^l^ Lxxxiii. sckophularinea;. 



26. BUCHNEEA, Linn. 



Calyx tuLular, obscuvelv nerved, shortly 5 -toothed. Corolla-tube slender, 

 straight or slightly curved"; the limb with 5 almost equal obovate or oblong 

 spreading- lobes, the 2 upper ones inside in the bud. Stamens 4, m pan-s, ui- 

 cluded in the tube ; anthers 1 -celled, vertical. Style club-shaped at the tx)p, 

 entire. Capsule straight, not acuminate, opening loculicidally in ^entire 

 valves.-Stiff erect herbs, usually drying black. Lower leaves opposite, the 

 upper ones alternate. Flowers sessile, forming terminal dense or mterrupteu 

 spikes, with a pair of bracteoles under the calyx. 



The genus is widely dispersed over tlic tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, 

 aud Anferica. The limits of the species arc exceedingly diflicult to determiue ^^^^ff^'' 

 tralian ones may be' considered either as all endemic or nearly so, or all except f^^V"^"'"]^ 

 uiny be referred as varieties to a single species common in tropical Asia and Aluca a 

 very near to a common American one. 



Tlowers in short dense 4-sidcd spikes, the imbricate bracts very broad 



and as long as the calyx . . . _ 1 ■ -S- Mra^ona. 



Flowers in slender interrupted spikes, tlie Lracts eitlier tiarro^Y or 

 much shorter than the calyx. 

 Radical and lower leaves broad, rosulate ; upper ones narrow, , 



acute. Corolla glabrous '...... ^- S. nrUcifoIu- 



Leaves all narrow, the lower ones oblong, the upper ones linear, 



mostly acute. Corolla glabrous. j. y 



Corolla-tube 3 to 4 Hues long ^' ^' [^"^^f^^' 



Corolla-tube not 2 lines long . . 4. i^. ieneua. 



Leaves all narrow aud obtuse, usually hoary, the lower ones 



oblong. y. 



Stems simple. Corolla glabrous outside ^, n. gr - "• ^^ 



Stems branching. Corolla pubescent or hispid outside . . ■ G. i>. ?^ 



1. B, tetragona, i?. Br. Prod. 437. Erect tall and stout, ^oi^^^P^!:^' 

 mens simple and fully 2 ft. high, others smaller aud branclied, ^^^!', ,^1) JJJJjy 

 glabrous. Lower leaves ovate or oblong, obtuse, coarsely and ly^g 'J 

 sinuate-toothed, narrowed into a short broad petiole and sometimes 6 to ^• 

 •long, u[)per ones lanceolate and sometimes all under 2 in. Spikes usu v 

 to 5 togelher, almost sessile within the last pair of leaves, very thick ^^'|^^J^ 

 to 2 in. long, the flowers densely iud)ricatc in 4 rows, each one sessile \m _^ 

 a bract 2 to 3 lines long, much broader than long, very shortly ''^*^"™"^^^^i^^ 

 the midiUe, Bracteoles narrow, complicated, acuminate, as long as t le^ ^y 

 Calyx 2i lines long, not at all or scnrcely compressed, the lobes ^^™^'\ ^^; 

 acute, nearly as long as the tube. Corolla-tube slender, nearly */^5f fg 

 the lohes broad, nearly equal, spreading to 3 or 4 lines diameter^ P-- 

 oblong, rather longer than the calyx.— Bcnth. in DC. Prod. x. 495. 



Iff. Australia- Port Essington, Armsirong. 



Queensland- Endeavour river. Banks and Solander. ^ ^^^^ 



Allied to the E. Indian B. tetrasnclia,\wX. readily distinguished by the smoothness o 

 whole plant as well as by the calyxes and bracts, 



2. B. urticifolia, i?. Br. Trod. 437. Scabrous-pubescent ^^^^J''^^ 



glabrous- Stems erect and simple or branching and sl^'S^^^'y/f*^^^^ V^ves 

 the base, rather slender, often above 1 ft. high- lladical and lower \j^^^ 

 almost rosulate at the base of the stem, obovate or broadly oblong, ^t^ ' - 



