452 LVII, MELASTOMACEE (HOOKER). [ Dissotis. 
surfaces with rather spreading hairs; petioles }—4 in., flat, ciliate with 
copious rigid bristles } in. long. Flowers solitary or 2-3, jointed on a 
very short peduncle; bracts as long as the calyx, very broad, mem- 
- branous, crinite, deciduous. Calyx-tube } in., broadly ovoid, glabrous, 
smooth ; lobes as long as the tube, subulate-lanceolate, long acuminate, 
ciliate and bristle-pointed, persistent; accessory lobes 8-10, longer 
than the lobes, linear-subulate with very long spreading cilia. Petals 
not seen. Anthers of long stamens } in., rather exceeding the pro- 
longed connective; appendage clavate, entire; connectives of small 
anthers short, not spurred, appendage small. Capsule subglobose, 
crown bristly, 5-valved. 
Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone, Afzelius! Don! 
13. D. (Heterotis) plumosa, Benth. in Fl. Nigr. 348. Sparsely 
hirsute. Stems 1-2 ft., woody below, slender procumbent rooting; 
branches ascending, obtusely 4-gonous, with long spreading bristles at 
the nodes. Leaves membranous, 3-13 in. by 4—% in., broadly ovate or 
orbicular-ovate, obtuse or acute, 3-nerved, sparsely hirsute on both 
surfaces; petiole slender, }-3 in. Flowers solitary, shortly peduncled ; 
bracts 2, membranous, broadly ovate, ciliate, 1—10th in., deciduous. 
Calyx-tube } in., ovoid, thickly covered with long-stalked stellate pur- 
plish bristles, lobes linear-subulate, half as long as the tube, tipped with 
stellate bristles, persistent. Petals very broadly obovate, purple. An- 
thers of long stamens 3-2 in., incurved, shorter than or equalling the 
prolonged connective, appendage 2-lobed ; connective of small anthers 
shortly produced, obtusely spurred behind. Capsule ovoid, crown vil- 
lous.—Melastoma plumosa, Don in Mem. Wern. Soc. iv. 291; DC. Prod. 
ili. 147. Osbeckia rotundifolia, Sm. in Rees Cyel. iii. 143. 
Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone, Afzelius! Vogel! Admiral Grey! Accra, Don! 
Abbeokuta, Irving! On dripping rocks, Princes’ Island, Barter ! 
14. D. (Heterotis) prostrata, Benth. in Fl. Nigr. 349. More or less 
hirsute or subglabrous. Stem 2-3 ft., rather stout, prostrate or climb- 
ing, sometimes rooting, flexuous, more or less hirsute with short 
long flexuous stout hairs; nodes with spreading long bristles. Leaves 
14-24 in. by 3-1 in., ovate or elliptic, subacute, 3-nerved, hirsute wit 
straight rather appressed hairs on both surfaces; petiole 4—§ D- 
Flowers solitary, 14 in. in diameter, shortly peduncled ; beans 2, 5 De 
membranous, ovate, long-ciliate, deciduous. Calyx-tube i in., covere 
laxly with oblong or linear ciliate scales tipped by stellate bristles; 
lobes subulate-lanceolate, three-quarters as long as the tube, ciliate aD 
tipped with stellate bristles, persistent. Petals very broadly obovate. An- 
thers as in D. plumosa, Capsule subglobose, crowned with bristles—é 
lastoma prostrata, Schum, et Thonn. Pl. Guin. 220. Lepidanthemum tripline™™ 
vium, Klotzsch in Peters’ Mossamb. Bot. 64. An Melastoma decumbens, 
Beauy. Fl. Owar.i. 69, t. 41? Osbechia decumbens, DC. Prod. iii. 143: 
Upper Guinea. Quorra river at Patteh, Vogel! (A glabrous var.) Abbeokuta, 
Irving! (Moderately pubescent, petioles very short.) s 
Mozamb. Distr. Zanzibar, Bojer! Grant! Kirk! (An excessively hirsute 
