PLATE 205. 



Eugenia albanensis Sond. (Fl. Cap. ii. 522). 

 Natural Order, Mtbtaob^. 



A low undershrub 6 to 1 2 inches in height Stems 1 or several from a woody 

 rootstock, very sparingly branched, terete, minutely and appressedly pubescent in 

 the upper portion glabrous below, purplish, especially on the upper 

 portion. Leaves opposite and decussate, sometimes ternate, and occa- 

 sionally alternate ; on very short petioles, ovate, oblong, elliptic-oblong, or sub- 

 rotund, quite entire, margin recurved, obtuse or acute at apex, coriaceous, gla- 

 brous and shining above, lighter and duller beneath, ^ to 1^ inches long, 3 to 16 

 lines wide, midvein apparent, veinlets obscure, the young ones only conspicuously 

 dotted. Flowers white, axillary, solitary or 2-3 on a common peduncle; 

 peduncles as long as or a little shorter than the leaves, subcompressed ; pedicels 

 very short. Calyx gamosepalous, 4 cleft, 2-bracteate at base, bracts linear, shorter 

 than tube, tube semi-globose, segments broadly depressed-ovate, entire, spreading, 

 margins pink, the whole calyx about 1^ to 2 lines long, spreading to 4 lines wide. 

 Petals 4, inserted on the margin of the calyx tube, alternate with its lobes, 

 broadly ovate, about 3 lines long. Stamens numerous, inserted with the petals. 

 Style in young flowers very short, afterwards lengthening as shown in flower on 

 left of drawing. Ovary 1 celled, 1 seeded. Fruit an ovate berry crowned by 

 remains of the calyx, 6 lines long, 5-7 lines wide. 



Habitat : Natal: Inanda, 1,800 feet alt, August, Wood 1020; Clairmont, 50 

 feet alt, September, Wood, 7655. 



Drawn from Wood's No. 7655, which is a variety with narrower leaves than 

 is usual, but is still very common. 



The genus Eugenia is a very large one including more than 700 species, 

 chiefly inhabiting the tropics of America and Asia, also a few in New Caledonia, 

 very few in Africa and Australia. In South Africa we have 5 species, all of which 

 are found in Natal, the best known of which is E. cordata. Laws, the " Water- 

 boom" or "um-Done," which is a large tree and yields a useful wood; this species 

 appears in the Flora Capensis as Syzigium cordatum, but the genus Syzigium is 

 now merged in Eugenia. The species above described is the smallest of the genus 

 found in Natal, and so far as we are aware is of no economic value. It is known 

 to the natives as u-Nanja, and the fruit is eaten by children. Many species of 

 the genus bear eatable fruits, such as the " Brazil Cherry, Kose Apple," &c., and 

 E. pimenta yields the " Allspice " of commerce. 



Fig. 1, flower; 2, section through young opened flower, stamens removed ; 

 3, calyx, petals and stamens removed ; 4, section through ovary ; 5, stamen ; all 

 enlarged. 



