Wild Wonders of Europe / Radisics / Princess flower (Tibouchina semidecandra) close-up, Madeira, March 2009

MORLEY READ / Leaf detail cloud forest shrub (Family Melastomataceae). West Ecuador, South America

Morley Read / Time-lapse of montane rainforest on the slopes of Reventador Volcano, with purple flowered Glory bush trees (Tibouchina trees), Amazon rainforest, Ecuadorian Amazon, 2017. (non-ex)

Chris Mattison / Giraffe-necked weevil (Trachelophorus giraffa) egg case wrapped in the leaves of its food plant (Dichaetanthera sp). Ranomafana,National Park, Madagascar.

Heather Angel / Melastome (Melastoma polyanthum) flowering in forest, steamy from thermal spring. Tengchong, Yunnan Province, China.

Felis Images / Flowers (Sonerila sp) Sikkim, India.

Joao Burini / Pixirica flower (Leandra australis) Guainumbi Private Reserve, Sao Paulo, Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves UNESCO World Heritage Site, Brazil.

Murray Cooper / Melastoma (Melastomataceae) flower, Ecuador

Pete Oxford / Fruit of Melastome (Miconia sp.) Yasuni National Park, Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador. South America

MYN / Andrew Snyder / Flower (Melastomataceae) Parabara, Guyana. Meetyourneighbours.net project

MYN / Andrew Snyder / Flower (Melastomataceae) Parabara, Guyana. Meetyourneighbours.net project

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Koster's Curse (Clidemia hirta), Tawau Hills Park, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia

Piotr Naskrecki / Melastoma (Melastomataceae) plant provides home for symbiotic Ants (Pheidole sp) wich in turn protect the plant from herbivores, Suriname

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Quaresmeira (Tibouchina sp) flowering bush in the Atlantic Rainforest of Itatiaia National Park, municipality of Itatiaia, Rio de Janeiro State, Southeastern Brazil.

Tim Laman / Hanging fruits of a Melastome (Melastomataceae family) shrub, Foja Mountains at approx 1650 m. Papua, Indonesia, 2008. (taken during Conservation International Rapid Assessment Program expedition)

Luiz Claudio Marigo / 'Sietecueros de po¡ramo' / 'Nazareno' / 'Doradito' (Tibouchina grossa) small tree of Paramo habitat Andean high altitude fields. Chingaza Natural National Park, municipality of La Calera, Cundinamarca...

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Tibouchina sp. (Melastomataceae) in Cerrado vegetation of Ibitipoca State Park, Minas Gerais State, municipality of Lima Duarte, Southeastern Brazil, March 2011.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Sietecueros de Pa¡ramos (Tibouchina grossa) spectacular red Melastomataceae flower of the Andean region. Bogota, Cundinamarca department, Colombia.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / 'Sietecueros de Pa¡ramos (Tibouchina grossa) spectacular red Melastomataceae flower of the Andean region. Bogota, Cundinamarca department, Colombia.

Pete Oxford / Galapagos Miconia (Miconia robinsoniana) flowering, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Pete Oxford / Galapagos Miconia (Miconia robinsoniana) with flower buds, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Kevin Schafer / Osbeckia (Osbeckia octandra) flower used for medicine, Sinharaja Biosphere Reserve, Sri Lanka

Pete Oxford / Galapagos Miconia (Miconia robinsoniana) flowering, highlands of Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Pete Oxford / Galapagos Miconia (Miconia robinsoniana) and ferns in forest, highlands of Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Pete Oxford / Galapagos Miconia (Miconia robinsoniana) flowering, highlands of Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Pete Oxford / Galapagos Miconia (Miconia robinsoniana) flowering, highlands of Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Murray Cooper / Melastoma (Melastomataceae) trees flowering, Cauca Valley, Colombia

Tui De Roy / Galapagos Petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) nesting area in gulley beneath Johnnyberry (Miconia sp) trees, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Tui De Roy / Galapagos Petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) near nesting burrow beneath Johnnyberry (Miconia sp) trees, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Wild Wonders of Europe / Radisics / Princess flower (Tibouchina semidecandra) close-up, Madeira, March 2009

Martin Gabriel / Monochaetum amabile in flower, near Mirador de Quetzales, Costa Rica

Thomas Marent / Melastoma (Melastomataceae) leaf detail showing veination, San Cipriano, Cauca, Colombia

Tim Laman / (Medinilla archboldiana) climbing plant in flower. Viti Levu Island, Fiji. Endemic plant to Fiji.

Thomas Marent / Melastoma (Melastomataceae) plant, showing new leaf growth, Manu National Park, Peru

Theo Allofs / Melastoma (Melastomataceae) flowers along sandstone cliffs, Chapada dos Guimaraes, Brazil

Doug Wechsler / Cloud forest with {Melastomataceae} flowers, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador

Mark Moffett / Melastoma (Maieta sp) leaf where ants throw out debris, contains nodes to absorb nutrients, Peru

Mark Moffett / Ant (Pheidole sp) group lives in pockets on leaves of Melastoma (Maieta sp) shrubs, one chamber serves as a nursery and one chamber for refuse which acts as plant fertilizer, Manu, Peru

Tui De Roy / Cerrado plants of Melastomataceae family blooming in dry season, Serra de Canastra National Park, Brazil

Mark Moffett / Ant (Pheidole sp) group lives in pockets on leaves of Melastoma (Maieta sp) shrubs One chamber serves as a nursery and one chamber for refuse which acts as plant fertilizer

Mark Moffett / Melastoma (Tococa sp) leaf pouch occupied by Foundress Queen, French Guiana

Mark Moffett / Melastoma (Tococa sp) has pouches among the leaves occupied by ants, French Guiana

Mark Moffett / Melastoma (Maieta sp) shrub with pores in leaf veins are occupied by protective ants (Pheidole sp), French Guiana

Mark Moffett / Melastoma (Maieta sp) shrub with pores in leaf veins are occupied by protective ants (Pheidole sp), French Guiana

Thomas Marent / Johnnyberry (Miconia sp) flowering, Cano Cristales, Sierra De La Macarena National Park, Meta, Colombia

Tui De Roy / Cerrado habitat, Melastomataceae family plant blooming in dry season, Serra de Canastra National Park, Brazil

Ugo Mellone / Primatologist holding Bellucia pentamera fruit, part of the diet of the Colombian spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps rufiventris), Marimonda, Necocli, Colombia. January 2022.

Ugo Mellone / Primatologist holding Bellucia pentamera fruit, part of the diet of the Colombian spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps rufiventris), Marimonda, Necocli, Colombia. January 2022.

Etienne Littlefair / Osbeckia (Osbeckia australiana) flower, a small perrenial shrub native to Northern Australia, Adelaide River Hills, Northern Territory, Australia.