36 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



In the same country the wood of M. longistyla Steud., Gainillo of the 

 natives, is used for building, 



Mouriri rhizophorcefolia,^ a shrub of the Antilles, has fetid flowers, 

 a nauseous fruit, but seeds with a filbert flavour. M. guianensis is 

 considered astringent in its native country. Several species of 

 Memecylon are useful : the leaves of M. capitellatum,^ are used in 

 Ceylon to dye cotton yellow and red ; M. grande,^ in the same country, 

 takes nearly the place of saffron ; the bark of M. intermedium * yields 

 a black dye in Java; M. edule,^ grandifolium Naud., sphmrocarpum 

 DC, etc., in India and in Madagascar, furnish edible fruits. Many 

 ornamental Melastomacece are cultivated in our conservatories, espe- 

 cially Melastoma, Centradenia, Gravesia-, Clidemia, MonocJicetum, 

 Miconia, Tibouchina, Medinilla, Sonerila and Bertolonia. The flowers 

 are sometimes large and handsome, but these plants are much more 

 generally esteemed for their leaves, green or purple or feathery, 

 punctuate, sometimes of a metallic lustre. 



' Mouriria rhizophyrmfolia Tri. Melast. 153. Bl. (not Bukm.). — M. garnnioides fi elotigatum 



—Olisiea rhizophorafolia DC. Prodr. iii. 31. — Bl. 



Guildingia psidioides Hook. Hot. Misc. i. 122, ' EoxB. Fl. Corom. i. 82.- — ^DC. Prodr. iii. 6. 



t. 30. — Tri. Melast. 158, n. 63.— Thw. Enum. PI. 



2 L. Spec. 497; Fl. Zeyl. 136.-~Buem. Fl. Zeyl. 110.— ilf. ovatum Sm. Mees Cyclop. — DC. 



Ziyi. t. 30 ; Fl. Ind. 87.— Lamk. III. t. 284, fig. Frodr. iii. 6. — M. lucldum Pkesl. Epim. 209.— 



1. — DC. Prodr. iii. 6. — MiQ. Fl. Ivd.-Sat. i. 574. M. tinctorium $ Wight and Akn. Frodr. 319. — 



— Thw. Fnum. Fl. Zeyl. 110.— Bl. Mus. Lugd.- M. grande Wall. Cat. u. 4103 (not Bl.).— Jlf. 



Bat. i. 254 (part). — Eosehth. op. cit. 919. ramifloruM Ham. Cat. Wall. n. 4103. — M. pra- 



^ Retz. Obs. iv. 26. ginum Naud. loe. dt. xviii. 275. — ? M. pii ifolium 



* Bl. Mus. Lugd.-Bat. i. 358. — M. nmbellatum Naud. loc. cit. (ex Tri.). 



