4 



Melastomacece ^'\ ceylon plants. 105 



tt Florihus peniameris, 



Walkeri, Arnott, 1. c. p. 309 ; Walp, Kep. ii. 137.— c.p. 1571. 



6000 to 8000 



c.p. 



5. O. buxifolia, Arnott, 1. c. ; Walp. 1. c. 136 ; Naud. 1. c. p. 03 

 0/2, 



Yar. p. minor ; foUis JloribusquQ minoribus; calf/ee dense serlcco- 

 yilloso, nee stcllatim pUoso.— c.r. 2618 (forsan species distincta). 

 Hab. Central Province, at an elevation of 6000 to 8000 feet. 



If some of the species of this genus did not individually vary so much in the size 

 of the leaves and flowers, and in the clothing of the calyx, I should without hesita- 

 tion have made a separate species of var. 0, but it bears' so great a resemblance to 

 var. a in all other than the above respects, that I cannot venture to divide them. 



6. O. aspera^ Blume. — Melastoma aspera, Linn, (partim). 



Var. a; cal;^ce setuloso, apicem versus parce squanuiloso. — 0. aspera, 

 Bl. ; W. et A., 1. c. 323 ; Naudin, 1. c. p. 74.— c.r. 1568. 



Yar. /3 ; calyce setuloso, apicem versus appendiculis linearibus stcUato- 

 capitatis squamisquc penieillatis parce ornato.— 0. Kleinii, W. et A., 

 1. c. ; Arnott, 1. c. p. 309.— c.p. 1569. 



Yar. y ; ^or?"5w^ majoribus; caT^c^ sericeo-crinito ; ceeteroquin ut in 

 var. /3.— c.p. 506 (600, 1573). 



Yar.S; foliis ellipticis, obtusiusculis, subcoriaceis ; paniculis sa^pe 

 abbrcviatis ; ealyce copiosius appendiculato ; caiteroquin ut in var. y. — 

 0. Kotigueda, Naud. I.e. 64. fO. WtgJdiana, Benth. ; "Wight, Icones, 

 t. 998 ; Arnott, 1. c— c.p. 1570. 



Hab. Yar. a and /3. Warmer parts of tbe Island, up to no great ele- 

 vation. Yar. y. Central Province, from 2000 to 4000 feet. Var. 8. 

 From 4000 to 5000 feet. 



The several varieties enumerated above^ so run one into another, that I do not 

 feel justified in constituting distinct species of them. Of the j^^auts referred to by 

 Linnaeus as representing his Melastoma asperay Herman's would appear to be tlir^ 

 only one corresponding with any form of the present species, for the others arc 

 mentioned as having succulent fruit, and the one described by Burman was pro- 

 bably a state of Melastoma MaJahathricum, 



7. O. rubicunda, Arn. 1. c. ; Walp. 1. c.—O, eUiptica, Naud. 1. e. 62, 

 —c.p. 52 (208). 



Yar. 0; ra»z?V paten tim pilosis, hispidia ; ealyce (cum appendiculis) 

 hispidissimo. — O. ruhicmida, Naud. I.e. 

 Hab. Central Province, at an elevation of 5000 to 7000 feet. 



Closely allied to the previous species, and much resembling its var. 5, and is 

 pnneipally distinguished by its more rigid pubescence, more coriaceous leaves, and 

 fewer, lai'ger, subscssile capitate flowers. 



~ 8. O. Hlooniiy TliM'. ; pilosula, repens, ad nodos radicans ; foliis 

 ^embranaceis, ovatis, acutis, longiuscule petiolatis; paniculis pauci- 

 floris, ramulos terminantibus ; hractcis rotundatis,^ ciliatis ; ealyce 

 bemisplia^rico, appendiculis linearibus capitatis setosis, Lispido; den- 

 (ihus lanceolatis, tubo asquilongis, apice appendiculatis ; anilicris subu- 

 j^tis ; connectivo ad basin parura producto. — Melastoma repens, Moon's 

 Cat 35, nan Lam.— c.p. 2800. 

 Hab. Colombo, Moon. Saffragam District, rather rare. 



Folia 3-nervia, 1-2| poll, longa, J-H poll- lata, peiiolo 2-4 lin. longo. Bract ea> 

 1 lin. longte. Flores mediocres, purpurei, pedicellis \\ lin. longis. \ 



{W 



O. polyce- 



