764 
LIX. MELASTOMACE^. 
[. Melastoma. 
(2) M. schizocarpa Ridl. Journ. Roy. As. Soc. S. Br. 59, p. 104. 
Shrub 6 ft. tall, thickly sprinkled with long red hairs. Leaves 
lanceolate-acute, glabrous except some hair on midrib and nerves, 
4 in. long, 2 in. wide; petioles -5 in. long, hairy. Flowers 2 to 3 
terminal, 2 in. across. Bracts ovate cuspidate, -12 in. long. Calyx 
urceolate, 75 in. long, densely hairy ; teeth 5, short. Petals bright 
rose colour, obovate. Stamens 10 ; anthers yellow, connective with 
two short linear processes, smaller ones one-third as long. Fruit 
75 in. long dull red, densely hairy, dehiscing vertically on one side. 
Hob. On heaths, rare. Perlis, Ginting Kabok, Kanga (Ridley). 
(3) M. molle Wall. Cat. 4046. M. sanguineum Sims, var. 
molle Clarke, lx. ii. 524. M. decemfidum Roxb. var. molle King, 
l.c. 5. M. crinitum Naud, Ann. Sc. Nat. 3, iii. 524. 
Low shrub. Branches (densely) and leaves covered with stiff 
pale hairs. Leaves elliptic-acuminate rather flaccid; nerves 5, 
with hairs longer than on the rest of the leaf. Corymb of 4 or 5 
flowers, dense. Calyx 75 in. long, densely covered with long 
subulate pale hairs, lobes lanceolate about as half as long. Petals 
1 in. long, edges and back with tufts of long hairs. Stamens shorter. 
Hab. Dense forest, extremely rare; probably extinct here. Singa¬ 
pore (Wallich 4046). A single plant without flowers was found 
by me in the forests of Bukit Timah many years ago, but has since 
disappeared. Johor, Gunong Pantai. Disirib. Sumatra, Philippines. 
(4) M. malabathricum Linn. Sp. PL 559 ; Clarke, l.c. ii. 523; 
King, l.c. 6 (in part). 
Shrub 3 to 8 ft. tall. Branches, petioles and pedicels densely 
clothed with short acute pale scales. Leaves lanceolate acute, base 
narrowed, blunt, 3- to 5-nerved, strigose on both sides, 2 to 2-5 in. 
long, 1 to 1*25 in. wide ; petioles -2 in. long. Corymbs few-flowered. 
Bracts large, -2 to *5 in. long and broad, ovate truncate, backs 
scaly. Calyx-tube cylindric -5 in. long; scales linear-acuminate; 
lobes ovate acute, shorter than tube. Petals 1 in. long, rosy 
mauve. Fruit urceolate, globular, -25 in. through, dehiscing trans¬ 
versely. Hab. Open country to about 3000 ft. altitude in the 
north. Perak, Thaiping. Selangor, Bukit Hitam at gooo ft. 
altitude. Penang (Wallich 4040). Dindings, Lumut, Province 
Wellesley, Permatang Bertam. Setul, Tomoh (Machado). Tring- 
ganu, Bundi (Rostado). Kelantan, Kwala Lebir (Gimlette). Kedah 
Yan. Distrib. India. Uses and names : as in M. polyanthum. 
(5) M. perakense Ridl. M. malabathricum var. perakense 
King, l.c. 7. 
Large lax-branched shrub. Branches clothed with linear- 
acuminate scales. Leaves ovate acuminate, base narrowed, nerves 
5, strigose above, velvety hairy beneath, 3-5 to 4-5 in. long, 1 to 3 in. 
wide; petioles 1 in. long, hairy. Corymbs of 3 to 8 flowers. Bracts 
broad, oblong, *5 in. long, scales on back linear-acuminate. Calyx- 
tube urceolate, *5 in. long, densely covered with hair-like scales. 
