Tas. 5882. 
ASYSTASIA VIOLACEA. 
Native of the Peninsula of India. 
Nat. Ord. Acanruacea.—'Tribe ASYSTASIER, 
Genus Asysrasra, Blume ; (Endl. Gen. Pl. vol. i. p. 701.) 
Asystasta violacea; caule glaberrimo ascendente obtuse 4-gono, foliis 
breviter petiolatis ovatis acutis v. acuminatis, superioribus subsessilibus 
basi rotundatis, utrinque _hirtellis glabratisve, racemis terminalibus 
solitariis v. geminis strictis erectis remotifloris, bracteis 3 minutis, pe- 
dicellis brevissimis, calycis laciniis lineari-lanceolatis subacutis hirtellis 
tubo corolla multo brevioribus, corolla violacer pollicaris extus glan- 
dulose tubo medio constricto, fauce ampliato, limbi sub 2-labiati 
laciniis ovatis obtusis patentibus albo-limbatis, capsula glandulosa 
clavata longe unguiculata. 
Asystasta violacea, Dalzell, in Hook. Kew Journ. Bot., vol. ii. p. 189 (1850). 
A native of the Concan Provinces of the Western Peninsula 
of India. I refer it with some hesitation to the Asystasia violacea 
of Dalzell (a plant omitted in the late Dr. T. Anderson’s valu- 
able monograph of Indian Acanthacee published in the Linnean 
Society’s Journal, vol. ix. p. 139), the calyx appearing smaller 
than in authentic dried specimens of A. violacea received from 
Mr. Dalzell himself; the lower lip of the corolla being not so 
prominent as he describes it, and no notice being taken in his 
description of the broad white margins of the corolla-lobes. ‘, 
From the common Ceylon and Peninsular Indian /. chelo- 
niordes, of which it may be a form, it differs in the simple 
raceme, short petioles, and subsessile flowers. 4. Coromande- 
hana, Nees, a very common Indian plant, has much larger 
flowers, and also long-petioled leaves. Our specimens were 
raised from seeds sent by Dr. Anderson, of the Calcutta 
Botanic Gardens, under the name of A. chelonioides, of which, 
as before observed, it may be a form. 
Duscr. Stem slender, one to two feet high, decumbent at 
JANUARY 1st, 1871. 3 
