Memecylon 
apex acuminate to emarginate. Inflorescence axillary, 
short, often on old wood. Flowers 4-merous. 
Hypanthium c. 1.5 mm long. Calyx lobes present as 
small teeth. Petals caducous, c. 2 mm long, thick. 
Stamens 8, isomorphic; anthers versatile, thecae 
terminal, opening by slits, with dorsal appendage and 
central circular gland. Ovary 1-locular; ovules c. 8 
on a basal placenta. Fruit blue or black, fleshy, 
MELASTOMATACEAE 141 
indehiscent, globose, c. 8 mm diam., crowned by 
persistent calyx, 1-seeded. Flowering: Nov - Feb; 
fruiting: immature fruit present in most months, 
maturing Nov - May. Fig. 44 
From SE Asia to New Guinea and northern 
Australia. Common in coastal to subcoastal monsoon 
thickets on a variety of soils but typically associated 
with sandstone. 
OSBECKIA L. 
A genus of c. 60 species from Africa, India through Malesia to northern Australia. Two species in Australia, 
both in the NT with 1 in the DR. 
O. australiana Naudin 
Perennial, scabrous shrub to 2 m high. Vegetative 
parts densely covered with ciliate or subplumose 
bristles. Leaves shortly petiolate; blades 3-nerved, 
linear to narrowly lanceolate, 15-60 mm long, 
2-13 mm wide, L/W 3.7-11.2. Inflorescence a 
few-flowered, condensed, bracteate terminal cyme, 
rarely elongate. Flowers 5-merous. Hypanthium 
5-6 mm long, densely covered with bristly 
protuberances, those on the hypanthium summit 
Melastoma 
M. affine 
longer. Calyx lobes triangular, c. 5 mm long, ciliate. 
Petals purple, obovate, c. 10 mm long, ciliate at 
apex. Stamens 10, isomorphic; anthers beaked with 
single terminal pore. Ovary 5-locular; ovules 
numerous on axile placentas. Fruit a capsule, c. 7 
mm diam., seeds numerous. Flowering and fruiting: 
all year. Fig. 44- 
Occurs from the Kimberley to the western half of 
Arnhem Land. Common in the DR in open swampy 
or perennially wet habitats. 
Memecylon Osbeckia 
fruit scale 
O. australiana 
Fig. 44 
