264 MELASTOMACE^. 



dattedmth black beneath, triplinened ; calyx one-third the length of the corolla : lobes 

 blunt, sometimes evanescent ; petals oblong ; anthers short, somewhat recurved during an- 

 thesls. — Boupl. Mel. t. 14. — Melastoma, Bich. M. alpina, Sw. — A low shrub, 1-2' high : 

 branches cylindrical ; leaves 2" long, entire ; petals 8"'-9"' long (sometimes smaller) ; an- 

 thers 1'" long. — Hab. Dominica !, Z»!»-. ,- S. Vincent!, Chdld. ; [Martinique, Guadeloupe, on 

 tjie volcanoes, above 3000*]. 



80. Ch. glaberrimus, DC, Glabrous ; leaves ovate, acuminate and pointed, vjithout 

 any dots, i-h-neroed ; calyx one-half the length of the corolla : limb 4-lohed to the middle ; 

 petals oval ; anthers linear, recurved during anthesis. — Melastoma splendens, Sieb. Mart. 

 120 ! ; Trinit. 58 ! M. martiuicensis, trl. I Ch. tinifolius, Bon, is probably the same 

 plaut, and if this can be confirmed by authentic specimens, De CandoUe's name must cede to 

 this. — Branches somewhat four-edged ; leaves 3'^4" long, entire, or crenulate-repand ; the 

 point variable in length (sometimes wanting) ; petals 4'''-5"' long ; anthers 2'" long. In 

 habit it agrees with the preceding, but is easily recognized by the absolute want of the black 

 dots on the under side of leaves, which are characteristic for Ch. coccineus and Ch. Fadyeni, 

 — Hab. Dominica, /Mr. ; [Martinique !, Guadeloupe I]. 



81 . Ch. purpureuSj Don. Branches hairy ; leaves ovate, sometimes subcordate at 

 the base, without dots, triplinerved : younger ones with distant hairs, and these persisting 

 on the margin ; calyx one-half the length of the corolla : limb repand, with 4 minute 

 teeth; petals oval; anthers linear. — Vahl, Hclog. Amer. t. 16. — Ch. ciliatus, DC Ch. 

 crinitus, Naud. : a form with larger leaves. Melastoma Dodandianum, Sam. .- a decandrous 

 aberration, not seen. — A shrub : the branches somewhat four-edged, at length cylindrical ; 

 leaves 3"-4" long or larger, less leathery than in the other species, pointed or bluntish, 

 creuulate or repand; petals 4"'-5"' long; anthers 2'" long. — Hab. Montserrat, Vahl; 

 [Martinique, Guadeloupe I, on the mountains]. 



Sect. 2. EcCHAKiANTHUS. — Anthers opening with a single terminal pore. Ovary 



2-locular. 



82. Ch, Fadyeni, Gr. Glabrous ; leaves ovate, blunt, dotted with black beneath, 

 triplinerved ; calyx one-third the length of the coroUa: limb repand, with obsolete teeth; 

 anthers linear, elongated, straightish during anthesis, opening with a terminal. pore. — Hoole. 

 Jo'urn. of Bot. 1. t. 12. — Tetrazygia, Hoolc. ! — A small tree or shrub, 4'-15' high : branches 

 subcompress^d, at length cylindrical; leaves 2" long, or smaller, entire; petals 4"'-5"' 

 long; anthers 3 J'" long. — Hab. Jamaica!, Macf., Pd.,Al.,m rocky situations, on the 

 mountains of the northern and central districts of S. Anus and S. Thomas-in-the-Vale at 

 2000'-2500' alt. 



20. MBEIANIA, Sw.; Naud. {I. c. 18. p. 124. t. 5./. 2). 



Calyx-limb spreading, 5-lobed, with the lobes inserted below the repand margin. An- 

 thers 10, opening with 1-2 terminal pores; connective (either in all or the alternate 

 ones) produced at its base into a conical, posterior spur. Ovary free fi-om the begin- 

 ning, 5-locular, .5-lobed at the top. — Shrubs or small trees ; leaves leathery, shining, 

 pelioled, usually Z-nerved : nerves communicating by numerous transverse veins ; flowers 

 large, arranged in simple, terminal cymes, or solitary, supported by % or ^ bracts, which 

 are distant from .the calyx by a short intemode; petals obovate, purple, rose-coloured or 

 white. 



The West Indian species of Ileriania, much confused by authors, are very variable in the 

 number of the bracts, the form of the leaves, and the colour of the flower, and as even the 

 anthers do not always present positive characters, they must be reduced in nimiber -. the two 

 remaining ones, beautifully figured by Tussac, are easily distinguished by the foi-m of the 

 bracts, and by the two smaU tumours on the upper side of leaves at their base, peculiar to 

 M. bulliferq,. 



83. M. rosea, Tuss. Leaves without tumours at the base ; bracts 2-4, elliptical or 

 ohovate, trinerved ; calyx-lobes subulate; anther-spurs short, alternately conical and bitu- 

 bercled. — Tuss. Fl. 1. t. 6. Besc. Fl. 4. t. 303. — M. lepcantha et purpurea, Sw. [non Tusa.). 

 M. nana et bifrons, Naud. — An arborescent shi'ub, 30'-5' high; leaves elliptical or ovate- 

 lanceolate, the younger ones minutely serrate with glandular teeth. 



