Himalaya, especially the M. betonicoides, Benth., of Sikkim, 
which has pale purple flowers; and M. poluphylla, Wall., 
which has whorls of many leaves. 
Dsscr. Glabrous below, above pubescent or laxly tomen- 
tose. oot stout, fusiform. Stem six to eighteen inches 
high, stout, simple, grooved, leafy. Radical leaves four to — 
twelve inches long, by one-half to one inch broad; narrowed 
more or less into a petiole, margin sinuate-toothed, spinous- 
pointed, the teeth ending in rigid horizontal yellow spines, 
which are often as long as the leaf is broad, but sometimes 
small and slender; cauline three or rarely four in a whorl, 
sessile, connate at the base, spreading or recurved. Spikes 
interrupted, two to six inches long; bracts one to two 
inches long, very rigid, connate into a broad cup, rigidly 
spinous. Involucel cylindric, truncate, woolly, mouth with 
many short and two much longer unequal spinous teeth. 
Calye and ovary about half an inch long, green, woolly or 
glabrate, calyx-tube about as long as the subequal bifid 
lobes with spinescent tips. Corolla from half an inch to an 
inch and a quarter long, sparsely villous with long hairs, © 
pale rather greenish yellow, tube very slender, curved; lobes 
oblong retuse; throat hardly dilated. Stamens two, 
reaching about half the length of the corolla-lobes; filaments 
hairy near the top at the back; anthers oblong, yellow, 
cells unequal. Seeds furrowed in front.—J. D. H. 
Fig. 1, Longitudinal section of flower; 2, involucel ; 3, ovary and calyx; 
4, stamens ; 5, top of style and stigma; 6, transverse section of involucel, pericarp, 
and seed :—all enlarged, ae 
