502 LVII. MELASTOMACE.E. 



2. Sonerila Rheedei, ]Vi,/hf cj- Am. Prodr. (I.s34) p. 321 {not "Wall. 

 Cat. 409G). A small herb 4-6 in. high ; stem distiiiot, quadrangular, 

 sparsely clothed with weak hairs. Leaves 1^-3 by g-l^ i"-5 ovate, 

 remotely bristle-serrate, often tinged with purple, the upper surface 

 sparsely clothed with short thick bristles, the lower surfac-e paler and 

 usually with minute scaly points, base subcordate or rouuded ; petioles 

 j|-l| in. long, usually with a few scattered weak hairs. Flowei'S 4-8, 

 crowded, subunibellate on terminal or axillary peduncles which are 

 sometimes 2| in. long ; pedicels ^-^ in. long, hairy. Calyx yV~4 i"- 

 long, hairy ; lobes triangular, deciduous. Petals violet, j in. long, 

 oblong-obovate, acute. Anthers j''^ in. long, bright-yellow, subulate, 

 sagittate at the base. Capsule ^-\ in. long. Seeds with raised points. 

 Grab. Cat. p. 71. Sonerila Wallichii, Woodr. in Jouru. Bomb. Nat. 

 V. 11 (1898) p. 637.— Flowers : July-Aug. 



Triana (Trans. Linn. ISoc. v. 28 [1873J p. 77) and, following him, 

 Mr. C. B. Clarke (Hook. f. Fl. B. L v. 2, p. .538) reduce this plant to 

 S. Wcdlichii {Benu. PI. Jav. Ear. p. 215) and cite S. Rheedii, Wall., 4096, 

 as equivalent to S. lilwedei, Wight & Arn. Cogniaux (DC. Monogr. 

 Phan. V. 7, p. 512) follow s Mr. Clarke with a query, while the ' Index 

 Kewensis' retains >S'. liheedii as a separate species, citing both Wall, and 

 Wight & Arn. 



The two plants, S. Rheedei, Wight & Am., and S. Rheedii, Wall., are, 

 however, quite distinct and belong to different sections, the first having 

 a stem and the latter {S. Rheedii, Wall.), which is conspecilic with 

 S. Wallichii, Benn., and with S. acaidis, Bedd. (Trans. Linn. Soc. v. 25 

 [1866] p. 210), being entirely stemless. S. Rheedei, Wight & Arn., 

 should properly take its place in Fl. B. I. after no. 32, S. maculata, 

 Eoxb., to which it is nearly allied. 



Konkan: S. Konhan, Kimmo es. Graham. Kanara: Kai-war, Jl^/Zio/, 10!^DiSTr>iB. 

 India (W. Peninsula). 



4. MEMECYLON, Linn. 



Trees and shrubs, quite glabrous ; branches usually terete. Leaves 

 sessile or shortly petiolate, coriaceous, ovate or oblong, quite entire, 

 usually penninerved. Flowers usually axillary or from below the leaves 

 (rarely terminal), in fascicles, panicles or short umbels, blue or white. 

 Calyx quite glabrous; tube broadly cam panulate or hemispheric; limb 

 dilated, truncate or shortly 4-lobed. Petals 4, broadly ovate or orbicular, 

 obtuse or apicnlate. Stamens 8, equal ; filaments filiform ; anthers 

 short, the cells opening by slits, the connective not elongate at the base, 

 thickened at the back, ending in an obtuse spur or horn behind. Ovary 

 inferior, 1-celled, glabrous, the apex convex or depressed; ovules 6-12, 

 whorled about a free central placenta; slyle filiform ; stigma punctiform. 

 Berry globose, urabilicate at the apex, normally 1-seeded. Seed large ; 

 embryo involute ; cotyledons acute. — Di.strib. Asia, Australia, Pacific 

 Islands, Tropical Africa ; species about 130. 



Trees. 



Berries blackish when ripe. 



Branchlets quadvangnlar, winged 1. 3/. Wighfii. 



Brancblels terete, not winged. 



Leaves usually cordate at the base, sessile or nearly so. 2. M. malabaricitm. 

 Leaves not cordate, usually attenuate at the base, 



pet iolate •"• M. umhcUatnm. 



Berries bright-vellow when ripe 4. M. Talhotianum. 



A small shrub 2-3 ft. high 5. M. tcrminale. 



