400 BURMA, ITS PEOPLE AXD PRODUCTIOXS. 



it, a beriT, or a capsule with as many openings as there are cells, usually many- 

 rarely few- or l-see(lr(l. Albumen none. Emhryo straight or curved, the cotyledons 

 plano-convex or thick and variously folded, radicle short. Herbs or shrubs, very 

 rarely trees, with opposite, simple, 3-11-nerved leaves (very rarely 1-nerved and 

 penninerved). Stipules none. Flowers often gaily coloured, usually in terminal 

 panicles or clusters, larely axillary or solitary. 



The berries of many species of this Order are edible, but dye the mouth black, 

 ■whence the name Mdadoma. 



Sub-order MELASTOMEJE. 

 Ovarii 2- or more-celled, the placentas attached to the middle or base of the axial 

 angle, usually elongate, rarely sessile. Seeds usually numerous and minute, rarely 

 few and large. Leaves usually 3-7-nerved from the base. 



* Placentas attached to the middle of the axial angle. Anthers opening h<j 1 or 2 

 apical pores. 



X Capsule dry or rarely sappy, dehiscing ly apical valves, rarely irregularly 

 rapturing. 



OSBECKIE.E. 

 Ovary with a conical or convex free apex. Connective usually produced beyond the 

 base of the anthers. Capsule dry or berry-like. Seeds minute, cochleate. 



OsBECKiA, Linnmus. 

 Anthers usually all equal or nearly so. Fruit a capsule. 



* Petals 8. Stamens .3. 

 X Floivers small. Calyx-tube bell-shaped. Anthers short or abruptly beaked. 

 O. CnixENSis, L. All over Tegu. 



0. linearis, El. 

 0. Zeylanica, DC. 

 Calyx not ribbed, glabrous or more or less covered with long fringed scales. 

 Anthers prolonged into a bristle-like beak. 



var. o gcnuina. Flowers sessile. Calyx-tube not or sparingly ciliate-scaly, 

 about 3 lines long or longer, the lobes broad, about as long as the tube. 



var. /J 0. linearis, Bl. ; 0. Zeylanica, DC. Calyx somewhat smaller and 

 shorter, almost spherical, more or less covered with long-hairy scales, sometimes 

 (in bud) appearing densely pilose. Flowers nearly twice as large, on short pedicels, 

 the calycine lobes shorter and narrower. 



X X Flowers rather large and conspicuous. Calyx-tube elongate urceolate, in fruit 

 produced into a tubular neck overtopping the bristle-crown of the capsule. 



0. (Melastoma) ceinita, Eoxb. Chittagong and hills East of Toung-ngoo 



at 4000 to 7000 feet. 



Bristly hairy. Calyx covered with peltate stellate-bristly scales, the ciliate 

 lobes linear-subulate, alternating with as many minute teeth conform with the lobes. 

 Branches 4-eornered. 



0. eostkata, Don. var. a Chittagong and Pine forests of 



Martaban at 3500 to 5000 feet. var. /3 

 Pegu. var. 7 Rangoon and Taong- 

 doung (Ava ?). 



Almost glabrous or minutely bristly. Calyx sparingly sprinkled with minute 

 ciliate scales, or smooth, the lobes lanceolate, usually ciliate, alternating with minute 

 ciliate teeth. Branchlets 4-cornered. 



var. (, pulchella, Wosh. The 4-cornered stems and branchlets and leaf-nerves 

 minutely bristly. Culyx-tube covered with ciliate scales. 



