101 
-tannin. Ed. P. J. 12. 416. The leaves of Ammannia vesicatoria have a 
strong muriatic smell ; they are extremely acrid, and are used by the native 
practitioners of India to raise blisters, in rheumatism, &c. : bruised and ap- 
plied to the part intended to be blistered, they perform their office in half an 
hour, and most effectually. Ainslie, 2. 93. 
GENERA. 
§ 1. SALICARIEiE, DC. 
Rotala, L. 
Symmetria, Bl. 
Cryptotheca, Blume. 
SutFrenia, Bell. 
Ameletia, DC. 
Peplis, L. 
Chahrma, Adans. 
Ammannia, L. 
Cornelia, Ard. 
Lythrum, L. 
Salicaria, Tourn. 
Pythagorea, Rafin. 
Anisotes (13). 
Pleurophora, Don. 
Cuphea, Jacq. 
Melanium, P. Br. 
Parsonia, P. 
Balsamona, Vand. 
Acisanthera, P. Br. 
Fatioa, DC. 
Pemphis, Forst. 
Diplusodon, Pohl. 
Priedlandia, Cham. 
Nesaea, Commers, 
Heimia, Link. 
Decodon, Gmel. 
Crenea, Aubl. 
Lawsonia, L. 
Antherylium, Rohr. 
Dodecas, L. 
Ginoria, Jacq. 
Adenaria, H. B. K. 
G'rislea, Loefl. 
Woodfordia, Salisb. 
§ 2. LAGERSTRffiMIEiB, 
DC. 
Lagerstroemia, L. 
Munchhausia, L. 
Adambea, Lam. 
Duabanga, Hamilt. 
Lafdensia, Vand. 
Calyplectus, R. et P. 
Physocalymna, Pohl. 
Alliance II. MELIALES. 
Essential Character. — ^Estivation of calyx imbricated. Carpels four or a larger 
number. Stamens very generally monadelphous in a kind of cup. Seldom or never hairy. 
While the last alliance contains plants universally mucilaginous, with the 
exception of the astringent Lythracese ; this comprehends genera which are 
mostly more or less aromatic or bitter. The number of carpels being usually 
at least four, and often seven distinguishes the alliance with almost certainty 
from Euphorbiales. 
Order LXXVII. MELIACE.^. The Bead-tree Tribe. 
MELiAi, Gen. 263. (1789) ; Mem. Mus. 3. 436. (1817); DC. Prod. 1. 619. (1824); 
Adr. de Juss. Memoire (1830). 
Essential Character. — Sepals 3, 4, or 5, more or less united. Petals the same num- 
ber, hypogynous, conniving at the base, or even cohering, usually having a valvate aestiva- 
tion. Stamens twice as many as the petals ; filaments cohering in a long tube ; anthers 
sessile within the orifice of the tube. Disk frequently highly developed, surrounding the 
ovai*y like a cup. Ovary single, with the same number of cells as petals, or fewer (3-2) 
very seldom many more (10-12) cells; style 1 ; stigmas distinct or combined ; ovules 1 or 2 
in each cell, very rarely 4. Fruit berried, drupaceous or capsular, often, in consequence of 
abortion, 1 -celled, the valves, if present, having the dissepiments in their middle. Seeds 
without albumen, not winged, with or without an aril ; albumen fieshy, (Meliece) usually 
absent (Trichiliece) . — Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, without stipules, simple or 
compound. 
Affinities. This order was ill understood until it was investigated 
by Adrien de Jussieu, from whose memoir I borrow the principal part of 
what follows. It is, no doubt, related to Aurantiacese, notwithstanding that 
CaneUa, which was considered a case of transition, is removed from it. The 
inflorescenee of Aurantiacese terminates in dichotomies with a central and 
praecocious flower, the union that sometimes occurs between the filaments of 
that order, the number of stamens often double that of the petals and their re- 
lative length, the embryo with a short radicle drawn back between the thick 
