354 The Philippine Journal of Science 1917 
short scales, the lower surface paler, sparingly strigose-setulose 
on the midrib, nerves, and reticulations ; nerves 5 from the base, 
distinct; petioles appressed hirsute-strigose, 5 to 10 mm long. 
Flowers solitary in the uppermost axils or in few flowered ter- 
minal cymes, each young flower subtended by a pair of oblong- 
lanceolate, strigose, acuminate bracts about 8 mm long, these 
bracts somewhat penicillate at the apex, deciduous, more or 
less enclosing the young buds. Calyx-tube 6 to 7 mm long, 
sparingly appressed-strigose with entire, sharp scales less than 
1 mm in length, these scales scattered, not at all obscuring or 
covering the surface of the tube, the lobes 5, lanceolate, acum- 
inate, about 8 mm long, appressed strigose, apex slightly pen- 
icillate, the alternating teeth reduced to mere bristles 2 mm 
long or less. Petals 5, oblong-obovate, about 2 cm long, 11 mm 
wide, apex obtuse or rounded and a little penicillate. Stamens 
10, very unequal ; the five longer ones with anthers about 7 mm 
long, lanceolate, acuminate, the connective produced about 12 
mm below the anther, with small anterior appendages, the fila- 
ments proper 8 to 10 mm long; the five shorter stamens with 
anthers equaling those of the longer stamens, but the connectives 
produced but about 1 mm, the filaments about 8 mm long. 
CuLiON, Halsey Harbor, Bur. Sci. 216i7 Escritor, August 25, 1913. 
The alliance of this species is manifestly with Melastoma vialahathricum 
Linn, as interpreted by Cogniaux, but is so distinct that it cannot properly 
be referred to that species nor to any of the forms that have been reduced 
to it. It is strongly characterized by its slightly strigose calyx, the strigose 
scales scattered, not at all imbricate or overlapping and not nearly covering 
the surface of the calyx tube; its lobes a little longer than the tube; and the 
alternating teeth reduced to mere bristles 2 mm long or less which are not 
at all penicillate or hairy in any respect. 
MELASTOMA SUBALBIDUM sp. nov. 
Frutex erectus 1 ad 1.5 m altus, ramulis et foliis et calycis 
brevissime adpresse strigosis ; foliis oblongis vel oblongo- 
lanceolatis, usque ad 5 cm longis, 5-nerviis, acute acuminatis, 
subtus pallidis; floribus 5- vel 6-meris, parvis, albidis vel subal- 
bidis, petalis circiter 1.3 cm longis, staminibus subaequalibus, 
connectivo basi brevissime producto. 
An erect shrub 1 to 1.5 m high, the branches terete, pale 
grayish-brown, glabrous, the branchlets very slender, densely 
strigose with short, strictly appressed lanceolate, acuminate, 
usually purplish scales hardly exceeding 1 mm in length. Leaves 
oblong to oblong-lanceolate, chartaceous, 3 to 5 cm long, 1 to 
1.5 cm wide, the upper surface green when dry, sparingly 
appressed-strigose with scattered, appressed, short, sharp scales. 
