802 



MELASTOMACEjE. LXXXIJ. CU-ENOPLEURA. LXXXIII. EWYCKIA. LXXXIV. ASTRONIA. 



ovarium ; limb bluntly 5-toothed. Petals 5, roundish. Sta- 

 mens 10, hardly longer than the petals. Anthers opening lon- 

 gitudinally by 2 chinks : having their connectives biauriculate at 

 the base. Style clavate, crowned by an orbicular, somewhat 

 umbilicate stigma. Berry ? 3-4-celled. Seeds unknown. 

 Glabrous shrubs, with the habit of the section Leosphafria of 

 Micunia. Leaves petiolate, oblong-lanceolate, obtuse at the 

 base, acuminated at the apex, denticulated from hair-formed, 

 distant serratures, 3-nerved or almost triple-nerved. Thyrse- 

 terminal, elongated, having its branchlets opposite and almost 

 racemose. Flowers from white to flesh-coloured. Bracteoles 

 and segments of calyx ciliated. 



1 C. STENOBOTRYS (D. C. prod. 3. p. 197.). tj . S. Native 

 of Hispaniola, on the mountains, and probably of Jamaica. 

 Melastoma stenobotrys, Rich, in Bonpl. mel. t. 80. exclusive of 

 the synonym of Swartz. 



Narrow-racemed Chaenopleura. Sh. 4 to 6 feet. 



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



LXXXIII. EWY'CKIA (dedicated by Dr. Blume to Van 

 Ewyck, a patron of natural history). Blum, in bot. zeit. 1831. 

 no. 30. p. 524. 



LIN. SYST. Octdndria, Rlonogynia. Tube of calyx hemis- 

 pherical, adhering to the ovarium ; limb continuous with the 

 tube, obsoletely 4-toothed. Petals 4, ovate, acute. Stamens 

 8, equal. Anthers oblong, obtuse at both ends, opening by a 

 double chink, furnished behind at the base with a fleshy con- 

 nective. Style filiform ; stigma acute. Berry globose, crowned 

 by the limb of the calyx, 4-celled. Seeds cuneatecl, angular. 

 A smooth shrub or small tree. Branches terete, but thick- 

 ened at the knots. Leaves opposite, on short petioles, elliptic, 

 acuminated at both ends, quite entire, 3-nerved. Racemules 

 axillary, few-flowered ; pedicels bibracteate in the middle. 

 Flowers small, blue. 



1 E. CYA'NEA (Blume, 1. c. p. 524.). 5? . S. Native of 

 Amboyna. Melastoma azureum. Zippel, ined. 



Blume- flowered Ewyckia. Shrub. 



Cult. For culture and propagation, see Blakea, p. 801. 



LXXXIV. ASTRO'NIA (from aarpov, astron, a star; 

 flowers and fruit). Blume, bijdr. p. 1080. bot. zeit. 1831. no. 

 30. p. 256. 



LIN. SYST. Deca-Dodecdndria, Monogynia. Tube of calyx 

 hemispherical, adnate to the ovarium ; limb 5-6-toothed. Petals 

 5-6, obovate, obtuse. Stamens 10-12, equal. Anthers linear- 

 oblong, opening by a double chink, inappendiculate, adnate to 

 the thick, triangularly-compressed connectives. Style filiform ; 

 stigma peltate. Capsule dry, 2-4-celled, crowned by the limb 

 of the calyx, opening irregularly lengthwise. Seeds straight, 

 paleaceous, enwrapped in fine aril. Glabrous trees. Branches 

 tetragonal, beset with small, brownish scales or dots at the tops 

 as well as on the petioles, peduncles, and calyxes. Leaves op- 

 posite, on longish petioles, oblong, acuminated, quite entire, 3- 

 nerved or triple-nerved, discoloured. Inflorescence panicled, 

 terminal, and axillary. Flowers small, purplish, unisexual from 

 abortion. 



1 A. SPECTA'BILIS (Blum. 1. c.) leaves 3-nerved, oblong, acu- 

 minated, obtuse at the base, thickly beset with rust-coloured 

 scales or dots beneath. I; . S. Native of Java, in woods on 

 the higher mountains, where it is called Kihariendung. 



Slwwy Astronia. Tree. 



2 A. PAPETA'RIA (Blum, in bot. zeit. 1. c.) leaves 3-nerved, 

 oblong, acuminated, attenuated at the base, thickly beset with 

 rufous dots beneath. Jj . S. Native of Amboyna. A. spec- 

 tabilis, Zippel ined. Pharmacum papetarium, Rumph. amb. 4. 

 p. 134. t. 69. Ocbat papeba is the Malay name of the tree. 



Papetaria Astronia. Shrub. 



3 A. MACROPHY'LLA (Blum. 1. c.) leaves triple-nerved, beset 

 with fugaceous scattered down beneath. fj . S. Native of 

 Java and the Moluccas. 



Var. ft, discolor ; leaves 3-nerved or obscurely triple-nerved. 

 Java. 



Var. y, concolor (Blum, in bot. zeit. 1. c.) leaves nearly of the 

 same colour on both surfaces, beset with very small dots be- 

 neath and on the branchlets. Tj . S. A. concolor, Zippel, ined. 



Long-leaved Astronia. Tree. 



Cult. For culture and propagation see Blakea, p. 801. 



\ The struct tire of the following Melaslomaceous plants is 

 not known, and therefore they are ranged here according to the 

 names they have first received. 

 



1. Plants referred by authors to Rhexia, from the fruit 

 being capsular. 



* Flowers decandrous. 



1 R. FU'LVA (Spreng. syst. 2. p. 308.) shrubby ; branches 

 dichotomous, pubescent ; leaves oblong, minute, almost nerve- 

 less, beset with hispid bristles; flowers decandrous, terminal, 

 solitary ; calycine lobes subulate. Ij . S. Native of Brazil. 



Fulvous Rhexia. Shrub. 



2 R. FASCICULA'TA (Spreng. neue. entd. 3. p. 62. et syst. 2. 

 p. 308.) racemes rather dichotomous, terminal ; leaves linear- 

 oblong, in fascicles, quite glabrous, nerveless, with 1 tooth on 

 each side; corolla blood-coloured; calyx 10-striped, strigose. 

 >2 S. Native of Brazil. Perhaps a species of Cambessedesid. 



Fascicled-leaved Rhexia. PI. 



* * Flowers octandrous. 



3 R.. HE' LVOLA (Spreng. syst. 2. p. 309.) suffruticose ; leaves 

 crowded, sessile, oval, quite entire, nerved, beset with pale red, 

 stiff hairs or bristles on both surfaces ; peduncles axillary, 

 cymose ; flowers octandrous ; calyxes very hispid. Tj . S. Na- 

 tive of Brazil. 



Pale-red-b&\re& Rhexia. Shrub. 



4 R. TRICHOTOMA (Rottb. diss. pi. rar. 9. t. 5.) shrubby ; 

 branches tetragonal ; angles hairy ; leaves sessile, lanceolate, 

 hairy ; flowers sessile, axillary, and terminal. Tj . S. Native of 

 Surinam. Vahl. symb. p. 48. 



Trichotomous Rhexia. Shrub. 



5 R. STRIGOSA (Willd. herb, ex Spreng. syst. 2. p. 309.) suf- 

 fruticose ; leaves ovate, 3-nerved, strigose ; peduncles axillary, 

 corymbose ; flowers octandrous ; calyxes hairy. (? . S. Native 

 of Cayenne. 



Strigose Rhexia. Shrub. 



2 Plants referred by authors to Meldstoma, from their fruit 

 being fleshy. 



* Flowers octandrous. 



1 M. MELANOPHY'LLUM (Spreng. neue. entd. 2. p. 171.) 

 branches knotted, nearly terete, glabrous ; leaves ovate, acu- 

 minated, quite glabrous on both surfaces, 3-nerved, quite entire, 

 shining above ; panicles lateral ; flowers octandrous ; calyx with 

 4 minute teeth, covered with stellate scales. Tj . S. Native of 

 Brazil. 



Black-leaved Melastoma. Shrub. 



2 M. SE'SSILE (Spreng. syst. 2. p. 303.) branches twiggy ; 

 leaves half stem-clasping, roundish-cordate, acute, quite entire, 

 obsoletely triple-nerved, beset with glandular villi on both sur- 

 faces ; flowers almost sessile, axillary, octandrous. fj . S. 

 Native of Brazil. Perhaps a species of Sagrce'a. 



Sessile-flowered. Melastoma. Shrub. 



3 M. VIRGA'TUM (Swartz, prod. p. 72. fl. ind. occ. 2. p. 816.) 



