Memecylon.~\ LX. MELASTOMACE^E. (C. B. Clarke.) 563 



DECCAN PENINSULA; Wight, No. 1069. CEYLON ; up to 2000 ft. alt.; Thwaites, 



Shrub 68 ft. high. Inflorescence dense, extending hardly^ in. ; peduncles usually 

 ^-| in., clustered. Flowers blue, as of M. edule. Calyx-tube at the time of flower- 

 ing saucer-shaped, limb truncate. Disc on the apex of the ovary depressed, very ob- 

 scurely rayed. Berry size of a pea, black-purple. (Thwaites.) 



VAR. 1. attenuata; leaves still narrower elongate attenuate apex obtuse. Ceylon, 

 Thwaites. 



VAR. 2. Helferi ; branchlets quadrangular, berries \ in. diam. Tenasserim or An- 

 damans ; Heifer (Kew Distrib. No. 2334). This has been placed with M. angusti- 

 folium because of its narrow leaves, which are, however, more obtuse and less petioled 

 than those of M. anaustifolium. If not placed here, it must form an additional 

 species near M. varians No. 12. 



38. IK. phyllanthifolium, Thwaites ex Triana in Trans. Linn. Soc. 

 xxviii. 159 ; leaves in. nearly sessile narrov-oblong obtuse narrowed at the 

 base coriaceous opaque. 



CEYLON, alt. 5000 ft. ; Thwaites. 



Branches wiry, leaves approximate, resembling a small woody Phyllanthus. 

 Flowers very small, usually 3 on an axillary peduncle about in. Berry small, sphe- 

 rical, crowned prominently by the calyx-limb, but not ripe. Entirely unlike every 

 other species in the genus. 



39. M. campanulatum, C. B. Clarke ; leaves 2-4 in. subepetiolate 

 elliptic acute "base attenuated opaque, calyx-tube at the time of flowering dis- 

 tinctly campanulate. 



MALACCA; Griffith, Memecylon No. 5 (No. 2325 (not 2325-1 nor 2325-2) of Kew 

 Distrib.). 



Leaves suddenly narrowed, sometimes very shortly acuminate. Peduncle ; pedicels 

 -i in., clustered. Calyx-tube even in the bud campanulate, limb truncate. Buds 

 somewhat acute. Disc on the apex of the ovary depressed, very obscurely rayed. 

 This has been treated as a var. of No. 23 M. c&ruleum, Jack; it seems -very much 

 -.nearer M. Icevigatum, from which it differs chiefly in the round (not acute) base of 

 the calyx-tube at the time of flowering. 



40. BX. edule, Roxb. Cor. PL t. 82 ; leaves 1^-3? in. elliptic or ovate acute 

 at both ends hardly acuminate, petiole -f in., nerves obscure, calyx-tube at 

 the time of flowering saucer-shaped limb truncate. 



EASTERN PENINSULA and CEYLON. 



Flowers medium-sized, blue rarely white ; buds obtuse or at least not very acute. 

 Calyx-tube at the time of flowering saucer-shaped, limb truncate. Disc at the apex of 

 the ovary depressed, obscurely rayed. Berry in. diam., black-purple, globose or 

 slightly ovoid, mouth about ^ in. wide. The first three varieties run completely toge- 

 ther which will account for the variety of quotation of the synonyms by authors : var. 

 4 recedes further from the type. The remaining varieties are called species by most 

 authors. M. myrsinoides, Blume, differs from M. edule by its quadrangular branch- 

 lets. Triana reduces M. umbellatum, Wall. Cat. 4109, to M. myrsinoides, Blume : 

 but the examples of Wallich 4109 have the branchlets exactly round. 



VAR. 1. typica; peduncles clustered ^-^ in., leaves acute or obtuse. M. edule, 

 Roxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 260; DC. Prodr. iii. 6; Wall. Cat. 4107; Date. # Gibs. Bomb. 

 Fl. p. 93 ; Kurz For. Fl. i. 512. M. edule var. a., Thwaites Enum. 111. M. umbel - 

 latam, Burm. Fl. Zeyl. t. 31. M. tinctorium, Koen. ex W. $ A. Prodr. 319 ; Wight 

 111. t. 93. M. globiferum, Wall. Cat. 4108. M. pyrifolium, Naud. in Ann. Sc. Nat. 

 ser. 3. xviii. p. 277. 



VAR. 2. ramiflora ; inflorescence densely clothing the branches, peduncle often 

 (but not always) wanting. M. edule, Lamk. Diet. iv. 88 ; DC. Prodr. iii. 6 ; W. $ A. 



o o 2 



