Planchonia. | MELASTOMACE. 501 
almost semi-orbicular ; petals Soe about an inch long, blunt ; 
. filaments purple, twisted, 14 in. 
“= Hazs.—Frequent in the evergreen caries of the Andamans.—s,—SS,—= 
S. : 
REMARKS.—Wood brown, close-grained, heavy, the sap-wood lighter coloured. 
MELASTOMACE. 
Flowers regular, hermaphrodite. Calyx-tube enclosing the ovary, 
and either cohering with its angles, leaving intermediate cavities, 
or entirely free or more or less adnate to it; limb entire or 3-6- 
lobed or -toothed, usually imbricate in bud. Petals 3-5, fang: 6, 
imbricate (usually contorted). Stamens usually twice many, 
sometimes only as many as petals and inserted with them, the fila- 
ments curved down in the bud; anthers 2-celled, opening in 1 or 2 
pores at the top or very rarely dehiscing longitudinally, the oe a 
ive often variously extended or thickened. -Ovary enclosed in 
calyx-tube and adnate to it, or more or less free, with 2 to Bi or 
rarely more cells, with the placenta in the axis, or rarely 1-celled 
by the abortion of the partitions ; rae simple, with a minute 
stigma. Ovules several, rarely 2 only to each placenta, anatropous. 
Fruit enclosed in the calyx or combined with it, a berry or a capsule 
opening in as many valves as there are cells, usually many- rarely few- 
or l-seeded. Albumen none. Embryo straight or curved, the cotyle- 
dons plano-convex or thick and variously folded ; radicle short.— 
Herbs or shrubs, very rarely trees, with opposite, simple, 3-11 (very 
Flowers often gay coloured, rminal panicles or clusters, 
y axillary or solitary. 
An order of little interest to the forester. we astringent 
principles prevail, and the numerous species emecyla furnish 
welloy dye. The timber, too, of these is very hard, ‘oat small. Up- 
wards of 36 species are found in Burma. 
* Anthers opening by 2 or1 apical pores. Embryo small, 
Oruty. more or ror nearly cone ae to the calyx, the free, 
e apex 
. conical or convex. Cctiaciins steal pases Steg 
stra the base of the anthers, Seeds cochleate, 
mini 
Anthers equal ; fruit, berry aoe : - - . Otanthera, 
it a berry 
free or more or less adnate to. the calyx, the 
base of t oe anther. Seeds minute, never cochle- 
Calys eee d smooth, adnate to ee ovary and 
a Saieein pethaes 10, equal : - Ochthocharis. 
lexe) 
a“ Calyx ribbed. 
Ovary and — high-up adnate to the calyx; panicle terminal , Oxyspora, 
