A REVISION OF THE INDIAN SPECIES OF ItOTALA. 217 



(^uite glabrous. Stem 15-70 cm. high, often rooting at the base, 

 •4-angular. Leaves 10-35 mm. long, 5-13 mm broad, lanceolate or 

 oblong or rarely ovate-oblong, acuminate or obtuse, obtuse at the 

 base or rarely cordate, sub-l-nerved, with a cartilaginous margin. 



Diohasia 3-5-flowered, bracteoles of the central flower 2-5 mm. long, 

 about as long as the calyx, lanceolate or linear-siibulate, subcym- 

 biform, green, often membranous on the margin. Flower 4-5-, 

 rarely 6-merous. Calyx 3 mm. long, at last semiglobose ; lobes ;l 

 the length of the tube ; petals rose or lilac, slightly longer than the 

 calyx ; stamens 8, 10, (12), the episepalous ones as long as the lobes, 

 or longer by ^, the epipetalous ones shorter than the lobes ; ovary 

 ellipsoid-globose, 3-4-locular, style at last twice as long as the 

 ovary. 



Capsule globose. 



Habitat : Ceylon (Walker). Perhaps introduced. 



Distribution : Comoro Islands, Madagascar; Mauritius, Ceylon. 



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