711 



MELASTOMACE/E. XX. MICROLKIA. 



nerved; flowers solitary, hardly pedicellate in the axils, and on 

 the tops of the branches, i. B. S. Native of Cayenne. 

 Rhexia recurva, Rich. act. soc. hist. nat. par. 1792. p. 108. 

 Poir. suppl. 6. p. 6. Rhexia uniflora, Vahl. symb. 2. p. 48. 

 but not of Raddi. Melastoma diffusa, Desr. in Lam. diet. 4. p. 

 38. Rhexia uniflora, recurva, and diffusa, Spreng. syst. no. 21. 

 35. and 84. Stems erect or somewhat decumbent. Calyx glo- 

 bose ; lobes 5, subulate. Petals small. Capsule 3-celled, gla- 

 brous. Seeds cochleate, muricated. 

 Recurved Microlicia. PI. 1 foot. 



8 M. VARIA'BILIS (Mart. mss. ex D. C. 1. c.) suffruticose, 

 erect ; branches tetragonal, beset with glandular pili ; leaves 

 almost sessile, broadly ovate, acute, ciliately serrated, pilose on 

 both surfaces, 3- nerved; flowers pedicellate, axillary and ter- 

 minal, solitary ; calyx rather hairy, with a globose tube, and 

 linear subulate lobes, which are about equal in length to the 

 tube ; anthers dissimilar. Tj . B. S. Native of Brazil, in alpine 

 meadows in the provinces of St. Paul and Minas Geraes. An- 

 thers as in M. alsinefolia. Flowers rose-coloured. 



J'ar. ft, radicans (Schrank et Mart. mss. ex D. C. 1. c.) plant 

 herbaceous, erect, rooting at the base, and less pilose than the 

 species. I/ . B. S. Native of marshes, especially at Serro Frio. 



Var. y, herbacea (Schrank et Mart. mss. ex D. C. 1. c.) plant 

 herbaceous, ascending, rooting at the base, smoothish in every 

 part ; flowers axillary, almost sessile. 1 . B. S. Native of 

 the province of St. Paul, in bogs. Rhexia cordata, Spreng. 

 neue entd. 1. p. 301. Rhexia variabilis, Mart, et Schrank, 

 mss. Very like variety ft, and truly decandrous. Perhaps a 

 proper species. Flowers bluish red. 



Variable Microlicia. PL 1 foot. 



9 M. LANCESFI.6RA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 118.) suffruticose, 

 much branched, erect, hispid from glandular pili in every part ; 

 leaves on short petioles, ovate, ciliately serrated, 3-nerved ; pe- 

 dicels axillary, 3-flowered, disposed in an elongated thyrse ; 

 tube of calyx cylindrical, a little longer than the lobes, which 

 are 5 and linear ; petals oblong ; anthers elongated, with their 

 connectives hardly drawn out. fj . B. S. Native of Brazil, in 

 inundated parts of meadows, particularly in the province of St. 

 Paul. Rl.exia lanceccflora, Mart, et Schrank, mss. Plant 

 almost like that of M. variabilis, but the flowers are much more 

 numerous, and the calyxes tubular; the petals 3 times the length 

 of their breadth. Flower-bud lanceolate. Longer anthers rather 

 unequal among themselves, with their connectives long, but hardly 

 drawn out at the articulation. 



Lance-flowered Microlicia. Shrub -| to 1 foot. 



10 M. VIOLA'CEA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 118.) suffruticose, hispid 

 from glandular hairs; leaves sessile, broadly ovate, quite entire, 

 5-nerved, full of pitted dots on the upper surface when exa- 

 mined by a lens ; flowers axillary, solitary, almost sessile ; tube 

 of calyx globose, about equal in length to the oblong-linear 

 lobes ; petals oblong ; anthers elongated, dissimilar. ^ S. 

 Native of Brazil, on the high mountains in the province of 

 Minas Goraes. Rhexia violacea, and perhaps also Rhexia vis- 

 cidula, Schrank et Mart. mss. The leaves resemble those of 

 M. alsinefolia and M. piinctatusima ; anthers and petals 

 those of M. lancecejfura. The five longer anthers have long 

 connectives, which are drawn out into a small blunt 2-lobed 

 appendage each ; the five shorter ones have short connectives, 

 which are hardly tumid at the base. 



llolaccous-fiowered Microlicia. Shrub to 1 foot. 



M. SERPYLMFOLIA (D. Don, in mem. wern. soc. 4. p. 

 301.) shrubby ; leaves elliptic, acute, spreading, downy on both 

 surfaces, as well as the branchlets ; flowers solitary, pedicellate ; 

 calyxes pubescent, fj . S. Native of Brazil. Stem erect, 

 much branched. Branches tetragonal. Leaves obsoletely 3- 

 norved, about the size of those of wild-thyme. Flowers purple. 



jr>l<l-thyme-\ea.ve!\ Microlicia. Sh. i foot. 



12 M. GRAVE'OLENS (D. C. prod. 3. p. 119.) suffruticose, 

 diffusely branched ; branches somewhat tetragonal, beset with 

 glandular hairs ; leaves sessile, ovate, acute, 3-nerved, obso- 

 letely serrated, full of setose dots on both surfaces ; flowers 

 axillary, sessile, solitary, crowded at the tops of the branches ; 

 tube of calyx 10-furrowed, beset with glandular bristles, longer 

 than the lobes, which are 5, lanceolate and acute ; anthers dis- 

 similar. Tj . B. S. Native of Brazil, in the province of Minas 

 Geraes, on the mountains and in irrigated parts of meadows. 

 Rhexia graveolens, Mart, et Schrank, mss. Leaves 2 lines 

 long. Petals violaceous. Anthers 10, ovate, with short blunt 

 beaks : having the connectives of 5 drawn out into a dilated some- 

 what 2-lobed appendage each, those of the other 5 short. Cap- 

 sule ovate-conical, 3-celled, 3-valved. Seeds somewhat coch- 

 leate. Plant with a heavy scent. 



Strong-scented Microlicia. Sh. ^ to 1 foot. 



18 M. MARIFOLIA (D. Don, mem. wern. soc. 4. p. 301.) 

 shrubby ; leaves decussate, ovate, bluntish, 3-nerved, on short 

 petioles, downy on both surfaces, as well as the branches: 

 flowers axillary, solitary, pedicellate. H . S. Native of Brazil. 

 An erect, much branched, leafy shrub, with tetragonal branches 

 and obsoletely crenulated leaves. Calyx downy. 



Cat-thyme-leaved Microlicia. Sh. \ foot. 



14 M. JUNGERMANNIOIDES (D. C. f. c.) shrubby ; branches 

 hispid ; leaves sessile, ovate, ciliately serrated, 5-nerved, 

 smoothish above, but bristly beneath ; flowers usually solitary, 

 axillary, and terminal ; calyx setigerous, with the tube globose, 

 and the lobes linear-subulate, about equal in length to the tube ; 

 anthers dissimilar. Jj . S. Native of Brazil, in the province 

 of Minas Geraes, on the Diamond Mountains. Rhexia junger- 

 mannioides, Mart, et Schrank, mss. The bristles on the upper 

 part of the plant are glandular. Leaves like those of Betula 

 nana. Petals violaceous. Anthers 10, ovate-oblong, ending 

 each in a short cucullate beak : 5 of which have their connectives 

 longer than the anthers ; those of the other 5 short. Capsule 

 ovate-globose, 3-valved. 



Jungermannia-like Microlicia. Sh. ^ to 1 foot. 



15 M. SUBSETOSA (D. C. 1. c.) stem shrubby; branches 

 terete, bristly ; leaves sessile, oblong-ovate, acutish, quite en- 

 tire, finely 3-nerved, full of glandular dots on both surfaces, and 

 with a few bristles on the margins and nerves ; flowers terminal, 

 solitary, sessile, decandrous ; calyx full of glandular dots, hav- 

 ing 5 oblong rather bristly lobes. J? . S. Native of Brazil, on 

 the mountains. Rhexia setosa, Schrank et Mart. mss. but not 

 of Spreng. Leaves 2-3 lines long. Petals purple. Anthers 

 yellow, beaked : having their connectives drawn out at the 

 articulation into a blunt ap; endage each, 3-times the length 

 of the anthers. From habit this species is allied to M. va- 

 riolosa. 



Subsetose Microlicia. Sh. ^ to 1 foot. 



16 M. SERINGEA'NA (D. C. 1. c.) shrubby, hispid from yel- 

 lowish hairs ; branches tetragonal ; leaves sessile, ovate, ser- 

 rated, approximate, somewhat 3-nerved, full of glandular and 

 pellucid dots, hairy ; flowers solitary, sessile, terminal ; calyx 

 hairy, with a turbinate 10-ribbed tube, and 5 triangular lobes ; 

 anthers dissimilar. H . S. Native of Brazil. Rhexia Serin- 

 gcana, Mart. herb. Petals purple, ciliated when young. An- 

 thers 10, oval, bluntly beaked, 5 with long connectives, which 

 are appemliculated at the base. Capsule 3-celled, permanent. 

 Allied to M. variolosa, but distinct. 



Seringe's Microlicia. Sh. i to 1 foot. 



1 7 M. VESTITA (D. C. 1. c.) shrubby, branched ; branchlets 

 filiform, rather hairy from small pili ; leaves sessile, somewhat 

 imbricated in four rows, ovate, acute, quite entire, somewhat 3- 

 nerved, smoothish above, beset with long adpressed bristles or 



