Melastoma. decandria monogynia. 403 



nicies terminal \ flowers octandroiis ; border of the calyx 

 eig^ht-parted ; segments ensiform, four of them minute, all 

 ciliate. 



A native of the most moist, and shaded parts of the 

 rocky coast of Chittaoong where it blossthns in April and 

 May. It is remarkable for its great quantity of long, dis- 

 tinct, appressed, pale coloured hair, and large beautiful 

 red flowers. 



3. M. pulchella. R. 



Shrubby. Leaves short-petioled, lanceolate, entire ; 

 margins and nerves with a few appressed bristles. Pa- 

 nicles terminal ; bractes cordate, bristle-ciliate. Flow- 

 ers octandrous, in the bud, bristle-ciliate, and ramentace- 

 ous. 



A native of Chittagong. 



4. M. geniculata. R. 



Shrubby. Leaves subsessile, lanceolar, entire, sca- 

 brous, bristly, with three strigose nerves. Flowers ter- 

 minal, triple, octandrous, alternate, filament jointed. 



A large ramous shrub, a native of many parts of In- 

 dia. 



Bark of the old branches pretty smooth, of the young 

 very strigose ; all round. Leaves opposite, short-pe- 

 tioled, lanceolar, entire, three-nerved, scabrous on both 

 sides, not only from numerous, short, bristly hairs point- 

 ing forward, but also from a natural harshness ; the under 

 side of the nerves, and petioles strigose. Flowers termi- 

 nal, generally three-fold, short-peduncled. Peduncles 

 very strigose, Bractes solitary, or in pairs to each flow- 

 ers, ovate-concave, and falling off with, or soon after the 

 petals, leaving the tube of the calyx for an envelope to 

 the capsule. Calyx four-parted, very strigose ; divisions 

 cordate, acute. Corol four-petalled. Filaments alter- 



Yy2 



