MELASTOMATACEAE 353 



apex rounded or obtusely acuminate, base rounded or subcordate, 12 to 

 20 cm long. Inflorescence axillary, sometimes terminating short branches, 

 7 to 15 cm long. Flowers white, 3 to 4 cm in diameter, few to many. Fruit 

 pink, fleshy, edible, turbinate, 3 to 4 cm long and thick, apex depressed, 

 crowned by the much thickened, fleshy, incurved calyx-lobes. 



Commonly cultivated, fl. Mar.-April;' widely distributed in the Philip- 

 pines in cultivation, certainly introduced. Malay Peninsula and Archi- 

 pelago. 



5. E. calubcob C. B. Rob. Calubcob CTag.). 



A shrub or tree 6 to 30 m in height. Leaves subsessile or short-petioled, 

 elliptic to ovate or oblong, 7 to 23 cm long, apex blunt-acuminate, base 

 rounded or subcordate. Inflorescence terminal or lateral, 6 to 18 cm long, 

 few- to many-flowered. Flowers white, 3 to 4 cm in diameter. Calyx 

 tube about 1 cm long. Petals 6 to 8 mm in diameter, orbicular-ovate. 

 Fruit ellipsoid to ovoid, greenish-white, edible, fleshy, 4 to 5 cm long, crowned 

 by the thin, not inflexed, persistent calyx-lobes. (Fl. Filip. pi. H5, E. 

 montana.) 



Old Botanic Garden, fl. March-May; widely distributed in the Philippines. 

 Endemic. 



3. PSIDIUM Linnaeus 



Trees or shrubs with opposite entire leaves. Flowers axillary, on 1- 

 to few-flowered peduncles, white. Calyx urn-shaped or obovate, the limb 

 4- or 5-lobed. Petals. 4 or 5, free. Stamens very many. Ovary 2-celled, 

 inferior; ovules many in each cell. Firuit a globes to ellipsoid or obovoid, 

 fleshy, many-seeded berry, crowned by the calyx-lobes. (Greek name of 

 the pomegranate.) 



Species about 100 in tropical and subtropical America, 2 introduced in 

 the Philippines. 



1. P. GUAJAVA L. Bayabas (Tag.) ; Guayaba (.Sp^) ; Guava. 



A shrub or small tree reaching a height of 8 m, somewhat pubescent. 

 Young branches 4-angled. Leaves oblong to elliptic, 5 to 12 cm long, acute 

 or somewhat acuminate, base usually rounded, the nerves prominent. 

 Peduncles 1- to 3-flowered. Flowers white. Sepals green, 1 to 1.5 cm 

 long. Petals broad 1.5 to 2 cm long. Fruit globose to ovoid or obo- 

 void, 4 to 5 cm long, green, turning yellowish when ripe, somewhat aromatic,, 

 the pulp pink or nearly white, edible. (Fl. Filip. pi. U8, P. pyriferum.) 



Common in our area, fl. most of the year. A native of Mexico, 

 now found throughout the Philippines and thoroughly naturalized. Most 

 tropical countries. 



104. MELASTOMATACEAE (Melastoma OR CuLis Family) 



Herbs, shrubs, climbing vines, or trees. Leaves opposite; sometimes 

 whorled, entire, palmatcly or pinnately nerved; stipules none. Flowers 

 perfect, regular, in lateral or terminal fascicles or panicles. Calyx-tube 

 united with the ovary, 3- to 6-lobed or truncate. Petals as many as the 

 calyx-lobes. Stamens- as many as the petals, twice as many, or more 

 numerous, the alternate ones frequently shorter; filaments bent inward in 

 bud; anthers opening by apical pores, rarely by lateral slits, the connective 

 often appendaged or spurred below. Ovary 4- to 6-celled, or in Memecyclon 

 1-celled; style simple; ovules very many. Fruit included in the calyx-tube, 

 berry-like or capsular. 



111B65 — 23 



