ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 217 
Geocrapuicat Disrrisution. As stated above, America may justly be considered the 
head quarters of this tribe, upwards of 600 species having been obtained from that quarter 
out of about 800 described by DeCandollein his Prodromus. Since the publication of that work 
many genera and species have been added, whence I believe I under estimated the number of 
species now known at one thousand. Of this number probably about 100 are natives of conti- 
nental India and Ceylon; of these Roxburgh seems only to have known 14, as 7 out of 21 des- 
cribed by him are from Pulo Penang and the Moluccas. Blume has added largely to the list 
from Java, having probably nearly doubled the Indian list, that is, supposing that the other 
enera are somewhat in proportion to Medinilla, of which that Island produces 21 species. In 
Ceylon Melastomaceae are also numerous, and several new and very curious species have recently, 
through the researches of Colonel Walker, been brought to light ; among these are several spe- 
cies of Osbeckia, five or six of Sonerila and three or four of Medinilla, One Species of this 
last genus, but differing somewhat from the generic character especially in the anthers being 
spurred only, not auricled and spurred, at the base, is among the handsomest plants I have ever 
seen. {tis an enormous creeper, adheres firmly to the trees on which it grows, climbs to the 
tops of the highest trees of the forest, and covers them with a profusion of large crimson flow- 
ers. This species I first saw in company with Colonel Walker (in a dense forest above Ram- 
boddy) to whom [ have dedicated this noble plant Medinilla ? Walkerii. On the alpine ranges 
of the southern provinces and in Malabar, I collected many specimens, several of which, I then 
supposed were new species, but which, on a more careful examination and comparison with others, 
must [ fear be considered as varieties only, at least [ have not yet been able to find satisfac- 
tory distinctive marks by which to raise them to the rank of species. Figures of some of these 
shall shortly appear in the Ieones. In addition to these from the south, a few species spread 
northwards and even extend to the foot of the Himalayas, but these are so few in number as 
phage, to form an exception to the genetal rule that this is truly a pre-eminently tropical 
order, 
Prorertirs anv Uszs. Astringency is said to be the predominating quality of the order, 
but little seems yet known regarding them. Lindley remarks that the order “ though one of 
the most extensive known is entirely destitute of any unwholesome species. The succulent 
fruit of many is eatable that of some dyes the mouth black, whence the name Me/astoma. It 
may be here remarked as somewhat curious that the genus established by Burman under this 
name, for which he is quoted as the authority and of which he figured two species, is not that 
now called Melastoma, but Osbeckia, the original name being limited to a genus, of which it 
oes not appear he ever saw a single plant. 
apparently formed from a prolongation downwards of the connectivum : by this mark alone 
these allied genera can always be distinguished at a glance. Soneri/ia is separated from both 
in that respect with Pternandra, but distinguished by the anthers of the latter opening by a 
longitudinal slit not by a pore as in the other. The genus Triplectrum abounds about Cour- 
~~ @ single Plant in flower though I walked over acres of groun ‘ t Lene 
his disappointment I the more regretted, as the genus is founded ona single specimen and tha 
not a very good one, whence I fear it may only be a modified state of Medinilla, , 
