Melastoma is a genus in the family Melastomataceae. It has over 100 species distributed around Southeast Asia, India, north to Japan, south to Australia and the Pacific Islands. The number of species should probably be reduced according to some sources. Many species have been planted around the world for the aesthetic value of their bright purple flowers.
Species in this genus are native to temperate and tropical Asia, Seychelles, Pacific and Australasia. Several have the capacity to become invasive species, in Hawaii and other areas.
Description At least one species contains sphaeraphides. They were found in abundance in the endophloem and mesophloem, but none occurred in the bark or leaves.
Species
, Plants of the World Online (PoWO) accepted the following species. An additional species, Melastoma malabituin, was described in 2020.
Melastoma aculeolatum Bakh.f. Melastoma affine D.Don Melastoma ansowii K.M.Wong Melastoma apiense K.M.Wong Melastoma ariffinii K.M.Wong Melastoma ashtonii K.M.Wong Melastoma atrofuscum Bakh.f. Melastoma aureum Bakh.f. Melastoma barioense K.M.Wong Melastoma bauchei Guillaumin Melastoma beccarianum Cogn. Melastoma bensonii Merr. Melastoma borijanum Korth. Melastoma borneense Bakh.f. Melastoma botryanthum K.M.Wong Melastoma buennemeyeri Bakh.f. Melastoma bukitrayense K.M.Wong Melastoma celebicum Blume Melastoma ceramense Naudin Melastoma chevalieri Guillaumin Melastoma collinum K.M.Wong Melastoma culionense Merr. Melastoma curvisepalum Bakh.f. Melastoma cyanoides Sm. Melastoma decipiens Bakh.f. Melastoma denticulatum Labill. Melastoma dodecandrum Lour. - dì niè (Chinese: 地菍) or de rěn (Chinese: 地稔) Melastoma eberhardtii Guillaumin Melastoma elbertii Bakh.f. Melastoma godeffroyi Reinecke Melastoma griffithianum Masters Melastoma hansenii K.M.Wong Melastoma harmsianum Lauterb. Melastoma horridum Bakh.f. Melastoma iliasii K.M.Wong Melastoma imbricatum Wall. ex Triana - senduduk Putih, senggani putih Melastoma impressinervium K.M.Wong Melastoma incisum K.M.Wong Melastoma × intermedium Dunn Melastoma jenkinsii Masters Melastoma joffrei K.M.Wong & Y.W.Low Melastoma kahayanense K.M.Wong Melastoma kemamanense L.Neo & K.M.Wong Melastoma klossii Baker f. Melastoma koordersii Bakh.f. Melastoma kostermansii K.M.Wong Melastoma kuchingense K.M.Wong Melastoma kudoi Sasaki Melastoma lanuginosum Blume Melastoma linusii K.M.Wong Melastoma longiramense K.M.Wong Melastoma magnificum Bakh.f. Melastoma malabathricum L. (many synonyms, some recognized as separate species by some sources, including Melastoma affine D.Don and Melastoma septemnervium Lour.) - Malabar melastome, Singapore rhododendron, senduduk, senggani Melastoma malabituin J.Agcaoili, Barcelona & Pelser Melastoma maraiparaiense K.M.Wong Melastoma micans Gilli Melastoma microlepidotum K.M.Wong Melastoma microphyllum Naudin Melastoma minahassae Koord. ex Karst.Mey. Melastoma molkenboerii Miq. Melastoma molle Wall. ex Cogn. Melastoma muticum Ridl. Melastoma oreophilum K.M.Wong Melastoma oresbium K.M.Wong Melastoma orientale Guillaumin Melastoma ovalifolium Bakh.f. Melastoma paleaceum Naudin Melastoma palungense K.M.Wong Melastoma patulisetum Ohwi Melastoma pellegrinianum (H.Boissieu) Karst.Mey. Melastoma penicillatum Naudin Melastoma pentapetalum (Toyoda) T.Yamaz. & Toyoda Melastoma picklesii K.M.Wong Melastoma porphyraeum Zipp. ex Blume Melastoma postarii K.M.Wong Melastoma praetermissum K.M.Wong Melastoma pubescens Bakh.f. Melastoma pulongtauense K.M.Wong Melastoma robustum Bakh.f. Melastoma roemeri Mansf. Melastoma runiae K.M.Wong Melastoma sabahense Karst.Mey. Melastoma saigonense (Kuntze) Merr. Melastoma sanguineum Sims - fox-tongued melastoma, blood-red melastoma, red melastome Melastoma sarawakense K.M.Wong Melastoma scaberrimum (Hayata) Yuen P.Yang & H.Y.Liu Melastoma septemnervium Lour. Melastoma sibatii K.M.Wong Melastoma suave Bakh.f. Melastoma subalbidum Merr. Melastoma subgrande Hochr. Melastoma sugaui K.M.Wong Melastoma sumatranum Bakh.f. Melastoma sylvaticum Blume Melastoma tanjiewhoei K.M.Wong Melastoma tetramerum Hayata Melastoma toppingii Merr. Melastoma trachycaulon Miq. Melastoma trachyphyllum Backer ex Bakh.f. Melastoma trungii Pócs & Tiep Melastoma ultramaficum K.M.Wong Melastoma velutinosum Ridl. Melastoma vile Bakh.f. Melastoma vulcanicum Ridl. Melastoma yahudii K.M.Wong Melastoma yiianthum K.M.Wong Melastoma zollingeri Naudin
References
Bibliography