P L A T E CCCXXXI.
X Y L O P H Y L L A FALCATA.
Cymitar-Jìiaped-leaved Xylophylla.
C L A S S XXI. ORDER IIL
MONCECIA TRIANDRIA. Chives and Pointals separate. Three Chives.
GENERIC CHARACTER.
* Masculiflores.
CALYX. Periantbium monophyllum, tripartiuim,
coloratum; laciniis ovatis, patulis,
ovalis.
COROLLA, Pétala tria, ovata, concava.
STAMINA. Filamenta tria, breviflìma, bafi approximata.
Antherae fubrotundoe, didymae.
* Femineì Jiores in eodem fafciculo cum mafcuHs.
CALYX. Perianthium ut in mare.
COROLLA ut in mare.
Nt'ctarium corpufcuKs glandulofis germen
ambientibus,
F I S T I L L U M . Germen fubrotundum, trifulca- •
tum. Styli tres, patuli, bifidi. Stigmata
obtnfa.
P E K I C A K P I U M . Capfula trigona, trifulca, trilocularis;
loculis bivalvibus.
S E M I N A folitaria.
* Male flowers.
EMPALEMENT. Cup one leaf, three divided,
coloured; fegments egg-lhaped, fpreading,
oval.
BLOSSOM. Petals three, egg-ftiaped, concave.
CHIVES. Threads three, very fliort, and approaching
at the bafe. Tips roundiCh, double.
* Female flowers in the fame tuft wi th the males.
EMPALEMENT. Cup as in the male.
BLOSSOM as in the male.
Honey-cup is formed of fmall glandular
bodies furrounding the feed-bud.
P O I N T A L . Seed-bud roundiih, three-furrowed.
Shafts three, fljort. Summits blunt.
SEED-VESSEL. Capftile three-fided, three-furrowed,
three cells ; cells two-valved.
SEEDS folitary.
S P E C I F I C CHARACTER.
Xylophylla foliis fparfis, integris, falcatis, crenatis;
crenis remotis, floriferis; floribus
rubris.
Xylophylla with leaves fcattered on the ftenj,
entire, cymitar-fliaped and fcolloped'; the
fcollops diftant, and having the flowers on
them; flowers red.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. A male flower, magnified.
2. The bloffom of male flowers, fpread open, with the honey-cups.
3. A Female flower, magnified.
4. The Germ from a female flower, cut tranfverfely, magnified.
IT ihould feem that this Genus has not been obferved with fufiicient accuracy, at leaft thofe plants
known to us, and which have been treated of as belonging to the clafs Pentandria. The prefent one,
for inltance, which is unqueítíonably the plant defigned by Swartz, Commelin, Seba, &c. and is acknowledged
by Swartz to be triandrous and monoecious, yet that it fhonld be continued in the Kew
Catalogue and by Willdenow, &c to Pentandria, is aftonifliing. We have no hefitation in declaring
our opinion that the whole genus as it now iiands ought to be thrown to Phyllanthus. But, as the title
Xylophylla is fo well known for thefe plants; we have thought it more fafe to give the Genus thofe
charafters the plants bear under their true Clafs and Order, than make any alteration in it. The
Xylophylla falcata is a native of the Wef t India Iflands, and has been long cultivated in our hothoufes;
fo long ago as the year 1730. It is a tender plant, and will not flower without the afliftance
of the bark-bed; is eafily propagated by cuitings; grows beft in fandy peat, and flowers in Auguft.
Our drawing was made at the Hammerfmith Nurfery.
M