154 MELASTOMACE^. 



in early January, the whole tree at once, for a day or two only. 

 Apparently not on the Pulneys nor anywhere else but Ceylon, on 

 Adam's Peak. Fyson 2213, 2599, 27 11. 



As a small tree remarkable for its dense mass of rather upright branches 

 and close set erect leaves, as stift as the Box, bat in the shola on Snowdon 

 and Ganapakkam near Pykara at 7,800 feet for its very flat top, pinkish 

 in young leaf, below which are exposed rather bare spreading branches, 

 with usually a dependent fringe of grey lichen. Rare except on higher 

 exposed sholas where it takes the place apparently of E. arnottiana. 



MELASTOMACE/E. 



Herbs or shrubs. Leaves opposite, with usually three, 

 five or seven main nerves. Flowers showy. Anthers 

 long and opening by pores at the ends not by slits, and 

 having often outgrowths at the base. Ovary inferior : 

 seeds small, escaping by holes in the top. 



Species about 1,800 chiefly in the tropics of South America 

 and Asia ; a few also in Africa and Polynesia. 



The genus sonerilla, delicate herbs with trimerous flowers occurs at 

 lower levels and occasionally in gardens, tibouchina (pleroma) is grown 

 in gardens. All common wild members of the family are osbeckias. 



OSBECKIA. F.B.I. 60 I. 



Mostly woody plants, shrubs of 2 to 10 feet, with 

 purple flowers, conspicuously long and pointed bright 

 yellow anthers curving downwards from the tops of the 

 filaments, and very bristly calyx-tube, which as in all 

 the family encloses the ovary and fruit. Leaves opposite, 

 shortly stalked : blades with five to seven main veins 

 starting at the base and curving forwards to meet in the 

 tip : joined by numerous straight cross veins ; but with 

 no ordinary network. Stamens all equal : filaments 

 with a pair of small yellow swellings just below the 

 anthers (distinction from the native MELASTOMA and 

 the garden TIBOUCHINA or PLEROMA). Ovary entirely 

 enclosed in the calyx-tube, and opening by four or five 

 holes in the flat top. Seeds curved, minutely punctate. 



