Kend-rickia.'] MELASTOMACEAE. 495 



2. Melastoma, Linn. 



Shrubs, usually erect and bristly. Leaves opposite, entire, 

 petioled, elliptic or lanceolate, 3-7-ribbed. Flowers terminal, 

 solitary or in clusters or panicles, large, purple or sometimes rose 

 or white, usually 5-merous ; bracts conspicuous. Calyx-tube 

 ovoid or campanulate, covered with strigose or paleaceous hairs ; 

 lobes ovate or lanceolate, alternating with subulate appendages. 

 Petals as many as calyx-lobes, broadly obovate, large. Stamens 

 10, alternately long, opposite calyx-lobes, with purple anthers 

 and the connective produced at the base to end in two lobes and 

 shorter opposite petals with yellow anthers and connective not 

 produced but with 2 tubercles in front. Ovary ovoid, more or 

 less adnate to the calyx-tube ; ovules numerous ; style simple. 

 Fruit an irregularly dehiscent or soft berry-like capsule. 

 Seeds minute, numerous, curved, minutely punctate. 

 MELASTOMA MALABATHRICUM, Linn. ; F. B. I. ii. 523 ; W. & A. 

 324; Wt. 111. t. 95. 



E. & W. Coast Districts, rarer inland, in wet places and on 

 the banks of streams, up to 6,000 ft. 



A handsome shrub with large red-purple flowers, the calyx- 

 tube covered with pale paleacous scales. 



3. Kendrickia, Hook f . 



An epiphytic climbing shrub, climbing like ivy with stem 

 rootlets. Leaves opposite, petioled, fleshy, with two pairs of 

 nerves, one from the base, the other from the midriba short way 

 up. Flowers large in few-flowered terminal umbels ; peduncles 

 stout, 2-bracteolate. Calyx-tube urceolate, fleshy, slightly pro- 

 duced beyond the ovary, rose-purple ; limb of 4 short fleshy lobes, 

 greenish. Petals 4, fleshy, red, spreading. Stamens 8, equal, 

 anthers opening at the summit by one pore ; connective with a 

 horn-like process at the base. Ovary inferior, 4-6-celled ; ovules 

 numerous ; style simple, stout. Fruit a globose capsule, 1-celled 

 by the absorption of the septa, opening at the apex by 4-6 valves. 

 Seeds very many, minute, prismatic. 



KENDRICKIA WALKERI, Hook. f. ; F. B. I. ii. 526 ; Bedd. Ic. 



t. 271. 



W. Ghats, in the Anamalai Hills (Beddome), otherwise a 

 Ceylon plant. 



