776 



MELASTOMACE^E. LIII. SONERILA. LIV. MEDINILLA. 



4 S. ERE'CTA (Jacq. mal. misc. 1. no. 5. p. 7.) stem fruticu- 

 losc, with 2 opposite downy lines ; leaves 3-nerved, lanceolate, 

 acute at both ends, serrated, hairy ; spikes terminal, few-flowered. 



fj . S. Native of Pulo-Penang, in woods. Flowers red. 

 Erect Sonerila. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 



5 S. SQUARROSA (Wall, in Roxb. fl. ind. 1. p. 182. and pi. 

 asiat. rar. 2. p. 1. t. 102.) stem suffruticose, erect, glabrous, 

 almost simple, with numerous stipularly soft prickles; leaves 

 crowded towards the top of the plant, cuneate-lanceolate, cus- 

 pidately serrated, smooth, tapering into the petioles, which are 

 very short ; racemes terminal and axillary ; flowers secund. 

 I/ ."S. Native of the East Indies, growing among ferns on the 

 Khassee mountains, where it is called Tearanga. Petals oval, 

 acute, contracted at the base, rose-coloured. Anthers bilocular, 

 opening on both sides along their whole length, ex Wall. 1. c. 



Squarrose Sonerila. PI. \ to ^ foot. 



C S. ANGUSTIFOIIA (Roxb. fl. ind. 1. p. 182. Wall. pi. rar. 

 asiat. 2. p. 1. t. 102.) stem suffruticose; leaves ovate-oblong, 

 acuminated, nearly equal, ciliated, acute at the base, beset with 

 simple hairs on both surfaces, as well as on the branches; ra- 

 cemes terminal and lateral, few-flowered. % . S. Native of the 

 mountains, on the north-east border of Bengal. Flowers rose- 

 coloured. 



Narrow-leaved Sonerila. PI. -| to 1 foot. 



7 S. MACULA'TA (Roxb. fl. ind. 1. p. 180.) stem short; 

 branches recumbent, rooting at the apex, bristly ; leaves on long 

 petioles, unequally broad-ovate-cordate, acuminated, setosely 

 serrulated : beset with small, white, elevated specks, from the 

 centre of each rises a bristle; racemes axillarv, spiral, on 

 hairy coloured peduncles. I/ . S. Native among the moun- 

 tains upon the north-east border of Bengal, and where it is used 

 by the natives as a pot-herb. Its vernacular name in the 

 Khassee language is Sbotli-Soneri-ila. Rheed. mal. 9. p. 127. 

 t. 65. Flowers rose-coloured. 



Spotted-leaved Sonerila. PI. recumbent. 



8 S. EMACULA'TA (Roxb. fl. ind. 1. p. 181.) leaves unequally 

 narrow-cordate, acute, bristly, but without spots, serrulated, 

 ciliated, y. . H. Native among the Khassee mountains, on the 

 north-east border of Bengal. It differs from S. macultita, in 

 the leaves being destitute of little round white dots, from which 

 the bristles rise. It is also less robust than that plant, with 

 longer peduncles to the racemes, but the flowers and capsules 

 are alike. 



Spotless-leaved Sonerila. PI. 1 foot. 



9 S. TENUIFOLIA (Blum. 1. c.) stem suffruticose, rough ; leaves 

 3-nerved, opposite, one of which is smaller than the other, 

 ovate-lanceolate, acuminated, obtuse, or rather cordate at the 

 base, serrated, beset with scattered bristles above, rather glau- 

 cous beneath ; peduncles terminal, 1-3-flowered. Tj . S. Na- 

 tive of Java, in woods. Flowers red. 



Fine-leaved Sonerila. Sh. 1 to 2 feet. 



Cult. For culture and propagation of the stove species, see 

 Meldstoma, p. 764. ; but see Centradenia, p. 706. for that of the 

 annual kinds. Rather pretty plants when in flower. 



LIV. MEDINI'LLA (meaning unknown to us). Gaud. ined. 

 ex D. C. prod. 3. p. 167. Blum, in bot. zeit. 1831. no. 29. p. 

 508. 



LIN. SYST. Octo-Decdndria, Monogynia. Tube of calyx 

 ovate or obovate, ribless, adhering to the ovarium ; limb trun- 

 cate or obsoletely 4-5-toothed, rarely cleft irregularly, conti- 

 nuous with the tube. Petals 4-5, oval or obovate, obtuse or ob- 

 liquely truncate, rather fleshy. Stamens 8-10, equal, or the 

 alternate ones are smaller ; anthers oblong-linear, arched, 

 beaked, and opening by one pore at the apex ; their connectives 

 2-lobed or bifid in front, but spur-formed behind, and confluent 



with the anthers. Ovarium glabrous at the apex, rarely downy. 

 Style subulate, tumid at the base, crowned by a small obtuse 

 stigma. Berry ovate-oblong, or ovate-globose, crowned by the 

 limb of the calyx, 4-5-celled. Seeds oval, sinoothish. Smooth- 

 ish shrubs, rarely covered with stellate clown, sometimes sar- 

 mentose, and sometimes parasitic ; branches terete or tetragonal. 

 Leaves opposite or in whorls, petiolate or sessile (branches some- 

 times with a circle of tomentum or ramentse at the insertion of 

 the leaves), quite entire, rarely denticulated, nerved. Cymes or 

 umbels simple and few-flowered, or disposed in many-flowered 

 compound panicles or corymbs, axillary or terminal. Flowers 

 very pale red ; pedicels reddish. 



SECT. I. CAMPTOPLACU'NTIA (from Kap.irr<a, campto, to bend, 

 and v\aKovQir\aKovvTO,placous placountos, a placenta ; in refer- 

 ence to the placenta, which is bent). Blum. 1. c. p. 509. 

 Tube of calyx ovate ; limb cylindrieally tubular, somewhat 

 truncate, rarely cleft. Seminiferous receptacle bent in on both 

 sides between the cells. Smooth shrubs, with whorled petiolate 

 leaves. Cymes few-flowered, axillary ; pedicels bractless, and 

 articulated at the base. 



* Flo7vers octandrous. 



1 M. QUADRIFOLIA (Blum. 1. c. p. 509.) branchlets terete : 

 leaves usually 4 in a whorl, rarely 3 or 5, cuneate-oblong, acute, 

 triple-nerved. Jj . S. Native of Java, on Mounts Cede and 

 Salak, in woods. Melistoma quadrifolium. Blum, bijdr. p. 

 1069. 



Four-leaved Medinilla. Sh. 4 to 6 ft. 



2 M. ROSEA (Gaud, in Freyc. voy. pt. bot. p. 484. t. 106.) 

 branches bluntly tetragonal ; leaves 3-4 in a whorl, oval, mucro- 

 nate, triple-nerved. Jj . S. Native of Marianne Island. Tube 

 of calyx obovate, exactly truncate. Peduncles axillary, 6-8- 

 flowered. Flowers and berries rose-coloured. 



.Rose-coloured-flowered Medinilla. Sh. 4 to 6 ft. 



3 M. RADI'CANS (Blum. 1. c.) branches terete, rooting ; leaves 

 3-7-nerved, oblong-lanceolate, acuminated at both ends, rather 

 veiny. Jj . S. Native of Java. Melastoma radicans, Blum, 

 bijdr. p. 1069. 



Rooting Medinilla. Sh. 4 to 6 ft. 



* * Flowers decandrous. 



4 M. PTEROCAU'LA (Bium. 1. c. p. 509.) branches with mem- 

 branous wings ; leaves 4-8 in a whorl, oblong-lanceolate, acumi- 

 nated, tapering into the petiole at the base, triple-nerved, tj . S. 

 Native of Java, in the provinces of Buitenzorg, Tjanjor, and 

 Bantam, in woods on the mountains. 



Wing-stemmed Medinilla. Sh. 3 to 6 ft. 



5 M. CRASSINE'RVIA (Blum. I. c. p. 510.) branches terete; 

 leaves 4 in a whorl, acute, rather cuneated at the base, triple- 

 nerved, fleshy ; peduncles usually 1-flowered. t? . S. Native 

 of the Island of Banda, on Mount Baudao. Rumph. amb. 5. 

 p. 67.? 



Thick-nerved-\eaved Medinilla. Sh. 4 to 6 ft. 



6 M. MACROCA'RPA (Blum. 1. c.) branches nearly terete; 

 leaves 4 in a whorl, oval, acute, cuneated at the base, triple- 

 nerved ; limb of calyx irregularly cleft. fj . S. Native of the 

 Moluccas. Rumph. amb. 5. p. 67. t. 35. f. 2. 



Long-fruited Medinilla. Sh. 4 to 6 ft. 



SECT. II. SARCOPLACU'NTIA (o-ap o-apicoc, sarx sarcos, flesh, 

 and TrXaKovf irXaKovi'Tos, placous placountos , a placenta ; in refer- 

 ence to the placenta being fleshy). Blum, in bot. zeit 1831. 

 no. 29. p. 510. Tube of calyx obovate or nearly globose; 

 limb short, truncate, or denticulated. Seminiferous receptacle 

 thick, fleshy, hence the berries are at length pulpy, with the 

 seeds imbedded in the pulp. Smooth shrubs, with opposite, 

 rarely whorled, petiolate or sessile leaves. Peduncles axillary 



