86 



caiyx-tube, and crowned by the persistent limb, or marked by its scar 

 when deciduous, or very rarely half or almost wholly superior, and 

 surrounded at the base by the persistent calyx-tube, either capsular 

 and. opening longitudinally at the summit in as many valves as cells, or 

 indehiscent, dry, and 1-seeded, or succulent and indehiscent. Perfect 

 Seeds, usually very few or solitary in each cell, even when the ovules 

 are numerous, or rarely numerous and perfect ; testa either thin and 

 membranous, or crustaceous, fleshy, or bony. Albumen none, or very 

 scanty-near the hilum. Embryo straight or variously curved, fleshy, 

 with minute cotyledons at one end, or with large, flat, or variously 

 folded cotyledons, or with thick, fleshy, distinct or consolidated cotyle- 

 dons, and an exceedingly short radicle, or rarely apparently homo- 

 geneous, the cotyledons inconspicuous before germination. Abortive 

 ovules in many capsular genera, enlarged without being fertilised, and 

 simulating the seeds, but of a hard, nearly homogeneous, woody or granu- 

 lar consistence. Trees or shrubs, very rarely under shrubs. Leaves 

 simple, entire, or rarely obscurely crenate-toothed, opposite or less 

 frequently alternate, more or less dotted in all but the Lecythidese, 

 with small resinous glands, either pellucid or black and superficial, 

 often scarcely visible when the leaf is thick. Stipules none, or rarely 

 very minute and fugacious. Elowers solitary or in racemes, panicles, 

 or cymes, axillary or apparently terminal from the terminal bud, not 

 growing out till after the flowering is over. Bracts solitary at the base 

 of the peduncle, or forming an imbricate involucre from the abortion of 

 the lower flowers. Bralcteoles 2 at the base of or on the pedicel, 

 sometimes very small or abortive, and often exceedingly deciduous. 



Tribe 1. CnAMiELAUciEiE. — Ovary 1-celled ; fruit 1 or rarely 2- 

 seeded, indehiscent. Shrubs often heath-like, with small leaves. 

 Flowers usually small, solitary or very rarely 2 or 3 together in the 

 axils of the leaves or bracts, either along the branches or in terminal 

 heads, the floral leaves either like the stem-leaves or dilated and bract- 

 like or forming an involucre. Examples : Darioinia, Calythrix. The 

 species of this tribe for the greater part belong to Western Australia, 

 and are noted more for beauty than utility. 



Tribe 2. Leptospeume^. — Ovary divided into 2 to 5 or more 

 cells ; fruit dry, capsular, opening at the top loculicidally in as many 

 valves as cells, or very rarely 1 or 2-seeded and indehiscent. 

 Examples: Bceckea, Syncarpia, ^Eucalyptus. From this tribe we have 

 timbers and essential oils of great value. The timbers are mostly 

 hardwood, and include Grums, Ironbarks, Box, Tea-tree, Turpentine, 

 Mahogany, Tallow-wood or Tee, &c. 



Tribes. Mtete^. — Ovary divided into 2 or more cells, orif 1-celled 

 with 2 placentas; fruit an indehiscent berry or drupe; leaves opposite, 

 dotted. Examples : Myrtus, the Clove ; Eugenia, or Eose Apple ; 

 Pimenta, the Allspice ; Psidium, or Gruava, &c. 



Tribe 4. LECTTHiDEiE.— Ovary divided more or less completely 

 into 2 or more cells ; fruit woody, fibrous, or fleshy, indehiscent or open- 

 ing in an operculum at the top ; leaves alternate, not dotted. Examples : 

 Oareya, Barringtonia, are two genera found in Tropical Australia. The 

 Brazil nut, Bertholletia, was at one time growing in the Brisbane 

 Garden, but has never fruited in Queensland. 



