MELASTOMACE^:. LXIX. DIPLOCHITA. LXX. PHYLLOPUS. 



787 



nated, quite entire, 5-nerved, hardly clothed with velvety white 

 down between the nerves ; thyrse panicled, many-flowered ; 

 bracteas velvety ; calyx quite glabrous in the adult state ; stigma 

 dilated, rather peltate. ^ . S. Native of Guadaloupe and 

 Trinidad, Guiana and Brazil. Melastoma Fothergilla, Rich, in 

 Bonpl. mel. t. 32. Melastoma compressa, Vahl. eel. 3. p. 23. 

 dec. amer. 2. t. 17. Fothergilla mirubilis, Aubl. guian. 1. p. 

 441. 1. 174. Flowers white. 



Foilit-rgill's Diplochita. Clt. 1815. Tree 10 to 20 feet. 



2 D. FLORIDA (D. C. 1. c ) branches terete, and are, as well 

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

 clothed with almost imperceptible rufous down ; leaves petio- 

 late, elliptic-oblong, cuneated at the base, acuminated at the 

 apex, 5-nerved, quite entire, glabrous above, but covered with 

 almost imperceptible white down beneath ; thyrse terminal, 

 many-flowered ; bracteas coloured under the flower, rather vel- 

 vety ; calyxes quite glabrous, with a truncate, bluntly somewhat 5- 

 toothed border. Tj . S. Native of French Guiana. A shewy tree, 

 called by the natives of Guiana Bois Yaman. Trunk tall, usually 

 furrowed. Bracteas rose-coloured, as in Cornus jlorida. Petals, 

 stamens, and style unknown. Berry 3-5-celled. Seeds an- 

 gular. Perhaps sufficiently distinct from D. Fothergilla, and 

 the synonyme of Aublet is perhaps referrible to this plant. 



Florid Diplochita. Tree 20 to 30 feet. 



3 D. BRACTEA'TA (D. C. 1. c.) branches rather compressed 

 when young, and are, as well as the panicles, petioles, and under 

 side of leaves, clothed with whitish brown, adpressed, flocky, 

 stellate down ; leaves petiolate, oval, acuminated, obtuse at the 

 base, with the margins quite entire, glabrous on the upper sur- 

 face ; panicles terminal, and there are also racemose peduncles 

 rising from the axils of the upper leaves ; calyx tubular, not 

 striated ; petals glabrous. Pj . S. Native of Brazil, near Coari, 

 in marshy fields. Melastoma bracteatum, Mart, et Schrank, 

 mss. Like D. Fothergilla, but differs in the margins of the 

 leaves being quite entire, in the calyxes being tomentose, and in 

 the stigmas not being dilated. 



Bracteate-fiowered Diplochita. Shrub 10 to 20 feet. 



4 D. MUCRONA'TA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 177.) branchlets some- 

 what compressed, at length terete, and are, as well as the pe- 

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

 rufous stellate down ; leaves petiolate, broadly oval, abruptly 

 acuminated, almost entire, quite glabrous above, 5-nerved; 

 thyrse somewhat panicled, rising from the top of the branches 

 in an umbellate manner ; bracteas and calyxes tomentose ; 

 petals 5-6, oblong ; stigma dot-formed. Ij . S. Native of 

 French Guiana. Melastoma mucronata, Desr. in Lam. diet. 4. 

 p. 47. Rich, in Bonpl. mel. t. 18. Calyx furnished with a ring 

 of hairs under the insertion of the stamens. Ovarium toothed 

 at the apex. Berry 4-celled, black. Anthers bluntly auricled 

 at the base. Flowers white. 



Mucronate Diplochita. Shrub 6 to 10 feet. 



5 D. SWAHTZIA'NA (D. C. 1. c.) branchlets rather terete, and 

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

 clothed with short hoary rufescent stellate down ; leaves oblong - 

 oval, abruptly acuminated, 5-7-nerved, quite entire ; thyrse 

 straight; bracteas deciduous; calyxes tomentose, bluntly tooth- 

 ed, not ciliated inside. Pj . S. Native of Jamaica. Melastoma 

 Tamonea, Swartz, fl. ind. occ. p. 783. Melastoma Swartziana, 

 Rich, in Bonpl. mel. t. 33. Melast. dodecandra, Desr. in Lam. 

 diet. Petals 5-6, oblong, red. Stigma hardly dilated. This 

 species comes very near to D. acuminata, but differs in the want 

 of the ring of hairs under the stamens, and in the ovarium not 

 being toothed at the apex. 



Stvartz's Diplochita. Clt. 1815. Shrub 10 to 15 feet. 



6 D. CAUDA'TA (D. C. 1. c.) leaves broadly elliptic, quite en- 

 tire, 5-nerved, terminated in a long tail-like point each ; flowers 



glomerate in panicles. J? . S. Native of Peru. Chitonia can- 

 data, D. Don, in mem. wern. soc. 4. p. 317. but distinct from 

 Melastoma caudata, Bonpl. 



Tailed-leaved Diplochita. Shrub 6 to 10 ft. 



7 D. AU'REA(D. C. 1. c.) leaves ovate-lanceolate, acuminated, 

 triple-nerved, quite entire, acute at the base, glabrous on both 

 surfaces ; panicle pyramidal, smooth. Jj . S. Native of Peru. 

 Chitonia aurea, D. Don, 1. c. Flowers golden yellow. 



Golden-Rowered Diplochita. Shrub 6 to 10 ft. 



8 D. BUBALI'NA (D. C. 1. c.) leaves ovate-lanceolate, toothed, 

 acuminated, 5-nerved, clothed with fulvous tomentum beneath, 

 as well as on the branchlets ; panicle many-flowered ; calyx 

 clothed with hoary tomentum. I? . S. Native of Peru. Me- 

 lastoma bubalina, Pav. in herb. Lamb. Chitonia bubalina, D.Don, 

 1. c. Leaves often a foot long, and 4 inches broad. Flowers small. 



Buffalo Diplochita. Shrub 6 to 10 ft. 



9 D. MACROPHY'LLA (D. C. 1. c.) leaves cordate-oval, acumi- 

 nated, crenulated, clothed with fulvous tomentum beneath, as 

 well as on the branches ; panicle pyramidal ; calyx furrowed. 

 Tj . S. Native of Mexico. Melastoma macrophy'lla, Pav. in 

 herb. Lamb. Chitonia microphy'lla, D. Don, 1. c. Leaves a 

 hand or a foot long, and 4-5 inches broad. 



Long-leaved Diplochita. Shrub 10 feet. 



* * Leaves crenated. 



10 D. LEUCOCE'PHALA (D. C. 1. c.) branchlets bluntly tetra- 

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

 of leaves, clothed with adpressed rufous powdery down ; leaves 

 petiolate, obtuse at the base and rather cordate, oval, acumi- 

 nated, crenately toothed, 5-nerved, glabrous and glaucous above ; 

 panicle terminal ; calyxes urceolate, and are, as well as the 

 bracteas, densely clothed with white stellate down; petals clothed 

 with white velvety down on the outside. I? . S. Native of 

 Cayenne. 



While-headed Diplochita. Tree 10 to 20 feet. 



11 D. SERRULA'TA (D. C. 1. c.) branchlets compressed, and 

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

 densely clothed with short velvety stellate down ; leaves petio- 

 late, rather cordate at the base, ovate, acuminated, toothed, 7- 

 nerved, glabrous above ; panicle terminal, elongated ; branchlets 

 opposite, distant, many-flowered ; bracteas and calyxes densely 

 clothed with velvety down ; petals 5-6, velvety on the outside ; 

 filaments pilose; stigma hardly dilated at the apex. 17. S. 

 Native of Brazil, in woods. Melas. lasiopetalum, Mart, et 

 Schrank, mss. Leaves nearly a foot long, obtuse at the base, 

 and tapering gradually to an acumen at the apex. Calyx white, 

 striated lengthwise. Down on the branches and petioles brown. 



Far. /3, lalifblia (D. C. 1. c.) leaves broader, cordate at the 

 base, abruptly acuminated. >? . S. Native of St. Domingo and 

 Cayenne. Melastoma serrulata, Rich. herb. Melast. Balbis- 

 ianum, Ser. mss. Melast. patens, Spreng. in herb. Balb. but 

 not of Swartz. 



Serrulated-leaved Diplochita. Shrub 6 to 10 feet. 



Cult. All the species are fine broad leaved trees and shrubs. 

 Their culture and propagation are the same as for the species of 

 Melastoma. p. 764. 



LXX. PHY'LLOPUS (from QvXXov, phyllon, a leaf, and 

 irove, pous, a foot ; the pedicels or footstalks bear two leafy brac- 

 teas each). D. C. prod. 3. p. 177. 



LIN. SYST. Decdndria, Monogynia. Tube of calyx adnate 

 to the ovarium, turbinately campanulate ; limb campanulate, 

 with 5 very short teeth ; the teeth ciliated with bristles. Petals 

 5, unguiculate, broadly ovate, somewhat cordate, terminating 

 each in a bristle. Stamens 10, equal. Anthers with long beaks 

 at the apex, and opening by a pore. Ovarium adnate to the 

 5 H 2 



