Osbeckia
(named after Peter Osbeck, 1723-1805, a Swedish clergyman and naturalist, author of "Dagbock Oefer en Ostendyck, resa," 1757). ORD. Melastomaceae. A genus comprising about three dozen species of handsome stove herbs, sub-shrubs, or shrubs, often erect and setose, natives of the East Indies, China, Japan, the Malayan Islands and Australia, one being found in Africa. Flowers pink, violet, or reddish, showy, terminal, solitary, capitate or paniculate; calyx scaly or pilose; petals five, rarely four, obovate, often ciliated. Leaves sub-coriaceous, sessile or petiolate, three to seven-nerved, entire, or rarely serrulated. For culture, see Melastoma. The species here enumerated are probably the only ones yet introduced. O. aspera (rough), of Hooker. A synonym of O. glauca. O. chinensis (Chinese). fl. cymose, terminal, few; petals purple, acuminated, longer than the stamens. July. l. almost sessile, lanceolate-oblong, three-nerved, rather hispid, a little crenulated. h. 1ft. to 2ft. China, 1818. Shrub. (B. M. 4026; B. R. 542.) O. glauca (glaucous).* fl. red or purple, on short pedicels, terminal, sub-racemose; calyx with scattered, small, stellate hairs. July. l. elliptic, narrowed or obtuse at either end, softly hairy on both surfaces, three to five-nerved. h. 2ft. India. Shrub. (B. M. 5085, under name of O. aspera.) O. nepalensis (Nepaul). fl. large handsome, in terminal and lateral axillary panicles or corymbs; petals purplish-rose, obovate-rounded, spreading. June. l. opposite, sessile, lanceolate, often marked with brown spots. Stem 1 1/2ft. high, erect, branched. Nepaul, 1822. Shrub. (H. E. F. 31.) O. n. albiflora (white-flowered). A pretty white-flowered form. (B. R. 1475.) O. parvifolia (small-leaved). fl. nearly sessile, usually three together; calyx tube and teeth with stalked, stellate, rufous hairs; petals rose-colour, rather large. July and August. l. ovate, sub-acute, rather reflexed, three-nerved, nearly sessile, strigose. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Ceylon, 1799. Shrub. (B. R. 565, under name of O. zeylanica.) O. rostrata (beaked).* fl. rosy-pink, with long, curved, projecting anthers, and disposed in terminal cymes. l. oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, bullate, nearly sessile. Stems quadrangular. Bengal, 1881. Shrub. (B. M. 6575.) O. rubicunda (ruddy). fl. deep purple, terminal, on very short stalks, solitary or aggregate; corolla 2in. across; anthers yellow. l. oblong, acute. Ceylon, 1865. A very handsome shrub. (B. M. 309.) O. stellata (starred). fl. corymbose; calyx tube elongated; petals four, violaceous; anthers yellow. July and August. l. petiolate, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, five-nerved, beset with stiff hairs on both surfaces. h. 2ft. India to China, 1820. Shrub. (B. R. 674.) O. Wightiana (Dr. Wight's). fl. purple, large, fugacious, in close heads. l. ovate, small, hairy. Stem hairy. India, 1863. Plant erect, suffruticose. O. zeylanica (Cingalese), of Lindley. A synonym of O. parvifolia.