68 NEILGHERRY PLANTS. 
ENDOPOGON., 
Calyx regular, 5-parted. Corolla, in the bud, often convolutely mucronate, bilabiate, throat inflated, 
upper lip broad bifid, within having a decurrent canal bearded on both sides for the reception of the style, 
lower lip trifid. Stamens two; cells of the anthers parallel, equal, muticous. Capsule 4-angled, sutures pro- 
minent, 2-celled, four-seeded near the base ; partition adnate, narrow and incomplete above. Seed either 
depressed, lenticular, mucronulate with a shield-like depression on both sides near the hilum, or ovate, sub- 
cordate, carinate on one side, smooth. Shrubs with serrated leaves: flowers spicate; common bracts 
opposite, imbricated, broadish, the proper ones narrow. Corolla showy, blue. 
s forms one of a group of genera the most perplexing I have ever tried to unravel; they are Endo- 
pogon, Stenosiphonium, Strobilanthes, and Goldfussia, all of which, so far as characters and habit are con- 
this genus, as its being didynamous in place of diandrous furnished a good distinguishing, though very 
artificial, character, as being opposed to others of nearly equal value. In a conspectus of the genera of 
the Ruelliee, Nees divides them into two groups, viz.: A. “Stamina duo,” and B. “Stamina quatuor.” 
ndopogon is placed in the former, Stenosiphonium and Strobilanthes in the latter; but, as if to show that 
he attached little value to that mark, he refers a didynamous species to Endopogon, and a diandrous one to 
Stenosiphonium. This departure from the conspectus demanded a closer scrutiny of the extended characters 
of these and some other genera, which led to the conclusion stated above. The following extract from 
my Icones will explain my views on the subject, to which I may add, in confirmation of them, a circum- 
stance overlooked when writing these remarks, that Nees’ Endopogon decurrens is said to be sub-didyna- 
mous, “ Filamenta hirsuta, anthere breves et late, sub-didyname,” an obscure expression, which however 
seems to indicate that the author’s own mind was not clearly made up as to what were the true limits of 
these genera. 
Enxpopocon, Srenosirnonium. Here a new difficulty arises, Endopogon differs 
hese two genera, as they stand in Nees’ Mono- from Strobilanthes in the number of its stamens, an 
vi 
But this distinction Nees has himself broken down ®!@ 4 stamens, and the capsule is 4-seeded, hence, 
by his St. diandrum, regarding which he remarks 
the 
X Vix usque ad medium divisus ;” thus making C* YX and stamens are those of Si osiphonium. 
the essential ‘gelvetts distinction rest on the eveatel The two nearly allied species, E. = and folio- 
or less depth of the clefts of the calyx, and not on 9% have the stamens and capsule of Endo, 
€ number of stamens, nor seed in the capsule, or the calyx of Stenosiphonium. 
igni i ght in such a case an additional genus to be 
sane. usually esteemed of scarcely specific note, constructed for the “ees ate! these 3 plants, 
o this 
paratively out of consideration, and in liew thereof admit them into one of the already existing 3 gen- 
made use of the number of seed in the capsule era? The latter has appeared to me the preferable 
combined with the form of the corolla; viz. a cam- course, hence I have referred them all to Endopogon, 
panulate limb, and long, slender tube, which is com- They all coincide with Endopogon in the form of 
mon to both. w 
_Endopogo 
capsule 4-seeded.—Stamens usuall :: 
enosiphonium, corolla campanulato-infundibuli- to that 1 attach only secondary importance. The 
8-seed ly four. i i : 
form, capsule ed.—Stamens inconvenience attending this course is the introduc- 
ber of stamens and seeds in the cap- tion of a didynamous species into a diandrous genus, 
sule divides, into two genera, _gtoup of species which, however, is partly palliated by finding Pro- 
whi e form of the corolla unites, So far all is fessor Nees introducin iandrous species into a 
¥. e tetrandrous Ste u S at didynamous genus, so that analogy is in i 
drous sp and according to my Influenced by these views, and attaching only speci- 
at most, sectional value to the extent of ad- 
least ies, 
view, the diandrous genus Endopogon has a tetran- sor 
Strobilanthes, hesion between the lobes of the calyx, I submit for 
drous species in my E. 
