MELASTOMA CE^. 



21 



Meriania {Davya) Clamsenii. 



to a sort of wiag at the two extremities ; Axincea, the receptacle of 

 "which is often shorter and wider, but the organization of the rest of 

 the flower is the same, with a thicker dorsal prolongation of the 

 connective, enlarged at the basCj and seeds similar to those of 

 Meriania proper. 



Huberia, Brazilian shrubs, has a la- 

 geniform receptacle, with the flower of 

 Meriania, but tetramerous ; ■ stamens 

 with dorsal appendage less developed, 

 and flowers in cymes. The seeds are 

 winged, whilst they are said to be pyra- 

 midal and without wings in Opisthocentra, 

 which has tetramerous flowers, in cymes, 

 stamens with posterior spur, like those 

 of Huberia, and constitute, therefore, 

 only a section of it. 



Behuna, glabrous shrubs of Brazil, 

 has the stamens of Huberia, to the 

 number of 10 to 12 ; but the flowers, 

 surrounded by two large foliaceous 

 bracts, have equally large foliaceous serrulate sepals, and five or six 

 relatively little developed petals.' 



In Centronia and Graffenriedea, the calyx ordinarily forms a cover 

 which detaches itself circularly at the base or separates irregularly. 

 The former has large flowers in clusters of cymes, with the stamens 

 of Meriania, an ovary .of 3-8 cells and carpels often bifid at the top, 

 which is prominent. The latter has numerous small flowers (resem- 

 bling those of some Lythrariacece) in very ramified clusters ; it has 

 eight, ten, twelve, or even a greater number of stamens, equally 

 analogous to those of Meriania, and a 2-5-celled ovary. Calyptrella, 

 sectionally belonging to it, has the connective somewhat prolonged 

 below the anther. All these plants are from tropical America, and 

 have seeds elongate-pyramidal or nearly so. 



Fig. 29. Flower. 



' We douttfiilly place near Sehuria, Urodea- 

 mium, generally referred to the small group of 

 BhexiecB, •which, appear to U8 organized nearly 

 like Suberia ; Acanthellai an exceptional type. 



from the shores of Orinoco, having tetramerous 

 flowers, with a gynaecium supported hy a short 

 foot, and flattened seeds surrounded by a circular 

 wing. 



