210 



A REVISION OP THE INDIAN SPECIES OF ROTALA 



AND AMMANNIA. 



BY 



E. Blatter, S.J., and Prof. F. Hallberg. 



Part II. 



(Gontinued from page 722 of Vol. XXV.) . 



Ammania, L. (sens, restr.) 



Annual glabrous herbs, growing in damp places. Stem and 

 branches more or less 4-gonous. Leaves decussate, sometimes 

 alternate, sessile, often dilate-cordate at the base, 1 -nerved. 



Dichasia Cl-)o-multiflovvered, sessile or pedunculate, axillary; 

 l)racteoles small, membranous. Flowers typically 4-merous (ex- 

 ceptionally 5-6-inerous, never heterostylous. Calyx campanulate 

 or urceolate, aftei- flowering semiglobose or globose, herbaceous, 8- 

 nerved ; appendages or shoit. Petals 0-4, fugaceous, obovate or 

 rotund. Stamens 2-8, episepalous. Ovary sessile, incompletely 2-4 

 (-5)-localar or 1-locular. Style or longer than the ovary. 



Capsule globose or ellipsoid, included or half-exsevted, very 

 thinly membranous, breaking up irregularly in a transverse direc- 

 tion. Seeds very nujierous, minute. 



There are about 20 species, distributed all over the world, chiefly 

 ill the tropical regions. Some of them are well-defined, but most 

 extremely variable and, therefore difficult to distinguish. The 

 genus gives one the impression as if its representatives were in the 

 actual process of evolution. 



Key to the Indian Species. 



A. Calyx 4-vvinged. Flowers and capsules very 



large . . . , . . . , - . . . 1, A. oetandra 



B. Calyx nob winged. 



I. Style distinct. Petals distinct : 



1. Cymes distinctly peduncled : 



a. Peduncles and pedicels stout, flowers 



and capsules large. A coarse plant. 2. A. auriculata 



h. Peduncles and pedicels filiform, flowers 

 and capsules small. A slender and 

 more delicate plant . . . . . . 3. A. viultijlora 



2. Cymes sessile or subsessile. Flowers and 



capsules large. A coarse plant . . 4. A. desertorum 



II. St^ le absent or nearly so. Petals absent 



or small. 

 1. Cymes distinctly peduncled . . 5. A. senec/alensis 



'2. Cymes sessile or subsessile . . . . 6. A. baccifera 



