LI. MYRTACEiE. 
[Barrivfitnnia . 
660 
at the base into a ring or cup; anthers small, with parallel cells opening longi- 
tudinally. Ovary inferior, with an annular disk on the top within the stamens, 
2 to 4-celled, with 2 to 8 ovules in each cell, horizontal or pendulous, in 2 rows ; 
style filiform with a small stigma. Fruit pyramidal ovoid or oblong, hard and 
fibrous, indehiscent. Seed usually solitary, with a thick testa; embryo undivided, 
consisting of a thick woody stratum, and a more or less distinct pith in the 
centre. — Trees. Leaves alternate, usually crowded at the ends of the branches, 
penniveined and not dotted. Flowers in terminal or lateral spikes or racemes. 
Bracts small and deciduous. 
The genus is confined to the tropical regions of the Old World. The Australian species are 
widely dispersed over the Indian Archipelago, and one is also common in East India. — Benth. 
Skct. I. Butonica. — Calyx valvate ; 2 to 3, rarely 4 -lobed. 
Leaves entire, often above 1ft. long. Flowers large, in short racemes. 
Stamens 2 to 4in. long. Fruit large, 4-angled 1.7?. speciosa. 
Leaves crenulate-denticulate, near 1ft. long. Petioles short. Racemes long, 
pendulous. Fruit oblong 2. 7?. racemosa. 
Skct. II. Stravadium. — Calyx slightly imbricate ; 3 to 5, usually 4-lobed. 
Leaves serrulate or entire, under (jin. long. Flowers small, in long racemes. 
Stamens 3 to 4 lines long. Fruit small 3. 7?. acutangula. 
1. B. speciosa (showy), Linn. /.; DC. Prod. iii. 288; Benth. FI. Audr. iii. 
2 IS. A large handsome tree. Leaves sessile, obovate, entire, attaining more 
than 1ft. in length. Flowers very large, in short terminal racemes, the rhachis 
thick, the pedicels 1 to 2in. long. Calyx deeply divided into 2 or 3 oval-oblong 
concave almost leaf-like segments, above lin. long. Petals from half as long 
again to twice as long as the calyx segments. Stamens very numerous, red, 2 to 
lin. long. Ovary imperfectly 4-celled, with about 6 ovules in each cell. Fruit 
large, pyramidal, 4-angled, crowned by the persistent calyx-lobes. — Wight Ic. 
t. 547 ; Ex. Bull. Kol. Mus. Haarlem 1896 pi. xxvii. 
Hub.: Cape York and Dayman’s Island, Endeavour Straits, IF. Hill; Rockingham Bay, J. 
Dallacliy (F. v. M.) 
Widely dispersed over the Indian Archipelago and Pacific Islands. 
Wood of a yellow colour, tough, and firm ; might be used in cabinet-work.— Bailey’s Cat. Ql 
Woods No. 229. 
2. B. racemosa (flowers ill long racemes), Gciuduh. in Fee ye. Voy. Bot. 
483 t. 107 ( F. v. 31. Fmym. ix. 118) ; Bliune, DC. Proil. iii. 288. A medium- 
sized tree, glabrous. Leaves about 1ft. long and 3in. broad, cuneate-oblong, 
slightly crenate-denticulate on very short petioles. Flowers in long pendulous 
racemes rather distant, pedicels about fin. long. Calyx at length opening into 2 
to 4 lobes. Petals and stamens white or rosy. Style about lfin. long. Fruit 
irregularly ovoid-oblong, 2fin. long, lfin. broad, exocarp fibrous, seed ovoid, 
about lfin. long, fin. broad. 
Hab.: Rockingham Bay ; Mulgrave River ; Islands of Torres Straits. 
Wood of a yellow colour, close-grained, but of little value, being too readily eaten by insects.— 
Bailey's Cat. Ql. Woods No. 229a. 
3. B. acutangula (fruit angular), Gcertn. Fract. ii. 97, t. 101; Benth. FI. 
Aitstr. iii. 288. A large handsome tree. Leaves from obovate or oblong-cuneate 
to almost elliptical, obtuse or shortly acuminate, rarely much above 4in. long, 
serrulate or entire, narrowed into a short petiole. Flowers red, rather small, in 
very long slender pendulous racemes. Bracts oblong, very deciduous. Pedicels 
2 to 4 lines long. Calyx-tube ovoid-globose, about 1 line long ; lobes 4, rather 
longer than the tube, orbicular. Petals about twice as long as the calyx-tube. 
