150 



Melastomataceae. 



33. Melastoma malabathricum L. (M. polyanthum Bl.). 



One of the commonest Javanese shrubs, spread throughout 

 the island from the plains up to + 1650 m. above sea-level, 

 except in regions where the east-monsoon is of very long 

 duration. The plant grows by preference in sunny or slightly 

 shadowed not too dry localities, in grassy jungles, thickets 

 and young secondary forests, locally often in great numbers. 

 The flowers 1 ) are adapted to pollination by insects, but I 

 cannot adhere to the opinion of Fritz Mueller and 

 Forbes that these animals always bring about cross- 

 pollination. As a plant often bears many opened flow- 

 ers at a time, geitonogamy can quite as well take place. 

 Moreover it seems not yet to have been examined whether 

 fructification depends on pollination by insects though such 

 is probably the case. When ripe the oblong fruits burst 

 transversely; the upper part claps back as a lid, denuding 

 the much swollen juicy blackish red placentae which bear 

 on their surface numerous minute seeds. These placentae 

 are eaten by children and by animals which possibly distri- 

 bute the seeds. Perhaps rain-water also takes a part in the 

 distribution of these. 



Several specimens in crevices at the base of the basaltic 

 rocks. 



Apocynaceae. 



34. Cerbera manghas L. (C. odollam Gartn.). See p. 46, No. 3. 



A few very young seedlings on the younger parts of the 

 beach. 



Convolvulaceae. 



35. /pomoecJ pes caprae S\v. See p. 48, No. 7. 



Numerous, in many places covering the beach with a 

 loose network of stems. See Ernst, Neue Flora Vulkanin- 

 sel Krakatao (1907) tab. VII, fig. 4. 



Verbenaceae. 



36. Premna integrifolia L. (Pr. foetida Reinw.). See p. 137, No. 37. 



A few scattered specimens on the littoral plain. 

 ^Forbes, A Naturalist's Wanderings in the Malayan Archipelago, p. 228 seq. 



