Sotterila.] Melastomacecz. 203 



\ in., considerably shorter than curved long ped., the ribs not 

 prominent. 



Var. e, ro st rat a, Clarke. S. rostrata, Thw. Enum. 108. C.P. 2644. 



L. less sharply serrate, anth. rostrate, long-acuminate, 

 capsule campanulate under f in., rounded at base, rather 

 shorter than ped., ribs slightly marked. 



Montane zone, and extending down into moist low country ; common. 

 Var ft, very common at higher elevations. Var. y, only found as yet in 

 Singhe Raja Forest. Var. 8, Watagoda. Var. e, Ambagamuwa; Hini- 

 duma ; Reigam Korale. Fl. all the year ; pink, var. ft white. 



Endemic. 



Var. y, with its very short capsule, has some claim to specific rank. 

 Clarke (1. c. 531) has another var., Walkercs, differing from the type in its 

 seeds being smooth without the usual minute elevations. 



2. S. rhombifolia, Thw. Enum. 108 (1859). 



S.glaberrima, Am. in Comp. Bot. Mag. ii. 307 (ex Clarke). C. P. 2799. 

 Fl. B. Ind. ii. 533. 



Stem 6-12 in., stout, quite glabrous, branches obscurely 

 quadrangular ; \.\-\\ in., broadly oval-ovate, often somewhat 

 rhomboid, acute at both ends, shallowly crenate-serrate, 

 upper portion quite glabrous, 3-nerved, equal at base, pale or 

 purplish beneath, petiole half as long as 1. or more ; cal.-segm. 

 large, triangular, acute ; anth. acuminate ; capsule with 

 tapering ped. barely § in., of which ped. is about half, with 

 strong ribs. 



Var. ft, ang-ustata, Thw. ms. S. angustata, Triana, 1. c. 498. 

 Fl. B. Ind. ii. 536. 



L. lanceolate-oblong, the lat. nerves faint; cal.-segm. 

 narrow, very acute. 



Moist low country ; rare. Kukul Korale; Hiniduma; Adam's Peak 

 (Moon); Var. ft, Galle district (Fl. B. Ind.). Fl. Dec; deep pink. 



Endemic. 



Triana, followed by Clarke, Cogniaux, and Stapf, considers var. ft as 

 a quite distinct species ; but by the latter S. rhombifolia itself is regarded 

 as merely robust S. zeylanica. Arnott's name is the older, and, if certainly 

 the same plant, should be adopted. Cogniaux (1. c. 499) keeps S. glaber- 

 rivia as distinct. 



3. S. Brunonis, IV. and A. Prod. 321 (1834). 

 Cogn. 1. c. 493. C. P. 662 (in Hb. Kew). 



FL i5. Ind. ii. 531. Wight, 111. t. 94; Ic. t. 1059. 



Stem 12 in., rather stout, branches quadrangular, nearly 

 glabrous, 1. ovate on long petioles, bristly-serrate, 5-7-nerved 

 at base ; pet. lanceolate, anth. short, pointed ; capsule, in- 

 cluding much tapering ped., fully I in., of which ped. is about 

 a third, very strongly ribbed. 



