Plate 1058 - Oleander- Leaved Melaleuca

Plate 1058

Publication Information

Flowering Period: August

Description: [ 1058 ]
MELALEUCA NERIIFOLIA. OLEANDER- LEAVED MELALEUCA.

Class and Order
POLYADELPHIA POLYANDRIA.

Generic Character
. Cal. 5-partitus, femifuperus. Cor. 5-petala. Filamenta multa, connata in 5 corpora. stylus 1. Caps. femiveftita, 3-locularis. specific Character. MELALEUCA neriisolia; soliis oppofitis lanceolatis acutis uninerviis, petiolis decurrentibus, pedunculis axillaribus trichotomis, filamentis corolla bre- vioribus.

 DEsCR. stem shrubby, upright, branched: branches fub- alate. Leaves oppofite, lanceolate, acute, rigid, fubmarginate, quite entire, smooth, pale on the under side, perforate when held to the light with small pellucid dots, one-ribbed, with minute, transverfe, simple veins, petiolated: petiole decurrent down the branch. Flowers bright yellow, in a trichotomous, panicle peduncles solitary, erect, longer than petiole, shorter by two-thirds than leaf, hardly pubescent: pedicles shorter than calyx. Bractes 2, leaf-like, below the panicle. Calyx femisuperior, five-cleft: leaflets ovate, concave, obtuse. Corolla 5-petaled: petals quite entire, ovate, obtuse, spreading, in- serted in the calyx. stamens about 20: filaments collected into five bundles, but hardly cohering, scarcely so long as the petals, inserted into the calyx. Anthers globular. The leaves have very little of the aromatic taste so prevalent. in most species of Melaleuca, but are aftringent and bitterifh, approaching the flavour of those of the Tea-Tree. Comes Comes very near to MELALEUCA laurina of sMITH, but differs, in that the leaves of our plant are conftantly op- pofite, and of a different form and substance, refembling very much those of the Oleander, but smaller; the peduncles too are much longer than in the specimen of MELALEUCA laurina in the Banksian Herbarium. Besides the last-mentioned plant, we understand that Mr. BROWN has detected some other closely-allied species in New- Holland; so that we have no doubt of the propriety of fepa- rating these plants into a distinct genus; but as we are unac- quainted with the fruit of our species, we willingly leave this talk to better qualified Botanists, contenting ourselves with placing it, for the present, by the side of Dr. sMITH'S MELA- LEUCA laurina, of which it is undoubtedly a congener. Communicated by Mr. BARR, Nurseryman, at Ball's-Pond, Iflington, who raised many plants some years since from seeds he procured from New South-Wales. Flowers in August. We have seen it in blossom also at the same time at Meffrs. LEE and KENNEDY's and at Mr. COLVILLE'S; but all these plants were originally from Mr. BARR's ftock. Is readily propagated by cuttings. N1058,

syd Edwards Del. Pub. by T. W. W Curtis st Geo: st Geo st Geo st Geo Crescent Oct 1. 1807 E Sanfem sculp


Raw OCR Text (Original)

[ 1058 ] MELALEUCA NERIIFOLIA. OLEANDER- LEAVED MELALEUCA. ******* Class and Order. POLYADELPHIA POLYANDRIA. Generic Character. Cal. 5-partitus, femifuperus. Cor. 5-petala. Filamenta multa, connata in 5 corpora. stylus 1. Caps. femiveftita, 3-locularis. specific Character. MELALEUCA neriisolia; soliis oppofitis lanceolatis acutis uninerviis, petiolis decurrentibus, pedunculis axillaribus trichotomis, filamentis corolla bre- vioribus. DEsCR. stem shrubby, upright, branched: branches fub- alate. Leaves oppofite, lanceolate, acute, rigid, fubmarginate, quite entire, smooth, pale on the under side, perforate when held to the light with small pellucid dots, one-ribbed, with minute, transverfe, simple veins, petiolated: petiole decurrent down the branch. Flowers bright yellow, in a trichotomous, panicle peduncles solitary, erect, longer than petiole, shorter by two-thirds than leaf, hardly pubescent: pedicles shorter than calyx. Bractes 2, leaf-like, below the panicle. Calyx femisuperior, five-cleft: leaflets ovate, concave, obtuse. Corolla 5-petaled: petals quite entire, ovate, obtuse, spreading, in- serted in the calyx. stamens about 20: filaments collected into five bundles, but hardly cohering, scarcely so long as the petals, inserted into the calyx. Anthers globular. The leaves have very little of the aromatic taste so prevalent. in most species of Melaleuca, but are aftringent and bitterifh, approaching the flavour of those of the Tea-Tree. Comes

Comes very near to MELALEUCA laurina of sMITH, but differs, in that the leaves of our plant are conftantly op- pofite, and of a different form and substance, refembling very much those of the Oleander, but smaller; the peduncles too are much longer than in the specimen of MELALEUCA laurina in the Banksian Herbarium. Besides the last-mentioned plant, we understand that Mr. BROWN has detected some other closely-allied species in New- Holland; so that we have no doubt of the propriety of fepa- rating these plants into a distinct genus; but as we are unac- quainted with the fruit of our species, we willingly leave this talk to better qualified Botanists, contenting ourselves with placing it, for the present, by the side of Dr. sMITH'S MELA- LEUCA laurina, of which it is undoubtedly a congener. Communicated by Mr. BARR, Nurseryman, at Ball's-Pond, Iflington, who raised many plants some years since from seeds he procured from New South-Wales. Flowers in August. We have seen it in blossom also at the same time at Meffrs. LEE and KENNEDY's and at Mr. COLVILLE'S; but all these plants were originally from Mr. BARR's ftock. Is readily propagated by cuttings.

N1058, syd Edwards Del. Pub. by T. W Curtis st Geo: st Geo st Geo Crescent Oct 1. 1807 E Sanfem sculp

Plate Period: 1808-1810 - Mixed artist period
Typical Artists: S Curtis Del, W.J.H.del
Expected Publisher: S Curtis at Walworth
Publisher Location: St. George's Crescent, London - the original publisher address for Curtis's Botanical Magazine
Artist Information: delineavit (Latin: 'drawn by') - indicates the artist who drew the botanical illustration

Original botanical print from Curtis's Botanical Magazine