640 
LI. MYRTACEiE. 
[Lysirarpns. 
anthers, the cells parallel, opening longitudinally. Ovary enclosed in the calyx- 
tube, but free except the broad base, tapering above, but with a distinct depres- 
sion round the style, 3-celled with numerous ovules in each cell, erect on a basal 
placenta ; style filiform, with a capitate almost 3-lobed stigma. Capsule oblong, 
protruding from the persistent calyx, opening loculicidally in 3 valves. Seeds 
— Tree. Leaves opposite or whorled, narrow. Flowers polygamous, the males 
in irregular cymes, the hermaphrodites often solitary. 
The genus is limited to the single Australian species. It is very nearly allied to Metrosideros . — 
Benth. 
1. L. ternifolius (leaves three in each whorl), F. v. M. in Tran*. Phil. Inst. ii. 
68. Tom Russell’s Mahogany or Mountain Oak. A tree attaining about 30ft., 
with a soft thick fibrous bark, the young branchlets and inflorescence softly 
tomentose-pubescent. Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3, narrow-linear, 
mucronate-acute or rarely obtuse, 14 to 3in. long, with closely revolute margins, 
shining above, whitish-pubescent or at length glabrous underneath. Male 
flowers in irregular terminal or almost terminal leafy cymes, the hermaphrodite 
often solitary on opposite pedicels below the ends of the branches. Calyx-tube 
softly tomentose, about 14 line long, broader in the hermaphrodite than in the 
male flowers. Petals above 1 line diameter, orbicular, pubescent or ciliolate. 
Stamens exceeding the petals. Ovary pubescent. Capsule often twice as long as 
the calyx . — Tristania angmtifolia, Hook, in Mitch. Trop. Austr. 198. 
Hab.: On the Maranoa, Mitchell; Darling Downs and between the Mackenzie and Dawson 
Rivers, F. v. Mueller : often found on ranges or brigalow scrubs. Flowering in November and 
December. 
Wood light-brown, well marked, hard, heavy and elastic; suitable for cabinet-work, and has 
been largely used for railway-sleepers. — Bailey' * Cat. Ql. Wood* No. 210. 
Said not to be eaten by white ants. 
19. METROSIDEROS, Banks. 
(Name referring to the hardness of wood.) 
(Nania, Miq.) 
Calyx-tube (in the Australian species) campanulate, adnate to the ovary at the 
base, lobes 5, rarely 4, slightly imbricate. Petals 5, rarely 4, spreading. 
Stamens indefinite, free, in 1 or more series, exceeding the petals, filaments 
filiform ; anthers versatile, the cells parallel, opening longitudinally. Ovary 
included in the calyx-tube, inferior or half superior, slightly depressed round the 
style, 3-celled, with numerous ovules in each cell closely packed in several series, 
on a peltate or oblong adnate placenta ; style filiform, with a small stigma. 
Capsule inferior, half superior, or almost free, but surrounded by or enclosed in 
the persistent calyx-tube, opening loculicidally in 3 valves or rarely irregularly 
dehiscent. Seeds usually numerous, flat, cuneate or linear, erect ; embryo 
straight, the cotyledons flat or folded, longer than the radicle. — Shrubs or trees, 
rarely climbing. Leaves opposite, penniveined. Flowers often showy, in dense 
terminal trichotomous cymes, or rarely axillary. 
The genus comprises several very variable species dispersed over the islands of the Pacific 
and Indian Archipelago from New Zealand to the Sandwich Islands, with one somewhat 
anomalous species from South Africa. — Benth. 
1. IVI. tetrapetala (four-petaled), F. r. M. Fray in. vii. 41. A small tree, 
the branches thinly velvety and slightly compressed. Leaves elliptic, obovate, or 
orbicular-ovate, pale green, almost glabrous. Oil-dots copious, chartaceous, 14 to 
3in. long, 1 to 14in. broad ; petioles 4 to 6 lines long. The corymbs or cymes on 
long peduncles. Bracts herbaceous, 2 to 3 lines long, linear-spathulate. 
Bracteoles 2, opposite, canaliculate-linear, somewhat pubescent, 14 line long. 
