MELASTOMACE^. LXVII. Conostegia. 



785 



Nine-nervedAeaved Heterotrichum. Sh. 6 feet. 



and sometimes rusty beneath, the 



Cult. For culture and propagation see Meldstoma, p. 764. stigma capitate, and the flowers 



decandrous ; Bonpland says, his 

 LXVII. CONOSTE'GIA (from Korog, konos^ a cone, and plant has dodecandrous flowers. 



FIG. 112. 



(xreyr/, stege, a covering; in reference to the conical calyptri- 

 form calyx falling off in one piece). D. Don, in mem. soc. wern. 

 4. p. 316. Sen mss. D. C. prod. 3. p. 173. — Melastoma calyp- 

 trka,Bonpl. mel. — Calycotomus and Bruguiera, Rich. ined. 



Lin. syst. Deca-Icosdndria, Monogy 

 nate to the ovarium ; limb undivided, conical, form of a calyptra, 

 cut round (f. 112. 6.), or irregularly ruptured at the base through 

 aestivation, and therefore falling off in one piece (f. 112. a.). 

 Petals 5-Q. Stamens 10-16. Anthers usually biauriculate at 

 the base. Stigma capitate or peltate. Capsule baccate, 3-8- 

 celled. Seeds ovoid, angular, 

 part natives of South America. 



nerves of leaves bearded, and an 



Flowers white. 



acute 



stigma. 



(f. 112.) 



Tall Conostegia. 

 Tube of calyx ad* 30 feet. 



Tree 12 to 



Trees or shrubs, for the most 

 Leaves petiolate. Thyrse pa- 

 nicled, terminal. Flowers usually white. 



Sect. I. Erioste'gia (from epiov^ erioriy wool, and fTreyr]^ 

 stege, a covering ; calyx woolly). Flower-bud globose, hispid, 

 abruptly acuminated. 



1 C. MuTi'siT (Ser- mss. ex D. C. prod. 3. p. 174.) branches, 

 petioles, peduncles, and calyxes hairy ; leaves large, cordate- 

 oval, rather acuminated, denticulated, 7-9-nerved, glabrous 

 above, but rather pilose on the nerves beneath ; peduncles ter- 

 minal, usually 3-flowered; flower-bud ovate-globose, abruptly 

 acuminated, and regularly cut round at the base. ^ . S. Native 

 of South America, on Mount Quindiu, at the altitude of 2300 

 feet. Melastoma Mutisii, Bonpl. mel. 1. p; 136. t. 58. Calyx 

 large, hairy. Bracteas linear-subulate. Petals 5, white, oval. 

 The flowers are said to be polyandrous in the character given 

 by Bonpland, and decandrous in the French description. Stigma 

 sim])le. 



Mutis's Conostegia. Tree 20 feet. 



I 



Sect. II. Euconoste'gia (this section contains what are sup- 

 posed to be the true species of the genus). Flower-bud ovate, 

 blunt at the apex or acutish, glabrous or a little velvety. 



5 C. Balbisia^na (Ser. mss. 

 ex D. C. prod. 3. p. 174.) quite 

 glabrous ; branches bluntly te- 

 tragonal ; leaves oval, rather ob- 

 long, hardly acuminated, quite 

 entire, triple- nerved, besides tlie 

 marginal nervules ; thyrse pa- 

 nicled, terminal, elongated, hav- 



branchlets 3-flowered ; 



ing 



Its 



flower- bud ovate, acutish, at length cut roundabout. 

 Native of Jamaica. 



F?.S. 



trata. 



Style not thickened at the apex. Berry 

 Tree 20 feet. 



Flowers twice the size of those of C calyp- 

 Perhaps the same as Melastoma procera, Swartz, but not 

 of Bonpl. ? Base of calyx campanulate, rather urceolate, trun- 

 cate. Stamens 12. 

 8-celled. 



Balhis's Conostegia- 



6 C. suBHinsuTA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 174.) branchlets tetra- 

 gonal, and are, as well as the peduncles and nerves of leaves, 

 densely clothed with rusty branched down ; leaves oval, some- 

 what attenuated at the base, abruptly acuminated at the apex, 

 quite entire, 5-nerved, glabrous on both surfaces, except the 

 nerves on the under surface ; thyrse panicled, terminal, fe^'- 

 flow^ered ; calyx ovoid, after separating hemispherical truncate and 

 glabrous at the base, ^j . S. Native of Cuba, about the Havanah, 

 and of Guadaloupe. Bruguiera, Rich. herb. This species is very 

 distinct in the hairiness, form of the leaves and calyxes. Petals 

 8-10, obovate-oblong. Berry 12-celled. Stigma peltate. 



Raihcr-hairy Conostegia. Tree 20 feet. 



7 C. calyptra'ta (D. Don, 1. c.) smoothish ; branches tetra- 



2 C. EXTiNCTORiA (D. Dou, in mem. wern. soc. 4. p. 316.) gonal, and are, as well as the petioles, panicles, and nerves of 

 branches bluntly tetragonal, rather terete, and are, as well as leaves on the under side, clothed with scurfy down; leaves on 



" " * " " " " long petioles, oval-oblong, long-acuminated, glabrous above, 



somewhat denticulated, 3-nervcd, besides the 2 small lateral 



the petioles, leaves, and panicles, clothed with adpressed rusty 

 down ; leaves oval-oblong, long-acuminated, quintuple-nerved. 



Martinique, and Montserrat, &c. Melastoma calyptrata, Desr. 

 in Lam. diet. 4. p. 51, Rich, in Bonpl. mel. t. 46. Vahl. eel. 1. 



Flowers white. 



p. 40. 



Sh. 6 to 6 feet. 



with repandly denticulated margins, glabrous and shining above ; nervules ; thyrse panicled, terminal, loose ; flower-bud ovate, 

 panicle terminal ; flower-bud conical and acute at the apex, cut obtuse at the base, rather acutish at the apex, cut round about in 

 round about in the middle. T2 . S. Native of New Granada, the middle. Tj .^S. Native of mountain woods in Guadaloupe, 

 in temperate places near Mariquita. Melastoma extinctorium, 

 Bonpl. .mel. t. 57. Petals 6, obovate, white. Stamens 20. 

 Berry 5-celled. 



Spoiled Conostegia. Tree 24 feet. 



3 C. Di'scoLOR (D. C. prod. 3. p. 174,) branches nearly terete, 

 *^nd are, as well as the petioles, peduncles, and under side of 

 leaves, clothed with short rusty down ; leaves oval, attenuated 

 at the base, acuminated at the apex, quite entire, 5-nerved, be- 

 sides the marginal nervules ; thyrse terminal, panicled, loose ; 

 calyx glabrous after opening, urceolate, truncate, globose at the 

 tase. ^2 . S. Native of St. Domingo. Melastoma tetrandrum, 

 Spreng. syst. 2. p. 305. exclusive of the synonymes. 



rwo-co/owrecZ-leaved Conostegia. Tree 12 to 20 feet. 



4 C. PRo'cERA (D. Don, 1. c.) glabrous ; branches bluntly 

 tetragonal; leaves oval-lanceolate, acuminated, entire, triple- 

 nerved, bearded in the axils of the nerves beneath ; thyrse pani- 

 cled, terminal, loose ; flower-bud ovate, acuminated, cut round 



Calyptrate-calyxed Conostegia. 

 8 C. coRNXFOLiA (Ser. mss. ex D. C. prod. 3. p. 175.) quite 

 glabrous ; branches nearly terete ; leaves petiolate, oval, short- 

 acuminated, quite entire, 3-nervcd, besides the marginal ner- 

 vules ; thyrse panicled, terminal, loose; flower-bud ovate, ob- 

 tuse at the base, rather acutish at the apex, sometimes cut round 

 about in the middle, and sometimes opening irregularly by 2 

 valves. J2 . S. Native of Martinique. Tlicrc is a small-leaved 

 variety found on the mountains, and a large-leaved variety in 



Melastoma cornifolia, Desr. in Lam. diet. 4. p. 51. 



Melast. picta, Vahl. eel. 3. p. 15. 

 Stamens 10. Berry i-cclled. 



the woods. 



Tree 20 feet. 



m the 

 Melast 



T? 



Rich, in Bonpl. mel. t. 41. 



ex Ser. Petals 5, white, obtuse. 



Dog'Tt'Ood-lcavcd Conostegia. 



9 C. sEMicRENA^TA (Scr. mss. ex D. C. prod. 3. p. 175.) gla- 

 brous ; branches nearly terete ; leaves oblong, long-acummated, 

 repandly crenated in the upper part, 3-ncrved, rusty beneath in 

 the adult stale; thyrse panicled, termmal, loose; flower-bud 



pland's, although Swartz says the leaves of his plant are giaorous, "'**'„ 



VOL, II. 



