82 M E L A I 
pear by their clefcriptions; fome being united to a great 
extent, others but (lightly ; fome in a pinnate, others in a 
palmate, manner ; all which being confidered, their union 
at all feems to afford but an artificial character. This 
however is a fufficiently clear, and, both genera being nu¬ 
merous, a very commodious, diftinftion. Eleven fpecies 
are defcribed in the third volume of the Linnaean Tranfac- 
tions, and one in the fixth. Thefe are all adopted by Will- 
denow. Some fpecies have fince been added; and Dr. Smith 
now(Rees’sCyclopaedia)divides the whole into two feftions. 
I. Leaves alternate. i. Melaleuca leucodendron, or 
greater cajeput-tree : leaves alternate, lanceolate, pointed, 
obliquely falcate, five-ribbed ; footflaiks, young branches, 
and gennen, fmooth. Native of fome parts of the Eaft 
Indies, efpecially the Molucca Iflands, Ceram and Am- 
boyna; growing in hiilyplaces, flowering from January to 
March, and ripening fruit from Auguft to November; but, 
according to Rumphius, it is rarely propagated by feed. 
It is defcribed as a large tree with a black trunk and 
white branches, whence the compound name Melaleuca ; 
the trunk, as thick as a man’s body, or much thicker, 
with many irregular widely-fpreading branches, but not 
of a lofty growth. Leaves fcattered, on fhort fmooth 
footflaiks, lanceolate, entire, fmooth, tapering at each 
end, but moll at the extremity, curved laterally into a 
fickle lhape, from five to eight inches long, fcarcely an 
inch broad in the widefl part, furnifned with five principal 
ribs, connedted by intermediate interbranching veins. 
Flowers white, in long, loofe, fomewhat-whorled, fpikes, 
whefe fmooth common flalk terminates in a leaf-bud, and 
becomes a branch. The bundles of ftamens are three 
quarters of an inch long, and each divided nearly to the 
bafe. Germen fcarcely fo large as a hemp-feed, globofe, 
fmooth, quite feffile, the capl'ules remaining long firmly 
fixed to the branch, l'urmounted by leaves, after the feeds 
have fallen out, as is common to the whole genus. Rum¬ 
phius fpeaks much of the refinous and aromatic properties 
of this tree, its whitifh or grey afpedl, and its agreeable 
ihade. The wood is hard and heavy, but eafily fplits and 
icon decays, being neither beautiful nor uleful. The 
outer bark is of a fpongy nature, and much ufed for caulk¬ 
ing veffels, as it l'wells in the water; but is neverthelefs 
liable to fhrink again, and give way. It is called baru, a 
name given to all lubflances ufed for that purpofe. An 
oil is obtained by firing the tree, which foon becomes thick, 
and is ufed for candles. Rumphius fays nothing of any 
fine efiential oil being procured by dillillation from this 
tree. See the next fpecies. 
a. Melaleuca minor, or fmaller cajeput-tree : leaves 
fcattered, elliptic-lanceolate, bluntifli, ftraight, five-rib¬ 
bed ; young branches and germens downy. Native of 
Amboyna, but lefs frequent than the foregoing, with 
which it has been confounded by every body but Rum¬ 
phius. This is fmaller in all its parts, and rather a fhrub 
than a tree. The bark is woody and brittle throughout, 
not externally corky like the former. The flrudlure of 
the parts of fructification is the fame in both, efpecially 
the form of the ftamens. The young leaves are extreme¬ 
ly filky; adult ones nearly fmooth, about two (fcarcely 
three) inches long, and one broad, exaftly elliptical, and 
not oblique or falcated. Footflaiks broad and very fhort, 
fomewhat hairy. Young branches, where the flowers are 
feated, denfely clothed with white filky prominent down, 
as is likewife the germen. The calyx is but (lightly 
downy. Fruit fmooth, deprefied and truncated. 
This is the fpecies which yields the cajeput-oil, and 
not the preceding, as generally luppofed. The cajeput- 
oil, called alfo Oleum WiUncbianum, from Wittneben, 
who gave an account of the procefs for obtaining it, though 
unknown in Britain, is now admitted into the materia 
medica of all the principal foreign pharmacopeias. It is 
imported into Europe from the Eaft Indies, and is dillilled 
chiefly in the ifland of Banda. From its exorbitant price, 
it is frequently adulterated; and is therefore feldom found 
perfedly pure in Europe, Cajeput-oil appears to be a 
. E U C A. 
powerful medicine, and is much efleemed in Germany as 
well as in India, as a general remedy in chronic and pain¬ 
ful complaints. It is ufed for the fame purpofes for which 
we employ the officinal ethers, to which it feems to have 
a confiderable affinity ; the cajeput, however, is more po¬ 
tent and pungent; taken into the ilomach, in the dofe of 
five or fix drops, it heats and ftimuiates the whole fyftem-, 
proving at the fame time a very certain diaphoretic, by 
which, probably, the good effects it is faid to have in drop- 
fies and intermittent fevers are to be explained. For its 
efficacy in various fpafmodic and convulfive affedlions, it 
is highly efleemed ; and numerous inftances of its fuc- 
cefsful employment are publifhed by different authors, 
cited by Murray. It has been alfo ufed both internally 
and externally with much advantage in feveral other ob- 
ftinate diforders, as palfy, hypochondriacal and hyfteri- 
cal affeftions, deafnefs, defective vifion, tooth-ache, gout, 
rheumatifm, menftrual obftruCtions, herpetic eruptions, 
&c. of which Thunberg gives a particular relation.* The 
dofe is from two to fix, and even twelve, drops. 
3. Melaleuca viridiflora, or green-flowered ribbed rae- 
laleuca: leaves alternate, elliptic-lanceolate, ftraight, 
bluntifli, coriaceous, five-ribbed ; footflaiks and young 
branches downy; germen nearly fmooth. Native or 
New Caledonia and New South Wales. The younger 
Linnaeus confounded it with both the preceding. From 
the firft it is abundantly diftinCl. With the"fecondit 
more agrees in the fhape of its leaves* but differs in their 
thick rigid texture, and much longer morj downy foot¬ 
flaiks. The flowers are twice as large, green, not white, 
with a fmooth or very-flightly hairy germen. The form 
of the ftamens is the fame. The young leaves of the pre- 
fent fpecies are finely downy, but fcarcely filkv. 
4. Melaleuca fuaveolens, or fweet-feented "melaleuca t 
leaves alternate, elliptical, fingle-ribbed ; flower-ftalks ax¬ 
illary, forked, downy, twice as long as the footflaiks; fila¬ 
ments lhorter than the petals, fomewhat pinnate. Native 
of the warmer part of New Holland, near Endeavour-river. 
A handfome tree, with elliptical fmooth entire leaves, tam¬ 
pering at each end, fingle-ribbed, five or fix inches long 
and two broad ; footflaiks an inch long; flower-ftalks 
nearly twice that length, downy, axillary, fometimes in 
pairs, forked, each bearing feven handfome white flowers* 
whofe ftamens are much fhorter than the petals, and pin¬ 
nated in their lower part. 
5. Melaleuca laurina, or laurel-leaved melaleuca: leaves 
alternate, obovate-lanceolate, fingle-ribbed ; flower-ftalks 
axillary, forked, downy, about as long as the footflaiks ; 
filaments rather fhorter than the petals, fomewhat pinnate. 
Native of New South Wales ; communicated by fir Jofieph 
Banks. It is very nearly related to the laft, but not at all 
aromatic, which that fhould feem by its name to be ; and 
the leaves are broadefl towards the top, very narrow and 
taper at their bafe. The footflaiks are bordered, and fo 
connected with the leaf, it is hard to fix the limits of each; 
Flower-ftalks axillary, not an inch long, forked, filky, 
bearing five or feven flowers, half the fize of the liiaveo- 
lens. 
6. Melaleuca ftypheloides, or fharp twifted-leaved me4 
laleuca: leaves alternate, ovate, twilled, many-ribbed, 
with a fpinous point; calyx-teeth fharp-pointed, ribbed. 
Native of Port Jackfon. This has the habit of a Styphe- 
lia, and is fcarcely at all aromatic. The numerous leaves 
are feffile, fcattered, not an inch long, ovate, twifled, rigid, 
pungent, entire, fmooth, rather glaucous, firmed with 
innumerable nerves. Young branches very hairy, bear¬ 
ing in their lower part fhort crowded circles of feffile white 
flowers. Ventenat lays there Were many fine plants of 
this fpecies in his time at Malmaifbfi, but none had then 
bloffomed. 
7. Melaleuca fquarrofa, or various-leaved melaleuca; 
leaves fcattered or oppolite, ovate, pointlei's, five or feven- 
ribbed ; calyx-teeth pointlefs, fmooth. Native of the eaft 
and weft coafls of New Holland. It was in the Cambridge 
garden in 1799.. The leaves fpread in.three or.four rows, 
according 
