786 



MELASTOMACE^E. LXVII. CONOSTEGIA. LXVIII. DIPLOGENEA. LXIX. DIPLOCHITA. 



a little striated, with a circumcised or irregularly ruptured limb. 

 ^2 . S. Native of Guadaloupe, and of Cuba about the Havanah. 

 Melastoma semicrenata, Rich, in Bonpl. mel. t. 31. Melastoma 

 acuminata, Desr. in Lam. diet. 4. p. 54. Melast. elongata, 

 Vahl. eel. 3. p. 16. ex Ser. Petals 5, white. Stamens 10. 

 Ovariutn 3-celled. 



Half-crenated-\ea\ed Conostegia. Tree 20 to 30 feet. 



10 C. TUNICA'TA (Ser. mss. in D. C. 1. c.) glabrous ; branches 

 terete ; leaves oval-lanceolate, acuminated at both ends, quite 

 entire, triple-nerved, besides the marginal nervules ; thyrse 

 panicled, terminal, short; flower-bud ovate, irregularly rup- 

 tured. Tj . S. Native of Peru, on the Andes. Melastoma 

 tunicata, Bonpl. mel. t. CO. Petals 5, white, oval. Anthers not 

 auricled at the base. Berry 5-celled. 



Tunicated Conostegia. Sh. 4 to 6 feet. 



11C. PARVIFLORA (D. C. 1. c.) glabrous ; branchlets terete ; 

 leaves oval, attenuately acuminated, repandly crenated, quintuple 

 nerved ; thyrse panicled, terminal, with its branches spreading ; 

 calyx circumcised. J? . S. Native of St. Domingo. Melas- 

 toma montanum, Spreng. syst. 2. p. 290. This species differs 

 from C. montana in the leaves being oval, not oblong, crenated, 

 not denticulated, quintuple-nerved, not 3-nerved. 



Small-leaved Conostegia. Shrub C ft. 



12 C. MONTA'NA (D. Don, 1. c.) smoothish ; branchlets tetra- 

 gonal, clothed with mealy cinereous down ; leaves oblong, some- 

 what denticulated, 3-nerved, besides the marginal nervules, 

 paler beneath ; thyrse panicled, terminal, having its branches 

 spreading ; flower-bud obtuse, cut round in the middle. >j . S. 

 Native of the high mountains in the south of Jamaica. Melas- 

 toma montana, Swartz, fl. ind. occ. p. 766. Flowers small. 

 Limb of calyx truncate after opening, urceolate, with an unequal 

 edge. Petals oblong-obovate, white. Stamens 10-16 ; stigma 

 rather capitate. 



Mountain Conostegia. Shrub 6 to 8 feet. 



13 C. MEXICA'NA (Ser. mss. ex D. C. 1. c.) quite glabrous; 

 branchlets terete ; leaves oval-lanceolate, tapering to both ends, 

 denticulated, quintuple-nerved ; thyrse terminal, panicled, loose ; 

 flower-bud ovate-oblong, obtuse, irregularly ruptured. fj S. 

 Native in the temperate parts of Mexico. Melastoma Mexicana, 

 Bonpl. mel. t. 55. Petals 5, white, oval. Stamens 10; stigma 

 obtuse. Berry 5-celled. 



Mexican Conostegia. Shrub 6 feet. 



14 C. XALAPE'NSIS (D. Don, 1. c.) branchlets terete, and are, 

 as well as the petioles, panicles, and under side of leaves, clothed 

 with rusty down ; leaves lanceolate, acute at both ends, quin- 

 tuple-nerved, toothed; thyrse terminal, panicled, ovate; flower- 

 bud ovate, obtuse at both ends, regularly cut round about in the 

 middle. T? . S. Native of Mexico, near Xalapa. Melas- 

 toma Xalapensis, Bonpl. mel. t. 54. Petals 5, oval, white. 

 Stamens 10; stigma obtuse. 



Xalapa Conostegia. Shrub 5 feet. 



15 C. LUTE'SCENS (Ser. mss. ex D. C. 1. c.) branches quite 

 glabrous, obscurely tetragonal above ; leaves ovate-lanceolate, 

 attenuated, glabrous, a little toothed on the outer margin, petio- 

 late, 3-5 -nerved ; racemes terminal, compound ; flowers decan- 

 drous ; peduncles 3-flowered, the middle flower of the three 

 sessile ; calyx ovate, acute, at length truncate ; style brownish 

 purple, longer than the corolla and stamens. Pj . S. Native of 

 the Island of Montserrat. Melastoma lutescens, Vahl. eel. fasc. 

 3. p. 17. but notofHumb. et Bonpl. 



Yellowish Conostegia. Shrub 2 to 3 feet. 



16 C. GLA'BRA (D. Don, 1. c.) branches nearly terete ; leaves 

 oblong, acumipated, somewhat 3-nerved, quite entire, glabrous ; 

 panicle terminal ; calyx circumcised. Tj . S. Native of the 

 Society Islands. Melastoma glabra, Forst. prod. no. 194. 

 Willd. spec. 2. p. 584. The whole shrub quite glabrous, the 



branches purplish, the leaves almost one-nerved, from the mar- 

 ginal nerves being confluent. Cymes corymbose, terminal, tricho- 

 tomous. Flower-bud obovate, obtuse. 

 Glabrous Conostegia. Shrub 4 to 6 ft. 



( Species not described. 



17 C. HOLOSERI'CEA (D. Don, mem. soc. wern. 4. p. 316.) 

 Jj . S. Native of Peru. Melastoma holosericea, Pav. in herb. 



Lamb, but not of Lin. 



Whole-silky Conostegia. Shrub. 



18 C. CUCULLA'TA (D. Don, 1. c.) \ . S. Native of Peru. 

 Melastoma cucullata, Pav. in herb. Lamb. 



Cucullate Conostegia. Shrub. 



19 C. SUPE'RBA (D. Don, 1. c.) I?. S. Native of South 

 America. Melastoma superba, Bonpl. ined. 



Superb Conostegia. Shrub. 



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



LXVIII. DIPLOGE'NEA (from SnrXooc, diploos, and jivta, 

 genea, generation). Lindl. in Brande's quart, journ. Oct. 1828. 

 p. 121. 



LIN. SYST. Octdndria, Monogynia. Calyx with a calyptri- 

 form conical deciduous limb. Petals 4, lanceolate, inserted in 

 the fleshy disk which covers the ovarium ; anthers ovate, bical- 

 carate at the base, opening by one pore at the apex. Ovarium 

 adnate to the calyx, 4-celled, many seeded, crowned by the- 

 large fleshy disk. Style falcate, clavate. Stigma simple. A 

 smooth parasitical shrub, almost with the habit of Vucum. 

 Branches fleshy, dichotomous, compressed in the young state. 

 Leaves oblong, retuse, fleshy, 3-ribbed, veinless, filled with oily 

 receptacles between the parenchyma. Flowers small, white, 

 disposed in short axillary racemes. Tube of calyx replete with 

 oily receptacles. 



1 C. VISCOIDES (Lindl. 1. c.) \ . S. Native of Madagascar 

 at St. Mary's. 



Misseltoe-like Diplogenea. Shrub. 



Cult. This plant being parasitical, it should be treated in the 

 same manner as tropical orchideous plants. Cuttings will strike 

 root under a hand-glass. 



LXIX. DIPLOCHITA (from SnrXoot, diploos, double, and 

 X""w', chiton, an outer covering ; in reference to the calyx, which 

 is involved by 2 bracteas while in a young state). D. C. prod. 

 3. p. 176. Chitonia, D. Don, in mem. wern. soc. 4. p. 317. 

 but not of Mocino.- Fothergilla, Aubl. guian. 1. p. 441. but not 

 of Lin. 



LIN. SYST. Deca-Dodecdndria, Monogynia, Calyx adhering 

 to the ovarium at the base, when young involved by 2 bracteas, 

 cylindrical, with the throat usually ciliated after flowering ; limb 

 bluntly 5-6-toothed, permanent, drawn out beyond the ovarium. 

 Petals 5-6, usually oblong. Anthers biauriculate at the base, 

 opening by one pore at the apex. Ovarium ovate-oblong, 

 crowned by a callous glabrous disk. Style filiform ; stigma 

 peltate or capitate. Capsule dry, indehiscent, 5-celled. Seeds 

 ovate. Tall South American showy trees or large shrubs, 

 usually clothed with rusty velvety down on the branches, and 

 under side of the leaves. Leaves petiolate, ovate, usually acu- 

 minated, obtuse or cordate at the base, smoothish above, with 

 the margins quite entire or crenated. Thyrse terminal, with op- 

 posite branches. Flowers white or rose-coloured, but in one of 

 the species yellow. Bracteas 2, oval, large, involving the calyx 

 when young, but at length falling off altogether. 

 * Leaves quite entire. 



1 D. FOTHERGI'LLA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 176.) branches com- 

 pressed when young, but at length becoming terete, and are, as 

 well as the petioles, rachis, and nerves of leaves on the under 

 side, clothed with rufous down ; leaves petiolate, oval, acumi- 



