MELASTOMACEjE. LXVII. CONOSTEGIA. 



785 



Nine-nerved-leaveA Heterotrichum. Sh. 6 feet. 



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



LXVII. CONOSTE'GIA (from KOVOQ, konos, a cone, and 

 anyri, stege, a covering ; in reference to the conical calyptri- 

 form calyx falling off' in one piece). D. Don, in mem. soc. worn. 

 4. p. 316. Ser. mss. D. C. prod. 3. p. 173. Melastoma calyp- 

 trata, Bonpl. mel. Calycotomus and Bruguiera, Rich. ined. 



LIN. SYST. Deca-Icosandria, Monogy'nia. Tube of calyx ad- 

 nate to the ovarium ; limb undivided, conical, form of a calyptra, 

 cut round (f. 1 12. &.), or irregularly ruptured at the base through 

 aestivation, and therefore falling off" in one piece (f. 112. a.). 

 Petals 5-6. Stamens 10-16. Anthers usually biauriculate at 

 the base. Stigma capitate or peltate. Capsule baccate, 3-8- 

 celled. Seeds ovoid, angular. Trees or shrubs, for the most 

 part natives of South America. Leaves petiolate. Thyrse pa- 

 nicled, terminal. Flowers usually white. 



SECT. I. ERIOSTE'GIA (from cpiov, erion, wool, and ortyr/, 

 stege, a covering ; calyx woolly). Flower-bud globose, hispid, 

 abruptly acuminated. 



1 C. MUTI'SII (Ser. mss. ex D. C. prod. 3. p. 174.) branches, 

 petioles, peduncles, and calyxes hairy ; leaves large, cordate- 

 oval, rather acuminated, denticulated, 7-9-nerved, glabrous 

 above, but rather pilose on the nerves beneath ; peduncles ter- 

 minal, usually 3-flowered ; flower-bud ovate-globose, abruptly 

 acuminated, and regularly cut round at the base. 17 . S. Native 

 of South America, on Mount Quindiu, at the altitude of 2300 

 feet. Melastoma Mutisii, Bonpl. mel. 1. p. 136. t. 58. Calyx 

 large, hairy. Bracteas linear-subulate. Petals 5, white, oval. 

 The flowers are said to be polyandrous in the character given 

 by Bonpland, and decandrous in the French description. Stigma 

 simple. 



Mutis's Conostegia. Tree 20 feet. 



SECT. II. EUCONOSTE'GIA (this section contains what are sup- 

 posed to be the true species of the genus). Flower-bud ovate, 

 blunt at the apex or acutish, glabrous or a little velvety. 



2 C. EXTINCTORIA (D. Don, in mem. wern. soc. 4. p. 316.) 

 branches bluntly tetragonal, rather terete, and are, as well as 

 the petioles, leaves, and panicles, clothed with adpressed rusty 

 down ; leaves oval-oblong, long-acuminated, quintuple-nerved, 

 with repandly denticulated margins, glabrous and shining above ; 

 panicle terminal ; flower-bud conical and acute at the apex, cut 

 round about in the middle. fj . S. Native of New Granada, 

 in temperate places near Mariquita. Melastoma extinctorium, 

 Bonpl. mel. t, 57. Petals 6, obovate, white. Stamens 20. 

 Berry 5 -celled. 



Spoiled Conostegia. Tree 24 feet. 



3 C. DI'SCOLOR (D. C. prod. 3. p. 174.) branches nearly terete, 

 and are, as well as the petioles, peduncles, and under side of 

 leaves, clothed with short rusty down ; leaves oval, attenuated 

 at the base, acuminated at the apex, quite entire, 5-nerved, be- 

 sides the marginal nervules ; thyrse terminal, panicled, loose ; 

 calyx glabrous after opening, urceolate, truncate, globose at the 

 base. J? . S. Native of St. Domingo. Melastoma tetrandrum, 

 Spreng. syst. 2. p. 305. exclusive of the synonymes. 



TW-co/owj-ed-leaved Conostegia. Tree 12 to 20 feet. 



4 C. PRO'CERA (D. Don, 1. c.) glabrous ; branches bluntly 

 tetragonal ; leaves oval-lanceolate, acuminated, entire, triple- 

 nerved, bearded in the axils of the nerves beneath ; thyrse pani- 

 cled, terminal, loose ; flower-bud ovate, acuminated, cut round 

 in the middle. Jj . S. Native of Jamaica, on the mountains. 

 Melast. procera, Swartz, fl. ind. occ. p. 764. Bonpl. mel. t. 51. 

 Perhaps Swartz's plant under this name is the same as Bon- 

 pland's, although Swartz says the leaves of his plant are glabrous, 



VOL. II. 



FIG. 112. 



and sometimes rusty beneath, the 

 stigma capitate, and the flowers 

 decandrous ; Bonpland says, his 

 plant has dodecandrous flowers, 

 nerves of leaves bearded, and an 

 acute stigma. Flowers white. 

 (f.112.) 



Tall Conostegia. Tree 12 to 

 30 feet. 



5 C. BALBISIA'NA (Ser. mss. 

 ex D. C. prod. 3. p. 174.) quite 

 glabrous ; branches bluntly te- 

 tragonal ; leaves oval, rather ob- 

 long, hardly acuminated, quite 

 entire, triple- nerved, besides the 

 marginal nervules ; thyrse pa- 

 nicled, terminal, elongated, hav- 

 ing its branchlets 3-flowered ; 



flower-bud ovate, acutish, at length cut roundabout. ^ S. 

 Native of Jamaica. Flowers twice the size of those of C. calyp- 

 triita. Perhaps the same as Melastoma procera, Swartz, but not 

 of Bonpl. ? Base of calyx campanulate, rather urceolate, trun- 

 cate. Stamens 12. Style not thickened at the apex. Berry 

 8-celled. 



Balbis's Conostegia. Tree 20 feet. 



6 C. SUBHIRSU'TA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 174.) branchlets tetra- 

 gonal, and are, as well as the peduncles and nerves of leaves, 

 densely clothed with rusty branched down ; leaves oval, some- 

 what attenuated at the base, abruptly acuminated at the apex, 

 quite entire, 5-nerved, glabrous on both surfaces, except th;' 

 nerves on the under surface ; thyrse panicled, terminal, few- 

 flowered ; calyx ovoid, after separating hemispherical truncate and 

 glabrous at the base. (7 . S. Native of Cuba, about the Havanah, 

 and of Guadaloupe. Bruguiera, Rich. herb. This species is very 

 distinct in the hairiness, form of the leaves and calyxes. Petals 

 8-10, obovate-oblong. Berry 12-celled. Stigma peltate. 



Rather-hairy Conostegia. Tree 20 feet. 



7 C. CALYPTRA'TA (D. Don, 1. c.) smoothish ; branches tetra- 

 gonal, and are, as well as the petioles, panicles, and nerves of 

 leaves on the under side, clothed with scurfy down ; leaves on 

 long petioles, oval-oblong, long-acuminated, glabrous above, 

 somewhat denticulated, 3-nerved, besides the 2 small lateral 

 nervules ; thyrse panicled, terminal, loose ; flower-bud ovate, 

 obtuse at the base, rather acutish at the apex, cut round about in 

 the middle. f? . S. Native of mountain woods in Guadaloupe, 

 Martinique, and Montserrat, &c. Melastoma calyptrata, Desr. 

 in Lam. diet. 4. p. 51. Rich, in Bonpl. mel. t. 46. Vahl. eel. 1. 

 p. 40. Flowers white. 



Calyptrate-calyxed Conostegia. Sh. 6 to 8 feet. 



8 C. CORNIFOLIA (Ser. mss, ex D. C. prod. 3. p. 1 75.) quite 

 glabrous ; branches nearly terete ; leaves petiolate, oval, short- 

 acuminated, quite entire, 3-nerved, besides the marginal ner- 

 vules ; thyrse panicled, terminal, loose ; flower-bud ovate, ob- 

 tuse at the base, rather acutish at the apex, sometimes cut round 

 about in the middle, and sometimes opening irregularly by 2 

 valves. I; . S. Native of Martinique. There is a small-leaved 

 variety found on the mountains, and a large-leaved variety in 

 the woods. Melastoma cornifolia, Desr. in Lam. diet. 4. p. 51. 

 Rich, in Bonpl. mel. t. 41. Melast. picta, Vahl. eel. 3. p. 15. 

 ex Ser. Petals 5, white, obtuse. Stamens 10. Berry 4-celled. 



Dog-wood-leaved Conostegia. Tree 20 feet. 



9 C. SEMICRENA'TA (Ser. mss. ex D. C. prod. 3. p. 175.) gla- 

 brous ; branches nearly terete ; leaves oblong, long-acuminated, 

 repandly crenated in the upper part, 3-nerved, rusty beneath in 

 the adult state ; thyrse panicled, terminal, loose ; flower-bud 

 oval, attenuated at the base, acutish at the apex ; tube of calyx 



5H 



