43 
Tribe II. CHARIANTHEiE, Ser. 
Kibessia, DC. Charianthus, Don. Astronia, Blume. 
Ewyckia, BI. Chsenopleura, Rich. Spathandra, Guillem. 
Order XXVIII. MYRTACE^E. The Myrtle Tribe. 
Myrti, Juss. Gen. 323. (1789). — Myrte.®, Juss. Diet. Sc. Nat. 34. 94. (1825). — Myr- 
TOiDEi®, Vent. Tab. (1799). — Myrtine^, DC. Thdorie, Elem. (1819). — Myr- 
TACEiE, R. Brown in Flinders, p.l4. (1814) ; DC. Diet. Class, v. 11. (1826) ; Prodr. 
3. 207. (1829). — Granate^, Don. in Ed. Phil. Journ. p. 134. (1826) ; DC. Prodr. 
3. 3. (1829) ; Von Martins H. Reg. Monac. (1829) ; Conspectus, No. 317. (1835), 
Essential Character. — Calyx superior, 4-or 5-cleft, sometimes falling off like a 
cap, in consequence of the cohesion of the apex. Petals equal in number to the segments 
of the calyx, with a quincuncial aestivation ; rarely none. Stamens either twice as many as 
the petals, or indefinite, rarely equal to them in number ; filaments either all distinct, or 
connected in several parcels, curved inwards before flowering; anthers ovate, 2-celled, 
small, bursting lengthwise. Ovary inferior, 1- 2- 4- 5- or 6-celled; style simple; stigma 
simple. Fruit either dry or fleshy, dehiscent or indehiscent. Seeds usually indefinite, 
variable in form ; embryo without albumen, straight or curved, with its cotyledons and radi- 
cle distinguishable or conferruminated into a solid mass. — Trees or shrubs. Leaves oppo- 
site or alternate, entire, with transparent dots, and usually with a vein running parallel 
with their margin. Inflorescence variable, usually axillary. Flowers red, white, occasion « 
ally yellow, never blue. 
Anomalies. Chamgelauciese have a 1 -celled fruit, with erect ovules. A species of 
Sonneratia is apetalous. Some dotted leaves are alternate. 
Affinities. One of the most natural among the tribes of plants, and the 
most easily recognised. Its opposite exstipulate dotted entire leaves with a 
marginal vein, are a certain indication of it, with the exception of a few species, 
some of which probably do not belong to the order, although at present placed 
in it. It is closely allied to Rosacese, Lythracese, Onagracese, Combretacese, 
and Melastomacese, but cannot well be confounded either with them or any 
other order. It offers a curious instance of the facility with which the calyx 
and corolla can take upon themselves the same functions and transformations. 
In Eucalyptus, as is well known, the sepals are consolidated into a cup-like lid, 
called the operculum. In Eudesmia, a nearly-related genus, the calyx remains 
in its normal state, while the petals are consolidated into an operculum. Pu- 
nica is usually referred to this order ; but the descriptions that have been 
published of it have been founded upon so imperfect a view of its structure, 
that I may be permitted to dwell upon it at some length, especially as I hope to 
shew that it not only does not differ from the order essentially, but that it does 
not require to be distinguished from true Myrtaceae even as a section. A con- 
sideration of the real structure of this plant comes the more properly within 
the scope of the present publication, because the genus has been considered 
the type -of a particular order (Granatetc) by Don, in which he is supported by 
the high authority of De CandoUe and Von Martins. The fruit of the Pome- 
granate is described by Gaertner and De Candolle as being divided into two 
unequal divisions by a horizontal diaphragm, the upper half of which consists 
of from 5 to 9 cells, and the lower of three ; the cells of both being separated 
by membranous dissepiments ; the placentse of the upper half proceeding from 
the back to the centre, and of the lower irregularly from their bottom ; and by 
Don as a fleshy receptacle formed by the tube of the calyx into a unilocular 
berry, filled with a spongy placenta, which is hollowed out into a number 
