764 MELASTOMACE.E. XXXVIII. MELASTOMA. XXXIX. OTANTIIERA. XL. LACIIXOPODIL.M. XLI. PLEROMA. 



together, sessile, terminal, glomerated, involucrated by lanceo- 

 late bracteas ; calyx pilose, with the segments lanceolate and 

 acuminated. (7 . S. Native of Sierra Leone, on the banks of 

 rivulets, in shady places. Petals red. Anthers yellow. Flowers 

 3-5 in each cluster. 



Involucrated-flowereA Melastoma. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 



29 M. AFZELIA'NUM (D. Don, 1. c.) the whole plant beset 

 with short stiff hairs ; branches erect and furrowed ; leaves 

 ovate, acuminated, 5-nerved as well as with 2 marginal nervules; 

 flowers sectind, terminal, racemose or panicled ; calyx covered 

 with bristles, which are usually disposed in stellate fascicles, with 

 the segments linear and plumose at the apex. f? . S. Native of 

 Sierra Leone, by the sides of rivulets, in shady places. Os- 

 beckia Afzeliana, Smith, in Rees' cycl. vol. 25. 



Afzel'ius's Melastoma. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 



30 M. ALBIFLORUM ; shrubby, branched ; rather pilose ; stems 

 and branches quadrangular; leaves elliptic, acute, 5-nerved, 

 beset with short pili on both surfaces, purplish beneath ; flowers 

 in terminal, crowded heads ; calyx glabrous. I? . S. Native of 

 Sierra Leone. Petals white ; anthers yellow. The calyx very 

 smooth, that is, without any bristles or scales ; it is therefore 

 doubtful whether it is a true species of Melasloma. 



White-jlomercd jVIelastoma. Shrub 2 to 3 feet. 



31 M. CAPITA'TUM; shrubby, branched ; branches quadrangu- 

 lar, pilose ; leaves ovate, acute, quite entire, 5-nerved, pilose, yel- 

 lowish beneath ; calyx glabrous, nerved ; flowers sessile, dis- 

 posed in crowded heads. I? . S. Native of Sierra Leone. 

 Petals red. Anthers yellow. Calyx smooth, like last species. 



Capitate-flowered Melastoma. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 



32 M.THE/EFOLIUM ; shrubby, erect, branched ; branches quad- 

 rangular ; leaves small, oval-lanceolate, acute, quite entire, ses- 

 sile, 3-nerved ; flowers terminal, disposed in crowded heads. 

 Tj . S. Native of Sierra Leone, in the low lands, common. 

 Calyx smooth, like the 2 last species. 



Tea-leaved Melastoma. Shrub 5 to 10 feet. 



33 M. ELONGA'TUM (D. Don, 1. c.) the whole plant beset with 

 stiff hairs ; root black, tuberous ; tubers numerous from the 

 same neck, fusiform ; stems herbaceous, quadrangular, erect, 

 simple, several from the same root ; leaves small, elliptic, acute, 

 entire, 3-nerved, as well as with 2 lateral nervules ; flowers 

 panicled ; peduncles axillary and terminal, few-flowered ; calyx 

 oblong, clothed with scales on the outside, which are terminated 

 by a tuft of hair at the apex : having the segments oblong and 

 membranous, bristly at the apex. I/ . S. Native of Sierra 

 Leone, plentiful in the low lands about Freetown, among grass, 

 flowering in great abundance in March and April. Nothing can 

 exceed the beauty of this plant when in flower, in its native 

 place of growth ; the flowers are large and vary from blue to 

 purple and white. Osbeckia grandiflora, Afz. mss. Smith, in 

 Rees' cycl. vol. 25. 



Elongated-pedunded Melastoma. Fl. March, April. Clt. 

 1822. PI. 1 to l|foot. 



34 M. DECu'MBENs(Beauv. fl. d'ow. l.p. 69. t. 61.) stem de- 

 cumbent at the base, tetragonal ; leaves ovate-lanceolate, 3-nerved, 

 besides the lateral nervules, petiolate serrated ; flowers solitary, 

 terminal. Jj . S. Native of the western coast of Africa, on the 

 banks of the river Formosa, in humid parts of woods. Flowers 

 large, rose-cojoured. Anthers 10, bisetose under the anthers. 

 Capside 5-celled. 



Decumbent Melastoma. Slirub dec. 



Cult. All the species of Melastoma are very showy when in 

 flower. A mixture of loam, peat, and sand suits them best : 

 and young cuttings root readily, if planted in pots filled with 

 peat, and placed in heat, with a hand-glass over them. 



XXXIX. OTANTHE'RA (from cue wroc, ous olos, an ear, 



and avOripa, anthera, an anther ; in reference to the anthers 

 being furnished with 2 auricles at the base of each). Blume, 

 in hot. zeit. 1831. no. 28. p. 488. Melastoma species, Blum. 

 bijdr. 1078. 



LIN. SYST. Decandria, Monogynia. Tube of calyx ovate, 

 half adhering to the ovarium, beset with palmately ciliated 

 scales ; limb 5-cleft, deciduous. Petals 5, obovate. Stamens 

 10, equal. Anthers oblong-linear, a little arched, attenuated 

 upwards and opening by 1 pore, but biauriculate in front at the 

 base ; their connectives indistinct. Free part of ovarium conical 

 and bristly. Style filiform. Stigma a pruinose dot. Berry 

 pulpy, 5-celled. Seeds cochleate. A shrub with terete, gla- 

 brous branches, outer branches rather tetragonal ; petioles and 

 nerves of leaves on the under surface beset with scattered, ad- 

 pressed bristles. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, acuminated, almost 

 quite entire, 5-nerved, membranous, roughish, pale green, but 

 with the nerves blush on the under surface. Panicle terminal, 

 trifid, or trichotomous ; branches usually 3-flowered. Flowers 

 small, white, lateral ones bibracteate, middle one on a short 

 pedicel, bractless. 



1 O. MOLUCCA'NA (Blum. 1. c. p. 489.). >> . S. Native of 

 Amboyna. Melastoma Moluccana, Blum, bijdr. p. 1078. 

 Ruroph. amb. 4. t. 71. middle figure. 



Molucca Otanthera. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 



Cult, See Melastoma for culture and propagation, p. 764. 



XL. LACHNOPO'DIUM (from Xa X >'), lachne, down, and 

 mwf Trot'oe, pous podos, a foot ; in reference to the filaments or 

 footstalks of the anthers being girded by a crown of hairs at the 

 base). Blum, in bot. zeit. 1831. no. 27. p. 477. in a note __ 

 Melastoma species, Link, et Otto. 



LIN. SYST. Decandria, Monogynia. Tube of calyx ovate- 

 oblong, adhering to the ovarium ; limb 5-cleft, with the segments 

 linear-subulate. Petals 5, ovate-oblong, obtuse. Stamens 10, 

 equal ; filaments girded by a crown of hairs at the base. An- 

 thers oblong, beaked. Style filiform ; stigma small, obtuse. 

 Capsule 5-celled, crowned by the calycine segments. Seeds 

 cochleate ? This genus comes very near Pleroma and Lasiandra. 



1 L. HU'BRO-LIMBA'TUM (Blum. 1. c.) branches terete, clothed 

 with rufescent stiff hairs ; leaves opposite, petiolate, cordate- 

 oblong, acuminated, denticulately crenated, 5-nerved, wrinkled, 

 beset with rufous pili ; flowers cyniose, axillary, contracted ; 

 bracteas obsolete ; calyx margined with red in the adult state. 

 Tj . S. Native of the East Indies. Melastoma rubro-limba- 

 tum, Link, et Otto, abb. t. 41. Flowers white. 



Rcd-limbed-C3\yy.cA Lachnopodium. Shrub 4 to 6 feet. 



Cult. For culture and propagation, see Melasloma, p. 764. 



XLI. PLERO'MA (from TrXqpujua, pleroma, fulness ; cellsof 

 capsule). D. Don, wern. soc. 4. p. 293. exclusive of Lasiandra 

 of D. C. prod. 3. p. 151. 



LIN. SYST. Decandria, Monogynia. Tube of calyx ovate, 

 when young often involved in 2 deciduous bracteas ; lobes 5, 

 deciduous. Petals 5, obovate. Stamens with glabrous fila- 

 ments ; anthers nearly equal, elongated, arched at the base, 

 each furnished with a stipe-formed connective, which is biau- 

 riculate at the base. Ovarium adnate to the calyx, bristly at 

 the apex ; stigma a pruinose dot. Capsule baccate, 5-celled, 

 Seeds cochleate. American shrubs, with the habit of Lasiundra, 

 but differs in the filaments being glabrous, not villous, and in 

 the ovarium being adnate to the calyx, not free. Capsule bac- 

 cate, not dry. 



1 P. LEDIFOLIUM (D. C. prod. 3. p. 151.) branches nearly 

 terete, villous from stiffish somewhat adpressed hairs beneath ; 

 leaves ovate-oblong, obtuse at the base, acutish at the apex, 

 scabrous from scattered bristles above, 3-nerved, with revolute 

 edges ; pedicels axillary, 1 -flowered, length of petioles ; brae- 



