(botany) A large family of dicotyledonous plants in the order Myrtales characterized by an inferior ovary, axile placentation, up to twice as many stamens as petals (or sepals), anthers opening by terminal pores, and leaves with prominent, subparallel longitudinal ribs.
Melastomataceae
| Sci-Tech Dictionary: Melastomataceae |
(′mel·ə′stō·mə′tās·ē′ē)
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| WordNet: Melastomataceae |
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The noun has one meaning:
Meaning #1:
a family of trees and bushes and herbs of order Myrtales; many are cultivated as ornamentals
Synonyms: family Melastomataceae, Melastomaceae, family Melastomaceae, meadow-beauty family
| Wikipedia: Melastomataceae |
| Melastomataceae | |
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| Tibouchina semidecandra at Strybing Arboretum, San Francisco | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Melastomataceae Juss. |
| Genera | |
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The family Melastomataceae (alternatively Melastomaceae) is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants found mostly in the tropics (two thirds of the genera are from the New World tropics) comprising some 200 genera and 4500 species. Melastomes are annual or perennial herbs, shrubs, or small trees.
The leaves of melastomes are somewhat distinctive, being opposite, decussate, and usually with 3-7 longitudinal veins arising either from the base of the blade, plinerved (inner veins diverging above base of blade), or pinnately nerved with three or more pairs of primary veins diverging from the mid-vein at successive points above the base.
Flowers are perfect, and borne either singly or in terminal or axillary, paniculate cymes.
A number of melastomes are regarded as invasive species once naturalized in tropical and subtropical environments outside of their normal range. Examples are Koster's curse and Miconia calvescens, but many other species are involved.
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Learn More
 | meadow beauty (plant) |
| Giraffe-necked weevil |
| Myrtales (magnoliophyta) |
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 | Sci-Tech Dictionary. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms. Copyright © 2003, 1994, 1989, 1984, 1978, 1976, 1974 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Melastomataceae". Read more |
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