644 



HISTORY OP THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



species of myrtus. Cajeput oil is procured from 

 the leaves of melaleuca leucadendron. The root 

 of eugenia racemosa is employed in India as an 

 aperient. The bark of the root of the pome- 

 granate is astringent, and has been emploj'ed in 

 diarrhoea, as well as a remedy for tape-worm. 

 Eucalt/ptus rm^jyerc yields a kind of gum ; and 

 the bark of several species is used for tanning. 

 Tlie fruits of the eugenise are eaten, as are those 

 of several other species of this family. The 

 myrtle is an ornamental evergreen. 



MELASTOMACEiE, Jussieu. The melastomacea; 

 are large trees, trees of small size, shrubs or her- 

 baceous plants, with opposite, simple leaves, 

 generally furnished with from three to five or 

 even eleven longitudinal nerves, from which pro- 

 ceed numerous other transverse, parallel, very 

 close nerves. The flowers, which are sometimes 

 very large, have in a manner every mode of 

 inflorescence. The calyx is monosepalous, more 

 or less adherent to the ovary, which is inferior, 

 or semi-inferior : its limb is sometimes entire or 

 toothed, or, lastly, has four or five more or less 

 deep divisions. More rarely it foi-ms a kind of 

 hood or operculum. The corolla is composed of 

 four or five petals. The stamina are double the 

 number of the petals : their anthers present the 

 most diversified and the most singular forms, 

 and open at their summit by a hole or pore 

 common to the two cells. The ovary is some- 

 times free, more commonly adherent to the 

 calyx. It has from three to eight cells, each 

 containing very numerous ovules. The summit 

 of the ovarj' is often covered by an epigynous 

 disk. The style and stigma are simple. The 

 fruit is sometimes dry, sometimes fleshy, and has 

 the same number of cells as the ovary. It 

 remains indehiscent, or opens into so many sep- 

 tiferous valves. The seeds are frequently reni- 

 foi-m : they contain an erect or slightly curved 

 embryo, destitute of endospeiTn. 



The species of this family are very numerous, 

 and have been grouped into several genera, such 

 as melastoma, rhexia, miconia, tristemma, topoheea, 

 &c. It is so distinct in the disposition of the 

 nerves of its leaves, that it cannot be confounded 

 with any of the families which approach nearest 

 to it, as the onagraria;, myrtacese, and rosacea:. 



They are all handsome tropical shi-ubs, or 

 trees, with large flowers, either purple or white. 

 The fruit of true melastoma is a juicy insipid 

 berry, eatable, but staining the teeth and mouth 

 of a deep black. 



Salicaki/e, Jussieu. Herbs or shrubs with 

 opposite or alternate leaves, bearing axillar or 

 terminal flowers; a monosepalous, tubular, or 

 urceolate calyx, toothed at its summit ; a corolla 

 of from four to six petals, which alternate with 

 the divisions of the calyx, and are inserted at tlie 

 upper part of its tube. The corolla is wanting 

 In some genera. The stamina are equal to the 



petals in number, or double, or more rarely in 

 indefinite number. The ovary is free, simple, 

 with several cells, each containing a considerable 

 number of ovules. The style is simple, termi- 

 nated by a usually capitate stigma. The fruit 

 is a capsule covered by the calyx, which is per- 

 sistent, and has one or more cells, containing 

 seeds attached at their inner angle. The seeds 

 are composed of an embryo destitute of endo- 

 sperm. 



Among the genera which compose this family, 

 are lythrum, cuphea, ginoria, lagerstrmmia, am- 

 mania. It is allied to the onagrarite, from which 

 it differs in having its ovary free, and to the 

 rosacese, which have always stipules, and possess 

 many other characters which distinguish them 

 from the salicarise. 



Lytlirum salicaria is astringent, and has been 

 used in diarrhoea. The henne of the East is 

 obtained from lawsonia inermis. 



Tamariscine^, Desvaux, Shrubs or small 

 trees, generally with very small, squamiform 

 and sheathing leaves, and small flowers, furnished 

 with bracteas, and disposed in simple spikes, 

 which are sometimes collected into a panicle. 

 The calyx has four or five deep divisions, which 

 are laterally imbricated : sometimes it foims a 

 tube at its lower part. The corolla is composed 

 of four or five persistent petals. The stamina, 

 from five to ten, rarely four, are monadelphous 

 at their base. The ovary is triangular, some- 

 times surrounded at its base by a perigynous 

 disk. The style is simple or tripartite. The 

 fruit is a triangular capsule, with a single cell, 

 containing a pretty large number of seeds 

 attached about the middle of the inner surface 

 of the three valves which form the capsule. Tho 

 embryo is erect, destitute of endospemi. 



The ashes of tamarix gallica and africana 

 contain a large quantity of sulphate of soda. 

 The bark is generally bitter and astringent. 



RosacejS, Jussieu. A large family composed 

 of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees attaining 

 very large dimensions. Their leaves are alter- 

 nate, simple or compound, accompanied at their 

 base by two persistent stipules, sometimes united 

 to the petiole. The flowers present various 

 modes of inflorescence. They have a monose- 

 palous calyx, with four or five divisions, some- 

 times accompanied externally with a kind of 

 involucre which is incorporated with the calyx, 

 so that the latter appears to have eight or ten 

 lobes. The corolla, which is rarely wanting, is 

 composed of four or five regularly spreading 

 petals. The stamina are generally very numer- 

 ous and distinct. Tlie pistil presents various 

 modifications. Sometimes it is formed of one 

 or several carpels, entirely free and distinct, and 

 placed in a tubular calyx. Sometimes these 

 carpels adhere by their outer side to the calyx ; 

 sometimes they are not only united to the calyx. 



