Blepharis. | ACANTHACEA (Clarke). 23 
Spikes with several flowers ; corolla 1 in. long : 
Leaves linear : 
Spikes ovoid, loose, few-flowered ,.. --. (5) angusta. 
Spikes cylindric ; bracts imbricated ... (6) linariefolia. 
Leaves oblong-elliptic or obovate yd ... (7) Stainbankie, 
Section 2. Leaves more or less toothed or spinous on the margin; often 
approximated in fours whereof the lower pair are reduced to pinnate spines. 
Bracts glabrous or puberulous : 
Bracts lanceolate ; corolla yellow or white ... (8) capensis. 
Bracts obovate, hatte» acuminate; corolla 
bluse @ 7 si re ..» (10) mitrata. 
Bracts villous at least on the nerves : 
Spikes few-flowered; corolla-lips yellow or white (9) Ecklonii- 
Spikes many-flowered 3; corolla-lips blue ... (11) hirtinervia. 
Section 8. Leaves more or less toothed or spinous on the margin; often 
approximated in fours, whereof the lower pair are not dissimilar to the upper 
though frequently somewhat smaller. 
Spikes small, reduced, with the terminal bract alone 
supporting a flower : 
Flower-bract with 5 spinous marginal teeth ... (12) uniflora, 
Flower-bract mucronate ; lateral teeth obsolete (13) inermis. 
Spikes several-flowered : 
Branches with very short internodes; leaves 
appearing clustered ; harsh small shrubs : 
Spike small, few-flowered ; bracts ending 
in a strong pinnate spine (14) furcata. 
Spike short cylindric ; bracts hairy “ending 
in a simple spine . (15) villosa. 
Spike loose, few-flowered ; "bracts. oblong, 
glabrous, like the leaves .. 4a .. (16) marginata. 
Branches with many internodes 1 in. long or 
more ; many leaves approximated in fours : 
Spikes cylindric many-flowered ; subovoid 
spikes occur also: 
Bracts very hairy : 
Ovary with a wn obversely 
mitriform cap . . (17) obmitrata. 
Ovary with no cap under the 
style-base - (19) longispica. 
Bracts minutely hairy, their large 
tips squarrose . (18) squarrosa, 
Spikes ail ovoid, few-flowered, sometimes 
very shortly cylindric : : 
Leaves elliptic or oblong: 
Outermost bracts needle-like : 
Bracts glabrous without ... (20) pruinosa. 
Bracts hairy without: 
Leaves irregularly spine- 
toothed vis (21) diversispina. 
Leaves closely ciliate- 
spinescent ... ... (22) serrulata. 
Outermost bracts pinnatifid 
spinous; leaves or spines pin- 
nate at base; bracts minutely 
scabrous-hairy : : 
Posticous sepal obtuse . (23) subvolubilis, 
Posticous sepul widened at 
the top... ive +» a4) dilatata. 
