PLATE DCXIX. 



EUGENIA Zeylanica. 

 Ceylon Eugenia. 



CLASS XIL ORDER L 



ICOSANDPdA MONOGYNJA. Stamens from the Cup. One Style. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Calyx qviadripartUus, superus. Petala quatuer. 

 Bacca l-locularisj 1-sperma. 



Cu? four- parted, above. Petals four. Berry of 

 one cel!^ one-seeded. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



Eugenia foliis subovalibus integerrimis coriaceis 

 retusis, pedunculis unifloris solitariis vel 

 geminatis, axillaribus lateralibusque. 



Eugenia zeylanica. Willd. Sp. PI. vol. 2. p. 963. 



Eugenia with oval entire leathery retuse leaves-, 

 and one-flowered peduncles, either solitary 

 or in pairs, axillary or lateral. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE, 



1. Empalement, seed-bud and pointal. 



2. The fi'uit, with the seed detached. 



The Ceylon Eugenia is a low bushy wide-spreading shrub, with both the leaves and branches extending 

 nearly horizontally. The flowers grow from the axils of the leaves and sides of the branches upon 

 .simple downy footstalks, which have two small bracts a little above their middle ; and open in succession 

 from the lower axils upwards. Pi-ofessor Willdenow is not quite correct in stating the leaves to be im- 

 punctate, a minute dotting being visible on both surfaces with the naked eye, and very distinctly 

 with the aid of a (;oramon eye-glass. The fruit is of the size of a large pea, rough with minute warts, 

 and crowned with the persistent calyx. 



We have seldom seen a more striking example of the astonishing resources provided by nature for 

 the continuation of species than this plant, whose little germen when blossoming contains sixteen infant 

 seeds (clustering round a common centre), while the fruit admits of one only coming to maturity ! 

 Above eighty stamens are also provided for the fertilization of a solitary stigma. We have often ad- 

 mired the common ehesnut, each germen of which v/hen blossoming contains twelve seeds in embryo, 

 but this yet surpasses it. 



We were favoured wit-h fresh specimens last July by A. B. Lambert, esq. from his seat at Boyton, 

 and a foreign specimen in his collection has also enabled us to add the fruit, which has not yet ripened 

 in this country. The plant is stated in Bonn's Catalogue to have been introduced in 1798, most pro- 

 bably by Sir Abraham Hum?, as the only plants of it that we have seen came originaHy from his 

 collection. 



