MELEGUETA PEPPER 417 



Melanosciadium Boiss. Umbelliferae (in. 5). i China. 



Melanoselinum Hoffm. (Thapsia p.p. BH.). Umbelliferae (in. 7). 

 2 Madeira. 



Melanoseris Decne. = Lactuca Tourn. (Comp.). 



Melanotis Neck. Inc. sed. Nomen. 



Melanoxylon Schott. Leguminosae (n. 8). i S-E. Brazil, M. Brauna 

 Schott (Brauna). Timber useful. 



Melanthera Rohr. Compositae (5). 20 Afr., Madag., Am. 



Melanthesa Blume- Breynia Forst. (Euph.). 



MelantMum Clayton ex L. Liliaceae (i). 3 N. Am. 



Melasma Berg. Scrophulariaceae (in. 2). 25 Am., Afr., Madag. 



Melasphaerula Ker-Gawl. Iridaceae (in), i Cape Colony. 



Melastoma Burm. ex L. Melastomaceae (i). 40 As., trop. and E. 



Melastomaceae (EP., BH.}. Dicotyledons (Archichl. Myrtiflorae ; 

 Myrtales, />//.) I5g en -i 2500 sp., trop. and subtrop. A very natural 

 family, usu. easy to recognize, even when not in fl., by the peculiar 

 leaf-veining, &c. The habit differs much, as they exist under varied 

 conditions. Some are herbs, others trees or shrubs ; some climb, usu. by 

 roots ; some are epiph., water or marsh pi. L. nearly always decussate 

 (stem often 4-angled), but one 1. generally much larger than the other; 

 the lesser in some cases withers away as it grows older, and drops off. 

 The veins of the 1., which is usu. simple and entire or nearly so, 

 diverge fiom the base and converge again at the apex, as in many 

 monocot. L, so that there is no true midrib. Many are myrmecophilous, 

 e.g. Tococa, Maieta, &.c. (q.v-). 



Infl. cymose, but in great variety. Fl. usu. very char., easily 

 recognized by the curious appendages of the anthers. Recept. (' calyx- 

 tube ') tubular or bell-shaped, commonly united with the ovary, often 

 brightly coloured. K 4 or 5 ; C 4 or 5, perig. ; P. usu. reg. , but irregu- 

 larity often occurs in the A. Sta. usu. twice as many as petals, 

 standing (when mature) in one whorl, bent down in bud so that the 

 anthers come between the ovary and the recept. ; the anther-loculi 

 open by a common apical pore. The connective is developed in 

 various ways and usu. provided with curious appendages, frequently 

 of sickle-like form, giving a char, aspect to the fl. G. sup. or inf., 

 usu. 4 5-loc., with a simple style and stigma: ovules co , anatr., on 

 axile plac. Fr. a berry or loculic. caps. Seed exalbum. ; one cot. 

 larger than the other. The M. are of little economic importance; a 

 few yield colouring matters. 



Classification and chief genera (after Krasser) : 



A. Fruit many-seeded. Embryo very small. 



I. MELASTOMATOIDEAE (ovules on slightly projecting 



placentae in inner angle of loc.) : Tibouchina, Centra- 

 denia, Melastoma, Monochaetum, Medinilla, Leandra, 

 Miconia, Tococa, Maieta. 



II. ASTRONIOIDEAE (ovules on a placenta at base or on 



wall of loc.) : Kibessia. 



B. Fruit i 5-seeded. Embryo large. 

 III. MEMECYLOIDEAE: Memecylon. 



Meleagrinex Arruda. Inc. sed. i Brazil. 

 Melegueta pepper, A mo mum melegueta Roscoe. 



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