256 MELASTOMACE^; 



(rarely broader), inflexed above the ovary, opening with one or two pores : cells connected 

 or rarely distinct. 0!;a»y, adherent, convex and umbilicatcd at the glabrous top. — Shrubs 

 or trees, not hispid ; panicle terminal : flowers usually sessile ; petals hhmt. 



Sect. 1. JlVMicomA..— Anthers oblong -linear, tapering towards the one-pored or parti- 

 tioned top : cells connected.— Taakle trichotomous or contracted : ultimate branches with 

 clustered or serial flowers. 



§ Panicle tricAotomous. 



t Seeds pyramidal, with the emhryo umally inflexed. 



49. ni. argyrophylla, DC. Tetragonal branches and under side of the leaves hoaty 

 with a very short appressed down ; leaves elliptical-oblong, trinerved, glabrous above, siU 

 very beneath, petioled ; panicle trichotomous, hoary : flowers serial ; calyx-tube furrowed ; 

 anthers 10 : filaments inflexed in the bud ; ovary 3-locular : stigma minute. — Sloan. 1. 198. 

 /. 1. Mart. Nov. Gen. t. 284.— M. holosericea, Steud. ! in PI. Eostm. {non DC). M. 

 holosericea, o, Orueg. ! — ^A tall shrub, usually about 30' high, but variable in growth ; leaves 

 4"-l 3" long, pointed, minutely denticulated or subentirej bracts minnte, subulate; calyx- 

 tube shortly carapanulate, at length globose : teeth shortly ovate, blunt ; petals white or 

 flesh-coloured, obovate ; connective bitubercled at the base on the anterior and tumid on the 

 posterior side. — Hab. Jamaica {SI.), Barbadoes ; Trinidad !, Lockh., Cr., Pd., in savan- 

 nahs and woods ; [S. Thomas ; Mexico ! to Guiana !, Brazil ! and Bolivia]. 



50. ra. holosericea, DG. Compressed-cylindrical branches and under side of the 

 leaves hoary, with a short, appressed, white down ; Jeaves ovate-oblong, or eUiptical-oblong, 

 subcordate at the base, subtriplinerved, petioled, shining glabrous above, silvery beneath; 

 panicle trichotomous, hoary; flowers serial; calyx-tube furrowed; anthers 10; filaments 

 nodding in the bud ; ovary 3-loeular : stigma funnel-shaped. — Sonpl. Mel. t. 23, 24.^ 

 Melastoma, L. M. albicans, Sw. Mieonia detergibilis, DC. M. rufescens, Macf. M. • 

 holosericea, ^, moutana, Crueg.l — A shrub, 4'-12' high; leaves 4"-6" long, bluntish or 

 pointleted, subentire ; bracts minute, deciduous ; calyx-tube ovate, at length globose : teeth 

 minute or obsolete ; petals white ; anthers biauricled at the base ; berry blue.— Hab. Jamai- 

 ca !, aU coll., to Trinidad I, Lockh., Sch., Cr., common in all the West Indian islands, in 

 savannahs and thickets; [Veraguas! to Peru! and Bolivia, Venezuela, Guiana !, Brazil I]. 



** Leaves not white with down beneath. 



51. M. ixnpetiolaris, Don. Branches rusty-downy ; leaves obovate-oblong, pointed, 

 or blunt, auricled at the subsessile or very shortly petioled base, triplinerved, at length gla- 

 brous above, rusty-downy beneath ; panicle trichotomous, spreading : primary branches in- 

 terruptedly spiciform, with clustered flowers ; calyx-tube at length obsoletely furrowed ; an- 

 thers 10; ovary 3-locular: stigma minute. — Sonpl. Mel. t. 29. — Melastoma, Sw.! Mieo- 

 nia macrophylla, Macf. — A shrub, about 8' high, variable in the base of the leaves, which 

 are either stem-clasping or very shortly (l"'-2"') petioled, the lateral ribs always proceeding 

 from above the base of the midrib, easily recognized by its large (8"-13" long) leaves, nar- 

 rowing towards their small auricles ; calyx-tube shortly campanulate, rusty-downy : teeth mi- 

 nute or obsolete ; petals white, l"'-3"' long ; anthers bitubercled at the base ; berry blue. — 

 Hab. Jamaica!, Macf., Dist., M'Nab, Pd., Al., in damp mountain-woods; [Guadeloupe!, 

 S. Thomas; Venezuela, Panama!, Ecuador!, ec^uat. Brazil!]. 



52. M. splendens, Gr. Branches rusty-downy; leaves elliptical or elliptieal-obloug, 

 hhm^i^, riarrowed at the petioled base, ttv^imerveA., glabrous above, glabreseeut beneath; 

 panicle trichotomous, spreading, terminated by corymbiform cymes : ultimate clusters 3-1- 

 flowered; calyx-tube not furrowed ; anthers 10; ovary 3-locular : stigma fannel-shaped. — 

 Plum. t. 140 sec. Sw. : bad. — Melastoma, Sw. I Cremanium, Ma^. Mieonia obovalis, 

 Naud. M. eUiptica, i/ac^.-A . shrub ; leaves 6"-8" long, crennlate or repand: petiole 

 scarcely 4" long, usually vringed upwards ; calyx-tube ovate, powdery : teeth minute or 

 obsolete ; petals white, l'"-2''' long ; anthers biauricled at the base ; berry blue. — Hab. 

 Jamaica!, Sw., Marf., Pd., Al,; Dominica!, Imr., in mountain woods. 



