Gexus 2. 



ACANTHUS FAMILY. 



241 



About 200 species, mainly of tropical America, a few in Africa, Asia and Australia. Besides 

 the following, some 6 others occur in the southern and southwestern United States. Type species : 

 Ruellia tuberosa L. 



Flowers sessile or nearly so. 



Calyx-segments linear-lanceolate, scarcely exceeding the capsule. 

 Calyx-segments filiform-linear, exceeding the capsule. 



Leaves sessile or very short-petioled. 

 Leaves slender-petioled. 

 Flowers peduncled ; peduncle with two large bracts at the summit. 



1 . R. strepens. 



2. R. ciliosa. 



3. R. parviflora. 



4. R. pedunculata. 



i. Ruellia strepens L. Smooth or Short-tube Ruellia. Fig. 3889. 



Ruellia strepens L. Sp. PI. 634. 1753. 



Dipteracanthus micranthus Engelm. & Gray, Bost. 

 Journ. Xat. Hist. 5 : 257. 1845. 



Ruellia strepens var. cleistantha A. Gray, Syn. Fl. 

 2 : Part 1, 327. 1878. 



Glabrate or somewhat pubescent ; stem erect, 

 slender, simple, or branched, 4-sided, l-4 

 high, the branches ascending. Leaves oblong, 

 oval, or ovate, petioled, acute or subacute at 

 the apex, narrowed at the base, 3 '-6' long ; peti- 

 oles 2"-io" long; flowers solitary or several 

 together in the axils.some often cleistogamous ; 

 calyx-segments linear-lanceolate, shorter than 

 the corolla-tube, slightly pubescent or ciliate, 

 8"-l2" long, i"-l" wide; corolla blue, 1F-2' 

 long, the limb nearly as broad, the tube about 

 as long as the throat and limb ; capsule club- 

 shaped, longer than or equalling the calyx. 



In dry woods, Pennsylvania to Wisconsin, Kan- 

 sas, Florida and Texas. May-July. 



2. Ruellia ciliosa Pursh. Hairy or Long- 

 tube Ruellia. Fig. 3890. 



Ruellia ciliosa Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 420. 1814. 



Hirsute or pubescent, at least above; stem 

 ascending, rather stout, i-2* high. Leaves 

 hairy, ciliate, oblong, oval, or ovate, sessile or 

 nearly so, obtuse or subacute at the apex, nar- 

 rowed at the base, ii-3' long; flowers clus- 

 tered or solitary in the axils, sometimes cleis- 

 togamous; calyx-segments filiform, hirsute, 

 io"-I2" long, about i" wide; corolla blue. 

 ii'-2' long, the tube equalling or longer than 

 the obconic throat and nearly regular limb 

 and about twice as long as the calyx ; capsule 

 shorter than the calyx. 



In dry soil, southern New Jersey and Pennsyl- 

 vania to Florida, west to Michigan, Kansas and 

 Louisiana. June Sept. 



