518 Lx, MELASTOMACBai. (C. B. Clarke.) [OsSecWa. 



221; DC. Prodr. iii. 142; Wall. Cat. 4058. O. piilcheUa, Watt. Cat. 4059; 

 Naud. in Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 3. xiv. 73. O. campestris, Wall. Cat. 4063; 0. 

 longicollis, Wall. Cat. 4065. Melastoma pulchella, JRoxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 403. — 

 Melastomacea, Griff'. Ic. 638. 



In the swamps at the foot of the Himalaya, from Nipal to Bukka ; abundant in 

 NoETH and East Bengai, including Assah at 500-1000 ft. alt. ; and (ex J. D. H.) 

 ascends the hills to 4000 ft. alt. 



Erect, 4-8 ft., virgate, hardly divided except towards the corymb. Leaves 3-8 in., 

 S-nerved, often in whorls of three, broadly lanceolate, glabrous or with long hairs scat- 

 tered on both surfaces ; petiole J-J in. O/rymb often with elongated branches ; bracts 

 ovate, glabrous or little hairy. Calyx when young glabrous or somewhat densely 

 stellate hairy. Petals rose-purple. Bristles on the apex of the ovary or about 20. 

 Frmt f in., generally glabrous finally, sometimes with scattered stellate hairs. — A 

 species easily recognised by its habitat (Terai- or rice-swamps), its erect undivided 

 stem and its rose-purple flowers. It varies greatly in hairiness. 



VAfi. 1. pulchella, Benth. ; stem leaves calyx and apex of ovary absolutely 

 glabrous. 



Vab. 2. longicolKs, Wall. ; stem with hispid patent scattered bristles, leaves 

 bristly-hairy on both surfaces, young calyx somewhat densely stellate-hairy, fruit with 

 scattered stellate hairs. 



Vae. 3. 0. marginulata, Wall. Cat. 4064 ; stem and capsule with ascending hairs. 

 — Burma. 



Sect. IV. A shrvh. Perianth laxge 4-merous. Anthers without lieaks. 



12. O. gracilis, Bedd. in Trans. lAnn. Soo. zxy. 216 ; erect, slender, nearly 

 glabrous, leaves 2J-3 in. narrovr lanceolate 3-nerved bristle-hairy on both sur- 

 faces, petiole \-\ in., peduncles vyith 2-3 large flowers, calyi-tube vnth a few 

 remote bristles lobes ciliate ended by a bimch of bristles, anthers without beaks. 

 (Resembling O. longicoUis Wallich i.e. O. rostrata above). 



Dbccan PENDTStrLA ; AnamaUay Mts. ; alt. 4000 ft., Col. Beddome. 



This species (only known from Col. Beddome's description here copied) is referred 

 by Triana {Trans. lArm. Soc. xxviii. 54) to his section Ceramicalyx, which has very 

 long beaks to the anthers. Col. Beddome's plant seems really nearer 0. octandra DO, 

 below. 



Sect. V. Asterostoma. Shrubs. Ferianth large 5-merous. Anthers 

 attenuate upwards not beaked. 



[The series of species following from No. 12 to No. 19 inclusive is quite unbroken : 

 the flowers, anthers, fruit and hairs on the ovary are much the same in aU. The spe- 

 cies are separated by minute or trifling characters only ; Triana makes more than the 

 following eight, Thwaites less, out of the same material.] 



13. O. boxifolla, Am. in Book. Comp. Bat. Mag. ii. 309 ; leaves ^ in. 

 subsessUe ovate obtuse 3--5-nerved rufous wooUy beneath nearly glabrous striolate 

 above, calyx-teeth j-J in. long-lanceolate acute rufous-villous without. Navd. in 

 Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 3. xiv. 63 ; Thwaites Enum. p. 106 ; Triana in Trans. Linn. 

 Soc. xxviii. 54. 



Cetlon, alt. 6000-8000 ft. ; Walker, Gardner, Thwaites! 



Small, woody, branched ; branches and innovations rufous shaggy. Flowers 1-3, 

 clustered at the end of the branches. Fruit oampanulate, truncate, rufous-hairy. 



Vab. 1. typica; hairs on the calyx- tube with a long stem standing at right 

 angles to the surface of the tube very stellate. 



Vab. 2. minor, Thwaites No. 2618 ; hairs on the calyx-tube simple villous ad- 

 cressed. flowers smaller than in the type. 



