MELASTOMACE/E. XXXV. TIBOUCHINA. XXXVI. TRISTEMMA. XXXVII. SARCOPYRAMUS, &c. 



761 



the beauty of their flowers. Their culture and propagation is 

 the same as that for the species of Meldstoma, p. 764. 



XXXV. TIBOUCHFN A (meaning not explained by Aublet). 

 Aubl. guian. 1. p. 445. D. C. prod. 3. p. 143. Savastenia, 

 Neck. elem. no. 795. 



LIN. SYST. Dccdndria, Monogynia. Tube of calyx turbi- 

 nate, clothed with imbricate scales ; girded at the base by a 

 double involucrum, both formed of 2 connate brasteas ; lobes 

 5-lanceolate, without any appendages between the Habes, as in 

 Osbeckia. Petals 5, oval. Stamens 10; filaments Idabrous ; l 

 connectives of anthers bluntly biauriculate at the base.^fevariurr 

 free, bristly at the apex. Capsule dehiscent. Seeds coljjleate 

 A shrub, native of Guiana. Branches slightly tetragor 

 are as well as the petioles scabrous from scales. Leave 

 short petioles, ovate, blunt at the base and acute at the at 

 quite entire, 5-nerved, clothed with stiffish hairs beneath, 

 adpressed villi above, which is confluent between the nerEesI 

 Flowers few, nearly terminal, girded by a double involucrunl 



1 T. A'SPERA (Aubl. guian. 1. p. 177.). ^ . S. Natiii of 

 French Guiana. Rhexia aspera, \Villd. spec. 2. p. 304. 

 lastoma Tibouchina, Desr. in Lam. diet. 4. p. 49. D. Jgpn, 

 mem. soc. wern. 4. p. 288. Melastoma aromatica, Vahl. < 

 p. 41. Flowers purple. 



Rough Tibouchina. Shrub 2 to 3 feet. 



Cult. For culture and propagation, see Meldstoma, p. 76'< 



XXXVI. TRISTE'MMA (from rptic, treis, three, and , 

 stemma, a crown ; in reference to the calyx being girded by 3 

 circles of bristles). Juss. gen. p. 3~9. D. C. prod. 3. p. 144. 



LIN. SYST. Octo-Decdndiia, Monogynia. Calyx tubular, 4-5- 

 cleft, furnished with margins or bearded appendages near the limb, 

 and surrounded by many bracteas at the base. Petals 4-5, un- 

 guiculate. Stamens 8-10; anthers a little arched, somewhat 

 auriculated at the base. Ovarium hardly adnate to the calyx at 

 the base, and crowned by stiff" hairs at the apex. Berry va- 

 riously depressed, 4-5-celled, clothed by the calyx. Seeds 

 unknown. Subshrubs or herbs, with tetragonal stems. Leaves 

 3-5-nerved. Flowers capitate. This genus appears to be inter- 

 mediate between Osbeckia and Meldstoma. 



1 T. VIRUSA'NUM (Comm. mss. ex Juss. 1. c.) stem suffruti- 

 cose ; leaves oval, acuminated, 5-nerved, pilose on both sur- 

 faces as well as the branches ; heads of flowers terminal, almost 

 sessile, usually composed of 5-8 flowers. Tj . S. Native of 

 the Mauritius. Vent, choix. t. 35. Tristemma MauritiannmJ 

 Pers. cnch. 1. p. 476. Melastoma virusana, D. Don, in wert 

 soc. mem. 4. p. 396. Calyx girded by 3 rings of bristlej 

 Flowers purple. 



Poisonous Tristemma. Shrub 1 foot. 



2 T. HI'RTUM (Vent, choix. p. 35. in a note) stem herbacec 

 tetragonal ; branches and petioles beset with spreading Bill' 

 hairs ; leaves ovate, 5-nerved, acuminated ; flowers capifcte, 

 terminal, sessile, bracteate. %. S. Native of Guinea, m the 

 kingdom of Waree. Beav. fl. d'ow. vol. 1. p. 93. t. 57, f\t\\ a 

 figure. Very like T. virusanum, but differs in the stembeing 

 herbaceous, and in the hairs being longer and moreJpatent. 

 Calyx having only 2 circles of bristles. Flowers red. 



Hairy Tristemma. PI. 1 foot. 



Cult. For culture and propagation, see Meldstomamp. 764. 



XXXVII. SARCOPY'RAMUSCffapUapKoc.sarcc/reos, flesh, 

 and wvpafiif, pyramis, a pyramid ; in allusion to the herb, which 

 is fleshy and pyramidal in its growth). Wall. tent. fl. nep. 1. 

 p. 32. t. 23. D. C. prod. 3. p. 485. 



VOL. II. 



LIN. SYST. Octdndria, Monogynia. Calyx adhering to the 

 ovarium at the base, permanent, obversely pyramidal, with a 

 truncate 4-toothed border ; teeth compressed, ciliated, having 

 the interstices naked. Petals oval, acute. Stamens 8. Anthers 

 simple, straight, naked, opening by 2 pores at the apex. Ova- 

 rium semi-adnate to the calyx, with a funnel-shaped, 4-lobed 

 apex. Capsule square, 4-winged at the apex, 4-celled, 4-valved ; 

 valves dilated and foliaceous. Seeds cuneated and triangular. 

 -jA. fleshy erect herb. Leaves petiolate, oval, acute, 3-nerved, 

 fith entire margins, those opposite each other unequal in size. 

 Flowers rose-coloured, in cymes. This genus differs from others 

 'in a remarkable degree, in the fruit being capsular, and in the 

 ovarium being semi-adnate at the same time. 



1 S. NIPAULU'NSIS (Wall. 1. c. t. 23.). Q. S. Native of 

 Nipaul, in moist stony valleys, among the mountains. 



Nipanl Sarcopyramus. PI. 1 foot. 



Cult. For culture and propagation, see Centradenia, p. 766. 



XXXVIIT. MELA'STOMA (from ^ \ac, melas, black, and 

 p/ia, sloma, the mouth ; the berries of some of the species are 

 ' "; : they are commonly eaten by children, whose mouths 

 stain black). Burm. fl. ind. D. C. prod. 3. p. 144. 

 M^stoma species of Lin. gen. 544. D. Don, in wern. soc. 

 t. p. 286. 



. SYST. Deca-Dodecdndria, Monogynia. Tube of calyx 

 ' half adhering to the ovarium, densely covered with scales 

 or stles ; limb 5 (f. 111. a.), rarely 6-cleft ; the segments al- 

 terwting with the appendages, both deciduous. Petals 5 (f. 111. 

 3. Stamens twice the number of the petals. Anthers oblong- 

 ear, a little arched, opening by a pore at the apex, each fur- 

 nlhed with a stipe-formed connective, which is in some species 

 ellngated, and in others short, but always biauriculate or emar- 

 gilate in front. Free part of ovarium conical and bristly. Style 

 iilform, somewhat thickened at the apex. Stigma a pruinose dot. 

 C jpsule baccate, 5-6-celled opening irregularly. Seeds cochleate. 

 shrubs, usually covered with strigae. Leaves petiolate, quite 

 entire, or serrulated, nerved. Peduncles terminal, disposed in 

 Iscicles or panicled-corymbs, sometimes solitary ; pedicels bi- 

 racteate. Flowers large, white, rose-coloured, or purple. The 

 genus differs from Osbeckia in the fruit being hardly dry, not 

 opening regularly at the cells, but fleshy at the base and opening 

 fin an irregular transverse manner. 



* Fruit baccate. 



1 M. DENTICULA'TUM (Labill. caled. l.p. 65. t. 64.) shrubby; 

 branches a little compressed, and are as well as the petioles 

 scabrous from adpressed bristles ; leaves petiolate, oval-oblong, 

 acuminated, 5-nerved, scabrous from small bristles above, pale 

 beneath, and beset with adpressed strigae along the nerves ; 

 flowers few, in a kind of cyme ; calyx urceolate, clothed with 

 adpressed strigae, with the lobes lanceolate and deciduous. Fj . G. 

 Native of New Caledonia. Ovarium bristly at the apex. Seeds 

 cochleate. Flowers white ? 



Denticulated-leaved. Melastoma. Shrub 3 to 4 feet. 



2 M. TAITE'NSE (D. C. prod. 3. p. 144.) shrubby ; branches 

 tetragonal, and are as well as the petioles rough from strigae ; 

 leaves petiolate, oval-oblong, acuminated, rather denticulated, 

 3-nerved, besides the 2 marginal nervules, scabrous from bristles 

 on the upper surface, but strigose on the nerves beneath ; co- 

 rymbs few-flowered ; calyx scabrous from thick bristles; lobes 5, 

 oblong, deciduous. fj . G. Native of the Island of Tail, in 

 the South Sea. Allied to M. denticulatum, but differs in the 

 corolla being of 5, not of 6 petals, and in the leaves being 3- 

 nerved, not 5-nerved. Flowers white. Berry 5-celled. Seeds 

 cochleate. 



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