Melasfoma] LII. MELASTOMACE^ 333 



hairs or scales, lobes deciduous. Stamens usually 10; inserted with petals on 

 the calyx-rim, very unequal, 5 longer, with purple anthers, connective long, 

 produced at the base, and terminating in two lobes, alternating with 5 shorter 

 stamens, with yellow anthers, connective not produced. Ovary adnate to the 

 base of calyx-tube, usually 5-celled, apex clothed with bristles, ovules on large 

 axile placentas, which become pulpy in fruit. Seeds minute. Species 40, 

 tropical Asia and Australia. Polynesia. 



1. M. malabathricum, Linn. ; Wight 111. t. 95, includes M. nor male, Don ; 

 Kurz E. EL i. 504. Vern. Futki, Ass. ; Mijetj)ye, Lower, Shame, Upper Burma. 



An evergreen shrub or small tree, branchlets, petioles and peduncles densely 

 clothed with acute or acuminate, often serrulate scales. L. 3-5-nerved, strigose 

 and often tomentose on the underside, blade 2-6, petiole l-\ in. long. "^ El. 

 purple, 2-3 in. across, calyx densely clothed with pale linear acuminate entire 

 or serrate scales. Er. \ in. diam. 



Subhimalayan tract and outer Mils from Nepal eastwards, ascending in Sikkim to 

 6,000 ft. Assam, Khasi liills. Chittagong, Andamans, Burma. Western Peninsula. 

 Fl. througliout the year, cliiefly March- July. Ceylon moist country to 3,000 ft. 

 Seychelles. Malay Peninsula and ArcMpelago. China, Australia, New Caledonia. 

 Nearly allied are: 2. M. decemfidum, Eoxb. {M. sanguineum, Sims). Tenasserim, Malay 

 Peninsula, Tonkin, China. Branchlets, petioles and peduncles clothed with long spread- 

 ing bristles, 1. scattered, appressed hairs above, glabrous beneath. Fl. bright purple, 

 2-3 in. diam., calyx-tube clothed with long shining bristly hairs. 3. M. imUricatum, 

 Wall. Assam, Khasi hills, Andamans. Burma. BranchletSj petioles, peduncles and 

 calyx clothed with closely appressed serrulate scales. L. strigose on both sides, appressed 

 scales on nerves beneath, blade 4-9, petiole J-IJ in. PL IJ in. across, petals oblong. 4. M. 

 Clarkeanum, Cogniaux in DC. Monogr. Phan. vii. 346 {M, Houtteanum^ Kurz, not Naudin), 

 Pegu Yoma. Tenasserim, calyx-tube clothed with ciliate pale coloured scales about 

 ^ in. long. 



2. OXYSPORA, DC. ; El. Brit. Ind. ii. 525. 



Large shrubs with spreading and drooping branches. L. long-petioled, ovate, 

 acuminate, 5~7-nerved, sec. n. numerouSj at right angles to main nerves. El. 

 in long terminal panicles. Calyx-tube cylindric-turbinate, teeth 4, short, tri- 

 angular. Stamens 8, the anthers of 4 on long filaments, purple, the others 

 yellow. Ovary inferior, 4-celled. Capsule fusiform, dry, 8-ribbed. Seeds oo, 

 falcate. Speci*es 7. India, Malay Peninsula and Archipelago. 



1. O. paniculata, DC. ; Wall. PL As. Ear. t. 88. 



Branchlets, petioles and nerves beneath with scanty fugacious stellate tomen- 

 tum and long soft bristles. Panicle ample, calyx, petals and pedicels purple or 

 lilac, base of larger anthers deeply 2-lobed. 



Outer Himalaya, from Nepal eastwards, 4-6000 ft. in Sikkim. Assam. Khasi hills. 

 PI. Aug. -March.— Yunnan. 2, 0. vagans, "Wall. Assam, Khasi hills. Manipur. 

 Branchlets, petioles and nerves beneath with long, thin soft hairs, base of larger anthers 

 shortly 2-lobed, connective spurred at base. 8. 0. cernua, Triana. Upper Assam. 

 Chittagong. Scandent, glabrous, leaves pale or brown beneath, blade 4-12, petiole 

 l-lj in. long. Pi. rose-coloured, in long narrow drooping panicles, rachis sharply 

 quadrangular at the base. Anther-cells of longer stamens slightly diverging at base, 

 connective not spurred. 



Ptemandra caerulescens, Jack, including P. capitellata, Jack. Tenasserim, Malay 

 Peninsula and Archipelago. An evergreen large shrub or small tree j 1. elliptic, shortly 

 acuminate, 3 prominent basal nerves. PI. blue in axillary compound cymes, calyx 

 adnate to ovary and prolonged beyond it, truncate, tesselate outside, petals 4 thick, 

 ovate, reflexed, stamens 8, filaments short, perfect anthers 4 or 5, ovate, blunt, the others 

 narrow. Pr. pulpy, turbinate, truncate, J-i in. diam. 



3. OSBECKIA, Linn. ; PL Brit. Ind. ii. 513. 



Hairy herbs or shrubs. PL large, 4- or 5-merous, in small, mostly bracteate 

 terminal cymes. Calyx-tube campanulate, adnate to lower half of ovary and 



