ORDER CCLXXXI.

MELASTOMACEE.-MELASTOMADS.

Melastoma, Juss. Gen. p. 328. (1789).-Melastomaceæ, Don. in Mem. Wern. Soc. 4. 281. (1823); DC. Prodr. 3. 99. (1828); Memoire, (1828); Blume in Botanisch. Zeit. (1833); Endl. Gen. cclxviii.— Memecyleæ, DC. Prodr. 35. (1828); Opatowski Dissertatio.--Memecylacea, Ed. Pr. xxvi.-Mouririacea, Gardn. in Hook. Journ. 2. 23.-Myrrhineæ or Olinieæ, Arnott in Ann. Nat. Hist. 3. 154. DIAGNOSIS.-Myrtal Exogens, with a plurilocular ovary, polypetalous flowers, an imbricated calyx, definite stamens, rostrate anthers, and usually dotless leaves.

Fig CCCCLXXXVIII.

Trees, shrubs, or herbaceous plants. Leaves opposite, undivided, usually entire, without dots, and with several ribs. Flowers terminal, usually thyrsoid. Calyx divided into 4, 5, or 6 lobes, cohering more or less with the angles of the ovary, but distinct from the surface between the angles, and thus forming a number of cavities, within which the young anthers are curved downwards. Petals equal to the segments of the calyx; arising from their base, or from the edge of a disk that lines the calyx; twisted in æstivation. Stamens usually twice as many as the petals, sometimes equal to them in number; in the former case, those which are opposite the segments of the calyx are alone fertile ; filaments curved downwards in æstivation; anthers long, 2-celled, usually bursting by two pores at the apex, and lengthened in va

Fig. CCCCLXXXVIII.-1. Medinilla macrocarpa, (Blume); 2. stamens of M. radicans: 3. a perpendicular section of its ovary; 4. a section of its seed; 5. embryo.

rious ways beyond the insertion of the filament; sometimes bursting longitudinally; before flowering, contained within the cases between the ovary and sides of the calyx. Ovary more or less coherent with the calyx, with several cells, and definite or indefinite ovules; style 1; stigma simple, either capitate or minute; a cup often present upon the

apex of the ovary, surrounding the style. Pericarp either dry and distinct from the calyx, or succulent and combined with the calyx, with several cells; if dehiscent, bursting through the valves, which therefore bear the septa in the middle; placenta attached to a central column. Seeds innumerable, minute, with a brittle testa and no albumen ; usually with appendages of some kind; embryo straight, or curved, with equal or unequal flat or convolute cotyledons.

"The Order of Melastomads," remarks De Candolle, in an excellent Memoir upon the subject, "although composed entirely of exotic plants, and established at a period when but few species were known, is so well characterised, that no one has ever thought of putting any part of it in any other group, or even introducing into it genera that do not rightly belong to it." These distinct characters are, the opposite leaves, with several great veins or ribs running from the base to the apex, and the long beaked anthers. Good, however, in most cases, as these characters undoubtedly are, yet the cause of no uncertainty having been yet found in fixing the limits of the Order, is rather to be attributed to the small number of species that have been examined, than to the want of connecting links: thus Diplogenea has traces of the dots of Myrtles, which were not known to exist in Melastomads until that genus was described. Mouriria has no ribs, and its leaves are very distinctly dotted; the Memecylons are ribless, and so is Sonerila.

Fig. CCCCLXXXIX.

The greatest affinity of Melastomads is on the one hand with Lythrads, on the other with Myrtleblooms and their allies; from the former they differ in the aestivation of their calyx not being valvate, from the latter in having the petals twisted before expansion, and no dots on the leaves, and from both, and all others to which they can be compared, in their long anthers bent down parallel to the filaments in the flower, and lying in niches between the calyx and ovary; with the exception of Memecyls, in which the union between the calyx and ovary is complete, and which have leaves destitute of the lateral ribs that so strongly point out Melastomads. The structure of the seeds of Memecyls is also peculiar, the cotyledons being convolute as in Myrobalans, to which the Myrtleblooms approach at this point. It was for these reasons that the Memecyls were regarded as the type of a peculiar Order, but it seems on the whole more advisable to retain them as a section of Melastomads. That the convolute cotyledons are of no moment is proved by the genus Chamameles, which differs from other Appleworts in the same manner. Mr. Gardner makes Mouriria the type of an Order, because its leaves are dotted and ribless, its ovary perfectly adherent, and its ovules solitary. Sir W. Hooker, however, finds 3 erect ovules in each cell. It is doubtless a genus connecting the Myrtleblooms and Melastomads, and belonging almost as much to one as to the other Order, as Brown long ago stated. As to the Olinieæ, Mr. Arnott regards them as being nearer Myrtleblooms than Melastomads; but they can hardly be separated from Memecyls.

Found neither in Europe nor in Africa north of the desert of Zahara, nor south of Brazil in South America, nor in extra-tropical Africa to the south. Beyond the tropics, 8 are found in the United States, a few in China and the northern provinces of India, and 3 in New Holland. Of the remainder, it appears that 78 are described from India

Fig. CCCCLXXXIX.-Melastoma polyanthum. 1. flower; 2, 2. stamens; 3. base of anther: 4. fruit; 5. section of ditto; 6. seed-after Blume.

or the Indian Archipelago, 12 from Africa and the adjacent islands, and 620 from America, according to De Candolle; but this computation now requires correction.

manner.

A slight degree of astringency is the prevailing character of the Order, which although one of the most extensive known, is entirely destitute of any unwholesome species. The succulent fruit of many is eatable; that of some dyes the mouth black, whence the name of Melastoma. Blakea triplinervis produces a pleasant and eatable yellow fruit in the woods of Guiana. The fruit of Lasiandra argentea and some others is used in Brazil for dyeing black. Osbeckia Principis and Miconia longifolia are employed in the same The leaves of Memecylon edule form an ingredient in the dyes of Coromandel. The ripe berries, though somewhat astringent, are eaten by the natives.-Royle. The juice of Tococa guianensis is used in Demerara as ink. Cremanium reclinatum and tinctorium, and Miconia tinctoria, like the Memecyls, dye yellow; Blakea parasitica and many others red. The flowers of Guildingia psidioides are fœtid, the berries nauseous, the seeds with the flavour of Filberts. The berries of Myrrhinium atropurpureum are eatable. Some are mentioned in medical books. The leaves of Melastoma malabathrica are used in diarrhoea, dysentery, &c. The bark of Medinillas is emollient, and is prepared for poultices, as are the leaves of Osbeckia chinensis. Astronia papetaria (Übat papeda) and some others have sub-acid leaves, which in the Malay Archipelago are cooked as a sauce to fish; the wood of that plant is hard, and used for door-posts. The berries of Tristemma virusanum are given in the Mauritius as a cure for syphilis. A few are aromatic, others vulnerary; but none of any moment.

M. Naudin, who has studied the Order with great care, proposes in his copious notes in the Annales des Sciences, 3 ser., Vols. XII-XVIII, the following new arrangement of the

MELASTOMACEÆ.—Myrtaceæ.

GENUS NOT PLACED BY NAUDIN.

Chiloporus, Naud. formerly referred by him to Miconies