Melastoma septemnervium Lour.
Table of contents
1. Protologue
Melastoma septemnervium Lour., Fl. Cochinch. 1 (1790): 273. - Type: (BM?, not seen).
Differ. spec. Mel. foliis septemnerviis, integerrimis, lanceolate-ovatis, hispidis.
Hab., & notae. Caulis fruticosus, 6-pedalis, erectus, teres, hispidus, ramis patentibus. Folia lanceolato-ovata integerrima, 7-nervia, utrinque pilosa, scabra, opposita, petiolata. Flos magnus, rubro-purpureus pedunculis polyfloris, erectis, terminalibus. Cal. 5-fidus. Corolla petala 5, rotundata, expansa. Stamina 10, fusca, refracta, cauda longe demissa. Bacca calycina, ovata, hispida, exsucca, 5-locularis, polysperma: seminibus plurimis, ovatis, minimis: pulpa nulla.
Habitat in Cochinchina, ubique obvia per colles, & agros minus cultos.
Obser. Fragarius Niger (Rumph. Amb. I. 6. c. 78 t. 72) qui a Linnaeo Melastoma Malabathrica dicitur, vix a nostra differt praeterquam nervorum numero. Est etiam nostrae valde affinis Melastoma Grandiflora Aubli (Guian. pag. 414. tab. 160) quae septem-nervia est, discrepat rero foliorum basi cordata, ac staminibus inaequalibus.
Virtus. Adstringens. Folia, Bacca & Radix apud indigenas in usu sunt ad cohibendos fluxus ventris, & uteri.
2. Synonyms
- Melastoma malabathricum Sims, Bot. Mag. 15 (1801): t. 529.
- Melastoma candidum D. Don, Mem. Wern. Nat. Hist. Soc. 4 (1823): 288. - Type: not designated.
- Melastoma calycinum Benth., Lond. J. Bot. 1 (1842): 485. - Type: not designated.
- Melastoma nobotan Blume, Mus. Bot. Lugd. Bat. 1 (1849): 54. - Type: Blume s.n., Nobotan, Tondano, Sulawesi Utara, Indonesia (L?, not seen).
- Melastoma candidum var. alessandrense S. Kobay., J. Jap. Bot., 59 (1984): 66. - Type: Ono MAK 196063, Shibusawa, Kita-Iwojima (San Alessandro Isl.), The Volcano Isls., Japan, 200 m, 28 Jun 1981 (MAK, not seen).
3. Vernacular names
Mua Trang (Vietnam), Ngou Dan (Hainan), Iwo-nobotan (Japan).
4. Description
Shrubs up to 2 m tall; young branches quadrangular, more or less densely covered with appressed brown scales; bark brown to grey and darkening with age. Leaves elliptic to ovate, 4.2--10.3 x 2.0--6.0 cm, base obtuse or rounded, often slightly cordate, apex acute or acuminate, lamina strigose or subvillous above, subvillous to villous underneath, olive-green; nerves 7, but marginal nerves sometimes unconspicuous, covered with slender scales or bristles; petiole 5--18 mm long. Inflorescences terminal or distal axillary, few-flowered cymes. Flowers 5-merous; bracts ovate-acuminate, 10--21 x 5--13 mm, on both sides densely covered with appressed hairs. Hypanthium campanulate, 6--13 x 6--9 mm, densely covered with appressed golden bristles or scales up to 5 mm long; sepals deciduous, lanceolate, 8--11 x 3--6 mm, hairy on both sides; intersepalar emergences lanceolate to triangular, 3--5 mm long, covered with golden bristles. Petals obovate, 27--32 mx 19--25 mm, ciliate at the apex, bright purple to violet. Stamens dimorphic; longer outer stamens with 9--12 mm long violet anthers and 7--11 mm long yellow filaments, connectives violet, 7--9 mm long, ventrally curved with 2 ventral, yellow appendages c. 2--3 mm long; shorter inner stamens yellow, anthers 8--9 mm long, filament 7--8 long, connective not prolonged but with 2 ventral spurs c. 1--2 mm long. Ovary ovoid, c. 2/3 as long as hypanthium; style 18--20 mm long. Fruit a campanulate fleshy capsule, 8--12 x 7--10 mm, rupturing irregularly at maturity, exposing the black pulp and yellow seeds.
5. Distribution, ecology and notes
Distribution - Japan, South China, Taiwan and northern Vietnam.
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Ecology - Collections: 13. In light forests, clearings, and grass lands, or on rocky slopes, from sea level to 1500 m altitude.
Uses - None recorded, but fruits edible.
Notes - Melastoma septemnervium can be identified by its short, golden hypanthium bristles, the large bracts, and the ovate, subvillous to villous leaves with often cordate bases.
6. Collections
CHINA
- Bodinres 768, Hongkong (P)
- Didrichsen 3315, Hongkong (C)
- Gaudichaud 55, Macao, 0 m (P)
- Lei 879, Tai Wong Ling and vicinity, Tung Pin Tin Village (Ching Mai District), Hainan (P, L)
- Pènicaud s.n., Hainan, assy répandne dans tout le nord de l’ile, Hainan (P)
- Thunberg s.n. (C)
- Tsang 26585, Na Leung and vicinity; Fang Ch’eng District, Guangxi (C).
TAIWAN
- Tanaka 57, Sozan (C)
- Tanaka 11088, Taihoku-shu, Shirin (SING, C, P).
VIETNAM
- Balansa 3911, Mt. Bavi, Ha Tay (P)
- Bon 3193, Tonkin occidental (P)
- Tsang 27263, Taai Wong Mo Shan and vicinity, Chuk-phai, Ha-coi, Tonkin (C)
- Tsang 30182, Sai Wong Mo Shan (Sai Vong Mo Leng), Lomg Ngong Village; Dam-ha, Tonkin (C, L).
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