38 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



• 2. Osbeckia L.^ — Flowers nearly of Melastoma, 4, 5-merous or 

 very rarely 6, 7-merous. Stamens 8-14, 2-seriate, either very 

 slightly unequal, or the oppositipetalous a little shorter (Dissotis,^ 

 Tristemma^); the connective of all or of the longer more or less 

 produced under the anthers, or very slightly {Nerophila),'^ internally 

 at the base 2-tuberculate (Euosheckia,^ Antherotoma^^ Tristemma) or 

 appendiculate (Dissotis), sometimes destitute of tubercles (Guyonia'^) ; 

 cells acute at apex, poricidal, or more widely truncate ; pore larger 

 oblique (Antherotoma). Fruit capsular, oftener setose at vertex, 

 4, 5-valvate ; seeds, &c. oi Melastoma. — Shrubs or herbs, sometimes 

 annual (Nerophila) ; habit various ; leaves of Melastoma ; flow^ers 

 terminal, or more rarely axilar (Guyonia), solitary or cymose or 

 glomerate, sometimes [Antherotoma, Nerophila, Tristemma) more or less 

 fully involucrate with bracts.^ (Trop. Asia and Africa cont. and ins.^) 

 3. Dichsetanthera Endl.^° — Flowers nearly of Melastoma, 4, 5- 

 merous ; sepals broad concave, much contorted or imbricate. Petals 

 4, 5, retuse. Stamens 8-10, nearly of Melastoma, connective of the 

 larger longer produced and longer appendiculate ; aristae 2, slender, 

 long subulate. Fruit capsular, 4, 5-valved at apex; seeds nearly 

 straight or more or less cochleate. — Shrubs; branches nodose ; leaves 

 petiolate, 3-nerved; flowers in terminal 2-chotomous cymes; bracts 

 concave. ^^ — [Madagascar, ^^) 



1 Gen. n. 467. — J. Gen. 330. — DC. Prodr. iii. Melastoma only in the nature of its pericarp. 

 138.— Endl. Gen. n. 6221 (part).— Naud. Ann. 9 Wall. PL As. Ear. t. 240, 251.— Wight, 

 Sc. liat. ser. 3, xiv. 53.— B. H. Gen. 744, n. 38. Icon. t. 375-377, 996-998, 1612.— Mm. Fl.Ind.- 

 — Trl Melust. 53, t. 4, fig. 37.— Hook. Fl.Ind. Bat. i. p. i. 517.— Vent. Ch. de Fl. t. 35 (T/i- 

 ii. 513. — Aaterotoma Bl. Mus. Lugd.-Bnt. i. 50. stemma). — P.-Beauv. FL Ow. t. 57 {Trutemma). 

 — Amhlyanthera Bl.— CtramicalyxY>\.. loc. cit. — Benth. JS'iger, 353 {Iriatemma) ; Fl. Austral. 



2 Bekth. Niger, 346.— B. H. Gen. 746, n. 46. iii. 290.— Hook. r. Oliv. Fl. Trop. Afr. ii. 441, 

 — Tri. Melast. bl, t. 4, fig. 44. — Osbeckiastrum 4:4:3 (Guyonia), 4:45 (Tristdnma), HT {Bissotis). — 

 Naud. Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 3, xiii, t. 7 ; xiv. 18. Thw. Fnum. PI. Zeyl. 104.— Harv. and Sond. 

 — Argyrella Naud. Uc. cit. xiii. 300.— Heterotis Fl. Cap. ii. 518. — Bot. Mag. t 2838, 3790, 4026, 

 Benth. Niger, 347. — Melastomastrmn Naud. 5085. — Bot. Rtg. t. 542, 565, 674, 1475. — Walp. 

 loc. cit. xiii. 296, t. 5. — Lepidanthemum Kl. Fet. Hep. ii. 135, 918 ; v. 708 ; Ann. ii. 574 ; iv. 808. 

 Moss. Bot. 64. 10 Gen. n. 6227.— Naud. Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 3, 



3 J. Gen. 329.— Endl. Gen. n. 6216.— Naud. xiv. t. 7 ; xv. 49. —Tri. Melast. 61, t. 4, fig. 46. 

 Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 3, xiii. 297, t. 5, 6.— Tri. — B. H. Gtn. 747, n. 47. 



Mtlast. 56, t. 4, fig. 41. — Baker, Fl. Maurit. 121. n Perhaps a section of this genus is Bionychia 



■* ^AUD. Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 3, xiii, f. 8 ; xiv. Bojerii (Naud. loc. cit. xiv. t. 17; xv. 48. — Tri. 



119.— B. H. Gen. 744, n. 37.— Tri. Melast. 55, Melast. 61, t. 4, fig. 47.— B. H. Gen. 745, n. 42), 



t. 4, fig. 38. imperfectly known, whose 3 stamens present a 



'" Osbeckia Tri. loc. cit. connective hardly produced ; shorter appen- 



* Hook. f. Gen. 745, n. 40. dages ; the top of the filament (quite as in 



" Naud. Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 3, xiv. 149, t. 6. Dichatantheris) inflexed in the hud. 



— B. H. Gen. 745, n. 39. -Tri. Mtlast. 55, t. 4, 12 gpec. 3, 4. Desrx. Lamk. Bid. iv. 56 {Mela- 



fig. 39. stoma). — Don, Mem. Wern. Soc.iv. 290 (Melasto- 



8 A genus scarcely legitimate ; difi'ering from mn).—I)C. Prcdr. iii. 153, n. 2 {Housteauxia). 



