766 Lix. MELASTOMACE^. [Melastoma. 



with scales short lanceolate acuminate ; nerves 3, prominent, 

 4 to 6 in. long, 1-5 to 3-5 in. wide; petioles 1-5 in. long. Corymbs 

 of about 10 flowers, dense. Bracts small. Calyx sub-globose, 

 urceolate, -2 in. long, covered with short lanceolate acute scales; 

 lobes much shorter. Petals -5 in. long, light rose pink. Fruit 

 globose urceolate, -3 in. long, green. Hah. Common in forest on 

 main range 1500 to 5000 ft. altitude. Selangor, Bukit Hitam ; 

 Ulu Gombak; Ginting Sempah. Perak, Gunong Keledang; 

 Thaiping Hills. Bindings, Telok Sera. Penang (WalHch). Distrih. 

 Assam, Cambodia, Sumatra. Native name : Sendudok Rimbah. 



(9) M. scabrum Ridl. Journ. Roy. As. Soc. S. Br. 79, p. 60. 

 Shrub about 5 ft. tall. Branchlets sparsely covered with small 



ovate to lanceolate acuminate scales. Leaves narrow lanceolate, 

 sub-acute, base rounded or shortly cuneate, above scabrid with 

 short thorn-like scales; nerves 5 with larger scales, 4 to 4-75 in. 

 long, 1-25 to 1-50 in. wide, petioles -6 in. long. Flowers as large 

 as in M. decemfidum. Calyx -4 in. long campanulate, sparsely 

 covered with lanceolate-acuminate scales, lobes linear acuminate, 

 scales long, linear sub-acute. Petals glabrous, 1-5 in. long, pale 

 rose pink. Stamens much shorter. Hab. Rocky woods. Lankawi, 

 Burau at Telaya Tujoh (Ridley). 



(10) M. muticum Ridl. Journ. Roy. As. Soc. S. Br. 61, p. 4. 

 Bush. Branches with flat lanceolate triangular often laciniate 



scales. Leaves lanceolate-acuminate pubescent ; nerves 5, hairy 

 beneath 3 to 6 in. long, 1-5 to 2 in. wide; petioles -5 in. long dense 

 hairy. Flowers few. Bracts ovate or lanceolate, hairy, -5 in. 

 long and as wide. Calyx -5 in. long, covered with yellow hairs. 

 Petals broad, obovate, i-i2 in. long. Stamens all similar; anthers 

 cylindric acuminate, base bilobed. Hab. Mountain woods, at 

 4000 ft. altitude, rare. Selangor, Hulu Semangkok (Ridley). 



3. OXYSPORA, DC. 



Shrubs, large. Leaves opposite, large, long-petioled, ovate 

 sub-coriaceous. Panicles terminal, large. Flowers rather large. 

 Calyx-tube ovate to funnel-shaped ; teeth 4, small. Petals pink 

 or white. Stamens 8, unequal or equal ; anthers opening by one 

 pore, base bilobed. Ovary 4-celled. Capsule fusiform or short 

 cupular 8-ribbed. Seeds falcate. Species about 15, Indo-Malayan. 



It is difficult botanically to separate this genus from Allo- 

 morphia. The original species, including 0. stellulata, have the 

 stamens conspicuously unequal, but in the remainder closely re- 

 sembling it in habit, foliage, panicle and large flowers, the stamens 

 are nearly or quite equal. I had referred most of these to Allo- 

 morphia, but think it advisable to retain for that only the herbaceous 

 or nearl}^ herbaceous plants with small flowers, thin leaves and 

 globose capsules. 



