363 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



free. Sepals 5, rather broad, imbricate, persistent, with as many 

 alternate imbricate finally patent petals inserted at mouth of receptacle. 

 Stamens oo (of Bcechea), inserted with perianth. Germen inferior, 

 adnate to bottom of receptacle, plane or depressed at apex; style 

 simple, at stigmatose apex capitate, shortly 3-lobed. Ovules in cells 

 3-00 , inserted around peltate placenta. Fruit inferior capsular, lo- 

 culicidal at vertex ; seeds . . . ? — A low glabrous shrub ; ^ leaves 

 opposite ericoid linear ; flowers ^ axillary solitary pedunculate ; 

 bracteoles 2, membranous, inserted under flower at top of slender 

 peduncle. ( Western Australia.^) 



25. Melaleuca L."* — Flowers hermaphrodite or polygamous ; re- 

 ceptacle campanulate or urceolate. Sepals 5, free or connate at base, 

 more or less scarous, imbricate, sometimes circumscissile at base deci- 

 duous {Asteromyrtus ^). Petals 5, alternate. Stamens oo , in 5 groups, 

 oppositipetalous, free or at base, sometimes higher, connate in tube 

 (Lamarchea ^) ; filaments of each group to a greater or less height 

 connate with each other or subfree (Oallistemon ^) ; anthers versatile, 

 2-rimose. Germen inferior or in part superior ; cells 3-5, go -ovulate 

 or very lavelj (Gonothamnus^), 1 -ovulate; placentae very variable 

 in form, either vertical, 2-lamellate, or peltate, transverse or oblique, 

 more rarely subbasilar. Capsule more or less enclosed by persistent 

 woody receptacle, loculicidal at vertex ; seeds perfect linear or 

 cuneate ; embryo straight. — Odorous trees or shrubs ; leaves alter- 

 nate or rarely opposite, rigid, either rather broad, 3-oo -nerved, or 

 linear rigid, enervate or obscurely penninerved ; flowers ^ sessile in 

 the axils of the floral leaves or bracts solitary and in spikes or capi- 

 tules not terminal, the branch extending beyond .^^ [Australia, New 

 Caledonia, Indian Archip}'^) 



1 Habit of Bceckea. 7 E. Br. App. Flind. Toy. ii. 547 ; Bot. Beg. t. 



2 Kather large (somewhat resembling those .393. — DC. Prodr. iii. 223. — Endl. Oen. n. 6302. 

 of Funica Granatum) ; petals coccineus. — B. H. Gen. 704, n, 20. (In 1 species, G. specioso 



* Spec. 1. B. pulcherrimum Hook. — Benth. DC. the staminal filaments long united are in 5 



Fl. Austral, iii. 95. — Cheynia pulchra J . Drumm. groups, as in most legitimate Melaleucca. This 



— Walp. Ann. iv. 822. species is M. paludosa E. Br. Ait. Eort. Kew. 



'» Mantiss. 14.— J. Gen. 323.— Lamk. Bid. iv. ed. 2, iv. 410.) 



16; Suppl. iii. 617; Ill.t. 641.— G^rtn. i^'rwc^ 8 Lindl. Swan Eiv. App. 9. — Endl. Gen. n. 



i. 173, t. 35 (part).— DC. Frodr. iii. 211.— Spach, 6297.— B. H. Gen. 705, n. 23. 



Suit, a Biiffon, iv. 117. — Endl. Gen. n. 6298. — » White, pale yellow, pink, lilac, or purple, 



H. Bn. Payer Fam. Nat, 367.— B. H. Gen. 705, often showy. 



n. 22. — Hook. Fl. Ind. ii. 464. — Gymnagathis i" Sect. 3 : I. Fumelaleuca {Melaleuca Anctt), 



ScHAu. Linticea, xvii. 243. — Cajuputi Adans. 2,. Conothamnus, Z. Lamarchea, i. Callistemon. 



Fam. des PI. ii. 84. ii Spec, about 120. Cav. Icon. t. 332 (Metro- 



5 ScHAu. Linncea, xvii. 242. sideros), 334-336.— Vent. Jard. Cels. t. 10, 69 



^ (jr AVDiCTS. Freycin. Voy. Bot. 483, t. 110. — (^Metrosideros) ; Malmais. t. 4, 47, 76, 112. — 



Endl. Gen. n. 6293.— B. H. Gen. 704, n. 21. Bonpl. Fl. Malmais. t. 4, 41, 34 {Metrosideros), 



