XIV. 2 Merrill: The Flora of Sumatra 247 



This species is apparently most closely allied to Osmelia main- 

 gayi King, of the Malay Peninsula, and possibly is represented 

 by Beccari 928 from Sumatra mentioned by King in a note 

 following- his description. It is distinguished among all the 

 hitherto described species of the genus by its fev/-nerved leaves. 

 This small genus, for many years known only from Ceylon and 

 the Philippines, is now represented by 7 or 8 species, the known 

 range of the genus now being Ceylon, Sumatra, Malay Penin- 

 sula, Borneo, the Philippines, and Celebes. 



MELASTOMATACEAE 



MEMECYLON Linnaeus 

 MEMECYLON LARUEI sp. nov. 



Frutex vel arbor parva, ramis teretibus, ramuHs 4-angulati3 

 et anguste 4-alatis; foliis coriaceis, lanceolatis, sessilibus vel 

 subsessilibus, usque ad 20 cm longis et 5.5 cm latis, basi rotun- 

 datis, plerumque subcordatis, sursum angustatis, tenuiter acute 

 acuminatis, nervis utrinque circiter 15, rectis, perspicuis, cum 

 nervis marginalibus anastomosantibus ; inflorescentiis axillari- 

 bus, solitariis, paniculatis, longe pedunculatis, 10 ad 15 cm longis. 



A glabrous shrub or small tree, the branches terete, about 



3 mm in diameter, the branchlets sharply 4-angled and narrowly 

 winged, the wings not appendiculate at the nodes, the internodes 



4 to 5 cm long. Leaves coriaceous, lanceolate, sessile or subses- 

 sile, base rounded and usually slightly cordate, gradually nar- 

 rowed upward to the long, slenderly acuminate apex, 14 to 20 

 cm long, 3 to 5.5 cm wide, usually shining, the midrib impressed 

 on the upper surface, very prominent on the lower surface; 

 primary lateral nerves about 15 on each side of the midrib, 

 distinct on the lower surface, anastomosing with the equally 

 prominent, slightly arched, marginal nerves, 2.5 to 5 mm from 

 the edge of the leaf, reticulations obsolete. Inflorescences 

 axillary, solitary, long-peduncled, paniculate, 10 to 15 cm long, 

 the branches few, opposite, spreading, the lower ones up to 4 cm 

 long, usually sulcate. Flowers subumbellately arranged at the 

 tips of the branchlets, their pedicels about 3 mm long, each 

 subtended by several, lanceolate, acuminate, 1 mm long brac- 

 teoles, the bracts subtending the branches similar to the brac- 

 teoles but twice as long. Calyx shallowly cup-shaped, 2.5 to 

 3 mm in diameter, somewhat 4-toothed. Petals obliquely and 

 broadly ovate, about 2 mm long. 



Sumatra, East Coast, Asahan, in second-growth jungle at 

 Lau Boeloeh, Bartlett & La Rue 236, July 1, 1918. 



