538 CIX. ACANTHACEX. (C. B. Clarke.) [Justicia. 
Stems 10-15 in., procumbent, branched, glabrous. Leaves 2 by fin, obtuse 
transversely lineolate above ; base long attenuate, petiole 0, or in some lower eaves 
short. Spikes 24 by 4 in., subinterrupted at base, longer or shorter than the peduncle; 
bracts 4 by 4-73 in., bracteoles 4 in. Sepals 4-4 in., glistening ciliate on ther marg 
and keel, otherwise glabrate. Corolla jin. Capsule Y in.— Nearly allied to J. notka, 
differing principally in the glabrate leaves and very narrow bracts. 
48. J. diffusa, Willd. Sp. Pl. i. 87; leaves petioled elliptic acuminate 
at both ends sparsely hairy, spikes slender sparsely hairy, bracts linear 
lanceolate or linear mostly shorter than the calyx, sepals lanceolate acu 
minutely scabrous upwards. Roth Nov. Sp. 14; Wall. Cat. 2M 
Anders in Journ. Linn. Soc. ix. 519. J. procumbens, Linn. partly ; 
Vahl Symb. ii. 14; Roxb. Fl. Ind. i. 132. Rostellularia diffusa, Nees 
Wall. Pl. As. Rar. iii. 100, and in DC. Prodr. xi. 371; Dalz. Gi » 
Bomb. Fl. 193 (several of these citations referring partly or mainly to plants 
here separately described as vars.). 
KuMAon and PUNJAB TxnAI; Strachey & Winterbottom, &c. DECCAN pente 
SULA and CEYLON, plentiful; extending north to Chota Nagpore. RANGOON; 
M'Lelland.—DisTRIB. Siam. Leaves 
Stems 1-2 ft., herbaceous, quadrangular, glabrous or minutely pubescent. | i om 
(well developed) 34 by 14 in.; raphides large, sunk, on both surfaces; petto e i the 
pubescent. Spikes 1-7 by } in.; lower flowers opposite, distant the lengt b u$; 
calyx; bracts 4 in., narrowly or not scarious-margined, tip minutely sca 7 T 
bracteoles 1-4 in., lanceolate. Sepals à in., resembling the bracts. Corolla ing 
Capsule 4 in., glabrous, Seeds very nearly smooth, concentric rugosities remain g 
as obscure tubercles, : ts and 
VAR. prostrata, Roxb. ms. ; leaves smaller often obtuse or orbicular, prac nd 
sepals shorter broader rather more scabrous, capsule hairy.— Deccan Peninsu oes 
Ceylon, common.— Stems prostrate, intricately branched, patently hairy. e 
4-4 in. diam. Spikes 1-2 by lin. tto. 
VaR. Vahli” leaves narowiy lanceolate or linear, bracts lanceolate M 
margined, sepals lanceolate subacute tips minutely scabrous. J. Vahlii, Rot hiana, 
Sp. 14. J. quinqueangularis, Wall. Cat. 2443, type sheet and mainly. J. Va Rar. 
Roem. & Sch. Syst. Mant. i. 138. Rostellularia Vahlii, Nees in Wall. Pl. As. we 
iii. 102, and in DC. Prodr. xi. 376, partly.—Deccan Peninsula and Ceylon, exten 5 
to Chota Nagpore, common, — Ít is vain to quote extensively synonymy for this p The 
as the same specimen has been named differently by the highest authorities. J 
narrow-leaved forms have been, both by Nees and T. Anderson, mixed M brous 
quingueangularis, which differs in the large capsule and seeds, aud in the gla ften 
obtuse sepal-tips. In the linear-leaved forms the spikes, bracts and sepals are 0 th 
as din J. diffusa var. prostrata. Connected by imperceptible gradations W 
. diffusa, type. - 
VAR. hedyotidifolia ; woody, leaves petioled ovate, spikes shortened dense, sepa 
tips lengthened sometimes very ciliate. J. hedyotidifolia, Wall. Cat, 2450. Roste 
lularía hedyotidifolia, Nees in Wall. Pl. As. Rar. iii. 100, and in DC. Prodr. xi. 37 s 
Wight Ic. t. 1540.—Mts. of S. India.— The extreme forms in Wight’s herbarium s 
very woody and glabrous, with small black leaves; but there are berbaceous examp " 
with larger more hairy leaves, even from the Nilgherries at 8000 ft. alt., which hava 
been marked J. hedyotidifolia by Mr. Bentham, and which cannot be distinguis 
from J. diffusa, type. :eulata 
VAR. orbiculata; leaves petioled ovate hairy specially beneath. J. orbicu à ia 
‘all. Cat. 2489; T. Anders. in Journ. Linn. Soc. ix. 912, partly. Rostellular: 
rotundifolia, Nees in Wall. Pl. As. Rar. iii. 100, and in DC, Prodr. xi. 370.—Deccan 
Peninsula, northwards to Parasnath, 7. Anderson. Distrib. Siam.— he examp 
are marked by Nees (doubtless on account of the pubescent or patently hairy stea 
“ Rostellularia procumbens, Var. 8 and y,” but the same thing is marked by T. Anden ta 
* hedyotidifolia,” which is the true affinity. Most of the examples marked orbicuta 
by Nees and T. Anderson are J. simplex, D. Don. 
