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* MARCETlA excoriata. 
Loose-barked Marcetia. 
OCTAN.DRIA MONOGYNIA . 
Nat. ord. Melastomace^e. 
MARCETIA. DC. Calycis tubus oblougus aut cylindraceus, lobis 4 
lanceolatis. Pet. 4, ovalia acuta. Siam. 8, sequalia, antheris basi bituber- 
culatis oblongis 1 -porosis. Ovarium, liberum glabrum. Stylus filiformis. 
Stigma punctiforme. Capsula 4-valvis 4-loc. calycis tubo circiter sequalis. 
Semina cochleata. Suffrutices Brasiliensis. Rami teretes. Folia subcar- 
nosa, oblong a, margine scepius revoluta, basi cordata, brevissime aut vix petio- 
lata, integerrima, scepe enervia. Flores axillares, solitarii, subsessiles, bibrac- 
teati, albi aut subrubentes. DeCand. Prodr. 3. 124 
M. excoriata; suffruticosa, ramosissima, foliis sub-sessilibus oblongis basi sub- 
cordatis apice obtusis mucronulatis dense pubescenti-velutinis sub-3-ner- 
viis, floribus axillaribus pedicellatis 8andris in racemum foliaceum sub- 
digestis, antheris basi bituberculatis. DeCand. prodr. 3. 124. 
This genus consists of a group of curious little Melasto- 
maceous plants, having almost the habit of Heaths. They 
are all found in tropical America in mountainous places, or in 
elevated sandy deserts, and give a peculiar feature to the 
places where they grow. In our gardens they are almost un- 
known ; that which is now represented, from the collection of 
His Grace the Duke of Northumberland, at Sion, being the 
first that we have met with in cultivation. DeCandolle de- 
scribes eleven species. 
They are warm greenhouse plants, difficult to manage, and 
multiplied by cuttings. Their names occur in some of the 
continental Catalogues, as for example in that of Mr. Makoy 
of Liege, who has this and another, the M. rosmarinifolia ; 
the price of the first being 20 francs, and of the second 15, 
hut he regards them both as stove plants. 
* Named after Dr. Marcet of Geneva, a chemist who was the author of 
a curious paper concerning the effect of poisons upon plants. 
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