

 always indehiscent, with several cells; stamina 

 monadelphous at their base ; leaves alternate, 

 not dotted. Trees of the equinoctial regions of 

 the Old and New Continents: dicalyx, strava- 

 dium, barringtonia, gustavia. 



5. LECYTHiDEyE: fruit dry, opening by an 

 operculum (pyxidium) ; stamina very numer- 

 ous, monadelphous ; leaves alternate, not dotted. 

 Large trees of equinoctial America: lecythis, 

 couratari, couroupita, bertholletia. 



The m3TtaccsB form a very distinct family 

 among the dicotyledones with inferior ovary. 

 It is allied to the melastomaeeae, which dift'er 

 from it in the very remarkable and constant 

 disposition of the nerves of their leaves, and in 

 the number and structure of their stamina ; to 

 the onagrarijc, which differ in having their sta- 

 mens determinate ; to the rosacese, which are 

 distinguished by their alternate loaves and mul- 

 tiple styles ; and to the combretaceas, in which 

 the lobes of the embryo are convolute. 



These plants generally contain a pungent or 

 fragi-ant volatile oil, together with tannin and 

 gallic acid. Cloves are the flowers of caryo- 

 phyllus aromaticus. Pimeuto is obtained from a 



