792 



MELASTOMACE^E. LXXVI. MICONIA. 



crowded along its branclilets. Jj . S. Native of Brazil, in the 

 elevated plains of Champadada Paranan. Melastoma leucocar- 

 pum, Mart, et Schrank, mss. Branches twisted. Berry white, 

 globose. Seeds 3-sided, nearly globose. 

 White-fruited Miconia. Shrub 6 to 8 feet. 



26 M. ELA'TA (D. C. 1. c.) branches angularly furrowed, 

 clothed with rusty tomentum ; leaves petiolate, oblong, acute, 

 serrulately denticulated, 5-nerved, glabrous above, and of an ob- 

 scure green, but clothed with rusty tomentum beneath ; flowers 

 decandrous, panicled, crowded, sessile, small, white ; calyx rather 

 campanulate, minutely toothed; stigma thickened, depressed; 

 berry minute. Tj . S. Native of Jamaica, on the higher moun- 

 tains, and others of the West India islands. Melastoma elata, 

 Swartz, fl. ind. occ. 2. p. 781. Leaves from half a foot to a foot 

 long. 



Tall Miconia. Tree 30 to 40 ft. 



27 M. FERRUGINEA (D. C. 1. c.) branches terete ; branchlets 

 tetragonal, clothed with rusty tomentum ; leaves ovate, acute, 

 obsoletely crenated, and somewhat ciliated, 3-nerved, glabrous 

 above, but clothed with rusty tomentum beneath, as well as the 

 petioles ; panicles terminal ; flowers small, pedicellate. Tj . S. 

 Native of St. Domingo. Melastoma ferruginea, Desr. in Lam. 

 diet. 4. p. 42. Leaves 3 inches long, and 15 lines broad. 

 Corolla rather rose-coloured. Perhaps a variety of the preced- 

 ing species. 



Ferruginous Miconia. Shrub 8 to 10 ft. 



28 M. RUBIGINOSA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 183.) branchlets terete, 

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

 clothed with rufous down ; leaves on short petioles, ovate-lan- 

 ceolate, somewhat cordate at the base, acuminated at the apex, 

 5-nerved, or nearly triple-nerved, smoothish and shining above ; 

 thyrse terminal, panicled ; calyx globose, with 5 short acutish 

 teeth. fj . S. Native of South America, on Mount Quindiu. 

 Melastoma rubiginosa, Bonpl. mel. t. 47. Berry blue, 3-celled. 

 Petals 5, white. Anthers linear, opening by a pore. 



Rusty Miconia. Shrub 12 feet. 



29 M. CSLA'TA (D. C. 1. c.) branchlets terete, woolly ; leaves 

 lanceolate, 3-nerved, and as if they were blistered on the upper 

 surface and glabrous, clothed with rusty wool beneath ; flowers 

 crowded, almost sessile ; calyx globose, with 5 short teeth, quite 

 glabrous ; stamens length of corolla ; thyrse straight, longer 

 than the stamens, crowned by a thickish stigma ; berry globose, 

 4-celled. Tj . S. Native of South America, on the cold moun- 

 tains of Saragura near Loxa. M. cselata, Bonpl. mel. t. C. 

 Flowers white. 



-Engrarerf-leaved Miconia. Shrub 10 feet. 



30 M. BIGLOMERA V TA (D. C. 1. c.) branches terete, and are, as 

 well as the petioles, rachis, and nerves of leaves, clothed with 

 small rufous velvety stellate down ; leaves lanceolate, acute, 3- 

 nerved, besides the marginal nervules, quite entire, reticulated 

 beneath, and covered with rufous velvety down ; thyrse termi- 

 nal ; flowers almost sessile, crowded in whorls ; two of the 

 whorls distant. ^ . S. Native of South America, on Mount 

 Duida, at the source of the Orinoco. Melastoma biglomerata, 

 Bonpl. mel. t. 15. Calyx obovate, velvety, with 5 very blunt 

 teeth. Petals 5, white, small. Berry crowned, 4-celled. 



S'glomerate-fiowered Miconia. Shrub 6 to 8 feet. 



31 M. APLOSTA'CHYA (D. C. 1. c.) branches terete ; leaves lan- 

 ceolate, quite entire, 3-nerved, glabrous above, clothed with very 

 fine rufous tomentum beneath ; spike terminal, very simple ; 

 flowers sessile, decandrous ; petals obovate ; genitals equal in 

 length to the corolla ; anthers rather falcate ; berry globose, 3- 

 celled, crowned by the calyx. Tj . S. Native of South America, 

 near the river Orinoco about Atures and Maypures. Leaves 

 like those of Nerimu Oleander. Melastoma aplostachya, Bonpl. 

 mel. t. 1. Flowers white. 



Simple-spiked Miconia. Shrub 4 feet. 



SECT. III. EUMICONIA (from en, well or good, and Miconia ; 

 this section contains what are supposed to be the genuine species 

 of the genus). D. C. prod. 3. p. 183. Tube of calyx obovate 

 or turbinate, not globose as in the last section. Flowers not 

 disposed in rows along the branches of the panicle. 



* Leaves sessile, 5-7 -nerved. 



32 M. IMPETIOLA'RIS (D. Don, in wern. soc. mem. 4. p. 

 315.) branches nearly terete, and are, as well as the panicles and 

 under side of leaves, clothed with rufous stellate down ; leaves 

 sessile, half stem-clasping, ovate, rather cordate at the base, 

 acuminated at the apex, quite entire, 5-nerved, glabrous above ; 

 thyrse panicled, terminal ; flowers sessile ; calyx globose, with 

 5 very short teeth. fj S. Native of the West Indies, Guada- 

 loupe, St. Domingo, Jamaica, &c. Melastoma impetiolaris, 

 Swartz, fl. ind. occ. p. 788. Rich, in Bonpl. mel. t. 29. Melast. 

 macrophy'lla, Desr. in Lam. diet. 4. p. 44. Berry blue, glo- 

 bose, 3-4-celled. Petals 5, white, orbicular. Anthers biauricu- 

 late at the base of the connectives. 



Iipetiolar-\ea\ed Miconia. Clt. 1822. Shrub 4 to 6 ft. 



33 M. IMPETIGINOSA (D. C. 1. c.) branches terete, and are, as 

 well as the rachis, densely clothed with bristles, intermixed with 

 stellate down ; leaves sessile, broadly ovate, acuminated, some- 

 what crenulated, 5-nerved, scabrous from stellate down on both 

 surfaces, netted, the veins elevated beneath, and impressed above ; 

 spikes terminal; flowers sessile, bracteate, crowded in distant 

 opposite fascicles, t? . S. Native of Brazil, at the Rio Negro. 

 Melastoma impetiginosum, Mart. herb. Calyx very villous, 

 with short lobes. Petals small, oval. Anthers long, opening by 

 one pore, each with a slender biauriculate connective. Style 

 filiform. Inflorescence that of Leandra. 



Scabby Miconia. Shrub 4 to 6 feet. 



* * Leaves cuneated at the base, almost sessile, triple-nerved. 



34 M. TOMENTOSA (D. Don, 1. c.) branches terete, and are, as 

 well as the panicles, calyxes, and under surface of leaves, 

 densely clothed with rufous stellate down ; leaves sessile, oval, 

 cuneated at the base, acuminated at the apex, quite entire, gla- 

 brous on the upper surface except the nerves, 3-nerved a great 

 way above the base, besides the submarginal nervule ; panicle 

 terminal, nearly cylindrical ; calyx ovate-urceolate, with 5 erect 

 short permanent ovate lobes. (7 . S. Native of Guiana and 

 Brazil, in woods. Melastoma tomentosa, Rich, in act. soc. hist. 

 nat. par. p. 109. Bonpl. mel. t. 16. Melast. megalophy'llum, 

 Mart. herb. Flowers white. 



Tomentose Miconia. Tree 14 to 15 ft. 



35 M. BRU'NNEA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 184.) branches bluntly 

 somewhat tetragonal, and are, as well as the panicles and under 

 surface of leaves, densely clothed with rather bristly short rufous 

 down ; leaves almost sessile, ovate, rather cuneated at the base, 

 acutish at the apex, glabrous on the upper surface in the adult 

 state, 3-nerved above the base, besides the submarginal nervule ; 

 panicle terminal, with its branches spreading ; calyx somewhat 

 urceolate : with its lobes short, obtuse, and cohering. f? . S. 

 Native of Brazil, in the province of St. Paul, in woods. Melas- 

 toma briinneum, Mart. herb. Flowers sessile, crowded along 

 the branches. Anthers linear, opening by one pore, tapering 

 to the base. Style filiform. The foliage is like that of M. 

 tomentbsa. 



Brown Miconia. Shrub 6 to 10 ft. 



36 M. ALA'TA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 184.) branches tetragonal, 

 having the angles winged, and are, as well as the panicles, under 

 side of leaves, and nerves on the upper surface, clothed with 

 short stellate rather scabrous down ; leaves sessile, cuneated at 



