NEILGHERRY PLANTS. 71 
GOLDFUSSIA. 
ported on retinacula, Shrubs with serrated penninerved leaves, nerves curved, all tending towards the 
apex, but not reaching it. Flowers few, capitulate, rarely spicate, bibracteolate. Bracts deciduous. Spikes 
elongating after the fall of the bracts. Capitula peduncled, with the peduncle simple or divided. 
Under this character, Nees arranges 24 species, of two of these, I possess authentic specimens both of 
which are represented in my Icones. A close comparison of the generic characters with those of these 
species shows several discrepancies nearly as striking as those observable in the plant, which forms the 
by the excellent Dr. Schmid, but which I have not been able to recognize among my series of Neilgherry 
Acanthacee, though pretty complete. My impression is that the characters of both these genera are too 
loosely constructed, and that both will require to be carefully recast, and further, that from among the 
present species, one or two new genera will require to be added to give uniformity and consistency to the 
whole. ‘The genus Strobilanthes, as it now stands, is most heterogeneous and complex, but we are not the 
less indebted to the learned professor for his revision, not merely of the genus, but of the whole of this most 
difficult order which when he entered upon it was a truly herculean task. Now the labour will be a com- 
paratively light one, a few only of the larger genera requiring to be thoroughly recast. Of the species 
published in my Icones, I consider G. Dalhousie, penstemonoides, and decurrens genuine examples: as 
already stated, I do not feel by any means certain of the one here given. One circumstance not noticed 
by Nees in his generic character is the inequality in the size of the two leaves coming off from each joint, 
a mark which I find constant in all those of which I have specimens, but according to the specific char- 
acters not found in all the species. Of two specimens, indeed, of G. isophylla, one has them very unequal, 
_ the other nearly equal, but notwithstanding that discrepancy I look upon it as a valuable character, while 
in the perhaps too nearly allied genus Strobilanthes, it is so rare that I doubt whether the species, in which 
it is said to occur, truly belong to that genus. 
Goxprussia Tristis (R.W.), shrubby, erect, leaves The generic distinction between Goldfussia and 
unequal, elliptico-lanceolate, acuminate, acutely ser- Strobilanthes 1s to me very obscure, and I am unable 
rated, glabrous on both sides: inflorescence panicu- 
lato-spicate ; spikes sub-capitate, long pedicelled, to the one or other genus. t fi 
drooping, few- (above 2-) flowered, involucrate: in- Strobilanthes, and fear, on reconsideration, 
v 
of the calyx long, ciliate at the apex: corolla infun- 6 to 10 inches long, flowers pale blue. Each capit- 
dibuliform, limb regular, tube very hairy within; ulum, usually only 2 
stamens monodelphous at the base, anthers oblong: site bracts, as shown at fig. 
lyx is not very well shown in 
capsule 4-seeded ; seeds near the base, the lower pubescence of the calyx 
in b-trun- fig. 3, the hairs len then as they approach the apex 
ones often aborting, upper oblong, obtuse, sub-trun g. alee ene fo 4 AO 
cate, pubescen an 
Western slopes of the Neilgherries under shade by 
the road-side, about 2 miles below Sisparrah. Flow- 
ering February. 
