ACANTHACEAE 433 
a small, nearly globose bladder near the base. Scaps erect, emerging above 
the surface of the water, 6 to 15 cm long. Flowers few, yellow, racemosely 
arranged; about 12 mm long. 
In ditches, slow streams of fresh water etc., fl. Feb—May; widely dis- 
tributed in the Philippines. India and Ceylon to southern China, Malaya, 
and Australia. 
2. U. bifida L. 
A slender erect annual plant, the scapes 6 to 20 em high, the leaves 
radical, linear-spathulate, 1 cm long or less, usually absent at time of 
flowering. Flowers yellow, racemose, few. Calyx 2-lobed, the lobes about 
8 mm long, ovate or obovate, rounded, subequal, accrescent and enclosing 
the capsule. Corolla, including the spur, 6 to 7 mm long, the spur as 
long as the calyx-lobes, somewhat curved. Capsule ovoid, 3 to 4 mm long, 
enclosed by the calyx-segments. 
In open wet places, San Lazaro, Masambong, etc., fl. Aug.—Dec.; widely 
distributed in the Philippines. India to southern China and Malaya. 
3. U. nivea Vahl. 
A very slender, erect, glabrous, simple annual, the leaves evanescent 
at time of flowering, the scapes 10 to 25 em high; scales of the scape 2 
to 3 mm long, about equally prolonged above and below the point of 
attachment, pointed at both ends, appressed. Flowers few, racemosely 
arranged on the upper part of the scape, the pedicels short. Calyx-lobes 
about 2 mm long, broadly ovate, rounded, entire, pale-greenish. Corolla 
pale-purple, including the spur 5 to 6 mm long, the upper lip oblong, 
truncate or obtuse, about 2.5 mm long, the lower lip much larger, entire, 
strongly recurved, rounded, with a yellow spot at the geniculation, more 
than one-half as long as the spur. Capsule ovoid, 2 mm long. 
In open wet grass lands, La Loma etc., rare; fil. Oct.Dec.; India and 
Ceylon to southern China and Malaya. 
4. U. tenerrima Merr. 
A very slender, twining, glabrous, annual plant, leafless at time of 
flowering, 3 to 15 cm high, the scales on the scape few, basifixed, ovate, 
concave, about 1 mm long. Flowers blue, scattered, shortly pedicelled. 
Sepals green, ovate, about 2.5 mm long, in fruit up to 4.5 mm long. Upper 
lip of the corolla about 3 mm long, the apical part oblong, obtuse, the 
lower lip reflexed, entire, about 3 mm long and 3 mm wide (spread), 
the spur about 2mm long. Capsule ovoid, slightly compressed, 2.5 mm long. 
In open wet grass lands, near La Loma, twining on grasses and other 
plants, fi. Aug.Sept. Known in the Philippines only from the vicinity of 
Manila. India. 
129. ACANTHACEAE (ACANTHUS OR DILIUARIO FAMILY) 
Herbs or shrubs, erect, scandent, or prostrate. Leaves opposite, entire 
or somewhat lobed, exstipulate. Flowers bracteate and 2-bracteolate, or 
these sometimes wanting, variously paniculate, racemose, or spicate, rarely 
solitary. Calyx 5-partite, or (in Thunbergia) small, or reduced to a mere 
ring. Corolla 2-lipped, or subequally 5-lobed, the lobes imbricated or 
twisted in bud. Stamens 4 or 2, inserted on the corolla-tube; anthers 2- 
or 1-celled, cells sometimes remote. Ovary superior, 2-celled; ovules 1 or 
more in each cell. Fruit a loculicidal capsule, the valves often recurved, 
carrying the seeds on the half-septa. Seeds (except in Thunbergia) hard, 
111555——28 
