1823.] Linnean Transactions, VoL XIV, Part I. 293 



floribus 3 — 5 terminalibus, bracteis magnis, calycibus, squamo- 

 sis, laciniis ovatis deciduis. At Tappanooly on the west coast 

 of Sumatra. 



2. Melastoma Malabathrica. Lin. 



M. decandra, foliis elliptico-lanceolatis qiiinquenerviis scabris, 

 pilis brevibus appressis, floribus 7 — 1 1 opposite corymbosis, 

 bracteis ovatis deciduis calyce minoribus, calycibus squamosis, 

 laciniis deciduis. Kadali. Rheed Ma/ab, iv. p. 87, t. 42, 

 Fragarius niger. Rumph. Amb. iv. p. 137, t. 72. Sikadudu. 

 Malay. Abundant throughout Sumatra and the Malay 



islands, and chiefly occupying open waste lands or coppices. 



" In giving the above character of this well-known species," 

 says Dr. Jack, " I have been obliged to add to the usual 

 specific phrase, in order to distinguish it from the preceding, to 

 which it has so much resemblance that they might easily be 

 confounded together. The leaves of this are longer and less 

 hairy, and the scales of the calyx are much shorter and more 

 appressed than in Wl. obvohiia. The principal distinction, how- 

 ever, is in the inflorescence, the flowers in this being numerous, 

 generally from seven to eleven, in a kind of corymbose panicle, 

 and the bracts small ; while in the preceding, the number of the 

 flowers seldom exceeds three, and each is invested by two large 

 bracts, which entirely inclose the calyx, and do not fall off' till the 

 petals are fallen. The two following species have also consider- 

 able resemblance to the present, but are readily distinguished on 

 inspection by having their calyces covered with erect bristles in 

 place of flat scales. This species (as well as all the rest) 

 has the ovula attached to placentae projecting from the inner 

 angle of the cells : as the fruit ripens, the cells become filled 

 with pulp, and the placentse consequently less distinct : this 

 probably occasioned Gaertner to fall into an error in ascribing to 

 Melastoma nidulant seeds, and establishing on this a distinction 

 between it and Osbeckia." 



3. Melastoma Erecta. W.J. 



M. decandra, foliis quinquenerviis ovatis utrinque acutis 

 villosis, floribus 5 — 7 terminalibus corymbosis, calycibus scabris 

 pilis longis erectis, laciniis linearibus deciduis. Found at Tap- 

 panooly, in Sumatra. 



4. Melastoma Decemfida. Roxb, 



M. decandra, floribus subsolitariis terminalibus, foliis quinque- 

 nerviis, calyce decemfido setis moUibus porrectis echinato. 

 Roxb. Cat. Hort. Beng. p. 90. Native of Pulo Penang. 



5. Melastoma Stellulata. W. J, 



M. octandra, pedunculis axillaribus 1 — 5 floris, calycibus 

 setosis, setis erectis spinescentibus apice stellato — multifidis, 



