192 Melastomacece. 



A small or middle-sized tree, with very thick, rough, dark- 

 grey bark and a small rounded head, young branches with 

 very prominent leaf-scars, growing parts quite glabrous ; 1. large,. 

 6-12 in., usually sessile, broadly obovate, much tapering to 

 base, very obtuse or rounded at apex, denticulate-crenate, 

 thick, smooth and shining on both sides, pale green, veins 

 pellucid ; fl. large, 3^-4 in. diam., sessile, crowded in very 

 thick, swollen, hard terminal spikes, each with a central oval 

 bract and two lateral linear ones ; cal.-tube about 1 in., cam- 

 panulate, glabrous, segm. rounded, stiff, erect ; pet 2-2J in.,, 

 ovate, obtuse or acute, margin often revolute; fil. about as 

 long as pet, spreading ; style a little longer than stam. ; fruit 

 2J-3 in., globular, apple-like, green, glabrous, crowned with 

 persistent cal.-segm. and style, solid, with the cells nearly 

 obliterated, seeds several immersed in the flesh. 



Moist region, especially on exposed patana land, up to 5000 ft; very- 

 common. Also rarely in the dry region, e.g., Mulliativu. Fl. Nov.- 

 March ; pet. pale green, fil. pale pink. 



This is the ' Patana Oak ' of the English, and almost the only tree 

 (besides Phyllanthtcs Emblicd) on the barren grassy patanas. The 

 remark in Fl. B. Ind., 'No example from Ceylon' (which, doubtless, has 

 reference merely to the Kew Herbarium), is calculated to mislead, as this 

 is one of our most familiar trees, 



Moon has this only under the Sinhalese name (Cat. pt. 2, 8). I find 

 no earlier record for it. 



Heart- wood dark reddish-brown, heavy, moderately hard, even-grained,, 

 very durable. The bark is very astringent, and is much used in medicine 

 as well as for tanning. The inner bark gives a strong fibre. 



LIIL— MELASTOMACECE. 



Trees, shrubs, or herbs, 1. opp., fl. regular, bisexual ; cal.-tube 

 adnate to whole or base of ov., and more or less prolonged 

 above it, segm. 3, 4, or 5 ; pet. same number as cal.-segm. r . 

 contorted in bud ; stam. 3, 8, or 10 inserted at edge of cal.- 

 limb, anth. large, opening by 1 or 2 terminal pores, connec- 

 tive often with appendages at base ; ov. wholly or half in- 

 ferior, 3- 4- or 5-celled (i-celled in Memecylon) with numerous 

 ovules on axile (or free central) placentas, style simple ; fruit 

 a dehiscent capsule or an indehiscent fleshy or dry berry,, 

 many-seeded (1 -seeded in Memecylon) ; seed without endo- 

 sperm, cotyledons small (larger and much folded in 

 Memecylon). 



