Interesting Facts
Description
Family Melastomataceae
Herbs, shrubs
, or trees
(to 20 m
tall), erect
, climbing
, or rarely epiphytic. Stipules lacking. Leaves simple
, commonly opposite and decussate with one of a pair slightly smaller than other, rarely verticillate
or alternate by abortion
of one of a pair, usually 1-4(or 5) secondary veins on each side of midvein
, originating at or near base
and anastomosing apically, tertiary veins numerous, parallel, and connecting secondary veins and midvein but in Memecylon secondary veins pinnate and tertiary veins reticulate
. Inflorescences cymose
, umbellate
, corymbose
, in paniculate
clusters
, or a cincinnus, rarely flowers single, fascicled, or born on a spike; bracts sometimes conspicuous
and persistent
. Flowers bisexual
, actinomorphic
but androecium often slightly zygomorphic, usually (3 or) 4- or 5(or 6) -merous, perianth biseriate
, perigynous; bracteoles opposite, usually caducous
. Hypanthium funnel-shaped, campanulate
, cyathiform
, or urceolate
. Calyx lobes
(3-) 5(or 6), valvate
(rarely connate
, but not in Chinese species) . Petals (3-) 5(or 6), equal to number of sepals, distinct
, imbricate. Stamens usually twice as many as petals and in 2 whorls, rarely as many as petals by loss of 1 whorl, isomorphic
or dimorphic
; filaments
distinct, often geniculate
, inflexed
in bud; anthers
typically 2-celled, introrse
, basifixed
, dehiscent
by 1 or 2 apical pores
or by short longitudinal
slits (Astronia, Memecylon) ; connective
often variously appendaged. Pistil and style 1; stigma minute, capitate or truncate
. Ovary commonly inferior or semi-inferior, locules usually (3 or) 4 or 5(or 6) with numerous
anatropous ovules
, rarely 1-loculed and ovules ca.
9 (Memecylon) ; placentation axillary
, parietal
(Astronia and, outside China, Pternandra Jack
), or free
central (Memecylon) . Fruit a dry or fleshy
capsule or a berry, loculicidally dehiscent or indehiscent. Seeds (when 3-6-loculed) usually small, curved
through half a circle (cochleate) or wedge-shaped (cuneate), in Memecylon seeds large and ovoid
; endosperm absent.
Between 156 and 166 genera (150-160 in Melastomataceae sensu stricto
and six in Memecylaceae here considered part of Melastomataceae) and ca. 4500 species (ca. 4050 in Melastomataceae sensu stricto and 450 in Memecylaceae [Olisbeoideae if considered a subfamily
of Melastomataceae]) : primarily in tropical
and subtropical
regions; 21 genera (five endemic) and 114 species (72 endemic) in China.
Chinese genera of economic value include Osbeckia (medicine) and Melastoma (wild fruit and ornamental
flowers) .[1]
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Plantae
()
- Haeckel, 1866
- Plants
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
()
- Cavalier-Smith, 1981
- Phylum:
Magnoliophyta
()
- Sinnott, 1935 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Flowering Plants
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
()
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
()
- Kenrick & Crane, 1997
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
()
- Brongniart, 1843
- Dicotyledons
- Subclass:
Rosidae
()
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Superorder:
Myrtanae
()
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Order:
Myrtales
()
- Reichenbach, 1828
- Suborder:
Lythrineae
()
- Family:
Melastomataceae
()
- A.L. de Jussieu, 1789, nom. cons.
- melastomas
- Genus:
Tristemma
()
- Specific epithet:
erectum
- Guill. & Perr.
- Botanical name: - Tristemma erectum Guill. & Perr.
- Specific epithet:
erectum
- Guill. & Perr.
- Genus:
Tristemma
(
- Family:
Melastomataceae
(
- Suborder:
Lythrineae
(
- Order:
Myrtales
(
- Superorder:
Myrtanae
(
- Subclass:
Rosidae
(
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
(
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
(
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
- Phylum:
Magnoliophyta
(
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
Similar Species
Members of the genus Tristemma
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 0 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:
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Further Reading
- Flora of tropical Africa. By Daniel Oliver. .. assisted by other botanists. London, L. Reeve, 1868-1902. url p. 450.
- Hooker, W. J. et al. Niger flora;or, An enumeration of the plants of western tropical Africa, collected by the late Dr. Theodore Vogel, botanist to the voyage of the expedition sent by Her Britannic Majesty to the river Niger in 1841, under the command of Capt. H. D. Trotter, R.N., &c.; including Spicilegia gorgonea, by P. B. Webb, esq., and Flora nigritiana, by Dr. J. D. Hooker. .. and George Bentham, esq. with a sketch of the life of Dr. Vogel. Ed. by Sir W. J. Hooker. .. With two views, a map, and fifty plates. 1849 London, H. Bailliere; [etc., etc.] 1849. url p. 355.
- Niger flora; or, An enumeration of the plants of western tropical Africa, collected by the late Dr. Theodore Vogel, botanist to the voyage of the expedition sent by Her Britannic Majesty to the river Niger in 1841, under the command of Capt. H. D. Trotter, R.N., &c.; includ London, H. Bailliere; [etc., etc.]1849. url p. 355.
- Chen Cheih. 1984. Melastomataceae. In: Chen Cheih, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 53(1): 135-293.
Notes
Contributors
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 8362145
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 15620962
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:576797-1
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 3548398
Footnotes
- Jie Chen & Susanne S. Renner "Melastomataceae". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 360. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
