Tristania
(named in honour of Jules M. C. Tristan, 1776-1861, a French botanist). ORD. Myrtaceae. This genus embraces about a dozen species of stove or greenhouse trees or tall shrubs: four inhabit the Indian Archipelago, two are natives of New Caledonia, and the rest are Australian. Flowers yellow or white, often rather small, disposed in axillary, pedunculate cymes; calyx five-parted; petals five, spreading; stamens indefinite. Leaves alternate, or approximate at the tips of the branches, somewhat whorled, rarely opposite. The following species are known to cultivation. They are very pretty, greenhouse, Australian plants, thriving in a compost of loam, peat, and sand. Half-ripened cuttings will root freely in sand, under a glass. T. conferta (clustered). Australian Turpentine-tree. fl. yellow, in cymes of three to seven, usually on the young wood below the cluster of leaves; peduncle 1/4in. to 1/2in. long, or rarely elongated. July to September. l. alternate, crowded at the ends of the branches so as to appear whorled, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate or rarely almost obtuse, 3in. to 6in. long. 1805. A tall tree. (R. G. 1188.) SYN. T. macrophylla (B. R. 1839.) T. depressa (flattened). A synonym of T. suaveolens. T. macrophylla (large-leaved). A synonym of T. conferta. T. neriifolia (Oleander-leaved). Water Gum-tree. fl. yellow, in opposite, axillary cymes, but forming usually a terminal corymb, the central shoots not growing out till after flowering. June to September. l. opposite, lanceolate, acute, narrowed into a short petiole, 1 1/2in. to 3in. long, nerveless except the prominent midrib. 1804. A tall, slender shrub, or small tree, (L. B. C. 157.) SYNS. Melaleuca neriifolia (B. M. 1058), M. salicifolia (A. B. R. 485). T. suaveolens (sweet-scented). fl. yellow, usually small, in axillary cymes; common peduncles 1/4in. to 1/2in. long, more or less flattened. August. l. alternate, petiolate, ovate-elliptic, ovate-lanceolate, or elliptic-oblong, obtuse or acuminate, more or less distinctly penniveined and reticulated, 1 1/2in. to 6in. long. 1820. Shrub or tree. SYN. T. depressa.