742 



MELASTOMACE/E. XIX. SPENKERA. 



nerved, membranous, ciliately serrated. Panicle terminal, loose, 

 with the branches divaricate. Bracteas small, linear, inserted 

 under the branches. Flowers small, white, or rose-coloured. 



* Flowers octandrous. Leaves not cordate at the base. 



1 S. PALUDOSA (Mart. herb, ex D. C. 1. c.) stems rooting at 

 the base, angular, clothed with rufous hairs, the hairs disposed 

 in a bifarious manner ; leaves on short petioles, ovate, acute, 

 ciliately serrated, 3-S-nerved, sparingly pilose ; cymes somewhat 

 panicled, short. Q. S. Native of Brazil, about Rio Janeiro, 

 in humid sandy places. Rhexia hexandria, Schrank. mss. 

 Calyx 1-cleft. Stamens 8. Fruit small, globose, puberulous. 



Marsh Spennera. PI. ^ to 1 foot. 



2 S. A'NNUA (Mart. herb, ex D. C. 1. c.) stem tetragonal ; 

 angles rather winged ; petioles and leaves sparingly pilose ; 

 leaves on short petioles, broadly ovate, acute, 5 -nerved, ciliately 

 serrated; panicle oblong; fruit glabrous. O- S. Native of 

 Brazil, in the province of Bahia, in watery places. Melastoma 

 annua, Schrank. mss. Very like the preceding species, but 

 smaller in every part, and the petioles are shorter. Leaves 15 

 lines long and 9-10 broad. 



Annual Spennera. PI. -J to 1 foot. 



3 S. BRACHYBOTRYA (D. C. 1. c.) stem creeping at the base, 

 ascending, erect, angular, rather pilose ; angles a little winged ; 

 leaves on short petioles, oval, acute, 5-nerved, rather pilose, 

 hardly serrulated ; panicle short ; fruit glabrous. O S. Na- 

 tive of Brazil, in marshes. Very like S. annua, but the leaves 

 are on shorter petioles, and the panicle is shorter and more 

 crowded. 



Short-bunched Spennera. PI. f to 1 foot. 



4 S. LATIFOLIA (D. C. 1. c.) stem hardly rooting at the base, 

 erect, angular, pilose ; petioles pilose, elongated ; leaves ovate, 

 bluntish at both ends, 5 -nerved, ciliately serrated, rather pilose 

 beneath; panicle corymbose; fruit glabrous. O- S. Native 

 of Brazil, in marshes. Petioles 8 lines long. Leaves 3 inches 

 long and 1-j broad. 



Broad-leaved Spennera. PI. ^ to 1 foot. 



5 S. FRA'OILIS (D. C. prod. 3. p. 115.) suffruticose, quite 

 glabrous ; stem tetragonal ; angles winged ; leaves soft, oval- 

 oblong, acuminated, 3-nerved, ciliately serrated ; petiole a little 

 winged ; thyrse panicled, loose. Jj . S. Native of Guiana, in 

 shady woods, by the sides of ponds and pools of water. Me- 

 lastoma fragilis, Rchb. herb. Capsule 2-celled. Flowers white. 

 Leaves almost pellucid. 



Brittle Spennera. PI. % to 1 foot. 



6 S. PELLU'CIDA (D. C. 1. c.) suffruticose ; stem tetragonal, 

 branched, smoothish ; angles winged ; leaves petiolate, ovate, 

 acuminated, obtuse at the base, 5-nerved, ciliately serrated, 

 rather scabrous, pellucid, purplish beneath ; thyrse panicled, 

 terminal. Tj . S. Native of Guiana, in humid shady parts of 

 woods. Melastoma pellucens, Rich. herb. Lower part of stem 

 rather decumbent. Capsules 2-celled, globosely compressed. 



/W/Mc.'rf-leaved Spennera. Pl.-J to 1 foot. 



7 S. LONGIFOLIA (Mart. herb, ex D. C. 1. c.) stems terete ; 

 branches, petioles, and nerves of leaves sparingly pilose ; leaves 

 on long petioles, oblong, acuminated, 5-nerved, ciliately serrated. 

 O- S. Native of Para, in Brazil. Very like S. rubicaulis and 

 S. acuminifolia. 



Long-leaved Spennera. PL to 1 foot. 



8 S. RUBRICAU'HS (Mart. herb, ex D. C. 1. c.) stems terete, 

 and are as well as the petioles and leaves beset with spreading 

 hairs ; leaves pttiolate, oval-ovate, long-acuminated, 5-nerved, 

 ciliately serrated ; panicle elongated. Q. S. Native of Brazil, 

 in the province of Bahia, in woods at the river Hahype. Me- 

 lastoma rubricaule, Schrank, mss. Petioles hispid. Stems pur- 

 plish. Petals white. Anthers red. 



Red- stemmed Spennera. PI. to 1 foot. 



9 S. ACUMIMIOLIA ( Mart. herb, ex B.C. 1. c.) smoothish ; stem 

 terete, and is as well as the leaves sparingly pilose ; leaves oval- 

 oblong, acuminated, 5-nerved, ciliately serrated ; panicles loose, 

 in the forks of the branches. O- S. Native of Brazil. Very 

 like S, rubricaulis and S. annua, but differs from both in the 

 smoothness and narrowness of the leaves. 



Acuminate-leaved Spennera. PI. ^ to 1 foot. 



10 S. CIROEOIDES (Mart, et Schrank. mss. ex D. C. 1. c.) 

 branches quadrangular ; hairs scattered, capitulate at the apex ; 

 leaves petiolate, ovate, acuminated, ciliately serrulated, 3-nerved, 

 membranous, glabrous on both surfaces, shining above ; thyrse 

 oblong, with its branches opposite ; tube of calyx rather urceo- 

 late, with short, subulate lobes. fj . ? S. Native of Brazil, 

 about Ega, at the river Amazon. Flowers small, white. Petals 

 oblong. Four of the anthers are oblong-obovate, and the other 

 4 shorter, all very blunt : with the connectives hardly drawn out. 

 Leaves like those of Circce'a. Fruit unknown. 



Circcea-like Spennera. Sh. ^ to ^ foot. 



US. LA'XA (D. C. 1. c.) shrubby, weak, hispid in every part 

 from glandular hairs ; branches tetragonal ; leaves petiolate, 

 ovate, acuminated, obtuse at the base, 5-nerved, ciliated; thyrse 

 panicled, loose, terminal, many-flowered ; calyx with an ovate 

 tube, and short acute lobes. 17 . S. Native of French Guiiina 

 in shady marshy places of woods. Melastoma laxa, Rich. herb. 

 Capsule 2-celled. Flower-bud acute. Petals apiculated by 

 a short hair each. 



Loose Spennera. PI. |- to 1 foot. 



" * Flowers octandrous. Leaves cordate at the base. 



1 2 S. CIRCJEIFOLIA (D. C. 1. c.) stem branched ; branches quad- 

 rangular, pilose ; leaves cordate, ovate-oblong, acuminated, 5- 

 nerved, ciliately serrated, glabrous above and shining, rather 

 pilose beneath ; branches of panicle short ; capsule 2-celled. 

 O- S. Native of Brazil, in woods. Rhexia circEeifolia, Humb. 

 et Bonpl. rhex. p. 101. t. 39. Flowers white. 



Circcca-leaved Spennera. PI. 1 foot. 



13 S. AQUA'TICA (Mart. herb, ex D. C. 1. c.) stem branched ; 

 branches quadrangular, pilose ; leaves cordate, ovate-oblong, 

 somewhat acuminated, serrated, 5-nerved, glabrous above, but 

 covered with adpressed pili on the nerves beneath ; branches of 

 panicle elongated, filiform, loose ; capsule 3-celled. Tj . S. 

 Native of Brazil, West Indies, and Guiana, in marshes and bogs. 

 Rhexia aquatica, Swartz, fl. ind. occ. 2. p. 650. Bonpl. rhex. 

 p. 104. t. 40. E. Meyer, in act. bonn. 12. p. 650. Melastoma 

 aquatica, Aubl. guian. 1. p. 430. t. 169. Petals oblong, acute, 

 white, shorter than the genitals. Anthers reddish. Capsule 

 nearly globose. 



Aquatic Spennera. Shrub ^ to 1 foot. 



14 S. poLYSTAViiYA (D. C. 1. c.) stem much branched ; branches 

 beset with glandular pili ; leaves cordate, ovate, acute, sharply 

 serrated, ciliated, 5-7-nerved, rather pilose; flowers remote along 

 the branches of the panicle ; capsule 2-celled. Q.S. Native of 

 Brazil, in humid parts of woods. Rhexia polystachya, Bonpl. 

 rhex. p. 98. t. 38. Tube of calyx elliptically campanulate. Pe- 

 tals oblong. Capsule spherical, compressed. Flowers white. 



Many-spiked Spennera. PI. 1 foot. 



15 S. INDECORA (D. C'. 1. c.) stem branched ; branches quad- 

 rangular, hairy; leaves cordate, acuminated, serrulated, ciliated, 

 pilose on both surfaces ; branches of panicle dichotomous, hairy ; 

 flowers pedicellate ; calyx clothed with glandular pili, with 4 

 short teeth. I/ . ? S. Native of Brazil. Rhexia indecora, 

 Bonpl. rhex. p. 131. t. 49. Flowers small, white. Leaves like 

 those of Circce'a lutetlana. Petals ovate, obliquely mucronate. 

 Capsule unknown. 



Indecorous Spennera. PI. 1 to 2 feet. 



16 S. SILENIFLORA (D. C. 1. c.) stem branched; branches 

 quadrangular, glabrous ; leaves obsoletely cordate, oblong, acu- 



