450 LVII. MELASTOMACEEH (HOOKER). [ Dissotis, 
quite glabrous, except a few bristles at the very base; lobes lanceolate, 
acuminate, two-thirds as long as the tube, persistent, edges scarcely 
ciliate, back often scabrid. Petals broad. Anthers of long’ stamens 
upwards of } in., connective nearly as long; connective of short sta- 
mens shortly produced. Capsule membranous, 5-valved, with an 
apical ring of bristles at the tip.—Melustoma capitatum, Don, Gard, Dict. 
ii. 764. Melastomastrum erectum, Naud. in Ann. Sc. Nat. sér. 3, xii. 
297.  Tristemma erectum, Guill. et Perr. Fl. Seneg. 312. 
Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone, Afzelius! Don! Senegambia, Heudelot ! 
Var. 8. Vogelii; stems weak, flexuous, very sparingly scabrid at the angles chiefly — 
Hf. Vogelii, Benth. 1. c. 352.—Sierra Leone, Afzelius! Vogel! 
Var. y. Barteri; erect, robust, 4 feet high, stem and branches densely subhispidly 
strigose, hairs more copious on both surfaces of the leaf, not so appressed ; petioles 
4 in.; calyx-lobes with long slender points; anthers rather smaller—Nupe on the 
Niger, Barter! 
Apparently a very variable plant. The Senegambian specimen is very imperfect, 
and has smaller flowers. 
7. D. (Heterotis) radicans, Hook. 7. Stem slender, flexuous, 
prostrate and rooting, much branched; branches ascending, flexuous, 
sparsely strigillose. Leaves 1}—2 in. by 3—1in., ovate, obtuse or subacute, 
5-nerved, strigillose with sparse appressed hairs on both surtaces, 
especially above; petiole 7-4 in. Heads few-fowered; outer bracts 
leafy, usually very broadly ovate; inner as in H. capitata, but usually 
with longer crinite bristles at the base. Flowers and fruit as in H. capi- 
tata but about half the size. 
Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone, Afzelius! 
Very similar to H. capitata, var. Vogelii, but smaller in all its parts, prostrate and 
rooting; leaves more strigose beneath, of a reddish colour when dry. 
8. D. (Heterotis) hirsuta, Zook. f. Uirsute with copious rather 
soft spreading hairs and bristles. Stem prostrate, flexuous, obtusely 
4-aneled, dark coloured; nodes with 1—2 straight appressed bristles. 
Leaves 13-2 in. by 1-1} in., ovate, acute, 5-nerved, almost equally hir- 
sute on both surfaces, green or reddish beneath ; petiole 4-3 in. Heads 
3—6-flowered, sessile Tacwech the two uppermost leaves ; outer bracts 
foliaceous; inner oblong ; innermost linear, all ciliate. Flowers as in 
D, capitata, 
Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone, Afzelius! Barter! FI. May. 
9. D. villosa, Hook. f. Stem erect from a short decumbent base, 
6—18 in. high, terete, stout, villous with dense soft suberect hairs, spat- 
ingly branched, branches suberect. Leaves 1§—2 in. by 4-4 in., linear- 
oblong, obtuse or subacute, margins cartilaginous obscurely serrate, 
3-nerved, equally densely villous on both surfaces ; petiole very stout. 
Flowers 4-merous, crowded between the two uppermost leaves in sub- 
capitate corymbs, shortly pedicelled; bracts about equalling the pedi- 
cels, oblong, pectinate and villous, obtuse, persistent. Calyx-tube i in., 
shortly campanulate, nearly glabrous below, armed at the top with 6- 
linear appendages stellately crowned with long bristles; lobes 4, 3 as 
