(671 
MELASTOMA granulosa. 
Commerson’s Melastoma. 
—— 
DECANDRIA MONOGYNI4. 
Nat. ord. MELASTOMACER. Jussieu gen. 328. Brown bot. of Congo. . 
15. Div. I. Germen inferum. 
MELASTOMA. Supra vol. 5. fol. 363. 
. 
Div. Foliis 5-nervibus. By 
M. granulosa, ramis marginato-tetragonis, foliis ovali-lanceolatis longits 
~ acuminatis, supra appressé hispidis lucidis, subtis pannoso-villosis; 
talis oboyato-oblongis acumine brevi abrupto, filamentis superné longé 
laxéque lanatis. Don MSS. 
Melastoma granulosa. Lamarck encyc. 4. 44, Smith in Rees’s cyclop. in 
loco. Persoon syn. 1. 476. 
Frutex 10-pedalis, appresso-hispidus, supra brachiato-ramosus -ramis ad- 
scendentibus, alato-4-gonis, superné foliosis virentibus alis subundulatis. 
. Fol. coriacea, decussato-opposita, divaricata, intervallis multoties longiora, 
immersé 5-nervia (nervis 3 subtis varicosioribus), integra, utrinque atte- 
nuata, cuspidato-acuminata, 4-G-uncialia latitudine sesquiunciali v. majore, 
supra saturate virentia lucida carunculis muriciformibus (in siccd albicanti- 
bus atque conspicuioribus) adnato-decumbentibus setula brevi appressd termi- 
natis antrorsim directis subsymmetricé strigosa, subtis preter nervos vari- 
cosos strigillosos land brevi molli densé pallescentia inque nervorum intervallis 
transverse numerose paralleléque venosa: petioli flexiles, patie multoties bre- 
viores, scabri, é ciliis intermediis per paria connexi. - 
decussato-ramulose, ramuli trichotomi breves axisque purpurascentia 4-gona 
hispida: pedicelli tubo calycis pluriés breviores, bracteis 2 oppositis majoribus 
gemmaceis caducis cum enascent va 
aniculz terminales, 
e flore inclusi, teretes, sericeit. Flores rubro- 
purpuret, speciosissimi, diametro ferme triunciali. Cal. tubuloso-5-fidus, tubo 
cylindrico, pedicelli turbinato-continuo, limbo membranaceo, colorato, re- 
curvo-rotato, segmentis oblongo-acuminatis, tubo subequalibus, intus glabris. 
Cor. concavits rotata, extis lucida, petalis obovato-oblongis acumine brevi 
apiculatis, obsolete unguiculatis, subdistantibus, subtilitér ciliatis. Stam.10, 
alterné longiora, § v. circa corolla breviora, fasciculata, filamentis declinato- 
assurgentibus, albidis, gracilibus, inferné nudis, superné land longa laxé 
rubra barbatis: anthere purpurascentes, lineart-subulate, filamento sub- 
aquales, curvo brevi angusto adscendentes, loculis introrsis transverse rugatis 
intensivs coloratis, receptaculo eatrorso pallente bast bidentato. Stylus eru- 
bescens glaber, staminibus sublongior, filamentis subrobustior ; stigma apex 
obtusus puberulus. Germ. albidum, tubo calycino equale, apice sericeo-vil- 
losum. Fructum nec nisi imperfectum, vidimus. Don MSS. 
This fine shrub grows to the height of ten feet, and from 
its deep green shining foliage, numerous and long-succeed- 
ing bunches of large purple blossom, is said to form one 
of the most splendid ornaments of the tropical groves. 
pe- 
