SYNOPTICAL ARRANGEMENT OF INDIAN MYRTACKA2 OF THE TRIBE MYRTEÆ GENERA.
Genera.
Sonneratia, (Lin. fil.) Psidium (Lin.) On these genera
I have no remarks to offer. They are principally
remarkable, in the tribe, for the numerous cells of their
ovary. <
Neeitris. Flowers quaternary or quinary: ovary 4 (?)
to 10-celled, with fleshy partitions between the c e lls:
ovules solitary in each cell, 'ascending, reniform.
2. Myrtus. Flowers quinary. ovary 3-celled, with
numerous superposed ovules in each: seeds several,
subreniform curved, testa hard, embryo cylindrical,curved.
3. J ossinia. Flowers quaternary : ovary 2-celled,
placentas central, covered with numerous ovules : fruit
2 or 1-celled, by abortion, seed several, testa soft, cotyledons
foliaceous (within a sparing albumen ?)
4. Monoxora. Flowers quaternary: ovary 1-celled,
with two parietal placentas: ovules numerous: fruit
drupaceous containing several nuts (4 in two that I examined
) nuts 3, or, by abortion, 1-celled, with a cylindrical
curved embryo in each cell.
5. P im in ta . Flowers quaternary or quinary: ovary
2-celled; ovules 1 or several in each cell, pendulous from
a projecting placenta: seed 1 or several in ^ each cell,
subreniform, testa thin, so ft: embryo cylindrical, spirally
involute, cotyledons conferruminate enclosed in a
soft gelatinous albumen.
[This genus includes Eugenea pimenta a and £ D.C.
the latter Myrcia acris, and perhaps M. pimentoides of
the same author. The very unusual position of the
ovules, added to the peculiar seed, curved cylindrical
embryo and gelatinous albumen—like some of the convolvuli—
leave no doubt as to this genus being equally
distinct from Myrtus, Myrcia and Eugenia, with all of
which its species have been confounded.]
6. E ugenia. Flowers quaternary rarely quinary or
with numerous petals: ovary 2-celled, placentas axillary
; ovules numerous : fruit subdrupacious 2 or 1-celled,
by abortion, with one or two seed : seed usually globose
; cotyledons thick and fleshy, variously lobed or
conferruminate, radicle small between the cotyledons.
Sub-G enera op E ugenia.
1. Eoeugenia. Limb of the calyx, 4-parted down to
the ovary. Pedicels axillary one-flowered.
2. J ambosa. Calyx tube turbinate, rarely cylindrical:
limb produced considerably beyond the ovary,cup-shaped,
margin 4-cleft. Cymes lateral or terminal; flowers usu-
, ally large; fruit often edible.
3. C aryophylus. Calyx tube cylindrical,limb deeply
4-cleft. Cymes terminal somewhat corymbose; flowers
highly aromatic; fruit subdrupacious, succulent one or
two seeded.
4. A cmena. Calyx tube long clavate; limb much
produced beyond the ovary; margin truncated, entire, or
repandly 4 or 5-lobed. Flowers numerous, inflorescence
various, racemose or corymbosely panicled; petals 4-5,
or numerous (10-12) either free or cohering, calyptri-
form; fruit small, subdrupacious.
5. S yzygium. Calyx tube short, contracted, pedicellike
; limb dilated, cup-shaped, much produced beyond
the ovary, margin truncated, entire or repandly lobed.
Cymes corymbose; flowers small, petals cohering or free;
fruit subdrupacious usually one-seeded,sometimes edible.
N e l i t r i s . Gcert, DC.
Of this genus I have only seen one species N . panicu-
lata ? Lind, in which I find the ovary 8-celled with a
single ascending reniform ovule in each. Lindley describes
the ovary of his N. paniculata as 4~celled, hence
the doubt expressed as to my plant being -the same,
though from the same country, Malacca, and its general
agreement with his specific character. My plant has a
4-lobed calvx and 4 petaled corolla, both copiously furnished
with* pellucid dots. So far as I can judge from
the ovary only, for the fruit on my specimens are far too
young to enable me to form any opinion either of its
structure or that of the seed, there seems so much affinity
between this genus and Pomacece 'zs almost to render
it doubtful whether it belongs to Myrtaceoe.
M yrtu s . Lin.—Gcert. -
M. communis a cultivated plant, and M. tomentosus are
the only true species of this genus I have seen and they
differ so widely in some points, from each other, that
they seem scarcely referable to the same genus.
J ossinia. Comm. D C .
Of this genus I have one species, found on the Shevagherryhills
near Courtallum. It has so much the habit
of a Eugenia that I at first ranked it with that genus;
a more careful examination of the seed, even though
still immature, has shown that it must be excluded.
J. indica leaves short petioled, obovate spathulate,
glabrous on both sides, peduncles axillary, solitary, or
congested, sometimes, from abortion o f leaves, corymbose
on the ends of the branches,. one flowered: tube o f the
calyx globose, clothed with short whitish -tomentum, limb
4-lobed, lobes persistent: ovary and fruit 2-celled, seed
several in each, testa polished soft; cotyledons'foliacious.
None of the fruit I examined were mature but several
were sufficiently advanced to admit of the above points
being readily made out, showing clearly that it is neither
referable to Myrtus nor Eugenia, the only genera in this
country with which I can compare ft.
Monoxora. R. W. '
The type of this genus is Blume’s Myrtus spectabilis
the one-ceUed ovary (whence the name) with 2 parietal
placentas and several celled nuts, clearly distinguish it
from that and all other genera of the order, I accordingly
separate it as a distinct genus.
Piminta. Lind.*
This genus is founded on Myrtus pimenta Lin. Eugenia
Pimenta D.C. and Eugenia acris W. and A. Prod,
the E . Pimenta var /3, ovalifolia- D.C. and -Myrcia acris
and Pimentoides D.C.
* This semis was first established by Lindley in Loudon’s Encyclopaedia of Plants with the Mowing character.
Cal. fi. fid. Petals 5, Ovary 2-celled. Ovules solitary appense. Style straight^ Stigma somewhat capitate.
It seems curious that plants so long known and extensively
cultivated as these, and which have been so
often described and figured, should have been at the
present time, removed from Myrtus to be associated
with Eugenia.
DeCandolle who was the first to refer these species
to the genus Eugenia, seems either to have been misled
by wrong specimens or had not examined those he had
with sufficient care, as he describes the fruit “ Bacca
globosa 1 sperma. Embryo subrotundus, cotyledonibus
conferruminatis non distinctis toto ccelo ab leone Gartner
diver sis.” The concluding words of this description
which I have printed in Italics are so much at variance
with what I have observed, that I can scarcely avoid suspecting
the seed he examined must have been that of
some other tree, given by mistake, for in truth I find
Gsertner’s figure a most accurate representation, as a
comparison with the accompanying figure of mine will
show. I f therefore D.C. had a genuine specimen, I can
only account for the error he has fallen into, by supposing
he simply cut the seed across without removing the
testa as Gaertner and I have done.
Dr. Hooker published a figure of Myrcia acris in the
Botanical Magazine,tab. 3153,but curiously enough seems
to have taken the drawing from one species and the
description from another,as he says the calyx,is 4-lobed,
but with 5 petals! The ovary is described as being “ 2-
celled with one broad ovule pendent from the top of
each cell” but is represented with two ovules. Eugenia
Pimenta has quaternary flowers and a solitary ovule in
each cell, E . acris has quinary flowers and several ovules
in each cell. There is another circumstance connected
with that figure and description which may be alluded
to. The seeds of E . pimenta and M. acris, it is said,
are very different “ if DeCandolle be correct,” but yet,
though the Pimenta or Jamaica pepper is to be had in
every grocer’s shop, it does not appear that any attempt
was made to ascertain the correctness or otherwise of
D.C.’s statement, or determine whether they were so different
as he asserts.
Dr. Arnott examined both the ovary and young fruit
of P. acris and most strangely mistook the true struc'
ture o f both. The latter was not so much to be wondered
at, as his specimens were immature, so are those
now before me, .but still they are sufficiently advanced
to show that this is not a species of Eugenia, but is a true
congener of Pimenta.
I refer two species to this genus, viz.
1. * P. vulgaris (Liud.) flowers quaternary ovary 2-celled
with a single ovule in each cell.
2. * P. acris (R. W. Eugenia acris W. and A.) Flowers
quinary, ovary 2-celled, with several ovules in each cell,
attached round the edge of a broad free placenta.
E ugenia.
1. Subgenus E ueugenia. Calyx tube short, slightly
contracted at the throat; limb 4-parted down to the ovary.
Peduncles axillary, one-flowered, bibractiolate at the apex.
1. E . (Eueugenia) Willdenowii (D.C.)
2. * E . (E ) bracteata (Roxb.) Sea Coast, frequent
both on the continent and in Ceylon.
These two are very nearly allied species, but I think
quite distinct, though it is difficult to define them so as
to keep them separate.
3. E. (E ) Rottleriana (W. and A.) Courtallum and
subalpine jungles in the southern provinces. This
species varies considerably in the size o f its leaves but
the general form is pretty uniform.
4. E. (E ) subcordata (W. and A.) This I find is a
mere variety of Eugenia Michelii.
5. E. (E ) Mooniana (R.W.) Shrubby,glabrous, leaves
pellucid dotted, short petioled, ovate, tapering at the
base, acuminated; acumen either short and blunt or prolonged
and tapering to a fine point: peduncles axillary,
solitary or sometimes paired, one flowered: flowers
small, calyx tube ventricose, oblong, limb 4-cleft, segments
reflexed pointed : fruit globose about the size of a
cherry, seed conferruminate.
Ceylon—Moon—Shevagherry near Courtallum, R. W.
This species approaches E . Michelii but is at once distinguished
by its globose not furrowed fruit. Mr. Moon
long ago found it in flower in Ceylon but did not name
it, more recently I found it in fruit on the Shevagherry
hills near Courtallum.
6. E. (E ) Mdbceoides (R.W.) Shrubby, very ramous
leaves short petioled obovate—spathulate, glabrous,
rigid, shining above, pellucid dotted, pedicels very short,
fascicled on short subaxillary tubercles: calyx tube
ventricose, limb 4-parted : ovary 2-celled with numerous
ovules attached to the central placenta ; fruit ?
Ceylon.—Moon and Watson. This can scarcely be
mistaken for any other Indian species I have seen,
its rigid habit, small hard shining spathulate leaves and
fascicled flowers, give it a good deal the appearance of
Maba buxifolia whence the specific name.
7. E. (E ) Codyensis (Munro MSS ) shrubby, glabrous,
leaves short petioled, from ovate oblong to obovate,
with a short blunt acumen, tapering towards the base,
pellucid dotted : flowers subsessile aggregated, forming
terminal capituli on the points of short abortive
branches, or they are axillary, solitary, or a few together:
calyx tube small, clothed with silky tomentum, somewhat
globose; limb persistent, lobes ciliate: petals
twice the length of the calyx lobes, ciliate: style and
stigma simple : ovary 2-celled ; ovules numerous ; fruit
1-2 seeded, globose.
Afterwards he appears either to have forgot or become dissatisfied with it, as I do not find the name, even as a synonym,
in the list of genera in his Natural System of Botany. Owing to this oversight on his part, I had nearly
overlooked it. As it was not until my manuscript was ready for the press that I accidently discovered I was not the
first to propose this genus, I publish unaltered my account o f it, merely adopting Lindley’s name, that which I proposed
being somewhat different. His only species was the Myrtus pimenta Lin. but as the generic character
embraces both my species, I suspect he must either have had them both before him or have taken his character
partly from examination and partly from description.
* I am indebted to Dr. Wallich for authentic specimens of all those species marked with a star* in front, in the
following list.