ACANTHACEAE 437 
_Cultivated, Singalon, Cementerio del Norte, ete., fl. Jan—March. A 
native of Mauritius, cultivated and spontaneous in many other tropical 
countries, and of very recent introduction here. 
2. B. PRIONITIS L. Colinta, Culanta (Tag.). 
An erect, glabrous, branched shrub 1 to 2 m high, with slender, axillary 
spines. Leaves elliptic to elliptic-ovate, narrowed at both ends, acuminate, 
6 to 12 em long. Flowers yellow, axillary, the upper ones in spikes, the 
bracts and calyx green, the outer bract usually foliaceous. Corolla about 4 
em long (FI. Filip. pl. 214.) 
In thickets, Masambong, Pasay etce., fl. Oct—Apr.; of local occurrence in 
the Philippines, probably of prehistoric introduction. Tropical Asia and 
Africa. 
*3. B. cRISTATA L. Violetas (Sp.-Fil.). 
An erect, unarmed, much-branched shrub 1 to 3 m high, the branches 
sparingly pubescent. Leaves oblong to elliptic, acute, 4 to 10 cm long, 
somewhat pubescent beneath. Flowers in the upper axils and terminal, 
solitary or in pairs, the bracteoles linear. Outer 2 sepals green, ovate- 
lanceolate, nearly 2 cm long, persistent, laciniate-toothed. Corolla 6 to 7 
em long, the tube slender, winged above, the limb 4 to 5 cm in diameter, 
violet or nearly white, or streaked with violet and white. (F. Filip. pl. 214.) 
Commonly cultivated, especialy as a hedge plant, fl. all the year. A 
native of India, now cultivated in many tropical countries. 
5. ODONTONEMA Nees 
Erect shrubs with colored or variegated foliage, glabrous or nearly so. 
Leaves opposite, entire. Inflorescence terminal and axillary, of racemosely 
or spicately arranged fascicles or reduced cymes, the bracts and bracteoles 
small. Calyx short, somewhat 5-parted. Corolla-tube elongated, straight 
or nearly so, slightly enlarged above, the limb spreading, somewhat 2-lipped, 
the posterior lobe 2-fid, the anterior one 3-fid. Stamens 2, inserted above 
the middle of the corolla-tube, included; staminodes usually present. Style 
filiform; ovules 2 in each cell. Capsule-oblong, base contracted into a long 
stipe. (From Greek “tooth” and “thread,” in allusion to the staminodes.) 
Species about 30 in tropical America, 1 introduced and cultivated in the 
Philippines. 
*1. O. NITIDUM (Jacq.) O. Kuntze. 
An erect, branched, glabrous shrub 1 to 3 m high. Leaves pale-green 
variegated with white, or nearly uniformly dark-purplish, entire or ob- 
securely undulate-lobed, oblong-ovate,; acute or acuminate at both ends, 6 to 
20 cm long. Inflorescence terminal and in the upper axils, green or purple, 
narrow, 8 to 16 cm long, the flowers fascicled or in reduced, spicately 
arranged cymes. Corolla purple or nearly white, the throat and basal 
parts of the lobes blotched and spoted with purple, the tube 12 to 15 mm 
long, the limb 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter. 
Commonly cultivated for its ornamental foliage, both the purple-leaved 
form and the pale-green and white one frequent, fl. all the year, but ap- 
parently producing no fruits here. A native of tropical America, its time 
of introduction here uncertain, but probably comparatively recent. 
