260 FLORA OF TEXAS. 



U. CAROLINA-ALLSPICE FAMILY. Order, 

 Calycanthace^. 



Shrubs, with opposite and entire leaves, without stipules 

 or pellucid dots; sepals and petals numerous and alike, 

 united below into an obconical fleshy cup, imbricated in 

 the bud; stamens numerous, short, inserted within the 

 petals, the inner ones often sterile ; anthers adnate, extorse ; 

 ovaries several, enclosed in the calyx-tube, and inserted on 

 its inner face, becoming l-seeded achenia in fruit; seeds 

 anatropous, without albumen ; cotyledons convolute. 



45. MYRTLE FAMILY. Order, Myrtace^. 



Trees or shrubs; leaves opposite, simple, entire, dotted, 

 and commonly with an intramarginal vein; stipules none; 

 calyx 4:-6-cleft, valvate in the bud, the tube adherent to 

 the compound ovary ; petals 4-6, inserted with numerous 

 stamens on the throat of the calyx, sometimes wanting; 

 filaments long, free, or variously combined ; anthers intorse, 

 roundish, longitudinally dehiscent; styles solitary; seeds 

 without albumen, fixed to a central placenta. 



46. MELASTOMA FAMILY. Order, Melastomace^. 



Herbs, shi'ubs, or t7'ees, with opposite 3-9-ribbed leaves, 

 without dots or stipules, and showy Jtoivei^s ; calyx urn- 

 shaped, 4-6-lobed, persistent, cohering with tlie ovary 

 below or with its angles ; ^^etals 4-6, twisted in the bud, 

 inserted with the 4-12 stamens on the throat of the calyx ; 

 anthers adnate, often appendaged, usually opening by ter- 

 minal pores; ovary 3-6-celled ; ovules nnmerous, attached 

 to tlie central placentae; style solitary; fruit baccate and 

 indehiscent, or capsular and loculicidally dehiscent; seeds 

 anatropous, without albumen. 



