Medinilla
(named after J. de Medinilla, of Pineda, Governor of the Marianne Islands). ORD. Melastomaceae. A genus comprising about fifty species of erect or scandent, stove, evergreen, branched shrubs, natives of the East Indies, Ceylon, the Malayan and Pacific Islands, rare in the West African and Mascarene Islands. Flowers white or rose, bracteate or ebracteate, disposed in panicles, or in lateral, many or few-flowered cymes; bracts sometimes large, rosy; calyx entire, or four to six-toothed; petals four or five (rarely six), ovate, oblong, or obovate, acute. Berry globose or ovoid. Leaves opposite or verticillate, rarely very unequal, or solitary and alternate, entire, fleshy, three to nine-nerved; nerves sometimes pinnate. The species do best in a compost of peat, thoroughly decomposed leaf mould, and light loam, in equal parts, with about a sixth part of silver sand added. Medinillas luxuriate in a moist atmosphere and a high temperature. All those described below are branched, more or less erect, shrubs, not climbers.
M. amabilis (lovely).* fl. rosy-pink, in large panicles, which are erect, and composed of four-branched whorls, the branches each forming a cyme of numerous flowers. Spring. l. opposite, sessile, oblong-obovate, obtuse, with a short acuminate point, 1ft. long, 7in. to 8in. broad. Stem quadrangular; angles furnished with a narrow undulated wing. India, 1874. (B. M. 6681; G. C. n. s., xvii. 561.) M. Curtisii (Curtis).* fl. white, in terminal panicles; peduncles and pedicels coral-red; stamens purple. l. opposite, elliptic, acute, rather fleshy, three-nerved. Sumatra, 1884. (B. M. 6730.) M. javanensis (Java). fl. of a pale flesh-colour, nearly 1in. across, with very dark purple anthers, disposed in short terminal panicles. Winter. l. opposite, sessile, somewhat cordate, elliptic, rather acuminated. h. 4ft. Java, 1850. (B. M. 4569.) M. magnifica (magnificent)* fl. rosy-pink, borne in very large, terminal, pendulous racemes, continuing a long time in perfection. May. l. opposite, broadly ovate, smooth, rich shining green, 8in. to 10in. long. h. 3ft. Manilla. A lovely plant.(B. M. 4533.) M. Sieboldiana (Siebold's). fl. white, about 3/4in. across, disposed in a thyrsoid drooping panicle; stamens purple. Winter l. oblong, tapering to each end, fleshy. h. 4ft. Moluccas. (B. M. 4650.) M. speciosa (showy). fl. crimson, in large, drooping, panicled racemes. July. l. almost sessile, four in a whorl, rarely opposite, ovate-oblong. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Java, 1845. (B. M. 4321.)