196 Melastomacecs. [Osbeckia. 



sides ; cal. with many stellate or pectinate hairs mixed with 

 the simple ones, especially at top of segm. 



Var. y, Kleinii, Am. I. c. 309 (sp.). C. P. 1569 (506). 

 L. broader than in type ; cal. usually densely covered with 

 long bristles mixed with stellate hairs, and at the top with 

 usually a few scales, terminating in a tuft of long hair ; ft 

 generally larger, often 2\ in. 



Var. S, Wightiana, Benth. in Wall. Cat. 4060 (s.p.). Wight, Ic. t. 

 998. C. P. 1570. 



L. oval, obtuse, more hairy, marginal veins stronger; upper 

 part of cal. densely covered with scales, fringed by long 

 bristles, and terminal by stellate bristly hairs ; fl. larger, 2 in. 

 or more. 



Low country, and up to 4000 ft. very common. Var. j3, very rare, 

 East Matale only, collected in 1863. Var. 7, principally in the dry 

 country ; summit of Ritigala. Var. S, lower montane zone ; common. 

 Fl. all the year ; mauve colour. 



Also in Peninsular India. 



This is a very variable species, and O. Wightiana is kept as distinct 

 in Fl. B. Ind. C. P. 506 connects it with the others. O. minor, Triana, is 

 based on specimens of C. P. 1569 which were called ' forma minor' 1 by 

 Thwaites ; these Clarke does not appear to have seen. Cogniaux (1. c. 315) 

 keeps it up as a species, as he does also O. Kleinii (1. c. 316) and O. 

 Wightiana (1. c. 318). 



O. glauca, Benth., is recorded from Trincomalie in Wall. Cat. n. 4073 

 (see Fl. B. Ind. ii. 519). It was cultivated at Kew, and is figured in Bot. 

 Mag. t. 5085 (as O. aspera); the specimens in Kew Herb, from the Gardens 

 are said to be originally from Ceylon. They have the leaves densely 

 silky-hairy on both surfaces, but are scarcely more than a variety of 

 O. aspera. 



5. O. Walkeri, Am. in Hk. Comp. Bot. Mag. ii. 309 (1836). 



Thw. Enum. 105. C. P. 1 571. 

 Fl. B. Ind. ii. 519. 



A small shrub, twigs cylindrical, densely silky; 1. f-i in., 

 oval or lanceolate-oval, tapering to base, subacute, edges very 

 slightly revolute or flat, closely adpressed-hairy above, silky, 

 especially on nerves beneath, 3-nerved, petiole short, silky ; 

 fl. i|-if in., on short ped., solitary or in threes ; cal. covered 

 with long simple silky adpressed hair, segm. linear, erect, as 

 long as tube ; pet. 5. 



Var /3, Beckettii, Thw. in Triana, 1. c. 54 {Bechetii by error), C. P. 

 3908. L. smaller, J-§ in., broadly oval, stiff, coriaceous. 



L. smaller, \-\, broadly oval, stiff, coriaceous. 



Upper montane zone; rare. Horton Plains ; Nuwara Eliya. Var /3, 

 Wattakelle Hill (Beckett); Knuckles Mountain. Fl. November-Feb. ; 

 mauve. 



