MEL 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



MEL 



107 



34. Melastoma Capitata. Leaves broad-lanceolate, quite 

 entire ; heads terminating, involucred ; branches four-cor- 

 nered ; filamenta appendicled. The branches appear to be 

 scandent. Native of the West Indies. 



35. Melastoma Argentea. Leaves five-nerved, somewhat 

 toothletted, ovate, smooth, tomentose, and white underneath ; 

 panicles terminating, spreading Trunk thick as a man's 

 thigh ; flowers white. Native of the West Indies. 



36. Melastoma Elata. Leaves five-nerved, serrate, tooth- 

 letted, oblong, coriaceous, ferruginous-tomentose underneath; 

 panicles terminating, spreading ; flowers sessile. Native of 

 Jamaica. 



37. Melastoma Tamonea. Leaves five-nerved, oblong-lan- 

 ceolate, acute, entire, tomentose-hoary underneath ; racemes 

 compound, terminating; racemelets brachiate; bractes in 

 pairs, under the flowers. This is a middle-sized tree, with a 

 trunk four or five feet high, covered with a grey bark. Na- 

 tive of Cayenne and Guiana. 



38. Melastoma Albicans. Leaves five-nerved, entire, ovate, 

 acute, smooth above, tomentose, whitish-ferruginous under- 

 neath; racemes terminating, erect; flowers clustered, sessile. 

 Native of Jamaica. 



39. Melastoma Impetiolaris. Leaves five-nerved, tooth- 

 letted, subsessile, oblong, acuminate, coriaceous-tomentose- 

 ferruginous underneath ; panicles terminating and axillary, 

 erect. Native of the West Indies. 



40. Melastoma Splendens. Leaves five-nerved, entire, 

 oblong, acuminate, smooth on both sides, shining above; 

 panicles terminating above. Native of Hispaniola. 



41 . Melastoma Coriacea. Leaves five-nerved , cartilaginous- 

 toothletted, ovate, wrinkled, smooth, coriaceous ; branches 

 and petioles strigose ; branches of the panicle four-cornered. 

 Native of Montserrat. 



42. Melastoma Strigillosa. Leaves five-nerved, somewhat 

 toothletted, acuminate, strigose-hairy above, tomentose under- 

 neath ; racemes axillary, solitary ; flowers pedicelled, clus- 

 tered. Native of the West Indies. 



*** Eight-stamined, with three-nerved Leaves. 



43. Melastoma Fascicularis. Leaves three-nerved, entire, 

 ovate, acute, rugged ; branches flower-bearing; flowers shortly 

 peduncled, clustered. Native of Jamaica. 



44. Melastoma Angustifolia. Leaves three-nerved, linear- 

 lanceolate, entire, hoary underneath; branches wand-like; pa- 

 nicles terminating; flowers erect. Native of the West Indies. 



45. Melastoma Micranthus. Leaves three-nerved, tooth- 

 letted, oblong, acute, smooth ; racemes axillary, reclining ; 

 flowers acuminate. Native of the West Indies. 



46. Melastoma Capillaris. Leaves three-nerved, somewhat 

 toothletted, broad-lanceolate, attenuated, smooth; peduncles 

 capillary, three-flowered, axillary. Native of the West Indies. 



47. Melastoma Rubens. Leaves three-nerved, toothletted, 

 ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, very smooth ; branches and peti- 

 oles coloured ; raceme terminating; flowers clustered, dicecous. 

 Native of the West Indies. 



48. Melastoma Purpurascens. Leaves three-nerved, entire, 

 oblong, acute, striated, very smooth ; racemes lateral, patulous; 

 flowers distinct. Native of the West Indies. 



49. Melastoma Glabrata. Leaves three-nerved, somewhat 

 toothletted, ovate, acute, smooth, coriaceous ; peduncles ter- 

 minating, solitary, one-flowered. Native of Jamaica. 



50. Melastoma Alpina. Leaves three-nerved, entire, ovate, 

 coriaceous, smooth ; peduncles simply trichotomous; flowers 

 distinct. Native of the West Indies. 



51. Melastoma Hirsuta. Leaves three-nerved, somewhat 

 toothletted, broad-lanceolate, attenuated, hirsute ; peduncles 

 axillary, three-flowered, divaricated. Native of Jamaica. 



VOL. ii. 75. 



52. Melastoma Hirtella. Leaves three-nerved, hispid at 

 the edge ; peduncles very short, axillary, three-flowered. 

 Native of Jamaica. 



53. Melastoma Microphylla. Leaves three-nerved, some- 

 what toothletted, ovate-obtuse, hispid above, tomentose 

 underneath ; peduncles trifid, axillary. Native of the West 

 Indies. 



54. Melastoma Tetrandra. Leaves three-nerved, entire, 

 oblong, acuminate, emarginate at the base, smooth, somewhat 

 convex ; raceme erect, terminating ; flowers four-stamined. 

 Native of Jamaica. 



55. Melastoma Triflora. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, quite 

 entire; branches, petioles, and calices, strigose; flowers axil- 

 lary, subpeduncled, in threes. Branches obtusely quadran- 

 gular, covered at top. Native of the Caribbee Islands. 



**** Eight-stamined, with triple-nerved Leaves. 



56. Melastoma Virgata. Leaves triple-nerved, entire, ovate, 

 lanceolate, acuminate, very smooth ; branches flower-bearing; 

 racemes decussated, diffused, scattered. Native of Jamaica. 



57. Melastoma jEleagnoides. Leaves triple-nerved, entire, 

 broad-lanceolate, whitish-tomentose underneath ; peduncles 

 terminating, trichotomous ; flowers solitary. Native of the 

 West Indies. 



58. Melastoma Acuminata. Leaves ovate, outwardly tooth- 

 letted, acuminate, hoary underneath ; corymbs terminating, 

 fastigiate. Native of Montserrat. 



59. Melastoma Verticillata. Leaves ovate, oblong, atte- 

 nuated, toothletted, villose, rugged above ; racemes axillary ; 

 flowers in whorls. Native of the Caribbee Islands. 



60. Melastoma Lateriflora. Leaves obovate, acuminate, 

 setaceous-subserrate, smooth ; peduncles intrafoliaceous, ag- 

 gregate, one-flowered. Stem from two to three feet high. 

 Found by Ryan in the island of Montserrat. 



***** Eight-stamined, with Jive-nerved Leaves. 



61. Melastoma Umbrosa. Leaves five-nerved, toothletted, 

 broad-ovate, acuminate, rough-haired on both sides ; branch- 

 lets flower-bearing; racemes dichotomous, spreading; branches 

 and petioles hirsute. Native of St. Christopher's. 



62. Melastoma Pilosa. Leaves five-nerved, toothletted, 

 oblong, acute, hirsute underneath ; racemes lateral, hirsute. 

 Native of Jamaica. 



63. Melastoma Hispida. Leaves five-nerved, somewhat 

 toothletted, ovate-acute, strigose-hirsute above, netted- 

 tomentose underneath ; panicles terminating, divaricated. 

 Native of the West Indies. 



64. Melastoma Aquatica. Leaves five-nerved, cordate- 

 acute, crenulate, rough-haired above, even underneath ; pani- 

 cles terminating, trichotomous, diffused. Height about three 

 feet; stem four-cornered. Native of Cayenne and Guiana. 



65. Melastoma Coccinea. Leaves elliptic-ovate, acuminate, 

 smooth, quite entire; thyrse terminating; peduncles and 

 pedicels knotted, hispid. This is a very beautiful shrub, 

 from four to six feet high, with a regular head like an Orange- 

 tree. The large scarlet flowers, in thyrsea, cover the whole 

 head. The leaves are wrinkled, and the flowers are some- 

 times white. Discovered by Ryan in Montserrat. 



66. Melastoma Sessiliflora. Villose-subtomentose : leaves 

 lanceolate-ovate, toothletted, subpetioled ; flowers axillary, 

 sessile, in a sort of whorl. Native of the West Indies. 



There are many more species of this genus ; some with ten 

 stamens, and three and five nerved leaves, and others with 

 twelve stamens. More might have been added, but the 

 above are amply sufficient. Too much dependence must not 

 be placed upon the smoothness or hairiness of the leaves, as 

 they vary in that respect with soil and situation. There is 

 great beauty in the diversity of tht: leaves, many of which are 

 2 E 



