772 



MELASTOMACEjE. XLVIII. CLIDEMIA. 



ovate or oblong, acuminated, obtuse at the base, and a little 

 ciliated ; nerves 5-7, somewhat feathered ; panicle terminal, 

 with opposite divaricate branches ; calyx globose, very hairy, 

 with .5 acute lobes, but the points being deciduous they at length 

 become obtuse. b. . S. Native of Brazil, in woods, in the pro- 

 vince of St. Paul. Melastoma apterum, Schrank et Mart. mss. 

 The whole plant is brown when dried. 

 Wingless Clidemia. Shrub 2 to 3 ft. 



53 C. PURPURA'SCENS (D. C. 1. c.) branchlets terete, and are 

 as well as the panicles and petioles clothed with reflexed villi ; 

 leaves petiolate, oblong-lanceolate, acuminated, ciliated, hardly 

 quite entire, 5-nerved ; panicle terminal, rather loose, oppo- 

 sitely branched ; calyx urceolate, hispid, 5-cleft, with the lobes 

 glabrous on the inside. 1? . S. Native of Brazil, near Oeiras, 

 in the province of Bahia. Melastoma purpurascens, Schrank et 

 Mart. mss. But is different from Melastoma purpurascens of 

 Aubl. in the flowers being nearly twice the size. Branches and 

 calyxes brownish purple on the outside. Bracteas linear. Pe- 

 tals and genitals unknown* 



Purplish Clidemia. Shrub 3 to 4 feet. 



54 C. CARASSA'NA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 162.) branches nearly 

 terete, rather compressed, and are as well as the petioles, pa- 

 nicles, and under surface of leaves densely clothed with velvety 

 stellate down ; leaves on long petioles, oval, acuminated, sca- 

 brous on the upper surface from short, simple bristles, quin- 

 tuple-nerved ; panicle terminal ; style much exserted, acute. 



f? . S. Native of Brazil, on the high mountain called Carassa, 

 in the province of Minas Geraes. Melastoma Carassanum, 

 Schrank ct Mart. mss. Petioles 12-15 lines long. Ovarium 

 bristly at the apex- 



Carassa Clidemia. Shrub 1 to 2 ft. 



55 C. BRACTEA'TA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 162.) branches terete, 

 and are as well as the panicles and petioles hairy from crowded, 

 long, rufous bristles ; leaves oval, rather cuneated at the base, 

 acuminated at the apex, 5-nerved, almost quite entire, ciliated, 

 beset with stiff hairs beneath ; thyrse panicled, terminal, 

 with opposite branches, bearing dense heads of flowers at the 

 apex, intermixed with ovate acute bracteas. fj . S. Native of 

 Guiana, between Conana and Yueri. Melastoma tristis, Rich, 

 herb. Flowers white. 



Bracteate-ftowered Clidemia. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 



56 C. MUTA'BII.IS (D. C. 1. c.) branchlets terete, and are as 

 well as the petioles and peduncles very villous from rufous, 

 adpressed, strigose hairs ; leaves oval, cuneated at the base, 

 acuminated at the apex, quite entire, 5-nerved, clothed with ad- 

 pressed hairs on both surfaces ; thyrse panicled, terminal, with 

 opposite "branches bearing heads of sessile bracteate flowers at 

 tl.e apex ; calyx densely clothed with silky villi. b . S. Na- 

 tive of Guiana, in shady woods. Melastoma mutabilis, Rich, 

 herb. Very nearly allied to C. bractea'.um, but differs in the 

 calyxes being silky, not hairy, and in changing to a greenish-glau- 

 cous colour on drying. 



Changeable-coloured Clidemia. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 



57 C. LAPPACEA (D. C. 1. c.) branches terete, and are as well 

 as the petioles covered with somewhat adpressed, thick, strigose 

 hairs ; leaves oval, somewhat acuminated, 5-nerved, crenated, 

 ciliated, beset with scattered bristles on both surfaces, but hairy 

 on the nerves beneath ; thyrse panicled, terminal, short, with 

 opposite branches, bearing heads of sessile bracteate flowers at 

 the apex ; fruit very hispid. fj . S. Native of Guiana, in 

 woods. Melastoma lappacea, Rich. herb. This species is 

 nearly allied to the two preceding, but differs in the leaves being 

 broadly crenated or somewhat bicrenate, and purple beneath. 



Burdock Clidemia. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 



58 C. VIOLA CEA (D. C. 1. c.) branches terete, and are as well 

 as the petioles, nerves of leaves, and calyxes, clothed with ad- 



pressed silky villi ; leaves on short petioles, ovate, acuminated, 

 obtuse at the base, crenated, somewhat ciliated, quintuple- 

 nerved, beset with scattered hairs between the nerves ; thyrse 

 racemose, terminal, much shorter than the leaves, with crowded, 

 3-flowered branchlets : calyx densely clothed with hairs ; petals 

 oblong, obtuse. b. S. Native of Cayenne, in shady woods. 

 Melastoma violacea, Rich. herb. Fruit globose, ribless, pilose, 

 crowned by the limb of the calyx, which is very short and 

 somewhat 5-toothed. Ovarium pilose at the apex. Leaves 

 purplish. 



/ (o/aeeotts-leaved Clidemia. Shrub 1 to 3 feet. 



59 C. COCCI'NEA (D. C. 1. c.) branches terete, and are as well 

 as the petioles clothed with adpressed bristles ; leaves ovate- 

 oblong, acuminated, toothed, triple-nerved, besides the 2 mar- 

 ginal nervules, beset with scattered bristles, but with silky villi 

 on the nerves ; thyrse terminal, panicled, beset with short hairs, 

 with its branchlets opposite, and bearing 3 flowers each at the 

 apex ; calyx covered with short adpressed villi. b_ . S. Na- 

 tive of Guiana, in shady woods. Melastoma coccinea, Rich, 

 herb, but not of Rich, in act. soc. hist. nat. par. Very like C. 

 violacea, but the leaves are only purple beneath. 



Scarlet Clidemia. Sh. 1 to 2 feet. 



60 C. LANA'TA (D. C. 1. c.) branches, petioles, both surfaces 

 of leaves as well as the branches and calyxes densely clothed 

 with woolly down ; hairs some of them sessile and stellate, 

 others bristle-like and stellate at the apex ; leaves petiolate, 

 ovate, terminating in short taper points, 3-nerved, besides the 

 2 marginal nervules, denticulated ; panicle terminal, crowded 

 with flowers, having its branches opposite ; teeth of calyx 5, 

 obtuse. Tj . S. Native of Guiana, Cuba, about the Havannah, 

 and the Island of Trinidad. Melastoma lanatuin, Lamb. herb. 

 Flowers white, very fragrant. Petals obovate. Anthers linear, 

 opening by 1 pore, bluntly biaurictilated at the base. Ovarium 

 girded by a ring of bristles at the apex. Stigma somewhat 

 capitate. A very distinct species. 



ll'oo/ly Clidemia. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 



61 C. OBSCU'RA (D. C. 1. c.) branchlets as well as the pe- 

 tioles, panicles, and under side of leaves densely clothed with 

 rusty woolly down and small hairs ; leaves petiolate, broadly 

 ovate, acute, 5-7-nerved, quite entire, beset with pili above, 

 which are bullate at the base ; panicle terminal, with its branches 

 opposite and crowded with flowers at the apex, t; . S. Native 

 of Pern, in frigid places. Melastoma obscura, Bonpl. mel. t. 

 52. Limb of calyx campanulate, bluntly 5-toothed. Petals 

 obovatc-roundish. Ovarium half free from the calyx, furnished 

 with 10 bristles at the apex. Stigma peltate. Berry 3-4-celled. 

 Flowers white. 



Obscure Clidemia. Shrub 2 to 3 feet. 



62 C. INVOLUCRA'TA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 163.) branches 

 terete, and are as well as the petioles hairy ; leaves petiolate, 

 oval, attenuated at the base, acuminated at the apex, toothed, 

 ciliated, triple-nerved, besides the marginal nervules, pilose on 

 both surfaces ; thyrse sessile, capitate, terminating the branch- 

 lets, bracteated or involucrated by 2 leaves, hairy, very short. 

 b. S. Native of Guiana, in woods. Melastoma involucratum, 

 Rich. herb. Leaves thin, soft. Branches spreading. Heads 

 of flowers a violaceous purple colour. 



Involucrated Clidemia. Shrub 2 feet. 



* Panicles terminal, very hispid from purplish hairs. 



63 C. RHODO'POGON (D. C. prod. 3. p. 163.) branchlets terete, 

 and are as well as the petioles and nerves of leaves densely 

 clothed with bristles ; leaves beset with scattered bristles on 

 both surfaces, petiolate, oblong, acuminated, serrated, ciliated, 

 3-nerved besides the marginal nervules ; panicle terminal, much 

 branched, divaricate, and are as well as the calyxes very hispid 



