330 Descriptions of Malayan Plants, 



the sea. The tubercles of the leaf are formed by the incurv- 

 ing of its base upon the petiole at the point of junction : 

 they are rarely exactly opposite, but generally higher on the 

 one side than the other. The petals have a kind of appen- 

 dix or toothlet on the margin, a little above the middle. In 

 the former species the petals are singularly transparent and 

 delicate, 



18. MELASTOMA ALPESTRIS. 

 Tab. I. Fig. 3. a—d. 



M. decandra, paniculis terminalibus, foliis sessilibus gla- 

 berrimis crenulatis quintuplinerviis. 



Found on the summit of the Sugar-loaf Mountain (Gunong 

 Bunko) in Sumatra. 



A small shrub, with smooth sub-dichotomous branches. 

 Leaves opposite, sessile, semi-amplexicaul, ovate, elongated 

 upwards, obsoletely crenate, very smooth, coriaceous, pale 

 green, with a purplish shade beneath, quintuple-nerved ; 

 three to four inches long. A circle of short brown threads 

 in the axils. Panicles terminal, divaricate, flesh-coloured. 

 Bracts small. Calyx five-dentate. Corolla five-petalled, of 

 a delicate flesh-colour, rotate; petals obtusely notched at 

 the point. Stamina ten, ascending, equal. Anthers similar 

 and equal, curved, beaked, dark-purple, having a toothlet 

 or spur behind ; before expansion their points reach about 

 half way down between the calyx and ovary. Style simple. 

 Berries red, five-celled, many-seeded. 



06^.— This is the first decandrous species I have met 

 with belonging to the second division of Melastoma with 

 similar anthers. In habit and in the texture of the leaves 

 it has a close resemblance to M. pulverulenta, but its flowers 

 have more resemblance to those of M, ruhicunda ; it must be 

 associated with these two. From the characters of this 

 species, it appears that neither the number of the stamina, 

 nor of the nerves of the leaves, afford subdivisions consonant 

 to the natural series. I met with this plant on the very 



