336 



LII. MELASTOMACEiE 



[Memecylon 



A shrub or small tree, 1. 2-4 in. long, sec. n. more or less obscure. Cymes 

 pedunculate, rarely axillary, generally above the scars of fallen 1. El. 

 brilliant blue, calyx sometimes pink. Fr. fleshy, edible, black when ripe, 

 \ in. diam. 



Western Peninsula, mostly on the coast. Inland mostly in evergreen and semi- 

 evergreen scrub. Orissa, Assam, Silhet, Tenasserim. Fl. C. S. Fr. H. S. Combs made 

 of the wood. Ceylon, Malay Peninsula and Archipelago. Includes M.ovatum,2mnctatum 

 and scutellatum, Kurz F. Fl. i. 512, 513. 2. M. angnstifolium, Wight Ic. t. 276. Banks 

 of streams, Tinnevelli ghats. Ceylon, low country to 2,000 ft. A small shrub, branchlets 

 obtusely quadrangular, 1. linear-lanceolate, blade 2-3. in., narrowed into petiole J-J in. 

 long, sec. n. invisible. Umbels many-fid., on short peduncles, fl. bright purplish-blue, 

 pedicels slender, fr. J in. diam. black-purple. 3. M. Helferi, Cogn. (M. angustifolium, var. 

 Helferi, C. B. Clarke). Tenasserim and Andamans, similar but branchlets sharply 

 quadrangular. 



4. M. andamanicum, King in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 69. 85, Andamans, Nicobars. A 

 shrub, 1. pale beneath, ovate-lanceolate, long acuminate, blade 2-3, petiole J in. 

 Peduncles slender, J— J in. long, in pairs from the axils of 1. or of fallen 1., bearing 

 bracteate corymbiform compound cymes. Fr. J in. diam. 5. M. plebejum, Kurz, Khasi 

 hills. Pegu, Tenasserim. A small tree, 1. long acuminate, blade 3^, petiole \ in. long, 

 sec. n. slender but usually distinct. 6. M. gTande, Retz. Khasi hills, Mergui, sec. n. . 

 distinct, blade 3-7, narrowed into petiole, J in. long, probably the same as M. celastrinum, 

 Kurz. 



7. M. elegans, Kurz. Andamans, very common. A shrub, bark pale, branchlets 

 sharply 4-angled, sometimes winged, sec. n. almost invisible. Cymes lax, often in pairs, 

 peduncle longer than petiole, free portion of calyx much wider than ovary, petals blue. 

 Fr. globose, i in. diam. 8. M. pauciflorum, Blume, Chittagong, Andamans, Tenasserim, 

 Malay Peninsula. A small tree, branchlets quadrangular, 1. elliptic-rhomboid 1-li in. 

 long, petiole very short, sec. n. barely visible. Cymes often in pairs, 7-10-fld., pedicels 

 slender, free part of calyx shallow-cup-shaped, more than twice the width, of ovary, 

 segments triangular, acute. Fr. £ in. diam. 9. M. gracile, Bedd. Ic. PL Ind. Or. t. 164, 

 Travancore and Tinnevelli ghats. A large shrub or small tree, 1. ovate-lanceolate, 

 long acuminate, 1-2 in. long. Peduncles slender, drooping, 2-3-fld., bracts at the base 

 of and bracteoles on pedicels, calyx white, petals pale blue. 



B. Leaves petiolate, acute at both ends, fl. sessile or nearly so, in compact, 

 usually sessile heads. Western species. 



10. M. Heyneanum, Benth. (M. jambosioides, Wight let. 277). Common on the Tinne- 

 velli and Travancore ghats to 2,000 ft. A shrub, branchlets terete, 1. coriaceous, 

 lanceolate, pale beneath, blade 5-8, pet. $-§ in. Fl. in compact rounded axillary clusters, 

 on bracteate tubercles, pedicels barely as long as calyx, petals blue. Fr. J in. diam. 

 M. discolor, Cogniaux (M. Heyneanum, var. angustifolia, Clarke in Fl. Brit. Ind. ii. 560). 

 Bolampatti valley, doubtless is the same species. 



11. M. Talbotianum, sp. nova, Mahabaleshwar (D.B. Oct. 1881) Konkan (Stocks) 

 Kanara (Ritchie, May 1853) North Kanara (Talbot, 3568, 3658, March 1896) Nilgiri 

 and Coorg (T. Thomson). A large shrub or small tree, branchlets terete, slightly 

 quadrangular below the nodes, 1. thickly coriaceous, ovate or elliptic, shortly and 

 obtusely acuminate, blade 3-4, narrowed into petiole j in. long, sec. n. invisible. Fl. 

 small, sessile in compact clusters on bracteate nearly sessile tubercles, connective shorter 

 than anthers, fr. yellow, J in. diam., pericarp thickly coriaceous. Somewhat resembles 

 M. urceolatum, but fl. entirely different. 



12. M. capitellatum, Linn. Trimen Handb. Ceylon t. 41 ; Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 206 A. 

 Tinnevelli and Travancore ghats to 2,000 ft. Ceylon, low country to 1,000 ft., in both 

 moist and dry regions, common. A shrub or small tree, branchlets terete, 1. 2-5 in., 

 narrowed into very short petiole, sec. n. slender but distinct, intramarginal veins 

 having the appearance of basal nerves. Fl. violet-blue, sessile, in small heads at the 

 ends of stiff peduncles j^li in. long, from the axils of present or fallen 1. Free part of 

 calyx shallow, mouth J in. wide, segments conspicuous, disk rays winged. Fr. black- 

 purple, J-J in. diam. crowned with the persistent calyx-segments. 



C. Leaves acute at both ends, sometimes rounded at base, fl. in compound 

 cymes, sessile or nearly so. Eastern species. 



13. M. Griffitnianum, Naud., Mergui, branchlets winged, 1. lanceolate, base acute or 

 rounded, pale beneath, 5-7 in. long, petiole very short, sec. n. indistinct. 14. M. cerasi- 

 forme, Kurz, Chittagong, 1. coriaceous, acuminate, blade 2-4, narrowed into pet. J in. 

 long. Fr. i-f in. diam. bluish-black. 



