Ludzaigia. tetrandria mokogtnia. 441 



A small, ramous plant, a native of Bengal; flowering time therai. 

 jiy season ; seed ripe about October. 



Root ramous, atuiual.— S/e/^ short, round, in young plants erect. 

 Branches many, diffuse, slightly striated ; the whole plant of a dark- 

 ferruginous colour. — Leaves alternate, short-petioled, lanceolate, en- 

 tire, smooth, lengtli from one to three inches Flowers axillary, 



small, sessile. The leaves about the ends of the branches are so 



small, and crowded, as to inake the extremities of the branchletsap- 

 pear like leafy spikes. — Bractes, a most minute one on each side of 

 the insertion of each flower. — Cali/x, the divisions taper to most 

 acute points, and equal the oblong petals. — Capsule beneath, linear, 

 obsojetely four-sided, smooth, four.valved. — Seeds coloured, numer- 

 ous, very small. 



2. L. prostrata, R. 



Lower branches creeping. Leaves alternate, petioled, lanceolar. 

 Fhwers axillary, sessile. Capsules filiform, with one row of seeds ia 

 esch cell, attached immediately to the axis. 



A native of Pegu, from thence introduced into this garden, where 

 it blossoms and ripens its seed during the rainy season. 



Root annual.— S;e?« leaning much to one side, from one to two 

 feet long. Branches numerous, the lower ones longer than the stem, 

 spreading flat on the ground and striking root, smooth, striated, ge- 

 nerally coloured with red. Leaves alternate, short-petioled, lanceo- 

 lar, entire, smooth, si^e various, the largest from thiee to tive inches 

 long. — Flowers axillary, sessile, from one to several on the same 

 axil, very small much elevated on the four-sided peduncle-like 

 germ. — Fetals lanceolar, longer than the calyx, yellow. — FiiameiUs 

 four, length of the style. Anthers roundish, two-lobed, always after 

 expansion found adhering to the large clammy suj^^ma. — Capsules 

 slender, sub-filiform, more or less curved, smoothj. four«,cornered ;^ 

 angles rounded, sides grooved ; four-celled. — Seeds oval, minute, 

 pink-coloured, disposed in one vertical row and attached imme- 

 diately to the axis, witijout the intervention of any thing tike a re- 

 «eptiicle. 



