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Botanical Family · Myrtales

Melastomataceae

Melastome family

35 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.

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Representative MELASTOMATACEAE specimen
Representative specimen · Melastomataceae
Key pattern

Leaves marked with three to seven strong veins running arched and roughly parallel from base to tip, joined by fine ladder-rung cross-veins — a leaf pattern (plinervation) distinctive enough to name the family on sight; anthers open through a pore and often carry a curved beak.

Overwhelmingly a family of tropical understorey herbs, shrubs, and small trees, most diverse in humid forest habitats where the ribbed-leaf pattern stands out against the surrounding foliage.

Identify the species

Which Melastomataceae species is this?

Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Melastomataceae species.

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HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?
Herb
Shrub
Tree
Flower SizeHow large and showy are the flowers?
Large and showy (several cm across)
Small and inconspicuous
Flower ColorWhat color are the flowers?
Blue
Pink
Purple
Purple/violet
White
Flower SizeHow large and showy are the flowers?
Large and showy (several cm across)
Small and inconspicuous
Flower ColorWhat color are the flowers?
Blue
Yellow

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 rotundifoliaMalabar MelastomeMelastoma malabathricumBlue MistMemecylon angustifoliumIron-Wood TreeMemecylon eduleTalbot MemecylonMemecylon talbotianumSmallest Indian MemecylonMemecylon terminaleIron-Wood TreeMemecylon umbellatum

All 35 species in MELASTOMATACEAE

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