MELASTOMATACEAE
Morphological description
Woody. Sometimes herbs with 3-merous flowers (Sonnerila); epiphyte, with auricled leaves (Pogonanthera); pseudostipules (Dalenia, Dissochaeta; Medinilla, rare); epiphyte with urn-shaped fruits (Pachycentria)
Leaves
Leaves decussate (incl. verticillate), simple, usuallytriplinerved; exstipulate. Sometimes usually penninerved, venation often indistinct (Memecylon)
Inflorescence
Inflorescence.
Flowers
Flower choripetalous; connective variously prolonged or appendaged; ovary (half) inferior. Usually hermaphroditic, petals showy; anthers opening by apical pores; ovary 4- or 5-celled with numerous axile ovules
Fruit
Fruit1-locular, 1- or 2-seeded, top with star-shaped ridges.
Seed
Seed.
Different from: Myrtaceae: leaves with pellucid dots, stamens numerous. — Crypteroniaceae: twigs thickened at the nodes, petals usually minute or absent, anthers without appendages.
Distribution: The family pantropical. In Malesia 36 genera, incl.: - Astronia (Malesia, Pacific), trees; lowland and montane rain forest; - Medinilla (paleotropics), climbers, epiphytes, shrubs, lowland and montane rain forest; - Melastoma (Indo-Malesia), shrubs, most common in disturbed habitats; - Memecylon (paleotropics), shrubs, treelets, lowland and mid-montane rain forest; - Pternandra (Malesia), treelets, undergrowth of lowland rain forest; - Sonerila (Indo-Malesia), herbs, forest floor.
Notes: Members of the family often very common in forest undergrowth, many species epiphytic or climbing. — Pollination often by bees; fruits of some species eaten by birds. — Ornamentals (potential): Medinilla, Melastoma, Phyllagathis, Sonerila, Tibouchina*. — Edible fruit: Bellucia*. — Memecylon is sometimes placed in a separate family.
Literature: R.C. Bakhuizen van den Brink, A contribution to the knowledge of the Melastomataceae occurring in the Malay Archipelago, Rec. Trav. Bot. Neerl. 40 (1945) 1-391; J.F. Maxwell, Tree Fl. Mal. 4 (1989) 179-198. — Dr. S. Renner (University St. Louis, USA) is coordinating the revision of the family for Flora Malesiana.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Melastomataceae 58, 64, 68, 83, 86, 92 - Anerincleistus 47 - Astronia 25, 26, 59, 63 - Astronidium 63 - Bellucia 70 - Blastus 31, 47 - Catanthera 5, 6, 25, 44 - Clidemia 93 - Creochiton 5, 6, 25 - Cyanandrium 95 - Dalenia 5, 32 - Diplectria 5, 6, 32 - Dissochaeta 5, 6, 16, 25, 26, 32 - Driessenia 47 - Hederella 44 - Macrolenes 5, 6, 16, 25, 31, 85, 95 - Medinilla 2, 5, 6, 15, 25, 32, 44, 46, 47 - Melastoma 27, 44, 63; M. beccarianum 95 - Memecylon 15, 55, 59, 61, 65, 93 Neodissochaeta 5, 6 - Neodriessenia 31, 47 - Oxyspora 52 - Pachycentria 2, 9 - Phyllagathis 47 - Pogonanthera 2 - Poikilogyne 15, 47; P. villosa 52 - Pternandra 15, 16, 95 - Sonerila 44, 47, 79.
Illustrations: Fig. 104. Memecylon laruei Merr.: a. habit; b. LS of pistil; c. stamen. — M. monchyanum Backer: a. habit; b. LS of pistil; c. stamen. (Courtesy Gardens Bulletin, Singapore). Fig. 105. Sonerila biflora Zoll. & Moritzi.
Image in PhytoImages for Melastomataceae