Melastoma \Me*las"to*ma\, n. [NL., fr. Gr. me`las black + ? mouth.] (Bot.) A genus of evergreen tropical shrubs; -- so called from the black berries of some species, which stain the mouth.
Melastoma n : type genus of Melastomataceae; Asiatic shrubs with leathery leaves and large purple flowers followed by edible fleshy black berries [syn: {genus Melastoma}]