Botanical Family · Myrtales
Melastomataceae
Melastome family
36 speciesOrder Myrtales8+ well-known plants
A large family of tropical herbs, shrubs, and trees readily identified by their strongly ribbed leaves with parallel veins running from base to apex. Most diverse in the neotropics. The anthers often have distinctive pore openings and elaborate appendages.
Browse all 36 species ↓
How to recognise the Melastomataceae family
- 01
Arcuate parallel leaf veins (plinerved)
- 02
Connective appendages on anthers
- 03
Berry or capsule; common in forest understory
Typical leaf characters
- ArrangementOpposite
- TypeVariable
- MarginVariable
- VenationVariable
Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.
Typical flower & fruit
- Flower symmetryVariable
- InflorescenceCyme
- FruitBerry
Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.
Notable members
Soapbush, Koster's CurseClidemia hirtaDissotis Trailing MelastomaHeterotis rotundifoliaDissotis Trailing MelastomaHeterotis rotundifoliaMalabar MelastomeMelastoma malabathricumBlue MistMemecylon angustifoliumIron-Wood TreeMemecylon eduleTalbot MemecylonMemecylon talbotianumSmallest Indian MemecylonMemecylon terminale
All 36 species in MELASTOMATACEAE
- Soapbush, Koster's CurseClidemia hirta
- Dissotis Trailing MelastomaHeterotis rotundifolia
- Dissotis Trailing MelastomaHeterotis rotundifolia
- Malabar MelastomeMelastoma malabathricum
- Blue MistMemecylon angustifolium
- Iron-Wood TreeMemecylon edule
- Talbot MemecylonMemecylon talbotianum
- Smallest Indian MemecylonMemecylon terminale
- Iron-Wood TreeMemecylon umbellatum
- Wall OsbeckiaOsbeckia muralis
- Eight Stamen OsbeckiaOsbeckia octandra
- Rock OsbeckiaOsbeckia virgata
- Ceylon OsbeckiaOsbeckia zeylanica
- Glory BushPleroma semidecandrum
- Kerala SonerilaSonerila rheedei
- Scaped SonerilaSonerila scapigera
- Tirunelveli SonerilaSonerila tinnevelliensis
- Stemless SonerilaSonerila wallichii
- Princess FlowerTibouchina urvilleana
- Medinilla malabarica
- Memecylon flavescens
- Memecylon gracile
- Memecylon heyneanum
- Memecylon kollimalayanum
- Memecylon lushingtonii
- Memecylon malabaricum
- Memecylon randerianum
- Memecylon subcordatum
- Osbeckia aspera
- Osbeckia aspera var. wightiana
- Osbeckia cupularis
- Osbeckia hispidissima
- Sonerila brunonis
- Sonerila grandiflora
- Sonerila parameswaranii
- Sonerila pulneyensis
Identify any Melastomataceae plant in seconds
Point your camera and SASYA names the species on-device — offline and private.
Download SASYA — Free