54S LXXXVIII. ACANTHACE^. [RtielUa. 



about half as long as the tube. Stamens of R. australis. Capsule 6 to 8 

 lines long, 2-cclled from the base. — Nees in DO. Prod, xi. 154. 



Queensland, Bustard Bay, Bay of lulets and Cape Grafton, Ba7iks and Solander; 

 Port Dcnison, FifzaJan ; Burdekin river, F. Mueller ; Suttor river, Thozet ; Broad Sound, 

 Bowman ; Bogee river, Dallachy, 



Tribe IV. Justicie.e.— Corolla 2-lipped or 1-lipped by the reduction of 

 the upper one, or rarely nearly equally 5-lobed, the lobes variously imbricate 

 but not contorted in the bud. Seeds flat. Ketinacula prominent, usuajly 

 hooked. 



6. ACANTHUS, Linn. 



(Dilivaria, Juss^ 



Calyx divided to the base into 4 distinct segments or sepals. Corolla 

 with a very short tube ; the upper lip short and truncate or entirely wanting, 

 the lower lip large entire or 3-lobed. Stamens 4, exserted ; anthers 1-cclled, 

 hirsute or ciliate. Ovules 2 in each cell of the ovary. Capsule 2-celled 

 from the base. Seeds large, flat ; retlnacula thick. — Herbs or shrubs. 

 Leaves usually prickly-toothed. Flowers in bracteate spikes. 



A small genus, spread over tropical Asia, Africa, and southern Europe. The only Aus- 

 tralian species is a common maritime plant in tropical Asia. 



1. A. ilicifolms, Linn.; T. Anders, in Joum. Linn. Soc, ix. 501. An 

 erect glabrous shrub of several feet. Leaves sessile or nearly so, oval or 

 broadly oblong, 4 to 8 in. long, coriaceous and shining when full grown, 

 bordered with undulate prickly teeth or short lobes or rarely entire, with a 

 pair of divaricate short prickles at their base in the place of stipules, sonie- 

 times 4 or 5 lines long, sometimes very short or entirely wanting. Spike" 

 terminal or in the upper axils, 6 in. to 1 ft. long. Bracts ovate, acute or 

 obtuse, often at least half as long as the calyx ; bracteoles similar but 

 smaller, sometimes very small or wanting. Calyx-segraeuts or sepals oblong, 

 coriaceous, the 2 outer ones 6 to 8 lines long, the 2 inner ones smaller. 

 Corolla upper lip exceedingly short tmncate and coriaceous, the lower ex- 

 panded into an obovate entire or shortly 3-lobed limb of above 1 in. T^j}^- 

 ments hard, thick and shining, more than half as long as the lower lip- 

 Anthers 3 to 4 lines long, very densely ciliate-hirsute. Capsule f to 1 "i- 

 long, coriaceous, shining, very obtuse.— R. Br. Prod. 480 ; DiVwaria ihcijo- 

 lia, Juss. ; Nees in DC. Prod. xi. 268 ; Wight, Ic, t. 459. 



N. Australia- Gulf of Carpentaria, i2. Browu ; Albert river, Henne. 

 Qneensland. Cape York, Baemel ; Endeavour river. Banks and Solander; ^ape 

 i^ouway, A. Cunninghayn ; Kockhampton, aShanesy, Thozet. 



T^i; ^}'^l^^^^^^^'^\ Symb. ii. 75. t. 40 ; R. Br. Prod. 480 {miivaria eSracfeaiaJn^^j^ 

 Nees m DC Prod. ti 269) ; is distinguished by almost all botanists aa a species by the 

 SfrfLK T*'' f^^^^^ually by the want of the stipuiar spines at the base of the lea es 

 Both the bracts and these spines are so very variable in size, that in the usually mdilFerent 

 specimens m the collections before me, I am quite unable to ascertain whether there really 

 are or not two distinct forms, all the other characters being precisely the same in both. A 

 Malacca specimen answenug to Vahl's figure, has smaller flowers thau the commoD fbrn . 

 and the bracts veiy deciduous, but they are present under the buds on the young spike • 

 Brown s specimens of J. ehracteatm have the subtendin- bract, but the bracteoles very mi- 

 nute or deficient and the stipuiar spines wanting. 



s 



-1* 



