MELASTOMACE^E. 



47 



angle of each nerve. Flowers white : peduncles short, 

 solitary, seldom more than one-flowered. A pair of mi- 

 nute ovate bracteoles appressed to the calyx. Calyx 

 more or less tinged with crimson ; externally with a rrfP 

 nute steliated pubescence ; globose at the base : tube 

 subtetragonal ; teeth 4, long, subulate, inserted below and 

 outside of the margin which is subentire. Petals* shorter 

 than the calycine teeth, spathulate with the apex acute. 

 Stamens 8 : 'filaments kneed : anthers curved, lanceolate, 

 one-pored, yellow. Ovary glabrous: style subulate, 

 longer than the stamens, stained with crimson : stigma 

 acute. Berry crowned with the tube and teeth oi' the 

 calyx, black, 4-celled : seeds numerous, wedge-shaped, 

 angular. 



According to Swartz, the leaves are 3-nerved. This 

 error has been corrected by DeCandolle, who has pro- 

 perly described them as 3-ply-nerved ; but adds, that the 

 margin is subrepando-denticulated — a character which I 

 have not observed in the specimens that I have met with. 

 The leaves, in this species, are less distinctly nerved than 

 in any other of the order. 



V. OSSJEA. 



Calycine tube adherent to but not produced 

 beyond the ovary, ovate ; lobes 4, short, acute. 

 Petals 4, lanceolate, acute. Stamens 8, short : 

 anthers scarcely auric ulated at the base. Ovary 

 subglabrous at the apex : style filiform : stigma 

 simple. Berry 4-celled, crowned with the lobes 

 of the calyx : seeds ovate, angular. 



Leaves generally triply-nerved. Flowers small, axil- 

 lary. — Named by DeCandolle in honor of Senor de 

 la Ossa, a Botanical explorer of Cuba. 



1. Osssea Scabrosa. Scabrous Osstea. 



Stem shrubby hirsute, branches terete hirsute, 

 leaves ovate subacuminate denticulato-ciliated 

 triply-nerved papilloso-scabrous foveolated and 

 hoary tomentose beneath, flowers very crovvd- 

 ed sessile octandrous, calyx 4-cleft hirsute 

 with divisions subulate minute, petals 4 scarcely 



