576 PHANEROGAMIA. 



Subord. II. MELASTOMEil. 



(Melastome^e, Astronie^e, & Kibessieje, Naudin.*) 

 2. ASTRONIA, Blume. 



Astronia, Blume, Bijdr. p. 1080, Rumphia, 1, p. 20, t. 6, 7, & Mus. Bot. Lugd. 

 p. 9 ; Naudin, in Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 3, 18, p. 257. 



1. ASTRONIA FRATERNA, Sp. Nov. (Tab. 72.) 



A. gldberrima; foliis longe petiolatis oblongis acuminatis basi acutis 

 rnanifeste triplinerviis (prcetermisso utroque nervo tenui submargi- 

 nali); cymis cor y miosis ; pedicellis gracilibus; calycis (fructiferi) 

 limbo persistente aperto quinquedentato ; ovario quinqueloculari ; pla- 

 centis ex ima columella ortis. 



Hab. Society Islands : on mountain ridges of Tahiti and Eimeo. 



Except the Melastoma Taitense, this is the only Melastomaceous 

 plant in the collection made at the Society Islands, or mentioned in 

 Dr. Pickering's manuscript notes. It was naturally taken for the 

 Melastoma glabra of Forster (the Astronia Forsteri, Naudin), with 

 which indeed, if truly distinct, it must have been confounded. That 

 species, however (of which I have seen original specimens in the 

 British Museum, and possess recent ones gathered by Mr. Bid will), 

 has a calyx the limb of which is perfectly closed, and separates in 

 anthesis by a transverse circumscission, in the form of a calyptra. 

 In all the present specimens (which unfortunately are only fructi- 

 ferous ones) the whole limb of the calyx is persistent, open, and rather 

 deeply divided into 5 (or rarely 6), pretty regular, broad and rounded 



* M. Naudin's primary divisions of the order are neatly characterized ; but the first 

 three are too closely related, and connected by too many known transitions to entitle 

 them to the rank of suborders. 



