^9i' Analyses of Books. [Oct. 



mining. The whole of these have baccate fruit, and are there- 

 fore true Melastom(£y as that genus is at present constituted. 

 They vary much in the number of their stamina, but tliat number 

 is constant in each species. They all agree in having the ovula 

 attached to placentae, which project from the inner angle of the 

 cells ; in the number of the cells corresponding with the divisions 

 of the flower; in the pecuUar inflexion of the anthers before 

 expansion ; and in having polyspermous berries. The points of 

 ditference to be principally attended to are the following: the 

 similarity or dissimilarity of the alternate anthers ; the number 

 of the stamina ; the anthers being with or without beaks ; 

 straight or arcuate ; the calyces being hispid or nearly smooth, 

 and having deciduous or persistent segments ; the ovary being 

 partially or completely adnate to the calyx. Of these characters, 

 the only one which appears to me to point to a natural division 

 of the species, is that of the equahty or inequality of the stamina, 

 occasioned by the anthers being alternately pedicellate and 

 sessile on the filaments, as in Melastoma Malabathrica, or being 

 all sessile, as in M. exigua and others here described. Those 

 of the first division, with unequal stamina, have generally large 

 and beautiful flowers, hispid calyces, with frequent deciduous 

 segments, stamina always double the number of petals, which 

 are either five or four, and arcuate rostrate anthers which, before 

 the expansion of the flower, have their beaks lodged in cells 

 betwixt the calyx and ovary. Those of the second division, with 

 equal stamina, have seldom such conspicuous flowers, have 

 smoother calyces, with segments generally persistent, eight 

 stamina, rarely or never ten, and occasionally only four; anthers 

 sometimes neither arcuate nor rostrate, and their points in that 

 case do not reach before expansion below the summit of the 

 ovary, which is then completely adnate to the calyx. The genus 

 Maieta of Ventenat has been founded upon this latter character 

 alone ; but it is obviously insufficient for a generic distinction, 

 as it can only be considered secondary to that of the relative 

 length of the anthers, on which depends the complete or partial 

 adhesion of the calyx and ovary ; and a little attention to the 

 relations of the different species to each other will show, that a 

 division founded on this latter character could not be established 

 without great violence to their natural affinities. The following 

 species are arranged according to the division now suggested :" 

 We now present the specific characters, synonymes, and 

 localities, of the various species of Melastoma described by Dr. 

 Jack, necessarily omitting, as we must likewise do in similar 

 cases throughout this article, his particular descriptions of the 

 plants ; but retaining a few important observations. 



* Antheris alternis dissimilibus (Melastoma). 



1. Melastoma Obvoluta, W. J. 

 • M. decandra, foHis ovatis quinquenerviis appresso-pilosis, 



