Tab. 5721. 



pleroma maceanthum. 



Large-flowered Pleroma. 



Nat. Ord. Melastohace^:. — Decandbia Monogynia. 



Gen. Char. Calycis tubus paleaceus strigosus v. hirsutus; lobi persistentes 

 v. decidui. Petala 5, obovata, sa;pe insequilatera et retusa. Stamina 10, 

 aequalia v. subaequalia, filamentis glabris pilosis v. glandulosis ; authera; 

 consimiles, arcuatse, connective) basi producto antice 2-tuberculato. Ovarium 

 liberum v. costis calyci adnatum, vertice hispidum, 5-loculare; stylus curvus, 

 stigmate punctifbrmi. Capsula 5-valvis, calyce inclusa. Semina cochleata. 

 — Frutices v. suftrutices, rarius herbae, seepius hispiduli. Folia petiolata, 

 coriacea, S~7-nervia. Flores scepissime in paniculas 3-chotomas dispositi, 

 ampli, violacei v. purpurei, calyce scepe bracteis involucrato. 



Pleeoma macranthum ; frutieosura, erectura, pubescens, foliis petiolatis ova- 

 tis oblongo-ovatisve acuminatis minute denticulatis 5-nerviis superne 

 rugulosis, floribus terminalibus subsolitariis amplissimis, calycis tubo 

 ovoideo lobis ovato-lanceolatis acuminatis, petalis obovato-obcordatis 

 violaceis subapiculatis, filamentis 10 styloque pilosis. 



Lasiandba macrantha. Seem, in Journ. Bot. v, 2. p. 361. t. 83*9. 



This magnificent plant was discovered by M. Libon in the 

 province of St. Catherine, Brazil, and introduced from thence 

 by Mr. J. Linden into his garden at Brussels, where it 

 flowered in 1864. For the specimen here figured I am in- 

 debted to Mr. Bull, of Chelsea, who flowered it in April of 

 the present year. For size and vividness of colour, this cer- 

 tainly is the finest flowered of all Melastomacea, and that it 

 is both easy of cultivation and a free flowerer is shown by 

 Mr. Bull's plants of five inches high bearing six or seven 

 flowers and buds ; his largest plants were four feet high, and 

 had leaves four inches long. 



Descr. A pubescent branched shrub, four feet high and 

 upwards. Branches terete. Leaves opposite, petioled, two 

 to four inches long, ovate or oblong-ovate, acuminate, mi- 

 nutely denticulate, five-nerved, rugose with closely anasto- 

 mosing veins, vivid green above, pale below. Flotcer soh- 



AUGU8T 1st, 1868. 



