MELASTOMACE^. 247 



lobes thread-shaped, from a subulate base, as long as the tube j petals 5 (-6), obovate ; ovary 

 5-locular : style filiform, with a blunt stigma. — Tahl, Ic. Amer. 2. t. 24); a form with 

 ovate leaves, representing his Mel. crenata. — Melastoma hirta, L. M .paueiflora, IDesr. 

 CI. pauciflora, crenata, erythropogou ?, DC. CI. leptoclados, Crueg.! Staphidium pauci- 

 florum, Naud. I St. Wilsonii, a, Naud. ! : the ripening state, with the ovary adherent. — A , 

 common shrub, 3'-8' high, variable in the form and nervature of leaves, Ihe teeth of their 

 margin, and the down j leaves 3"-6" long, tripli-5 -nerved, taper-pointed or pointleted, den- 

 ticulate or snbentire : hairs scattered ; petals white or rosy ; anthers tubercled on the poste- 

 rior side of their base ; ovary free in the bud (with the exception of the adhering lines), but 

 at length adherent, produced at the tops into a long, cylindrical, furrowed ueok; berry 

 hairy, blue. 



a. Leaves rounded at the base, minutely denticulate or subentire. 



iS. eleffans, Don. Leaves ovate, subcordate at the base, densely crenated; crenatures 

 rather large, roundish, unequal. — JBot. Mag. t. 1971 ; Aubl. t. 167. — Melastoma hirta, Sw. I 

 M. crenata, Mey. Msseg. I CI. crenata, Crueg. ! Staphidium elegans, Naud. I St. Wilsonii, 

 /3, hand. I 



Hab. Jamaica !, all colL, common in shady situations and forests ; S. Kitts !, S. Vincent !, 

 Guild.; Trinidad!, Sieb. Tr. 65, Cr.; [Cuba! and Mexico! to BrazU! and Peru!]. 



Sect, 3. Staphidium. — Anthers linear, inflexed above the adherent ovary. Cymes 



axillary. 



9. CI. spicata, Z'C'. Kusty-hispid ; leaves ossie, tubercled above sdA pitted beneath ; 

 cymes contracted, spiciform ; calyx-lobes filiform from a subulate base, double the length of 

 their interior appendage ; petals 5-6, obovate ; ovary 5-6-locnlar : style filiform, with a mi- 

 nute stigma. — Bonpl. Mel. t. 3. — Staphidium, Naud. — A shrub, 2'-8' high, extremely vari- 

 able in the form of leaves, the inflorescence, and the down : leaves 5-nerved, crenated or 

 denticulate, petioled; cymes usually compound below, usually with 3-flowered clusters; petals 

 red or white; anthers without appendages; berry hairy, red. 



a. Bristles of the branches not glandular, emerging from a stellate down ; branches of the 

 cymes short or none ; calyx setose: lobes shorter than the tube, appendage roundish. — CI. 

 epicata, Cr. .', the most common Trinidad Clidemia. Heterotrichnm dubium, Macf. 



0. strigillosa, DC. Bristles glandular ; most of the flower-clusters stalked ; calyx 

 larger : lobes almost equalling the tube, appendage oblong. — Melastoma, Sw. ! CI. bullosa, 

 DC. CI. fenestrata, Benth.. CI. agrestis, Macf. Heterotrichnm viscosum, Macf. CI. 

 surinamensis, Miq. I :, a form with looser cymes, and the calyx-lobes half the length of the 

 tube. 



y. pustulata, DC. Somewhat hoary by tomentose down: bristles few, some Of them 

 glandular ; cymes loosened into long-stalked clusters ; calyx tomentose : lobes shorter and 

 appendages often protruding. 



Hab. Jamaica !, Al. (fi), to Trinidad !, Siei. Triu. 63, Lockh., Cr., common in woods 

 and bogs ; [Panama I, Venezuela !, Guiana !, Brazil !, Peni !]. 



10. CI. Berterii, Or. Branches and petioles shaggy with dense, rusty hairs ; leaves 

 ovate or subcordate, pointed, h-nerved, denticulate, hairy : petioles exceeded by the axillary 

 peduncles of the corymbiform cymes ; calyx covered with long, spreading bristles : lobes fili- 

 form from a subulate base, as long as the tube ; petals 4, obovate-oblong, blunt ; ovary 4- 

 locolar : style filiform, with a minute stigma. — Sagrsea, DC. Staphidiastiuin, Naud. I — 

 Leaves 4"-8" long ; anthers without appendages. — Hab. Jamaica!, Pis?., M'Nab, Wils., in 

 moist woods at 3000' alt. 



11. Ol. latifolia, DC. Branches and petioles setose wiih dense rusty hairs; leaves 

 ovate, pointed, h-nerved, denticulate, hairy : petioles long, equalling the axillaiy, corymbi- 

 form cymes ; calyx hairy, bibracteolate : lobes shortly subulate, half the length of the 

 tube; petals 4, obovate ; ovary 4-localar: style filiform, with a capitulate stigma. — Vahl, lo. 

 Amer. 3. t. 29. — Melastoma latifolia, Desr. M. umbrosa, Sw. ! Sagrsea umbrosa, DO. 

 Staphidiastrura latifolium, Naud. St. nmbrosum, Naud. Staphidium latifolium and um- 

 brosum. Or. — A shrub, 6'-7' high ; leaves 4"-12" long ; cymes divided : secondary branch^ 

 lets sub-3-flowered ; petals white ; berry hairy, black. — Hab. S. Kitts, Dominica !, Imr. ; 

 Trinidad!, Sieb. Trin. 59, in mountain woods; [Martinique!, Siei. Mart. 299; Guadeh 

 loup e]. 



