367 



THE MYKTLE AND BRAZIL NUT ALLIANCE. 



The Melastom Family. 



(Melastomace^.) 



Small trees, shrubs, frutlets, or rarely herbs; having 

 opposite simple leaves with a more or less number of parallel 

 veins passing from the base to the apex, the footstalk some- 

 times swollen. Flowers terminal, solitary, or in racemes 

 or loose panicles, sometimes umbel-like. Petals 4 or 5. 

 Stamens 4 — 8 or 10. Filaments bent. Anthers long, at- 

 tached by their side, opening by two pores at the apex. 

 Fruit berry-like, pulpy, or firm and dry, opening at 

 the apex, or sometimes partially valvate. Seeds small, 

 numerous. 



This is an extensive family containing 1100 or more 

 species. They are found mostly in moist tropical countries, 

 a few in Australia, very few in North America or Northern 

 India, and none in Europe. They are all harmless, and 

 possess astringent but not noxious qualities, and generally 

 impart a black colour to the mouth.* Some are used as 

 dyes. Many are interesting plants in the hothouses of this 

 country ; some having heath-like, and others magnificent, 

 broad, elliptical leaves, 2 to 3 feet in length. In many the 

 flowers are very small and inconspicuous ; others large and 

 of showy colours, such as Medinilla magnifolia, Pleroma hete- 

 romalla, P. Benthamiana, and many others, all of which 

 however, are exceeded by those of P. macrantha, which are 

 of a purple colour, and have a diameter of 3 inches. These 

 and many other showy species are natives of Brazil, New 

 Grenada, and other parts of tropical America. Rliexia vir- 

 ginica, a pretty perennial plant, native of the United States, 

 in favourable situations is hardy in this country. 



Jamaica Wild Eose {Blakea trinervia), is an epiphytal 



* Hence the name Mela, black, Stoma, mouth. 



